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Galaxy Global Group of Institutions, Ambala

This document provides an overview of understanding human behavior. It discusses several key topics: - Defining groups and the types and objectives of groups. It explores why people work in groups and how to build better work groups. - It introduces theories of personality development, including psychodynamic theory. It discusses Freud's concepts of the id, ego, and superego and how they interact. - It also examines the determinants of personality such as heredity, environment, family factors, social factors, and situational influences. It provides an evaluation of psychodynamic theory and discusses Jung's expansion of the theory.

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0% found this document useful (0 votes)
41 views

Galaxy Global Group of Institutions, Ambala

This document provides an overview of understanding human behavior. It discusses several key topics: - Defining groups and the types and objectives of groups. It explores why people work in groups and how to build better work groups. - It introduces theories of personality development, including psychodynamic theory. It discusses Freud's concepts of the id, ego, and superego and how they interact. - It also examines the determinants of personality such as heredity, environment, family factors, social factors, and situational influences. It provides an evaluation of psychodynamic theory and discusses Jung's expansion of the theory.

Uploaded by

shallu26
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 27

GALAXY GLOBAL GROUP OF INSTITUTIONS , Ambala

Course- BBA Sem. -III


Subject- UNDERSTANDING HUMAN BEHAVIOR
Subject Code – HRM 305
Topic: Understanding Human Behavior
Learning Objectives:

 Students will learn about group.


 To make them learn about group member resources
 To make them learn that how to maintain a better work group.
 Students will learn how to plan in a group.

Contents:

 Defining Group
 Types of Group
 Objective of the group
 Why do people work in groups
 Group Member Resources
 Building better work groups
 Why are groups good at problem solving?
Review Questions

Prepared by : Shallu Chhabra(Lecturer, Faculty of Management )


INTRODUCTION

PERSONALITY

“ the sum total of the ways in which an individual reacts to interact and interacts with others.”

It is concerned with external appperanec and behavior, self, measurable traits and situational
interaction.

NATURE / CHARACTERSTICS

Human behavior is composed of acts.

Personality visalised as a whole actualizes itself in a particular situation

It is distinguished by self-consistency

It forms a time integrating structute.

It is a goal directed behavior.

It is a process of becoming.

From the above it becomes clear that personality is a very diverse psychological concept.

There are three ways in which personality can be measured:

SELF-REPORT SURVEYS

OBSERVER RATING

PROJECTIVE MEASURES (Rorschach Inkblot Test, Thematic Apperception Test)

DETERMINENTS of PERSONALITY

The factors affecting personality development are:

HEREDITY:

Heredity refers to those factors that were determined at time of conception.


Physical stature, facial attractiveness, temperament, muscle composition, energy level , intelligence etc .
are characteristics that are considered to be inherent from one’s parents .However , the importance of
heredity varies from one personality trait to another.

According to S.P. Robbins, the ultimate explanation of individual personality is the molecular structure
of the genes located in chromosomes, so heredity plays an important role in one’s personality.

ENVIRONMENT

Environement comprises of culture , family , social and situational factors.

Culture:

Culture establishes norms, attitudes, values that are passed along from generation to generation.
Persons belonging to different cultural groups generally have different attitudes towards indepenedence
, aggression , competition, cooperation , artistic talent etc.

Although culture plays a significant role in personality development , a linear relationshoop cannot be
established between culture and personality due to :

individuals within same culture can differ in their behavior and personality formats.

Skilled workers have different behavior patterns than unskilled workers.

Managers must recognize and understand these difference while dealing with the people in the
organization.

FAMILY FACTORS

Family influences the behavior of a person especially in the early stages. Every child tries to identify
himself with some person whom he feels ideal in the family. This process can be examined from three
different perspectives :

i) Identification can be viewed as the similarity of behavior including feelings and attitudes
between child and model.
ii) Identification can be looked upon as the child’s motives or desires to be like the model.
iii) Lastly, identification can be viewed as the process through which the child actually takes on the
attributes of the model.

From all three perspectives , the identification process is fundamental to the understanding of
personality development.

SOCIAL FACTORS
Socialisation is a process by which an infant acquires from the enormously wide range of
behavior potentialities that are open to him at the time of birth. It starts with the contact of
infant with the mother and extends to schoolmates, friends , colleagues , groups to which an
individual belongs.
All these social groups influence the behavior of individual.
Much of the behavior of the individual arises out of the respect for norms and laws of society
or organizations.
Thus , we can say that a social life has a considerable impact on the individual’s behavior.

