Chapter 09

Personality and Cultural Values

True / False Questions

1. What employees are like depends only on personality types and not on culture.

True False

2. Personality refers to the structures and propensities inside people that explain their characteristic patterns of
thought, emotion, and behavior.

True False

3. Beliefs create people's social reputations.

True False

4. Cultural values are defined as shared beliefs about desirable end states or modes of conduct in a given
culture.

True False

5. In the context of the Big Five taxonomy, a submissive person is said to be an extrovert.

True False

6. Miriam is known as a person who is talkative. In the context of the Big Five taxonomy, the personality
dimension extraversion best describes Miriam.

True False

7. Extraversion changes quite significantly over a person's life span.

True False

8. Conscientious people are dependable, organized, reliable, ambitious, hardworking, and persevering.

True False
9. Accomplishment strivers focus on "getting along," not necessarily "getting ahead."

True False

10. Conscientious employees do not prioritize accomplishment striving.

True False

11. Of the Big Five, openness to experience is the easiest to judge in zero acquaintance situations.

True False

12. Extraverts are less likely to emerge as leaders in task-related groups when compared to introverts.

True False

13. An introvert exhibits a greater deal of job satisfaction than an extrovert.

True False

14. An extravert exhibits low positive affectivity when compared to an introvert.

True False

15. Neuroticism is synonymous with positive affectivity and extraversion is synonymous with negative
affectivity.

True False

16. Neuroticism is the most important of the Big Five from the perspective of job performance.

True False

17. Neurotic employees experience lower levels of job satisfaction than their conscientious counterparts.

True False

18. Neurotic people tend to hold an external locus of control.

True False

19. Neurotic people are more likely to believe they can cope with the stressors that they experience.

True False

20. In the context of the Big Five Taxonomy, openness to experience is related to performance across all
occupations.

True False
21. The most appropriate use of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator is in a team-building context.

True False

22. The central premise of Myers-Briggs Type Indicator is that employees have more career satisfaction and
longevity in occupations that match their personality type.

True False

23. There is little evidence that the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator is a useful tool for predicting the job
satisfaction, motivation, performance, or commitment of employees across jobs.

True False

24. Artistic people tend to enjoy abstract, analytical, theory-oriented tasks.

True False

25. Low-power distance cultures prefer that power be distributed uniformly where possible, in a more
egalitarian fashion.

True False

26. Conscientiousness has a moderate positive effect on performance.

True False

27. Conscientious employees are more likely to engage in day-to-day psychological and physical withdrawal
behaviors.

True False

28. The persevering nature of conscientious employees prompts them to persist in a given course of action for
long periods of time.

True False

29. Integrity tests are a subset of personality tests.

True False

30. Integrity tests typically come in two general varieties: clear purpose tests and veiled purpose tests.

True False

31. Veiled purpose tests do not reference dishonesty explicitly but instead assess more general personality traits
that are associated with dishonest acts.

True False
Multiple Choice Questions

32. _____ refers to the structures and propensities inside a person that explain his or her characteristic patterns
of thought, emotion, and behavior.

A. Personality
B. Apophenia
C. Ethnoburb
D. Ethnocentrism
E. Perception

33. Personality is a collection of multiple _____.

A. abilities
B. traits
C. aptitudes
D. emotions
E. capacities

34. _____ are defined as recurring regularities or trends in people's responses to their environment.

A. Perceptions
B. Values
C. Short-term orientations
D. Traits
E. Beliefs

35. Personality traits are a function of both your:

A. values and beliefs.

B. beliefs and environment.
C. environment and genes.
D. genes and perceptions.
E. culture and beliefs.
36. Which of the following is not a "dimension" of the big five taxonomy?

A. Conscientiousness
B. Extraversion
C. Locus of control
D. Openness to experience
E. Neuroticism

37. Melissa was reading her slam book from junior high, in which most of her friends described her as a
dependable and reliable individual. In the context of the Big Five taxonomy, the personality dimension
_____ best describes Melissa.

A. conscientiousness
B. openness to experience
C. agreeableness
D. introversion
E. neuroticism

38. Which of these dimensions in the Big Five taxonomy is associated with the trait adjectives kind,
cooperative, sympathetic, and warm?

A. Conscientiousness
B. Extraversion
C. Agreeableness
D. Openness
E. Neuroticism

39. The day before Jackson takes up an important quiz test in school, he shows a tendency to get annoyed
easily. In the context of the Big Five taxonomy, the personality dimension _____ best describes Jackson.

A. conscientiousness
B. extraversion
C. agreeableness
D. openness to experience
E. neuroticism
40. Critical, selfish, and rude are opposite traits for which personality dimension of the Big Five?

A. Conscientiousness
B. Extraversion
C. Agreeableness
D. Callousness
E. Neuroticism

41. The scenario below is a review that some of the employees at The Pulse, an HR company, received after a
360 degree feedback.
Jack, who was being considered for a promotion, was described as someone who is eager to learn and
innovate. Alex was appreciated for his meticulous and organized work and was the one the team could
depend on during crunch time. Isabelle's ability to be cooperative, accommodating, and sociable to
customers who had grievances, was well acknowledged in the feedback.
In the context of the Big Five taxonomy, the personality dimension _____ best describes Alex.

A. conscientiousness
B. extraversion
C. agreeableness
D. introversion
E. neuroticism

42. The scenario below is a review that some of the employees at The Pulse, an HR company, received after a
360 degree feedback.
Jack, who was being considered for a promotion, was described as someone who is eager to learn and
innovate. Alex was appreciated for his meticulous and organized work and was the one the team could
depend on during crunch time. Isabelle's ability to be cooperative, accommodating, and sociable to
customers who had grievances, was well acknowledged in the feedback.
In the context of the Big Five taxonomy, the personality dimension _____ best describes Jack.

A. conscientiousness
B. extraversion
C. agreeableness
D. openness to experience
E. neuroticism
43. The scenario below is a review that some of the employees at The Pulse, an HR company, received after a
360 degree feedback.
Jack, who was being considered for a promotion, was described as someone who is eager to learn and
innovate. Alex was appreciated for his meticulous and organized work and was the one the team could
depend on during crunch time. Isabelle's ability to be cooperative, accommodating, and sociable to
customers who had grievances, was well acknowledged in the feedback.
In the context of the Big Five taxonomy, the personality dimension _____ best describes Isabelle.

