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Chapter 4
Personality and Values
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Learning Objectives
Define personality, describe how it is measured, and explain the factors that
determine an individuals personality.
Describe the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator personality framework and assess its
strengths and weaknesses.
Identify the key traits in the Big Five personality model.
Demonstrate how the Big Five traits predict behavior at work.
Identify other personality traits relevant to OB.
Define values, demonstrate their importance, and contrast terminal and
instrumental values.
Compare generational differences in values, and identify the dominant values in
todays workforce.
Identify Hofstedes five value dimensions of national culture.
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Personality
What is Personality?
The sum total of ways in which an individual reacts and interacts with others, the
measurable traits a person exhibits
The dynamic organization within the individual of those psychophysical systems that
determine his unique adjustments to his environment. Gordon Allport
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Personality
Measuring Personality
Personality Tests Helpful in hiring decisions
Self Report Surveys Most common method
Observer Rating Surveys
Provide an independent assessment of personality
often better predictors
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Personality
Personality Determinants
Heredity
Factors determined at conception: physical stature, facial
attractiveness, gender, temperament, muscle composition and
reflexes, energy level, and bio-rhythms
Personality Traits
Enduring characteristics that describe an individuals behavior
Heredity Approach argues that
genes are the source of
personality
Twin studies: raised apart but
very similar personalities
Parents dont add much to
personality development
There is some personality
change over long time periods
The more consistent the characteristic and the more frequently it
occurs in diverse situations, the more important the trait
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Personality
The Myers Briggs Indicator (MBTI)
A personality test that taps four characteristics and classifies people into 1 of 16 personality
types using 100 questions
Extroverted (E) vs. Introverted (I) Sensing (S) vs. Intuitive (N)
Thinking (T) vs. Feeling (F) Judging (J) vs. Perceiving (P)
Most widely-used instrument in the world
Each of the sixteen possible combinations has a name
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Personality
The Big Five Personality Model
Extraversion
+ + + Extraversion Introversion - - -
The quality of being comfortable with relationships (Sociable, gregarious, and assertive)
A personality assessment model that taps five basic dimensions
Higher performance Enhanced leadership Higher job & life satisfaction
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Personality
The Big Five Personality Model
Conscientiousness
+ + + High Low - - -
The number of goals on which a person focuses (Responsible, dependable, persistent, and
organized)
Higher performance Enhanced leadership Greater longevity
Agreeableness
+ + + High Low - - -
The ability to get along with others (Good-natured, cooperative, and trusting)
Higher performance Lower levels of deviant behavior
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Personality
The Big Five Personality Model
Openness
+ + + More Less - - -
The capacity to entertain new ideas and to change as a result of new information (Curious,
imaginative, artistic, and sensitive)
Training performance Enhanced leadership More adaptable to change
Emotional Stability
+ + + More Less- - -
Less moodiness and insecurity (Calm, self-confident, secure under stress (positive), versus
nervous, depressed, and insecure under stress (negative)
High job & life satisfaction Lower stress level
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Personality
Other Personality Traits Relevant to OB
Core Self Evaluation
Machiavellianism
Narcissism
Self Monitoring
Risk Taking
Types A Personality
The degree to which people like or dislike
themselves
A pragmatic, emotionally distant power-player who
believes that ends justify the means
An arrogant, entitled, self-important person who
needs excessive admiration
The ability to adjust behavior to meet external,
situational factors.
The willingness to take chances.
Aggressively involved in a chronic, incessant
struggle to achieve more in less time
Proactive Personality
Identifies opportunities, shows initiative, takes
action, and perseveres to completion
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higher job performance
win more often
Less effective in their
jobs
more likely to become
leaders.
make faster decisions
with less information
High performance
Creates positive change
in the environment
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Values
What is Values?
Basic convictions on how to conduct yourself or how to live your life that is personally or
socially preferable to an opposite or converse mode of conduct or end state of existence
Attributes of Values
Content Attribute
Intensity Attribute
That the mode of conduct or end-state is importance
Persons beliefs about his or her capabilities to perform a task
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Values
What is Value System?
A hierarchy based on a ranking of an individuals value in terms of their intensity
Tends to be relatively constant and consistent
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Values
What is the Importance of Values?
Provide understanding of the attitudes, motivation, and behaviors
Influence our perception of the world around us
Represent interpretations of right and wrong
Imply that some behaviors or outcomes are preferred over others
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Values
Terminal Versus Instrumental Values Rokeach Value Survey
Terminal Values
Instrumental Values
Desirable end-states of existence; the goals that a person would like to
achieve during his or her lifetime
Preferable modes of behavior or means of achieving ones terminal values
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Values
Generational Values
Cohort Entered Workforce Approximate
Current Age
Dominant Work Values
Veterans 1950-1964 65+ Hard working, conservative, conforming; loyalty
to the organization