SITUATIONAL

A situation exerts an important press on the individual .In certain circumstances , it is not so much the
kind of a person a man is , as the kind of situation in which he is placed that determines his actions.

For example : a weak and coward person may spontaneously performs heroic action in saving
someone’s life without regard to his own safety.

From the above, it is clear that personality is a complex concept that reflects many influences both
from within and outside the individuals.

DEVELOPMENT of PERSONALITY

Or

THEORIES of PERSONALITY

PSYCHOANALYTIC THEORY (Sigmund Freud)

PSYCHOANALYTIC THEORY (Sigmund Freud)

•This theory explained that human behavior is motivated by an inner force called the human

mind. This theory was introduced by SIGMUND FREUD

This theory is based primarily on his concept of unconscious nature of personality.

It is based on the notion that man is more motivated by unseen forces.


•SIGMUND FREUD (1856-1939) was an Austrian physician who worked as a neurologist.

Early in his career, he used hypnosis to treat people with physical and emotional problem. From

his work with these patients, he began to conceptualize a theory of human behavior.

The unconscious framework includes three conflicting psychoanalytic concepts t:

The ID

The EGO

The SUPEREGO

i) The ID :

Id is foundation of unconscious behavior and is the basis of libido drives. In simple

words; Id is the sources of psychic energy and seeks immediate satisfaction of

biological and instinctual needs. These needs include sexual pleasure and other

biological pleasures.Id has animalistic instincts of aggression, power and domination.

It demands immediate pleasure at whatever cost. As an individual matures he learns

to control the ID, but even then it remains a driving force throughout life and an

important source of thinking and behavior.

ii) The EGO :

The Ego is associated with realities of life. Ego is the conscious and logical part of

behavior because it is concerned with the realities of external environment. The Ego

of a person check keeps the Id in check whenever it demands immediate pleasure.

With its logic and intellect, ego controls the Id so that the pleasures unconsciously
demanded by human beings are granted at an appropriate time and place and in an

appropriate manner.

iii) The SUPER EGO :

The Super Ego is the higher level of force to restrain the id and is described as the

conscious of a person. The Super Ego represents the norms of the individual, his

family and the society and is an ethical constraint on the behavior. The conscious of a

person continuously telling him what is wrong and what is right. A person may not be

aware of the working of the super ego, because conscious is developed by the cultural

values inculcated in a person by the norms of society,

All these three elements are interrelated. In order to create a normal personality,

there must be a proper balance in relationship among these forces. For example, if the

super ego is overdeveloped, a man will become very impractical and irrational. He

will feel guilty over trivial matters. Such a person cannot exists in modern life. On the

other hand, an underdeveloped super ego would let the Id urges loose, which would

make a man highly immoral or with very few morals. Then there will not be much

differences between the man and the animals. Therefore, there must be a proper

balance between these three forces.

LEVEL OF AWARENESS

CONSCIOUS – aware of here and now, in contact with reality.


•It functions only when the person is awake.

PRECONSCIOUS / SUBCONSCIOUS

•Contains the partially forgotten memories that can be recalled at will. Preconscious

serves as the “watchman” by preventing unacceptable & anxiety producing memories

from reaching the conscious awareness.

UNCONSCIOUS – The largest part of the personality that is often compared to the

hidden iceberg under the water that contains memory that are forgotten & cannot be

brought back to consciousness at will.

EVALUATION OF PSYCHOANALYTIC THEORY

The psychoanalytic approach to personality structure analysis has made some impact

on organizational behavior. For example, some behavior of the employees which is

unconscious in nature can be brought out with the help of psychoanalytical analysis.

Such behavior may include daydreaming, alcoholism, absenteeism, forgetfulness etc.

For the development of the organization, some techniques to improve the

interpersonal communication skills can be developed with the help of psycho-

analytical analysis.

The biggest drawback of this theory is that, it is based upon theoretical concept. It

does not give a total picture of behavior which is emerging from the personality. This

theory is not very relevant from the behavioral science point of view.
CARL JUNG’s PSYCHO-ANALYTICAL CONCEPT

The psychoanalytical theory was taken a step further by Carl Jung. While Freud laid

stress on the idea that human life is driven by personal unconscious motivators. Jung

proposed that there is a collective experiences of all the past generations .This theory

may be a far out one, but it is a reality that some personality trait cannot be explained

rationally.