A. conscientiousness
B. extraversion
C. intuition
D. openness to experience
E. neuroticism

44. The two Big Five dimensions most dependent on genes are:

A. conscientiousness and extraversion.

B. extraversion and openness.
C. agreeableness and openness.
D. openness and conscientiousness.
E. neuroticism and agreeableness.

45. The Big Five personality dimension that has the biggest influence on job performance is _____.

A. conscientiousness
B. extraversion
C. agreeableness
D. openness to experience
E. neuroticism

46. Conscientious people prioritize:

A. status striving.
B. communion striving.
C. accomplishment striving.
D. curiosity.
E. power striving.
47. A strong desire to achieve task-related goals as a means of expressing personality is known as _____.

A. status striving
B. accomplishment striving
C. value striving
D. curiosity
E. power striving

48. People who are _____ have a built-in desire to finish work tasks, channel a high proportion of their efforts
toward those tasks, and work harder and longer on task assignments.

A. accomplishment strivers
B. communion strivers
C. status strivers
D. value strivers
E. power strivers

49. Agreeable people prioritize _____.

A. status striving
B. communion striving
C. accomplishment striving
D. attainment striving
E. power striving

50. _____ reflects a strong desire to obtain acceptance in personal relationships as a means of expressing
personality.

A. Status striving
B. Attainment striving
C. Accomplishment striving
D. Communion striving
E. Power striving
51. When a fight broke out between two workers at Leo Motors, James the manager, decided to walk away and
let the situation resolve on its own. In the context of the Big Five taxonomy, the personality dimension
_____ best describes James.

A. neuroticism
B. extraversion
C. agreeableness
D. openness to experience
E. conscientiousness

52. _____ focus on "getting along," not necessarily "getting ahead."

A. Conscientious people
B. Agreeable people
C. Neurotic people
D. Diligent people
E. Extraverts

53. Of the Big Five, _____ is the easiest to judge in zero acquaintance situations.

A. openness to experience
B. conscientiousness
C. agreeableness
D. neuroticism
E. extraversion

54. A(n) _____ situation is an situation in which two people have only just met.

A. differential exposure
B. zero acquaintance
C. locus of control
D. ethnocentric
E. uncertainty avoidance
55. Extraverted people prioritize _____.

A. status striving
B. communion striving
C. accomplishment striving
D. value striving
E. attainment striving

56. _____ reflects a strong desire to obtain power and influence within a social structure as a means of
expressing personality.

A. Accomplishment striving
B. Status striving
C. Fellowship striving
D. Attainment striving
E. Communion striving

57. Rita can be described as a hardworking and ambitious individual. She joined Atlas Corporation as a junior
recruiter and wants to climb the corporate ladder to become a team leader in the future. Having that goal in
mind Rita works for long hours and takes up more than one project at a time. In the context of the Big Five
taxonomy, the personality dimension _____ best describes Rita.

A. neuroticism
B. agreeableness
C. extraversion
D. callousness
E. conflict-orientation

58. _____, who are more energetic and outgoing, are perceived to be more "leader like."

A. Neurotics
B. Hysteric individuals
C. Extraverts
D. Callous people
E. Agreeable people
59. Extraverted people tend to be high in:

A. neuroticism.
B. agreeableness.
C. status striving.
D. conflict avoidance.
E. positive affectivity.

60. A dispositional tendency to experience pleasant, engaging moods such as enthusiasm, excitement, and
elations refers to _____.

A. neuroticism
B. agreeableness
C. positive affectivity
D. conflict avoidance
E. status striving

61. The Big Five dimension _____ is also called by its flip side: "Emotional Stability" or "Emotional
Adjustment."

A. conscientiousness
B. extraversion
C. agreeableness
D. openness to experience
E. neuroticism

62. The Big Five dimension neuroticism is synonymous with _____.

A. extraversion
B. openness to experience
C. conscientiousness
D. collectivism
E. negative affectivity
63. A dispositional tendency to experience unpleasant moods such as hostility, nervousness, and annoyance is
called _____.

A. zero acquaintance
B. status striving
C. accomplishment striving
D. negative affectivity
E. differential reactivity

64. Neuroticism is associated with a(n) _____ to stressors, meaning that neurotic people are more likely to
appraise day-to-day situations as stressful.

A. communion striving factor

B. accomplishment striving factor
C. differential exposure
D. openness to experience
E. locus of control

65. Neuroticism is associated with a(n) _____ to stressors, meaning that neurotic people are less likely to
believe they can cope with the stressors that they experience.

A. status striving factor

B. locus of control
C. positive affectivity
D. differential reactivity
E. accomplishment striving factor

66. _____ reflects whether people attribute the causes of events to themselves or to the external environment.

A. Differential exposure
B. Zero acquaintance
C. Ethnocentrism
D. Locus of control
E. Differential reactivity
67. Neurotic people tend to:

A. strive for status.

B. be communion strivers.
C. hold an external locus of control.
D. exhibit enthusiastic and upbeat mood patterns.
E. be extroverts.

68. In the context of the Big Five taxonomy, the personality dimension _____ is also called "inquisitiveness" or
"intellectualness."

A. conscientiousness
B. extraversion
C. agreeableness
D. openness to experience
E. neuroticism

69. In the context of the Big Five taxonomy, the personality dimension _____ is more likely to be valuable in
jobs that require high levels of creativity.

A. neuroticism
B. extraversion
C. agreeableness
D. conscientiousness
E. openness to experience

70. Together with cognitive ability, _____ is a key driver of creative thought, as smart and open people excel at
the style of thinking demanded by creativity.

A. conscientiousness
B. extraversion
C. agreeableness
D. openness to experience
E. neuroticism
71. Myers-Briggs Type Indicator evaluates individuals on the basis of all of these types of preferences except:

A. judging versus perceiving.

B. sensing versus intuition.
C. extraversion versus introversion.
D. thinking versus feeling.
E. short-term versus long-term orientation.

72. Sam and Matilda are successful stock brokers working with Invest Right Broking. Before striking a deal
with a company, Sam reviews the company's reports and past data. Matilda on the other hand buys stock
based on speculation. According to the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, the _____ type best describes Sam and
the _____ type best describes Matilda.

A. sensing; intuition
B. perceiving; judging
C. short-term; long-term
D. feeling; thinking
E. extraversion; introversion

73. "Approaching tasks by planning and setting goals" describes the _____ type of Myers-Briggs indicator.