Boomers 1965-1985 40-60s Success, achievement, ambition, dislike of
authority; loyalty to career

Xers 1985-2000 20-40s Work/life balance, team-oriented, dislike of
rules; loyalty to relationships

Nexters 2000-Present Under 30 Confident, financial success, self-reliant but
team-oriented; loyalty to both self and
relationships
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Linking an Individuals Personality and Values to the Workplace
Personality - Job Fit
Theory
A theory that identifies six personality types and proposes that the fit between
personality type and occupational environment determines satisfaction and
turnover
Realistic
Investigative
Artistic
Social
Enterprising
Conventional
John Hollands Personality-Job Fit Theory
Vocational Preference Inventory (VPI)
1. There appear to be intrinsic differences in personality between people.
2. There are different types of jobs.
3. People in jobs congruent with their personality should be more satisfied
and have lower turnover.
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Linking an Individuals Personality and Values to the Workplace
Person
Organization Fit
The extent that employees personality must fit with the organizational
culture.
People are attracted to organizations that match their values.
Those who match are most likely to be selected.
Mismatches will result in turnover.
Can use the Big Five personality types to match to the organizational culture.
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Global Implications
Personality
Values
Do frameworks like Big Five transfer across cultures?
Yes, but the frequency of type in the
culture may vary
Better in individualistic than
collectivist cultures
Values differ across cultures
Hofstedes Framework for assessing culture five value dimensions: Power
distance - Individualism vs. Collectivism - Masculinity vs. Femininity -
Uncertainty Avoidance - Long-term vs. Short-term Orientation
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Global Implications
Hofstedes Framework for Assessing Cultures
Power Distance
The extent to which a society accepts that power in institutions and
organizations is distributed unequally
Relatively equal power between those with
status / wealth and those without status /
wealth
Low Distance
Extremely unequal power distribution
between those with status / wealth and
those without status / wealth
High Distance
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Global Implications
Hofstedes Framework for Assessing Cultures
The degree to which people prefer to act as
individuals rather than as members of
groups
Individualism
A tight social framework in which people
expect others in groups of which they are a
part to look after them and protect them
Collectivism
The extent to which the society values work
roles of achievement, power, and control,
and where assertiveness and materialism
are also valued
Masculinity
The extent to which there is little
differentiation between roles for men and
women
Femininity
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Global Implications
Hofstedes Framework for Assessing Cultures
Uncertainty
Avoidance
The extent to which a society feels threatened by uncertain and
ambiguous situations and tries to avoid them
Society does not like ambiguous situations
and tries to avoid them
High Uncertainty Avoidance
Society does not mind ambiguous
situations and embraces them
Low Uncertainty Avoidance
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Global Implications
Hofstedes Framework for Assessing Cultures
A national culture attribute that
emphasizes the future, thrift, and
persistence
Long-term Orientation
A national culture attribute that emphasizes
the present and the here-and-now
Short-term Orientation
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Global Implications
GLOBE Framework for Assessing Cultures
Global Leadership and Organizational Behavior Effectiveness (GLOBE) research program
(Nine dimensions of national culture)
How much society rewards people for being
altruistic, generous, and kind
Humane Orientation
How much society encourages and rewards
performance improvement and excellence
Performance Orientation