These two (2) basic instincts are not always socially acceptable. When people exhibit behavior

that is not acceptable, they often experience punishment, guilt and anxiety.

•Freud’s theory describes a conflict between a person’s instinctual needs for gratification and

the demands of society for socialization. For Freud, a person’s core tendency is to maximize

instinctual gratification while minimizing punishment and guilt.

–Addresses the relationship among inner experience, behavior, social roles & functioning.

This theory proposes that conflicts among unconscious motivating factors affect behavior

DRAWBACK :

This theory is based upon theoretical concept.

It doesn’t give total picture of behavior which is emerging from personality.

And it is not relevant from behavioral science point of view.

ERIKSON STAGES

Erikson’s Stages of Development


Summary: An eight stage theory of identity and psychosocial development
Erik Erikson (1902 -1994), a German-born American psychoanalyst.

Key Terms: Erikson’s stages, psychosocial, development

Erikson’s Stages of Development 

Erik Erikson, a German psychoanalyst heavily influenced by Sigmund Freud, explored three
aspects of identity: the ego identity (self), personal identity (the personal idiosyncrasies that
distinguish a person from another, social/cultural identity (the collection of social roles a person
might play).

Erikson’s psychosocial theory of development considers the impact of external factors, parents
and society on personality development from childhood to adulthood. According to Erikson’s
theory, every person must pass through a series of eight interrelated stages over the entire life
cycle.

1. Infant (Hope) – Basic Trust vs. Mistrust


2. Toddler (Will) – Autonomy vs. Shame
3. Preschooler (Purpose) – Initiative vs. Guilt
4. School-Age Child (Competence) – Industry vs. Inferiority
5. Adolescent (Fidelity) – Identity vs. Identity Diffusion
6. Young Adult (Love) – Intimacy vs. Isolation
7. Middle-aged Adult (Care) – Generativity vs. Self-absorption
8. Older Adult (Wisdom) – Integrity vs. Despair

These eight stages, spanning from birth to death, are split in general age ranges.

1. Infancy: Birth-18 Months Old

Basic Trust vs. Mistrust – Hope

During the first or second year of life, the major emphasis is on the mother and father’s nurturing
ability and care for a child, especially in terms of visual contact and touch.  The child will
develop optimism, trust, confidence, and security if properly cared for and handled.  If a child
does not experience trust, he or she may develop insecurity, worthlessness, and general mistrust
to the world.

2. Toddler / Early Childhood Years: 18 Months to 3 Years

Autonomy vs. Shame – Will

The second stage occurs between 18 months and 3 years.  At this point, the child has an
opportunity to build self-esteem and autonomy as he or she learns new skills and right from
wrong.  The well-cared for child is sure of himself, carrying himself or herself with pride rather
than shame.  During this time of the “terrible twos”,  defiance, temper tantrums, and
stubbornness can also appear.  Children tend to be vulnerable during this stage, sometimes
feeling shame and and low self-esteem during an inability to learn certain skills.
3. Preschooler: 3 to 5 Years

Initiative vs. Guilt – Purpose

During this period we experience a desire to copy the adults around us and take initiative in
creating play situations. We make up stories with Barbie’s and Ken’s, toy phones and miniature
cars, playing out roles in a trial universe, experimenting with the blueprint for what we believe it
means to be an adult. We also begin to use that wonderful word for exploring the world
—”WHY?”

While Erikson was influenced by Freud, he downplays biological sexuality in favor of the
psychosocial features of conflict between child and parents. Nevertheless, he said that at this
stage we usually become involved in the classic “Oedipal struggle” and resolve this struggle
through “social role identification.” If we’re frustrated over natural desires and goals, we may
easily experience guilt.

The most significant relationship is with the basic family.

4. School Age Child: 6 to 12 Years

Industry vs. Inferiority – Competence

During this stage, often called the Latency, we are capable of learning, creating and
accomplishing numerous new skills and knowledge, thus developing a sense of industry. This is
also a very social stage of development and if we experience unresolved feelings of inadequacy
and inferiority among our peers, we can have serious problems in terms of competence and self-
esteem.