A. perceiving
B. introversion
C. extraversion
D. feeling
E. judging

74. The most appropriate use of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator is:

A. in the job satisfaction prediction context.

B. in a team-building context.
C. to gauge the commitment of employees across jobs.
D. to predict the motivation of employees.
E. to forecast the performance of employees across jobs.
75. _____ are expressions of personality that influence behavior through preferences for certain environments
and activities.

A. Values
B. Beliefs
C. Tests
D. Interests
E. Ethics

76. According to the RIASEC model, a(n) _____ person enjoys abstract, analytical, and theory-oriented tasks.

A. enterprising
B. realistic
C. artistic
D. conventional
E. investigative

77. Tina's psychology curriculum required her to study an individual's personality type using the process of
interviewing. She selected Darren, her brother's roommate, as her test subject. The highlighted points of her
research were that Darren is a Law graduate, who is a musician in his spare time. He is an independent
person who paid his way through Law school; his friends get annoyed with his impulsive behavior.
According to the RIASEC model, Tina classified Darren under the _____ type of personality dimension.

A. enterprising
B. realistic
C. artistic
D. conventional
E. investigative

78. Dawson is a famous carpenter in Oregon. Though rugged, Dawson is good at carpentry and electrical work.
According to the RIASEC model, the _____ type of personality dimension best describes Dawson.

A. enterprising
B. realistic
C. artistic
D. conventional
E. investigative
79. Which of the following is not a Hofstede's dimension of cultural values?

A. Power distance
B. Masculinity-femininity
C. Individualism-collectivism
D. Uncertainty avoidance
E. Extraversion-introversion

80. Unicoi Inc., a Brazilian sports manufacturer, is known as a company that focuses on improving its
customers' quality of life. In the context of the Hofstede's dimensions, the cultural dimension _____ best
describes Unicoi Inc.

A. individualism
B. uncertainty avoidance
C. femininity
D. high power distance
E. short-term orientation

81. Dallas, a project manager at Stars Inc., was the man behind the company's shift to a new culture that focused
on being assertive with their clients. In the context of the Hofstede's dimensions, the cultural dimension
_____ best describes Stars Inc.

A. collectivism
B. uncertainty avoidance
C. masculinity
D. low power distance
E. short-term orientation

82. Connor, a trainer at T&R Inc., preaches the company's policy of prudence to all his new trainees. In the
context of the Hofstede's dimensions, the cultural value followed in T&R Inc. is an example of _____.

A. collectivism
B. low power distance
C. masculinity
D. high uncertainty avoidance
E. long-term orientation
83. In the context of Hofstede's dimensions, the cultural dimension _____ stresses on values such as respect for
tradition and fulfilling obligations.

A. individualism
B. high power distance
C. masculinity
D. low uncertainty avoidance
E. short-term orientation

84. The Chinese culture is a tight social framework in which people take care of the members of a broader in
group and act loyal to it. In the context of Hofstede's dimensions, what is the personality dimension that you
will use to describe the Chinese culture?

A. Collectivism
B. Uncertainty avoidance
C. Masculinity
D. Low power distance
E. Short-term orientation

85. In the context of Hofstede's dimensions, the culture low on _____ tolerates ambiguous situations and values
unusual ideas and behaviors.

A. collectivism
B. power distance
C. masculinity
D. uncertainty avoidance
E. short-term orientation

86. In the context of Hofstede's dimensions, the culture high on _____ accepts the fact that authority is usually
distributed unequally within organizations.

A. collectivism
B. uncertainty avoidance
C. masculinity
D. power distance
E. short-term orientation
87. A culture high on _____ feels threatened by uncertain and ambiguous situations and relies on formal rules to
create stability.

A. collectivism
B. power distance
C. masculinity
D. uncertainty avoidance
E. short-term orientation

88. Which of the following refers to the propensity to view one's own cultural values as "right" and those of
other cultures as "wrong"?

A. Ethnocentrism
B. Neuroticism
C. Extraversion
D. Zero acquaintance
E. Short-term orientation

89. The Big Five personality dimension _____ is a key driver of what's referred to as typical performance,
which reflects performance in the routine conditions that surround daily job tasks.

A. neuroticism
B. conscientiousness
C. extraversion
D. openness to experience
E. agreeableness

90. The principle of _____ suggests that "strong situations" have clear behavioral expectations, incentives, or
instructions that make differences between individuals less important, whereas "weak situations" lack those
cues.

A. situation awareness
B. situational strength
C. situational prevention
D. situational ethics
E. situation specificity
91. Which of these given below asks applicants about their attitudes toward dishonesty, the desire to punish
dishonesty, and confessions of past dishonesty?

A. A clear purpose test

B. Differential reactivity
C. Positive affectivity
D. A veiled purpose test
E. A Big Five Inventory

92. _____ do not reference dishonesty explicitly but instead assess more general personality traits that are
associated with dishonest acts.

A. Clear purpose tests

B. Differential reactivity
C. Positive affectivity
D. Veiled purpose tests
E. Aptitude inventories

93. Exaggerating your responses to a personality test in a socially desirable fashion is called _____.

A. ethnocentrism
B. faking
C. neuroticism
D. creativity
E. negative affectivity

Essay Questions
94. "What people are like and what people can do are two sides of the same coin." Elaborate on the given
statement.

95. Two individuals have had similar educational backgrounds, share the same interests and work in the same
organization. One of them systematically exhibits a competitive character that may be hostile and
aggressive, while the other one is a patient, calm and relaxed individual who is also a methodological
professional.
While defining personality, analyze their personality traits according to the Big Five model.

96. Describe each of the five dimensions of Big Five. Which dimension has the biggest influence on job
performance? Explain.
97. "Conscientious employees strive for accomplishment." Validate the above statement with suitable
examples.

98. Compare and contrast extraversion and neuroticism. Explain the negative implication of neuroticism.

99. Define locus of control. Differentiate between the external and internal locus of control beliefs.
100. Describe the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). Explain how this taxonomy might be used by an
organization.

101. Describe the personality types from Holland's RIASEC model.

102. Write a note on the purpose of project GLOBE. How does this project contribute toward cultural studies in
organizations?
103. Explain the principle of situational strength and principle of trait activation.

104. Contrast clear purpose tests from veiled purpose tests.

 Chapter 09 Personality and Cultural Values Answer Key

True / False Questions

1. What employees are like depends only on personality types and not on culture.
(p. 273)
FALSE

What employees are like also depends on the culture in which they were raised. Cultural values like
individualism-collectivism, power distance, and so forth also influence employees' thoughts, emotions,
and behaviors.

