Personality

Does Personality include –

Eternal appearances and behaviour

The inner awareness of self as a

permanent organizing force and

The particular organization of measurable

traits, both inner and outer.

Definition of Personality

It is the dynamic organization within

the individual of those

psychophysical systems that

determine his unique adjustments

to his environment.

Personality

The sum total of ways in which an individual reacts and interacts with others.

Personality Traits

Enduring characteristics that describe an individual’s behavior.

Major Determinants of Personality

Biological Factors

Heredity

Brain

Physical features

Cultural Factors

Family Factors

Social Factors

Situational Factors

Theories of Personality

Intrapsychic Theory

Type Theories

Trait Theories

Self-Theory and

Social Leaning Theory

Intrapsychic Theory

The components of Personality:- IdEgoSuperego

Intrapsychic Theory

(untamed passion, sex instincts, Biological urges, aggressive and

destructive Impulses.

Unconscious Id

preconscious

Ego(Conscience Ego ideal)

consciousSuperego

Freud’s conception of the Personality

Structure

Level of consciousness

Characteristics

Id Unconscious Primitive component containing the sexual instincts, biological urges, aggressive and destructive impulses. Source of the libido. Operates according to the pleasure principle, seeking immediate gratification. Impulsive, amoral, and selfish.

Ego Largely consciousPartly unconscious

Logical, rational component, which functions to satisfy the id’s urges and carry our transactions in the real world. Acts according to the reality principle

Superego Both conscious and unconscious

The morale component, consisting of the conscience and the ego ideal. Sets moral guidelines, which limit the flexibility of the ego.

Defence Mechanisms

Repression

Projection

Denial

Rationalization

Regression

Reaction Formation

Sublimation

Type Theories

A. Sheldon’s Physiognomy Theory

Sheldon identifies three body types

Endomorph

Mesomorph

Ectomorph

Body type Behavioural temperament

Endomorphy Softness and spherical appearance; highly developed abdominal area; underdevelopment of bone muscle etc.

The endomorphic type of individual usually has a love for comfort, eats heavily, likes to be around people and desires affection. He is even tempered, shows a relaxed posture, reads showily, and is tolerant of others, and easy to get along with others. He prefers to be led than to lead.

Mesomorphy Hard and rectangular physique with a predominance of bone and muscle; strong, tough and injury-resistant body; well equipped for strenuous physical demands.

The mesomorphic individual likes physical adventure and risk-taking. He needs muscular and vigorous physical activity. He is aggressive and insensitive toward others. He tends to be noisy and courageous; he desires action, power, and domination. He is athletic and seeks outdoor activity.

Ectomorphy Linear and fragile; flat chest and delicate body; usually thin and light-muscled.

He displays restraint, inhibition, and desire for concealment. He tends to be distrustful of people. He works well in closed areas. He reacts over quickly, sleeps poorly, and prefers solitude when his mind is troubled. Also he prefers not to attract attention to himself. Typically, he is anxious, ambitious, and dedicated.

The BIG FIVE Personality

Traits or FIVE FACTOR

MODEL (FFM)

Core Traits Descriptive characteristics of High Scores

Conscientiousness Dependable, hardworking, organized, self disciplined, persistent, reasonable

Emotional stability Calm, secure, happy, unworried

Agreeableness Cooperative, warm, caring, good natured, courteous, trusting

Extraversion Sociable, outgoing, talkative, assertive, gregarious

Openness to experience

Curious, intellectual, creative, cultured, artistically sensitive, flexible and imaginative

Those with extraversion are likely to be successful

in sales and management as a whole.

Those with high agreeableness become

successful in public / customer relations and HR

particularly in conflict handling.

Study indicates that those with high conscientiousness

have high level of performance

Those with a strategic management style are characterized

by conscientiousness and openness to experience.

Those with a strong interpersonal management style are

characterized by extraversion and openness to

experience.

In today’s workplace, groups / team are

becoming more important. The Big Five

Traits are also predictive of team

performance.

Higher the average score of team members

higher is the performance of the team.

Carl Jung’s Extrovert-introvert Theory:-

He believed that a person can be typed into

either

1. Extrovert Or

2. Introvert based on two mental

processes:-

a. Perception &

b. Judgment

Jung then further divided perception into:-

1. Sensing &

2. Intuition

AND Judgment into:-

1. Thinking

2. Feeling

Personality Types

• Extroverted vs. Introverted (E or I)

• Sensing vs. Intuitive (S or N)

• Thinking vs. Feeling (T or F)

• Judging vs. Perceiving (P or J)

Personality Types

• Extroverted vs. Introverted (E or I)

• Sensing vs. Intuitive (S or N)

• Thinking vs. Feeling (T or F)

• Judging vs. Perceiving (P or J)

Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)

A personality test that taps four characteristics and classifies people into 1 of 16 personality types.

Where do you get your energy ?

• Extraversion (E)

• Outgoing• Interacting• Speaks, then thinks• Gregarious

• Introversion (I)

• Quiet• Concentrating• Thinks, then speaks• Reflective

Where do pay attention to and collect information on?

• Sensing (S)

• Practical• Details• Concrete• Specific

• Intuiting (I)

• General• Possibilities• Theoretical• Abstract

How do you evaluate and make decisions ?

• Thinking (T)

• Analytical• Head• Rules• Justice

• Feeling (F)

• Subjective• Heart• Circumstance• Mercy

How do you orient yourself to the outside world ?