As the world expands a bit, our most significant relationship is with the school and
neighborhood. Parents are no longer the complete authorities they once were, although they are
still important.

5. Adolescent: 12 to 18 Years

Identity vs. Role Confusion – Fidelity

Up until this fifth stage, development depends on what is done to a person.  At this point,
development now depends primarily upon what a person does.  An adolescent must struggle to
discover and find his or her own identity, while negotiating and struggling with social
interactions and “fitting in”, and developing a sense of morality and right from wrong.

Some attempt to delay entrance to adulthood and withdraw from responsibilities (moratorium). 
Those unsuccessful with this stage tend to experience role confusion and upheaval.  Adolescents
begin to develop a strong affiliation and devotion to ideals, causes, and friends.

6. Young adult: 18 to 35
Intimacy and Solidarity vs. Isolation – Love

At the young adult stage, people tend to seek companions hip and love.  Some also begin to
“settle down” and start families, although seems to have been pushed back farther in recent
years.

Young adults seek deep intimacy and satisfying relationships, but if unsuccessful, isolation may
occur.   Significant relationships at this stage are with marital partners and friends.

7. Middle-aged Adult: 35 to 55 or 65

Generativity vs. Self absorption or Stagnation – Care

Career and work are the most important things at this stage, along with family.  Middle
adulthood is also the time when people can take on greater responsibilities and control.

For this stage, working to establish stability and Erikson’s idea of generativity – attempting to
produce something that makes a difference to society.  Inactivity and meaninglessness are
common fears during this stage.

Major life shifts can occur during this stage.  For example, children leave the household, careers
can change, and so on.  Some may struggle with finding purpose.  Significant relationships are
those within the family, workplace, local church and other communities.

8. Late Adult: 55 or 65 to Death

Integrity vs. Despair – Wisdom

Erikson believed that much of life is preparing for the middle adulthood stage and the last stage
involves much reflection.  As older adults, some can look back with a feeling of integrity — that
is, contentment and fulfillment, having led a meaningful life and valuable contribution to
society.  Others may have a sense of despair during this stage, reflecting upon their experiences
and failures. They may fear death as they struggle to find a purpose to their lives, wondering
“What was the point of life?  Was it worth it?”

The Epigenetic Psychosexual Stages

Erikson believed that childhood is very important in personality development. He accepted many
of Freud's theories, including the id, ego, and superego, and Freud's theory of infantile sexuality.
But Erikson rejected Freud's attempt to describe personality solely on the basis of sexuality, and,
unlike Freud, felt that personality continued to develop beyond five years of age.

All of the stages in Erikson's epigenetic theory are implicitly present at birth (at least in latent
form), but unfold according to both an innate scheme and one's up-bringing in a family that
expresses the values of a culture. Each stage builds on the preceding stages, and paves the way
for subsequent stages. Each stage is characterized by a psychosocial crisis, which is based on
physiological development, but also on demands put on the individual by parents and/or society.
Ideally, the crisis in each stage should be resolved by the ego in that stage, in order for
development to proceed correctly. The outcome of one stage is not permanent, but can be altered
by later experiences. Everyone has a mixture of the traits attained at each stage, but personality
development is considered successful if the individual has more of the "good" traits than the
"bad" traits.

Ego Psychology

Erikson's theory of ego psychology holds certain tenets that differentiate his theory from Freud's.
Some of these include:

 The ego is of utmost importance.


 Part of the ego is able to operate independently of the id and the superego.
 The ego is a powerful agent that can adapt to situations, thereby promoting
 mental health.
 Social and sexual factors both play a role in personality development.

Erikson's theory was more comprehensive than Freud's, and included information about "normal"
personality as well as neurotics. He also broadened the scope of personality to incorporate
society and culture, not just sexuality. Criticisms of his theories, in addition to the factors
discussed in class, have noted that he did no statistical research to generate his theories, and it is
very hard to test his theories in order to validate them.

Zones, Modes, and Modalities

"a" "b" and "c" identify the oral, anal, and gential zones, respectively; and numbers "1" through
"5" pertain to the passive and active incorporative, the retentive and eliminative, and the
intrusive modes, respectively.