AACSB: Analytic
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 1 Easy
Learning Objective: 09-01 What is personality? What are cultural values?
Topic: How Can We Describe What Employees Are Like?

2. Personality refers to the structures and propensities inside people that explain their characteristic patterns
(p. 272) of thought, emotion, and behavior.

TRUE

Personality refers to the structures and propensities inside people that explain their characteristic patterns
of thought, emotion, and behavior. Personality creates people's social reputations—the way they are
perceived by friends, family, coworkers, and supervisors.

AACSB: Analytic
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 1 Easy
Learning Objective: 09-01 What is personality? What are cultural values?
Topic: Personality And Cultural Values

3. Beliefs create people's social reputations.

(p. 272)
FALSE

Personality creates people's social reputations—the way they are perceived by friends, family,
coworkers, and supervisors. In this way, personality captures what people are like.

AACSB: Analytic
Blooms: Remember
 Difficulty: 1 Easy
Learning Objective: 09-01 What is personality? What are cultural values?
Topic: Personality And Cultural Values

4. Cultural values are defined as shared beliefs about desirable end states or modes of conduct in a given
(p. 272) culture.

TRUE

Cultural values are defined as shared beliefs about desirable end states or modes of conduct in a given
culture.

AACSB: Analytic
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 1 Easy
Learning Objective: 09-01 What is personality? What are cultural values?
Topic: Personality And Cultural Values

5. In the context of the Big Five taxonomy, a submissive person is said to be an extrovert.
(p. 273)
FALSE

An extrovert does not show signs of being submissive according to the Big Five taxonomy.

AACSB: Reflective Thinking

Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 2 Medium
Learning Objective: 09-02 What are the "Big Five?"
Topic: How Can We Describe What Employees Are Like?

6. Miriam is known as a person who is talkative. In the context of the Big Five taxonomy, the personality
(p. 273) dimension extraversion best describes Miriam.

TRUE

Extroverts are talkative, sociable, passionate, assertive, bold, and dominant.

AACSB: Reflective Thinking

Blooms: Apply
Difficulty: 2 Medium
Learning Objective: 09-02 What are the "Big Five?"
Topic: How Can We Describe What Employees Are Like?
7. Extraversion changes quite significantly over a person's life span.
(p. 276)
FALSE

Extraversion remains quite stable throughout a person's life.

AACSB: Reflective Thinking

Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 1 Easy
Learning Objective: 09-03 Is personality driven by nature or by nurture?
Topic: How Can We Describe What Employees Are Like?

8. Conscientious people are dependable, organized, reliable, ambitious, hardworking, and persevering.
(p. 276)
TRUE

Conscientious people are dependable, organized, reliable, ambitious, hardworking, and persevering.

AACSB: Analytic
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 2 Medium
Learning Objective: 09-03 Is personality driven by nature or by nurture?
Topic: How Can We Describe What Employees Are Like?

9. Accomplishment strivers focus on "getting along," not necessarily "getting ahead."

(p. 277)
FALSE

People who are "accomplishment strivers" have a built-in desire to finish work tasks, channel a high
proportion of their efforts toward those tasks, and work harder and longer on task assignments.

AACSB: Analytic
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 2 Medium
Learning Objective: 09-03 Is personality driven by nature or by nurture?
Topic: How Can We Describe What Employees Are Like?

10. Conscientious employees do not prioritize accomplishment striving.

(p. 277)
FALSE

Conscientious employees prioritize accomplishment striving, which reflects a strong desire to

accomplish task-related goals as a means of expressing personality.

AACSB: Analytic
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 1 Easy
Learning Objective: 09-03 Is personality driven by nature or by nurture?
 Topic: How Can We Describe What Employees Are Like?

11. Of the Big Five, openness to experience is the easiest to judge in zero acquaintance situations.
(p. 278)
FALSE

Of the Big Five, extraversion is the easiest to judge in zero acquaintance situations—situations in which
two people have only just met.

AACSB: Analytic
Blooms: Understand
Difficulty: 2 Medium
Learning Objective: 09-03 Is personality driven by nature or by nurture?
Topic: How Can We Describe What Employees Are Like?

12. Extraverts are less likely to emerge as leaders in task-related groups when compared to introverts.
(p. 278)
FALSE

Research suggests that extraverts are more likely to emerge as leaders in social and task-related groups.

AACSB: Analytic
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 1 Easy
Learning Objective: 09-03 Is personality driven by nature or by nurture?
Topic: How Can We Describe What Employees Are Like?

13. An introvert exhibits a greater deal of job satisfaction than an extrovert.

(p. 278)
FALSE

Research suggests that extraverts tend to be happier with their jobs. One potential reason for these
findings is that people tend to view extraverts, who are more energetic and outgoing, as more "leader
like" than introverts.

AACSB: Analytic
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 1 Easy
Learning Objective: 09-03 Is personality driven by nature or by nurture?
Topic: How Can We Describe What Employees Are Like?
14. An extravert exhibits low positive affectivity when compared to an introvert.
(p. 278)
FALSE

Extraverted employees tend to be high in what's called positive affectivity—a dispositional tendency to
experience pleasant, engaging moods such as enthusiasm, excitement, and elation.

AACSB: Analytic
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 1 Easy
Learning Objective: 09-03 Is personality driven by nature or by nurture?
Topic: How Can We Describe What Employees Are Like?

15. Neuroticism is synonymous with positive affectivity and extraversion is synonymous with negative
(p. 279) affectivity.

FALSE

Extraversion is synonymous with positive affectivity, neuroticism is synonymous with negative

affectivity—a dispositional tendency to experience unpleasant moods such as hostility, nervousness, and
annoyance.

AACSB: Analytic
Blooms: Understand
Difficulty: 2 Medium
Learning Objective: 09-03 Is personality driven by nature or by nurture?
Topic: How Can We Describe What Employees Are Like?

16. Neuroticism is the most important of the Big Five from the perspective of job performance.
(p. 279)
FALSE

Conscientiousness is the most important of the Big Five from the perspective of job performance,
neuroticism is the second most important.