• Judging (J)

• Structured• Time oriented• Decisive• Organized

• Perceiving (P)

• Flexible• Open ended• Exploring• Spontaneous

• The combination in four major dimensions yield 16 types.

• As example: An ESTJ personality is “Extraverted, Sensing, Thinking and Judging.”

• This type of person will interact with others (E), sees the world realistically (S), make decisions objectively and decisively (T) and likes structures, schedules and order (J) – he is a good manager.

• MBTI is used by numerous companies such as

AT &T, Exxon, Honeywell, HP and others in

selection as well as MDP.

Myers-Briggs Sixteen Primary Traits

Locus of ControlLocus of Control

The degree to which people believe they are masters of their own fate.

InternalsIndividuals who believe that they control what happens to them.

ExternalsIndividuals who believe that what happens to them is controlled by outside forces such as luck or chance.

Self-Esteem and Self-Monitoring

Self-Esteem (SE)

Individuals’ degree of liking or disliking themselves.

Self-Monitoring

A personality trait that measures an individuals ability to adjust his or her behavior to external, situational factors.

Risk-Taking

• High Risk-taking Managers– Make quicker decisions– Use less information to make decisions– Operate in smaller and more entrepreneurial

organizations

• Low Risk-taking Managers– Are slower to make decisions– Require more information before making decisions– Exist in larger organizations with stable environments

Personality TypesType A’s1. Are always moving, walking, and eating rapidly;2. Feel impatient with the rate at which most events take

place;3. Strive to think or do two or more things at once;4. Cannot cope with leisure time;5. Are obsessed with numbers, measuring their success in

terms of how many or how much of everything they acquire.Type B’s1. Never suffer from a sense of time urgency with its

accompanying impatience;2. Feel no need to display or discuss either their achievements

or accomplishments;3. Play for fun and relaxation, rather than to exhibit their

superiority at any cost;4. Can relax without guilt.

Personality TypesProactive Personality

Identifies opportunities, shows initiative, takes action, and perseveres until meaningful change occurs.

Creates positive change in the environment, regardless or even in spite of constraints or obstacles.

ValuesValues

Basic convictions that a specific mode of conduct or end-state of existence is personally or socially preferable to an opposite or converse mode of conduct or end-state of existence.

Value System

A hierarchy based on a ranking of an individual’s values in terms of their intensity.

Importance of Values

• Provide understanding of the attitudes, motivation, and behaviors of individuals and cultures.

• Influence our perception of the world around us.

• Represent interpretations of “right” and “wrong.”

• Imply that some behaviors or outcomes are preferred over others.

Types of Values –- Rokeach Value Survey

Terminal Values

Desirable end-states of existence; the goals that a person would like to achieve during his or her lifetime.

Instrumental Values

Preferable modes of behavior or means of achieving one’s terminal values.

Trait Theories

A. Gordon Allport’s Personality Traits

Allport identified two main categories of traits:-

Common traits and

Individual traits.

Cardinal Traits

Central Traits

Secondary Traits

B. Raymond Cattell’s 16

Personality Factors

Cattell identified two types

Surface Traits

Source Traits

Self-Theory Self-theory rejects both psychoanalytic and behaviouristic

conceptions of human nature as too mechanistic portraying people as creatures helplessly buffeted about by internal instincts or external stimuli.

Carl Rogers is most closely associated with his approach of self-theory.

Rogers and his associates have developed this personality theory that places emphasis on the individual as an initiating, creating, influential determinant of behaviour within the environmental framework.

Social Learning Theory

Four processes have been found to determine the

influence that a model will have on an individual

Attentional Processes

Retention Processes

Motor reproduction processes

Reinforcement Processes

Direct

Vicarious

Self-administered

Personality Characteristics in Organizations

Locus of Control

Machiavelleanism

Self-esteem

Self-efficacy

Self-monitoring

Positive / Negative Affect

Risk Taking

Type A Personality

Measuring Personality

The Projective Tests

Behavioural Measures

Self-report questionnaire

Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI)

The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MPTI)

Matching Personalities and Jobs

Type Personality Characteristics Sample Occupations

Realistic: Prefers physical activities that require skill, strength and coordination

Shy, genuine, persistent, stable, conforming, practical

Mechanic, drill, press operator, assembly line worker, farmer

Investigative: Prefers activities involving thinking, organizing, and understanding

Analytical, original, curious, independent

Biologist, economist, mathematician, news reporter

Social: Prefers activities that involve helping and developing others

Sociable, friendly, cooperative, understanding

Social worker, teacher, counsellor, clinical psychologist

Conventional: Prefers rule-regulated, orderly, and unambiguous activities

Conforming, efficient, practical, unimaginative, inflexible

Accountant, corporate manager, bank teller, file clerk

Enterprising: Prefers verbal activities where there are opportunities to influence others and attain power

Self-confident, ambitious, energetic, domineering business manager

Lawyer, real-estate agent, public relations specialist, small

Artistic: prefers ambiguous and unsystematic activities that allow creative expression

Imaginative, disorderly, idealistic, emotional, impractical

Painter, musician, writer, interior decorator.

Our personality shapes our behaviour.

We can better understand people if we know something

about his or her personality.

Personality is the sum total of ways in which an individual

interacts and reacts with other people or groups.

Managers need to know about personality and personality

tests because they are useful in making hiring decisions.

It is important that employees personalities fit with the

overall organisations’ culture and with the characteristics of

the specific job which they have to perform.