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Following Kurt Lewins Contention That Behavior Is A Function Of The P

Following Kurt Lewin’s contention that behavior is a function of the person and the environment, what can be said about the situation Melissa found herself in after losing her job and her decision to start Baked by Melissa? What caused her brother’s behavior to enter business with Melissa? According to trait theory, the combination of traits forms an individual’s personality. Describe which of the Big Five personality traits Melissa exhibits. How do you think Melissa rates on the core self-evaluation (CSE) traits?

Paper For Above instruction

The narrative of Melissa’s journey exemplifies Kurt Lewin’s fundamental assertion that behavior results from the interplay between an individual's characteristics (the person) and their environment. After Melissa was fired from her advertising job in 2008, she found herself at a pivotal point that prompted her to pursue entrepreneurship. Her reaction to her job loss was remarkably proactive; instead of dwelling on the setback, she channeled her frustration and passion into baking cupcakes, transforming adversity into opportunity. This decision reflects her internal motivations, resilience, and willingness to embrace risk, which are key aspects of the 'person' component in Lewin’s formula for behavior.

Melissa’s decision to start Baked by Melissa was further influenced by her environment—her familial relationship with her brother and her existing social and professional networks. Her brother’s behavior was activated by Melissa’s initiative and perhaps their shared aspirations to pursue a business together. His decision to partner with her was likely rooted in their familial bond, shared vision, and mutual trust, illustrating how environment and personal relationships shape behavior in situational contexts. The brother’s entry into the business can be viewed as a response to Melissa’s proactive stance and their collective entrepreneurial motivation, exemplifying Lewin’s focus on the situational influence on behavior.

From a trait theory perspective, Melissa’s personality can be dissected through the Big Five personality traits: openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism. Melissa demonstrates high openness through her creativity and willingness to innovate in baking cupcakes and developing new markets. Her proactive approach to starting her business and embracing new opportunities reflects high conscientiousness. Her engaging and personable demeanor suggests a degree of extraversion, especially considering her active role in tastings, events, and customer interaction. Her friendliness and ability to collaborate point toward agreeableness, essential traits for client relationships and team harmony. Lastly, her resilience and optimistic attitude during challenging times suggest low neuroticism, highlighting emotional stability.

Regarding her core self-evaluation (CSE), Melissa likely scores highly across its four components: self-esteem, self-efficacy, locus of control, and emotional stability. Her high self-esteem is evident in her confidence to turn a cupcake-baking hobby into a nationwide business. Her strong self-efficacy is demonstrated by her belief in her ability to succeed and innovate without a traditional or formal business plan. Her locus of control appears internal, as she attributes her success to her own initiative and efforts rather than external factors. Her apparent emotional stability and resilience in facing setbacks further reinforce her high CSE score. Collectively, these traits have contributed to her motivation, persistence, and adaptive capacity in building and expanding Baked by Melissa.

Melissa exemplifies a proactive personality characterized by her tendency to actively influence her environment, seek out new opportunities, and persist in the face of obstacles. Her response to job loss by initiating her own business aligns with the hallmark traits of proactive individuals—anticipating future needs, taking initiative, and demonstrating resilience. Her entrepreneurial spirit is also indicative of her motivation to excel and her willingness to undertake risks to realize her dreams.

In conclusion, Melissa’s story encapsulates Lewin’s principle that behavior is a function of person and environment, demonstrated through her proactive responses to adversity, her supportive environment (family and social networks), and her personality traits rooted in openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and emotional stability. Her high core self-evaluation further fuels her motivation and resilience, enabling her to turn her passion for cupcakes into a successful enterprise. Her proactive personality fosters continuous growth and adaptability, which are essential for entrepreneurial success in dynamic markets.

References

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