AACSB: Analytic
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 2 Medium
Learning Objective: 09-03 Is personality driven by nature or by nurture?
Topic: How Can We Describe What Employees Are Like?
17. Neurotic employees experience lower levels of job satisfaction than their conscientious counterparts.
(p. 279)
TRUE

Neurotic employees experience lower levels of job satisfaction than their conscientious counterparts.
They experience negative moods quite frequently.

AACSB: Analytic
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 1 Easy
Learning Objective: 09-03 Is personality driven by nature or by nurture?
Topic: How Can We Describe What Employees Are Like?

18. Neurotic people tend to hold an external locus of control.

(p. 281)
TRUE

Neurotic people tend to hold an external locus of control, meaning that they often believe that the events
that occur around them are driven by luck, chance, or fate.

AACSB: Analytic
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 2 Medium
Learning Objective: 09-03 Is personality driven by nature or by nurture?
Topic: How Can We Describe What Employees Are Like?

19. Neurotic people are more likely to believe they can cope with the stressors that they experience.
(p. 281)
FALSE

Neuroticism is associated with a differential reactivity to stressors, meaning that neurotic people are less
likely to believe they can cope with the stressors that they experience.

AACSB: Analytic
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 1 Easy
Learning Objective: 09-03 Is personality driven by nature or by nurture?
Topic: How Can We Describe What Employees Are Like?
20. In the context of the Big Five Taxonomy, openness to experience is related to performance across all
(p. 281) occupations.

FALSE

Much like agreeableness and extraversion, the traits associated with openness are beneficial in some jobs
but not others. As a result, openness is not related to job performance across all occupations.

AACSB: Analytic
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 1 Easy
Learning Objective: 09-03 Is personality driven by nature or by nurture?
Topic: How Can We Describe What Employees Are Like?

21. The most appropriate use of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator is in a team-building context.
(p. 285)
TRUE

The most appropriate use of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator is in a team-building context, to help
different members understand their varying approaches to accomplishing tasks.

AACSB: Analytic
Blooms: Understand
Difficulty: 2 Medium
Learning Objective: 09-04 What taxonomies can be used to describe personality; other than the Big Five?
Topic: How Can We Describe What Employees Are Like?

22. The central premise of Myers-Briggs Type Indicator is that employees have more career satisfaction and
(p. 285) longevity in occupations that match their personality type.

FALSE

The most appropriate use of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator is in a team-building context, to help
different members understand their varying approaches to accomplishing tasks.

AACSB: Analytic
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 2 Medium
Learning Objective: 09-04 What taxonomies can be used to describe personality; other than the Big Five?
Topic: How Can We Describe What Employees Are Like?
23. There is little evidence that the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator is a useful tool for predicting the job
(p. 285) satisfaction, motivation, performance, or commitment of employees across jobs.

TRUE

There is little evidence that the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator is a useful tool for predicting the job
satisfaction, motivation, performance, or commitment of employees across jobs.

AACSB: Analytic
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 2 Medium
Learning Objective: 09-04 What taxonomies can be used to describe personality; other than the Big Five?
Topic: How Can We Describe What Employees Are Like?

24. Artistic people tend to enjoy abstract, analytical, theory-oriented tasks.

(p. 285)
FALSE

Artistic people tend to enjoy entertaining and fascinating others using imagination. They are usually
original, independent, impulsive, and creative.

AACSB: Analytic
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 1 Easy
Learning Objective: 09-04 What taxonomies can be used to describe personality; other than the Big Five?
Topic: How Can We Describe What Employees Are Like?

25. Low-power distance cultures prefer that power be distributed uniformly where possible, in a more
(p. 287) egalitarian fashion.

TRUE

Low-power distance cultures prefer that power be distributed uniformly where possible, in a more
egalitarian fashion.

AACSB: Analytic
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 2 Medium
Learning Objective: 09-05 What taxonomies can be used to describe cultural values?
Topic: How Can We Describe What Employees Are Like?
26. Conscientiousness has a moderate positive effect on performance.
(p. 291)
TRUE

Conscientiousness has a moderate positive effect on performance.

AACSB: Analytic
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 1 Easy
Learning Objective: 09-05 What taxonomies can be used to describe cultural values?
Topic: How Important Are Personality And Cultural Values?

27. Conscientious employees are more likely to engage in day-to-day psychological and physical withdrawal
(p. 291- behaviors.
292)

FALSE

Conscientious employees tend to be more committed to their organization. They're less likely to engage
in day-to-day psychological and physical withdrawal behaviors because such actions go against their
work habits.

AACSB: Analytic
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 2 Medium
Learning Objective: 09-05 What taxonomies can be used to describe cultural values?
Topic: How Important Are Personality And Cultural Values?

28. The persevering nature of conscientious employees prompts them to persist in a given course of action
(p. 292) for long periods of time.

TRUE

The persevering nature of conscientious employees prompts them to persist in a given course of action
for long periods of time.

AACSB: Analytic
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 1 Easy
Learning Objective: 09-06 How does personality affect job performance and organizational commitment?
Topic: How Important Are Personality And Cultural Values?
29. Integrity tests are a subset of personality tests.
(p. 294)
TRUE

Integrity tests are a subset of personality tests. They are the personality tests that focus specifically on a
predisposition to engage in theft and other counterproductive behaviors.

AACSB: Analytic
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 1 Easy
Learning Objective: 09-07 Are personality tests useful tools for organizational hiring?
Topic: Application: Personality Tests

30. Integrity tests typically come in two general varieties: clear purpose tests and veiled purpose tests.
(p. 294)
TRUE

Integrity tests typically come in two general varieties: clear purpose tests and veiled purpose tests.

AACSB: Analytic
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 1 Easy
Learning Objective: 09-07 Are personality tests useful tools for organizational hiring?
Topic: Application: Personality Tests

31. Veiled purpose tests do not reference dishonesty explicitly but instead assess more general personality
(p. 294) traits that are associated with dishonest acts.

TRUE

Veiled purpose tests do not reference dishonesty explicitly but instead assess more general personality
traits that are associated with dishonest acts.

AACSB: Analytic
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 2 Medium
Learning Objective: 09-07 Are personality tests useful tools for organizational hiring?
Topic: Application: Personality Tests

Multiple Choice Questions

32. _____ refers to the structures and propensities inside a person that explain his or her characteristic
(p. 272) patterns of thought, emotion, and behavior.

A. Personality
B. Apophenia
C. Ethnoburb
D. Ethnocentrism
E. Perception

Personality refers to the structures and propensities inside people that explain their characteristic patterns
of thought, emotion, and behavior. It creates people's social reputation—the way they are perceived by
friends, family, coworkers, and supervisors.