Erikson's illustration of "the interplay of one zone with all the modes" (1950, p. 73ff.) by means
of circles and arrows is among the most confusing moments in his book. Here are the diagrams
(Erikson, 1950, p. 89), at the point male and female development are said to diverge in
locomotor/intrusive/"phallic"/Oedipal Stage 3:
Each cell of the diagram represents a child at some moment of zone-mode interaction.

Note that the dark-bordered, stair-case-like, trend of developmet for the boy (Figure 4) is turned
back in the case of the girl (Figure 5), but that each has the other's dominent mode in latent
(dotted-border) form. The boy seems to give up much of his incorporativeness, and the girl much
of her intrusiveness, at the fourth level (i.e., early in the "Initiative/Guilt" stage).

Here are the concepts in chart form


(You should be able to reproduce and explain each column)
Personality Stage Psychosexual Mode Psychosocial Modality "Virtue"
incorporative1 getting
Trust vs. Mistrust Hope
incorporative2 taking
Autonomy vs. Shame, retentive holding on
Willpower
Doubt eliminative letting go
Inititative vs. Guilt intrusive making Purpose
Industry vs. Inferiority Competence
Identity vs. Role
Fidelity
Confusion
Intimacy vs. Isolation Love

Generativity vs. Stagnation Care

Integrity vs.Despair Wisdom


Here's an expanded chart (extrapolating from Erikson) that may help as you use Erikson for the essay
final.

Stage 1 - Basic Trust vs. Mistrust

 Developing trust is the first task of the ego, and it is never complete.
 The child will let mother out of sight without anxiety and rage because she has become an inner
certainty as well as an outer predictability.
 The balance of trust with mistrust depends largely on the quality of maternal relationship.

Stage 2 - Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt

 If denied autonomy, the child will turn against him/herself urges to manipulate and
discriminate.
 Shame develops with the child's self-consciousness.
 Doubt has to do with having a front and back -- a "behind" subject to its own rules. Left over
doubt may become paranoia.
 The sense of autonomy fostered in the child and modified as life progresses serves the
preservation in economic and political life of a sense of justice.

Stage 3 - Initiative vs. Guilt

 Initiative adds to autonomy the quality of undertaking, planning, and attacking a task for the
sake of being active and on the move.
 The child feels guilt over the goals contemplated and the acts initiated in exuberant enjoyment
of new locomoter and mental powers.
 The castration complex occuring in this stage is due to the child's erotic fantasies.
 A residual conflict over initiative may be expressed as hysterical denial, which may cause the
repression of the wish or the abrogation of the child's ego: paralysis and inhibition, or
overcompensation and showing off.
 The Oedipal stage results not only in oppressive establishment of a moral sense restricting the
horizon of the permissible, but also sets the direction towards the possible and the tangible
which permits dreams of early childhood to be attached to goals of an active adult life.

After Stage 3, one may use the whole repetoire of previous modalities, modes, and zones for
industrious, identity-maintaining, intimate, legacy-producing, dispair-countering purposes.

Stage 4 - Industry vs. Inferiority

 To bring a productive situation to completion is an aim which gradually supersedes the whims
and wishes of play.
 The fundamentals of technology are developed
 To lose the hope of such "industrious" association may pull the child back to the more isolated,
less conscious familial rivalry of the Oedipal time
 The child can become a conformist and thoughtless slave whom others exploit.

Stage 5 - Identity vs. Role Confusion (or "Diffusion")

 The adolescent is newly concerned with how they appear to others.


 Ego identity is the accrued confidence that the inner sameness and continuity prepared in the
past are matched by the sameness and continuity of one's meaning for others, as evidenced in
the promise of a career.
 The inability to settle on a school or occupational identity is disturbing.
Stage 6 - Intimacy vs. Isolation

 Body and ego must be masters of organ modes and of the other nuclear conflicts in order to
face the fear of ego loss in situations which call for self-abandon.
 The avoidance of these experiences leads to isolation and self-absorption.
 The counterpart of intimacy is distantiation, which is the readiness to isolate and destroy forces
and people whose essence seems dangerous to one's own.
 Now true genitality can fully develop.
 The danger at this stage is isolation which can lead to sever character problems.

Erikson's listed criteria for "genital utopia" illustrate his insistence on the role of many modes
and modalities in harmony:

 mutuality of orgasm
 with a loved partner
 of opposite sex
 with whom one is willing and able to share a trust, and
 with whom one is willing and able to regulate the cycles of work, procreation, and recreation
 so as to secure to the offspring all the stages of satisfactory development

Stage 7 - Generativity vs. Stagnation

 Generativity is the concern in establishing and guiding the next generation.


