Essentials Of Organizational Behavior Fourteenth Edition Cha

Essentials Of Organizational Behaviorfourteenth Editionchapter 5person

Describe personality, the way it is measured, and the factors that shape it. Describe the strengths and weaknesses of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) personality framework and the Big Five model. Discuss how the concepts of core self-evaluation (CSE), self-monitoring, and proactive personality contribute to the understanding of personality. Describe how the situation affects whether personality predicts behavior. Contrast terminal and instrumental values.

Describe the differences between person-job fit and person-organization fit. Compare Hofstede’s five value dimensions and the GLOBE framework. Personality is the sum total of ways in which an individual reacts to and interacts with others. It is often described in terms of measurable traits such as outgoing, shy, aggressive, loyal, etc. Psychologists define personality as the growth and development of a person’s psychological system, which impacts important work outcomes.

Personality can be assessed through various methods such as self-report surveys, which are the most common. These surveys evaluate individuals based on specific factors, but they are prone to errors influenced by cultural contexts, where individualistic cultures tend to self-enhance and collectivistic cultures tend to self-diminish. Personality determinants include heredity and environment, with twin studies confirming a significant genetic influence, though environmental factors and age also play a role. Basic personality traits tend to remain relatively stable over time.

The dominant frameworks in personality assessment include the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) and the Big Five model. The MBTI classifies individuals into 16 personality types based on four dichotomies: Extroversion/Introversion, Sensing/Intuitive, Thinking/Feeling, and Judging/Perceiving. Despite its widespread use, it faces criticisms regarding reliability and validity.

The Big Five model identifies five core traits: Extraversion, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, Emotional Stability, and Openness to Experience. This model is strongly supported by research, particularly linking conscientiousness to job performance. Traits such as those in the Dark Triad—Machiavellianism, Narcissism, and Psychopathy—are considered socially undesirable but relevant to organizational behavior, influencing leadership, ethics, and team dynamics.

Additional personality traits relevant to OB include core self-evaluation (CSE), self-monitoring, and proactive personality. Individuals with high CSE have positive self-views, perceiving themselves as capable and effective, which correlates with better job performance. Self-monitoring refers to adjusting behavior based on external cues, often leading to effective leadership. Proactive individuals identify opportunities, persevere through challenges, and initiate change, playing a crucial role in dynamic environments.

The relationship between personality and behavior is moderated by situational factors. Situation strength theory suggests that strong situations with clear norms suppress individual personality expression, while weak situations allow personality traits to influence behavior more significantly. Trait activation theory further refines this understanding by proposing that specific situations activate certain traits more strongly, making trait-behavior links context-dependent.

Values are enduring convictions about what is good or desirable and guide preferences and behaviors. They are categorized into terminal values (desired end-states of existence) and instrumental values (preferred modes of behavior). The Rokeach Value Survey helps identify individual value hierarchies, which influence attitudes, motivation, and perceptions. Values vary across cultures, impacting workplace interactions and organizational practices.

Holland’s Theory of Personality and Vocational Choice emphasizes person-job fit. The model categorizes people into six personality types: Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising, and Conventional, which align with specific job types. When individuals work in roles congruent with their personality types, job satisfaction and performance improve, reducing turnover.

Person-organization fit emphasizes compatibility between an individual's values and the organizational culture. Such alignment leads to higher job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and lower turnover. Cultural considerations are essential, as different societies prioritize different values, influencing organizational behavior and management practices.

Hofstede’s cultural dimensions provide a framework for understanding national cultural differences: Power Distance, Individualism versus Collectivism, Masculinity versus Femininity, Uncertainty Avoidance, and Long-term versus Short-term orientation. These dimensions affect attitudes towards hierarchy, individual effort, gender roles, risk, and time perspectives.

The GLOBE framework extends Hofstede’s work by examining nine cultural dimensions, including Assertiveness, Future Orientation, and Humane Orientation. Such frameworks guide managers in understanding cross-cultural differences, facilitating effective international management, and designing culturally appropriate organizational practices.