AACSB: Analytic
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 1 Easy
Learning Objective: 09-01 What is personality? What are cultural values?
Topic: Personality And Cultural Values

33. Personality is a collection of multiple _____.

(p. 272)

A. abilities
B. traits
C. aptitudes
D. emotions
E. capacities

Personality is a collection of multiple traits. Traits are defined as recurring regularities or trends in
people's responses to their environment.

AACSB: Analytic
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 1 Easy
Learning Objective: 09-01 What is personality? What are cultural values?
Topic: Personality And Cultural Values
34. _____ are defined as recurring regularities or trends in people's responses to their environment.
(p. 272)

A. Perceptions
B. Values
C. Short-term orientations
D. Traits
E. Beliefs

Traits are defined as recurring regularities or trends in people's responses to their environment.
Adjectives such as responsible, easygoing, polite, and reserved are examples of traits that can be used to
summarize someone's personality.

AACSB: Analytic
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 1 Easy
Learning Objective: 09-01 What is personality? What are cultural values?
Topic: Personality And Cultural Values

35. Personality traits are a function of both your:

(p. 272)

A. values and beliefs.

B. beliefs and environment.
C. environment and genes.
D. genes and perceptions.
E. culture and beliefs.

Personality traits are a function of both your genes and your environment. Traits are defined as recurring
regularities or trends in people's responses to their environment.

AACSB: Analytic
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 1 Easy
Learning Objective: 09-01 What is personality? What are cultural values?
Topic: Personality And Cultural Values
36. Which of the following is not a "dimension" of the big five taxonomy?
(p. 273)

A. Conscientiousness
B. Extraversion
C. Locus of control
D. Openness to experience
E. Neuroticism

The big five personality dimensions include conscientiousness, agreeableness, neuroticism, openness to
experience, and extraversion.

AACSB: Analytic
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 1 Easy
Learning Objective: 09-02 What are the "Big Five?"
Topic: How Can We Describe What Employees Are Like?

37. Melissa was reading her slam book from junior high, in which most of her friends described her as a
(p. 273) dependable and reliable individual. In the context of the Big Five taxonomy, the personality dimension
_____ best describes Melissa.

A. conscientiousness
B. openness to experience
C. agreeableness
D. introversion
E. neuroticism

Conscientious people are dependable, organized, reliable, ambitious, hardworking, and persevering.

AACSB: Reflective Thinking

Blooms: Apply
Difficulty: 2 Medium
Learning Objective: 09-02 What are the "Big Five?"
Topic: How Can We Describe What Employees Are Like?
38. Which of these dimensions in the Big Five taxonomy is associated with the trait adjectives kind,
(p. 273) cooperative, sympathetic, and warm?

A. Conscientiousness
B. Extraversion
C. Agreeableness
D. Openness
E. Neuroticism

Agreeable people are warm, kind, cooperative, sympathetic, helpful, and courteous.

AACSB: Analytic
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 2 Medium
Learning Objective: 09-02 What are the "Big Five?"
Topic: How Can We Describe What Employees Are Like?

39. The day before Jackson takes up an important quiz test in school, he shows a tendency to get annoyed
(p. 273) easily. In the context of the Big Five taxonomy, the personality dimension _____ best describes Jackson.

A. conscientiousness
B. extraversion
C. agreeableness
D. openness to experience
E. neuroticism

Neurotic people are nervous, moody, emotional, insecure, and jealous.

AACSB: Reflective Thinking

Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 2 Medium
Learning Objective: 09-02 What are the "Big Five?"
Topic: How Can We Describe What Employees Are Like?
40. Critical, selfish, and rude are opposite traits for which personality dimension of the Big Five?
(p. 273)

A. Conscientiousness
B. Extraversion
C. Agreeableness
D. Callousness
E. Neuroticism

Agreeable people are warm, kind, cooperative, sympathetic, helpful, and courteous.

AACSB: Analytic
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 2 Medium
Learning Objective: 09-02 What are the "Big Five?"
Topic: How Can We Describe What Employees Are Like?

41. The scenario below is a review that some of the employees at The Pulse, an HR company, received after
(p. 273) a 360 degree feedback.
Jack, who was being considered for a promotion, was described as someone who is eager to learn and
innovate. Alex was appreciated for his meticulous and organized work and was the one the team could
depend on during crunch time. Isabelle's ability to be cooperative, accommodating, and sociable to
customers who had grievances, was well acknowledged in the feedback.
In the context of the Big Five taxonomy, the personality dimension _____ best describes Alex.

A. conscientiousness
B. extraversion
C. agreeableness
D. introversion
E. neuroticism

In the context of the Big Five taxonomy, people who fall under the personality dimension
conscientiousness are dependable, organized, reliable, ambitious, hardworking, and persevering.

AACSB: Reflective Thinking

Blooms: Apply
Difficulty: 2 Medium
Learning Objective: 09-02 What are the "Big Five?"
Topic: How Can We Describe What Employees Are Like?
42. The scenario below is a review that some of the employees at The Pulse, an HR company, received after
(p. 273) a 360 degree feedback.
Jack, who was being considered for a promotion, was described as someone who is eager to learn and
innovate. Alex was appreciated for his meticulous and organized work and was the one the team could
depend on during crunch time. Isabelle's ability to be cooperative, accommodating, and sociable to
customers who had grievances, was well acknowledged in the feedback.
In the context of the Big Five taxonomy, the personality dimension _____ best describes Jack.

A. conscientiousness
B. extraversion
C. agreeableness
D. openness to experience
E. neuroticism

In the context of the Big Five taxonomy, people who fall under the personality dimension openness to
experience are curious, imaginative, creative, complex, refined, and sophisticated.

AACSB: Reflective Thinking

Blooms: Apply
Difficulty: 2 Medium
Learning Objective: 09-02 What are the "Big Five?"
Topic: How Can We Describe What Employees Are Like?

43. The scenario below is a review that some of the employees at The Pulse, an HR company, received after
(p. 273) a 360 degree feedback.
Jack, who was being considered for a promotion, was described as someone who is eager to learn and
innovate. Alex was appreciated for his meticulous and organized work and was the one the team could
depend on during crunch time. Isabelle's ability to be cooperative, accommodating, and sociable to
customers who had grievances, was well acknowledged in the feedback.
In the context of the Big Five taxonomy, the personality dimension _____ best describes Isabelle.