 Simply having or wanting children doesn't achieve generativity.
 Socially-valued work and disciples are also expressions of generativity.

Stage 8 - Ego Integrity vs. Despair

 Ego integrity is the ego's accumulated assurance of its capacity for order and meaning.
 Despair is signified by a fear of one's own death, as well as the loss of self-sufficiency, and of
loved partners and friends.
 Healthy children, Erikson tells us, won't fear life if their elders have integrity enough not to fear
death.

Erikson was a Neo-Freudian. He has been described as an "ego psychologist" studying the stages
of development, spanning the entire lifespan. Each of Erikson's stages of psychosocial
development are marked by a conflict, for which successful resolution will result in a favourable
outcome, for example, trust vs. mistrust, and by an important event that this conflict resolves
itself around, for example, meaning of one's life.

Favourable outcomes of each stage are sometimes known as "virtues", a term used, in the context
of Eriksonian work, as it is applied to medicines, meaning "potencies." For example, the virtue
that would emerge from successful resolution. Oddly, and certainly counter-intuitively, Erikson's
research suggests that each individual must learn how to hold both extremes of each specific life-
stage challenge in tension with one another, not rejecting one end of the tension or the other.
Only when both extremes in a life-stage challenge are understood and accepted as both required
and useful, can the optimal virtue for that stage surface. Thus, 'trust' and 'mis-trust' must both be
understood and accepted, in order for realistic 'hope' to emerge as a viable solution at the first
stage. Similarly, 'integrity' and 'despair' must both be understood and embraced, in order for
actionable 'wisdom' to emerge as a viable solution at the last stage.

The Erikson life-stage virtues, in the order of the stages in which they may be acquired, are:

1. hope - Basic Trust vs. Mistrust - Infant stage. Does the child believe its caregivers to be reliable?
2. will - Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt - Toddler stage. Child needs to learn to explore the world.
Bad if the parent is too smothering or completely neglectful.
3. purpose - Initiative vs. Guilt - Kindergarten - Can the child plan or do things on his own, such as
dress him or herself. If "guilty" about making his or her own choices, the child will not function
well. Erikson has a positive outlook on this stage, saying that most guilt is quickly compensated
by a sense of accomplishment.
4. competence - Industry vs. Inferiority - Around age 6 to puberty. Child comparing self worth to
others (such as in a classroom environment). Child can recognize major disparities in personal
abilities relative to other children. Erikson places some emphasis on the teacher, who should
ensure that children do not feel inferior.
5. fidelity - Identity vs. Role Confusion - Teenager. Questioning of self. Who am I, how do I fit in?
Where am I going in life? Erikson believes that if the parents allow the child to explore, they will
conclude their own identity. However, if the parents continually push him/her to conform to
their views, the teen will face identity confusion.
6. love (in intimate relationships, work and family) - Intimacy vs. Isolation - Young adult. Who do I
want to be with or date, what am I going to do with my life? Will I settle down? This stage has
begun to last longer as young adults choose to stay in school and not settle.
7. caring - Generativity vs. Stagnation - the Mid-life crisis. Measure accomplishments/failures. Am I
satisfied or not? The need to assist the younger generation. Stagnation is the feeling of not
having done anything to help the next generation.
8. wisdom - Ego Integrity vs. Despair - old age. Some handle death well. Some can be bitter,
unhappy, and/or dissatisfied with what they have accomplished or failed to accomplish within
their life time. They reflect on the past, and either conclude at satisfaction or despair.

On ego identity versus Role Confusion, ego identity enables each person to have a sense of
individuality, or as Erikson would say, "Ego identity, then, in its subjective aspect, is the
awareness of the fact that there is a self-sameness and continuity to the ego's synthesizing
methods and a continuity of one's meaning for others" (1963). Role Confusion, however, is,
according to Barbara Engler in her book Personality Theories (2006), "The inability to conceive
of oneself as a productive member of one's own society" (158). This inability to conceive of
oneself as a productive member is a great danger; it can occur during adolescence when looking
for an occupation.
THE “BIG FIVE” PERSONALITY DIMENSIONS/TRAITS

Standardized personality tests determine how positively or negatively a person scores on each of the Big
Five .