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Understanding personality and values is fundamental to organizational behavior due to their significant influence on employee attitudes, motivation, and performance. Personality comprises stable traits that determine how individuals react and interact in workplace settings. Accurate assessment of personality can considerably enhance personnel selection, leadership development, and team management, provided that the limitations of measurement tools like self-report surveys are acknowledged.

The key frameworks for understanding personality include the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) and the Big Five model. The MBTI, comprising four dichotomous scales, yields 16 personality types and is widely used globally in organizational settings. However, critics argue that its reliability and predictive validity are limited. Conversely, the Big Five model, backed by extensive research, reliably predicts workplace behaviors, especially conscientiousness, which correlates strongly with job performance (John, 1990; Barrick & Mount, 1991).

Personality traits do not operate in isolation; environmental influences and situational contexts shape how traits manifest. Theories such as situation strength suggest that in strong situations with clear norms and expectations, individual personality traits influence behavior less, whereas in weak situations, traits become more observable. Trait activation theory further elaborates that specific circumstances can activate certain traits—for example, a competitive environment might heighten expressions of extraversion and assertiveness (Tett & Burnett, 2003).

Values, both terminal and instrumental, serve as guiding principles in decision-making and behavior. Terminal values reflect desired end-goals, such as happiness or success, while instrumental values focus on preferred modes of conduct, such as honesty or ambition (Rokeach, 1973). Cross-cultural differences in values are profound, requiring culturally sensitive management practices. Hofstede’s cultural dimensions—power distance, individualism-collectivism, masculinity-femininity, uncertainty avoidance, and long-term versus short-term orientation—offer insights into national cultural behavior patterns that influence organizational practices (Hofstede, 1980).

The GLOBE framework further enriches this understanding by adding dimensions such as Assertiveness and Humane Orientation, facilitating nuanced cross-cultural comparisons (House et al., 2004). Recognizing cultural variances enables managers to adapt leadership styles, communication, and motivation strategies effectively in globalized workplaces.

The concept of person-job fit emphasizes aligning individual traits with job requirements (Holland, 1997). When employees’ personalities match their roles, satisfaction and productivity increase, and turnover decreases. Conversely, person-organization fit focuses on compatibility between an employee's values and organizational culture, which enhances engagement and commitment (Kristof-Brown, 2005). Both fit models underscore the importance of tailored recruitment, selection, and onboarding practices.

In conclusion, integrating personality assessments, understanding cultural influences, and ensuring proper alignment between individuals and organizational environments are critical for fostering effective, harmonious workplaces. As organizations expand globally, appreciating the diversity of personality and cultural values becomes paramount to management success.

References

• Barrick, M. R., & Mount, M. K. (1991). The Big Five Personality Dimensions and Job Performance: A Meta-Analysis. Personnel Psychology, 44(1), 1–26.
• Hofstede, G. (1980). Culture’s Consequences: International Differences in Work-Related Values. Sage Publications.
• House, R. J., Hanges, P. J., Javidan, M., Dorfman, P. W., & Gupta, V. (2004). Culture, Leadership, and Organizations: The GLOBE Study of 62 Societies. Sage Publications.
• John, O. P. (1999). The Big Five Trait Theory: Application to Organizational Behavior. Personnel Psychology, 52(2), 445–462.
• Kristof-Brown, A. L. (2005). Consequences of Individuals’ Fit at Work: A Meta-Analysis of Person–Job, Person–Organization, Person–Group, and Person–Supervisor Fit. Personnel Psychology, 58(2), 281–342.
• Rokeach, M. (1973). The Nature of Human Values. The Free Press.
• Tett, R. P., & Burnett, D. R. (2003). A Personality Traits–Occupational Performance Links: A Review of the Empirical Literature. Personnel Psychology, 56(2), 353–394.
• Judge, T. A., & Ilies, R. (2002). Relationship of Personality to Performance Motivation: A Meta-Analytic Review. Journal of Applied Psychology, 87(4), 797–807.
• McCrae, R. R., & Costa, P. T., Jr. (1997). Personality Trait Structure as a Human Universal. American Psychologist, 52(5), 509–516.
• Tett, R., Jackson, D., & Rothstein, M. (1991). Personality measures as predictors of job performance: A meta-analytic review. Personnel Psychology, 44(4), 703–742.