A. conscientiousness
B. extraversion
C. intuition
D. openness to experience
E. neuroticism

In the context of the Big Five taxonomy, people who fall under the personality dimension extraversion
are talkative, sociable, passionate, assertive, bold, and dominant.

AACSB: Reflective Thinking

Blooms: Apply
Difficulty: 2 Medium
Learning Objective: 09-02 What are the "Big Five?"
Topic: How Can We Describe What Employees Are Like?
44. The two Big Five dimensions most dependent on genes are:
(p. 276)

A. conscientiousness and extraversion.

B. extraversion and openness.
C. agreeableness and openness.
D. openness and conscientiousness.
E. neuroticism and agreeableness.

The two Big Five dimensions most dependent on genes are extraversion and openness.
Conscientiousness, agreeableness, neuroticism, however, change quite significantly over a person's life
span.

AACSB: Analytic
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 1 Easy
Learning Objective: 09-03 Is personality driven by nature or by nurture?
Topic: How Can We Describe What Employees Are Like?

45. The Big Five personality dimension that has the biggest influence on job performance is _____.
(p. 277)

A. conscientiousness
B. extraversion
C. agreeableness
D. openness to experience
E. neuroticism

The Big Five personality dimension that has the biggest influence on job performance is
conscientiousness. Conscientious employees prioritize accomplishment striving, which reflects a strong
desire to accomplish task-related goals as a means of expressing personality.

AACSB: Analytic
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 1 Easy
Learning Objective: 09-03 Is personality driven by nature or by nurture?
Topic: How Can We Describe What Employees Are Like?
46. Conscientious people prioritize:
(p. 277)

A. status striving.
B. communion striving.
C. accomplishment striving.
D. curiosity.
E. power striving.

Conscientious employees prioritize accomplishment striving, which reflects a strong desire to

accomplish task-related goals as a means of expressing personality.

AACSB: Analytic
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 1 Easy
Learning Objective: 09-03 Is personality driven by nature or by nurture?
Topic: How Can We Describe What Employees Are Like?

47. A strong desire to achieve task-related goals as a means of expressing personality is known as _____.
(p. 277)

A. status striving
B. accomplishment striving
C. value striving
D. curiosity
E. power striving

Conscientious employees prioritize accomplishment striving, which reflects a strong desire to

accomplish task-related goals as a means of expressing personality.

AACSB: Analytic
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 1 Easy
Learning Objective: 09-03 Is personality driven by nature or by nurture?
Topic: How Can We Describe What Employees Are Like?
48. People who are _____ have a built-in desire to finish work tasks, channel a high proportion of their
(p. 277) efforts toward those tasks, and work harder and longer on task assignments.

A. accomplishment strivers
B. communion strivers
C. status strivers
D. value strivers
E. power strivers

People who are accomplishment strivers have a built-in desire to finish work tasks, channel a high
proportion of their efforts toward those tasks, and work harder and longer on task assignments.

AACSB: Analytic
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 2 Medium
Learning Objective: 09-03 Is personality driven by nature or by nurture?
Topic: How Can We Describe What Employees Are Like?

49. Agreeable people prioritize _____.

(p. 277)

A. status striving
B. communion striving
C. accomplishment striving
D. attainment striving
E. power striving

Agreeable people prioritize communion striving, which reflects a strong desire to obtain acceptance in
personal relationships as a means of expressing personality.

AACSB: Analytic
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 1 Easy
Learning Objective: 09-03 Is personality driven by nature or by nurture?
Topic: How Can We Describe What Employees Are Like?
50. _____ reflects a strong desire to obtain acceptance in personal relationships as a means of expressing
(p. 277) personality.

A. Status striving
B. Attainment striving
C. Accomplishment striving
D. Communion striving
E. Power striving

Agreeable people prioritize communion striving, which reflects a strong desire to obtain acceptance in
personal relationships as a means of expressing personality.

AACSB: Analytic
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 1 Easy
Learning Objective: 09-03 Is personality driven by nature or by nurture?
Topic: How Can We Describe What Employees Are Like?

51. When a fight broke out between two workers at Leo Motors, James the manager, decided to walk away
(p. 277) and let the situation resolve on its own. In the context of the Big Five taxonomy, the personality
dimension _____ best describes James.

A. neuroticism
B. extraversion
C. agreeableness
D. openness to experience
E. conscientiousness

Agreeable employees are reluctant to react to conflict with criticism, threats, or manipulation. They
prioritize communion striving, which reflects a strong desire to obtain acceptance in personal
relationships as a means of expressing personality.

AACSB: Reflective Thinking

Blooms: Apply
Difficulty: 2 Medium
Learning Objective: 09-03 Is personality driven by nature or by nurture?
Topic: How Can We Describe What Employees Are Like?
52. _____ focus on "getting along," not necessarily "getting ahead."
(p. 277)

A. Conscientious people
B. Agreeable people
C. Neurotic people
D. Diligent people
E. Extraverts

Agreeable people focus on "getting along," not necessarily "getting ahead." They are warm, kind,
cooperative, sympathetic, helpful, and courteous.

AACSB: Analytic
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 2 Medium
Learning Objective: 09-03 Is personality driven by nature or by nurture?
Topic: How Can We Describe What Employees Are Like?

53. Of the Big Five, _____ is the easiest to judge in zero acquaintance situations.
(p. 278)

A. openness to experience
B. conscientiousness
C. agreeableness
D. neuroticism
E. extraversion

Of the Big Five, extraversion is the easiest to judge in zero acquaintance situations—situations in which
two people have only just met. Extraverted people are talkative, sociable, passionate, assertive, bold, and
dominant.

AACSB: Analytic
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 1 Easy
Learning Objective: 09-03 Is personality driven by nature or by nurture?
Topic: How Can We Describe What Employees Are Like?
54. A(n) _____ situation is an situation in which two people have only just met.
(p. 278)

A. differential exposure
B. zero acquaintance
C. locus of control
D. ethnocentric
E. uncertainty avoidance

Of the Big Five, extraversion is the easiest to judge in zero acquaintance situations—situations in which
two people have only just met.

AACSB: Analytic
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 1 Easy
Learning Objective: 09-03 Is personality driven by nature or by nurture?
Topic: How Can We Describe What Employees Are Like?