For instance , someone scoring negatively on extroversion would be an introverted person prone to shy
and withdrawn behavior.

Someone scoring negatively on emotional security would be nervous , tense , angry and worried.

Big Five personality dimensions that correlate positively and strongly with job perfprmance would be
helpful in selection , training and appraisal of employees.
Among Big Five , conscientiousness has strongest positive correlation with job performance and training
performance.

Research has shown five major dimensions to be consistent components of personality. The Big

Five personality dimensions are conscientiousness, extroversion/introversion, and openness to

experience, emotional stability, and agreeableness.

Conscientiousness - defined as being reliable and dependable, being careful and organized, and

being a person who plans - is the dimension most strongly correlated to job performance.

Extroversion/introversion –

It refers to the degree to which a person is sociable, talkative, assertive, active, and ambitious.

Openness

Openness to experience is the degree to which someone is imaginative, broad-minded, curious,

and seeks new experiences.

Emotional stability

Emotional stability is the degree to which someone is anxious, depressed, angry, and insecure.

Agreeableness

Agreeableness refers to the degree to which a person is courteous, likable, good-natured, and

flexible. Managers must remember that the relevance of any personality dimension depends on

the situation, the type of job, and the level at which a person is working.

PERSONALITY CHARACTERSTICS of a CHARACTERSTICS

DIMENSION Person Scoring positively of a Person Scoring

on the dimension negatively on the


dimension
Extroversion Outgoing,talkative,sociable Quite , reserved ,less

, assertive , lively assertive


Agreeableness Trusting , good natured, Cold, uncooperative,

cooperative, soft-hearted , self-centered

emphatic, caring
Conscientiousness Dependable, responsible, Unreliable ,

achievement oriented, irresponsible ,

persistent, organized, careless, disorganised

systematic
Emotional Stability Relaxed , Nervous ,

secure,unworried, depressed ,anxious ,

calm,confident insecure
Openness to Intellectual , creative , Less receptive to new

Experience imaginative , curious, ideas , more fixed in

flexible , broadminded their ways and

conventional.s

OTHER MAJOR PERSONALITY TRAITS INFLUENCING ORGANISATION BEHAVIOR

Hundreds of personality traits have been identified .Following characteristics have been selected

because of their particular influences on individual behavior in organization.

They are :

AUTHORITARINSAIM:

Developed by Adorno
According to Adorno , “ This concept refers to belief that there should be status and power

difference among people in organizations.”

Authoritarian tends to place high moral value on their beliefs.

Strongly oriented towards conformity of rules and regulations.

Prefer stable and structured work environement.

Believed obedience , respect for authority , blind acceptance of authority.

People with such trait are generally conservatives concerned with toughness and power, close

minded.

They are less educated.

Because of acceptance of authority they make good followers , work better and arre productive

within authoritarian organization structure.

BUEAURUCRATIC PERSONALITY :

Such people values subordination , conformity to rules and regulations , impersonal formal

relationships.

These people become better supervisors when the type of work is routine , repetitive and

proceduralised because these people are not innovative , donot like taking risks , feel more at

ease in following established directions.

MACHIAVELLIANISM.

Mach named after Nicolo Machiavelli


It is a personality characteristic inducating one’s willingness to do whatever it takes to get one’s

way.

Machiavellinaism strives in a situation where there are minimum number of rules and

regulations.

A Mach man is pragmatic , maintains , emotional distance and believes that end s can justify

means.

High-Machs flourish , when they interact face-to-face with others rather than indirectly

A high Mach man manipukates more ,wins more , are persuaded less and persuade others more

than the low Machs.

These people have high self confidence /self esteem.

They are cool , calculating and have no hestitation using others or taking advantage of others in

order to serve their own goals.

They are not easily swayed by a sense of friendship, trust or loyal .They are specially successful

in exploiting structured situations and vulnerable people.

High-Machs are suitable in jobs that require bargaining skills or where there are substantial

rewards for winning.(e.g. Commissioned sales)

4. INTROVERSION & EXTROVERSION

Extroverts are gregarious and sociable individuals and introverts are shy,quiet ,retiring.

Extroverts are more suitable for positions that require considerable interaction with other that’s

why managerial positions are dominated by managers.

Introvert people are more inclined to excel al tastes that require thought and analytical skill.

An extreme introvert works best alone in a quiet office without external interruption or influence.
5. PROBLEM-SOLVING STYLE :

The problem solving style of individuals affect their personality in certain ways.

i) Sensation Feeling Style : Such people are dependable , friendly , social and

approach facts with human concerns.

These people are pragmatic , methodical , like jobs which involve human

contarct , public relation.

Suitable areas of jobs : Teaching , customer relations , social workers , marketing

ii) Sensation Thinking Style : Such people are practical , logical , decisive ,

sensitive to details.

They prefer bureaucratic type organization.

They are not highly suitable for jobs requiring interpersonal relations.

They are more technical in jobs.For example , production, accounting ,

engineering, computers.

iii) Intuition Feeling Style :

Such people are enthusiastic , people oriented , charismatic , helpful.

Profession suited to them are : Public relation , Advertising , politics ,

Personnel.

iv) Intuition Thinking Style :

- Creative , energetic , ingenious , like jobs which are challenging in terms

of design and analysis such as system design , law , research and

development , top management and so on.


6. ACHIEVEMENT ORIENTATION

People with this trait have high need to achieve.

Such people strive to do things in a better way.

They love challenging tasks ,where there is high amount risk.

They do the jobs where the outcome is directly attributed to the effort.

They do better in sports , management , sale and where there is moderate

difficulty , rapid performance feedback , direct relationship between effort

and reward.

7. SELF- ESTEEM :

Self –esteem refers to the feeling of like or dislike for oneself.

Such people believe their strengths are more important than their

weakness.

People with high self –esteem :

Believe they possess more of the ability they need in order to succeed at

work.

-will take more risks in job selection and more likely to choose

unconventional jobs.

Are more satisfied with their jobs.

People with low self-esteem :

- Are more susceptible to external influence.

- Depend on receipt of positive evaluation from others.

- Tend to conecerned with pleasing others.

- Less satisfied with their jobs.


Success raises self esteem and failure lower it .

High self esteem have positive characterstic , manager should encourage their

employees to raise their self esteem by giving them appropriate challenges

and opportunities for success.

9. SELF- EFFICACY :

Self –efficacy refers to an individuals belief that he or she is capable of performing a

task.

In different situation , they will try harder to master the challenge.

Respond to negative feedback with increased effort and motivation.

Low Self-efficacy slacken their effort in different situation or give up altogether.

There are four sources of Self-efficacy :

Prior Experience : Behavior models witnessing the success of others.

Persusasion form other people and

Assessment of current physical and emotional capabilities.

Managers can help their employees develop self-efficacy by providing avenues for

showing performance and rewarding acheiver’s.

SELF-MONITORING

A PE
Self-monitoring, is the degree to which people are capable of reading and using cues from the

environment to determine their own behavior. Strong self-monitoring skills can help managers

and employees read environmental and individual cues quickly and accurately and adjust

behavior accordingly.

Locus of control indicates an individual's sense of control over his/her life, the environment, and

external events. Those with an internal locus of control believe that their actions affect what

happens to them, while those with an external locus of control believe that outside factors affect

what happens to them.

Type-A behavior

People who exhibit Type-A behavior try to do more in less and less time in an apparently

tireless pursuit of everything. Type-A people feel great time urgency, are very competitive, try to

do many things at once, and are hostile.

Four personality traits that have been consistently related to work-related behavior are

Locus of control,

Type-A behavior,

Self-monitoring, and

Machiavellianism.

Machiavellian
People with elements of a Machiavellian personality put self-interest above the group's interests

and manipulate others for personal gain.

PSYCHODYNAMIC APPROACH

–Is based on the belief that childhood experiences greatly influence the development of late

personality traits and psychological problems. It also stresses the influence of unconscious fears,

desires and motivations on thoughts and behavior.


Review lQuestions:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erik_Erikson

http://www.haverford.edu/psych/ddavis/p109g/erikson.stages.html

http://www.learning-theories.com/eriksons-stages-of-development.html

http://www.gurusoftware.com/gurunet/personal/factors.htm

http://www.psychodecorating.com/psydecsc/perschar.html

http://www.buzzle.com/articles/personality-traits-list.html

http://hubpages.com/hub/Heres-a-List-of-Personality-Traits-to-Help-Parents-Understand-Their-Kids

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erik_Erikson

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