55. Extraverted people prioritize _____.

(p. 278)

A. status striving
B. communion striving
C. accomplishment striving
D. value striving
E. attainment striving

Extraverted people prioritize status striving, which reflects a strong desire to obtain power and influence
within a social structure as a means of expressing personality.

AACSB: Analytic
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 1 Easy
Learning Objective: 09-03 Is personality driven by nature or by nurture?
Topic: How Can We Describe What Employees Are Like?
56. _____ reflects a strong desire to obtain power and influence within a social structure as a means of
(p. 278) expressing personality.

A. Accomplishment striving
B. Status striving
C. Fellowship striving
D. Attainment striving
E. Communion striving

Extraverted people prioritize status striving, which reflects a strong desire to obtain power and influence
within a social structure as a means of expressing personality.

AACSB: Analytic
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 1 Easy
Learning Objective: 09-03 Is personality driven by nature or by nurture?
Topic: How Can We Describe What Employees Are Like?

57. Rita can be described as a hardworking and ambitious individual. She joined Atlas Corporation as a
(p. 278) junior recruiter and wants to climb the corporate ladder to become a team leader in the future. Having
that goal in mind Rita works for long hours and takes up more than one project at a time. In the context
of the Big Five taxonomy, the personality dimension _____ best describes Rita.

A. neuroticism
B. agreeableness
C. extraversion
D. callousness
E. conflict-orientation

Extraverted people prioritize status striving, which reflects a strong desire to obtain power and influence
within a social structure as a means of expressing personality.

AACSB: Reflective Thinking

Blooms: Apply
Difficulty: 2 Medium
Learning Objective: 09-03 Is personality driven by nature or by nurture?
Topic: How Can We Describe What Employees Are Like?
58. _____, who are more energetic and outgoing, are perceived to be more "leader like."
(p. 278)

A. Neurotics
B. Hysteric individuals
C. Extraverts
D. Callous people
E. Agreeable people

People tend to view extraverts, who are more energetic and outgoing, as more "leader like" than
introverts.

AACSB: Analytic
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 2 Medium
Learning Objective: 09-03 Is personality driven by nature or by nurture?
Topic: How Can We Describe What Employees Are Like?

59. Extraverted people tend to be high in:

(p. 278)

A. neuroticism.
B. agreeableness.
C. status striving.
D. conflict avoidance.
E. positive affectivity.

Extraverted employees tend to be high in what's called positive affectivity —a dispositional tendency to
experience pleasant, engaging moods such as enthusiasm, excitement, and elation.

AACSB: Analytic
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 2 Medium
Learning Objective: 09-03 Is personality driven by nature or by nurture?
Topic: How Can We Describe What Employees Are Like?
60. A dispositional tendency to experience pleasant, engaging moods such as enthusiasm, excitement, and
(p. 278) elations refers to _____.

A. neuroticism
B. agreeableness
C. positive affectivity
D. conflict avoidance
E. status striving

Extraverted employees tend to be high in what's called positive affectivity—a dispositional tendency to
experience pleasant, engaging moods such as enthusiasm, excitement, and elation.

AACSB: Analytic
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 1 Easy
Learning Objective: 09-03 Is personality driven by nature or by nurture?
Topic: How Can We Describe What Employees Are Like?

61. The Big Five dimension _____ is also called by its flip side: "Emotional Stability" or "Emotional
(p. 279) Adjustment."

A. conscientiousness
B. extraversion
C. agreeableness
D. openness to experience
E. neuroticism

The Big Five dimension neuroticism is also called by its flip side: "Emotional Stability" or "Emotional
Adjustment." Neurotic people are nervous, moody, emotional, insecure, and jealous.

AACSB: Analytic
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 1 Easy
Learning Objective: 09-03 Is personality driven by nature or by nurture?
Topic: How Can We Describe What Employees Are Like?
62. The Big Five dimension neuroticism is synonymous with _____.
(p. 279)

A. extraversion
B. openness to experience
C. conscientiousness
D. collectivism
E. negative affectivity

The Big Five dimension neuroticism is synonymous with negative affectivity—a dispositional tendency
to experience unpleasant moods such as hostility, nervousness, and annoyance.

AACSB: Analytic
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 2 Medium
Learning Objective: 09-03 Is personality driven by nature or by nurture?
Topic: How Can We Describe What Employees Are Like?

63. A dispositional tendency to experience unpleasant moods such as hostility, nervousness, and annoyance
(p. 279) is called _____.

A. zero acquaintance
B. status striving
C. accomplishment striving
D. negative affectivity
E. differential reactivity

Whereas extraversion is synonymous with positive affectivity, neuroticism is synonymous with negative
affectivity —a dispositional tendency to experience unpleasant moods such as hostility, nervousness, and
annoyance.

AACSB: Analytic
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 2 Medium
Learning Objective: 09-03 Is personality driven by nature or by nurture?
Topic: How Can We Describe What Employees Are Like?
64. Neuroticism is associated with a(n) _____ to stressors, meaning that neurotic people are more likely to
(p. 279) appraise day-to-day situations as stressful.

A. communion striving factor

B. accomplishment striving factor
C. differential exposure
D. openness to experience
E. locus of control

Specifically, neuroticism is associated with a differential exposure to stressors, meaning that neurotic
people are more likely to appraise day-to-day situations as stressful. Neuroticism also influences the way
that people deal with stressful situations.

AACSB: Analytic
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 1 Easy
Learning Objective: 09-03 Is personality driven by nature or by nurture?
Topic: How Can We Describe What Employees Are Like?

65. Neuroticism is associated with a(n) _____ to stressors, meaning that neurotic people are less likely to
(p. 279) believe they can cope with the stressors that they experience.

A. status striving factor

B. locus of control
C. positive affectivity
D. differential reactivity
E. accomplishment striving factor

Neuroticism is associated with a differential reactivity to stressors, meaning that neurotic people are less
likely to believe they can cope with the stressors that they experience.

AACSB: Analytic
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 1 Easy
Learning Objective: 09-03 Is personality driven by nature or by nurture?
Topic: How Can We Describe What Employees Are Like?
66. _____ reflects whether people attribute the causes of events to themselves or to the external
(p. 281) environment.

A. Differential exposure
B. Zero acquaintance
C. Ethnocentrism
D. Locus of control
E. Differential reactivity

Neuroticism is strongly related to locus of control, which reflects whether people attribute the causes of
events to themselves or to the external environment. Neurotic people tend to hold an external locus of
control, meaning that they often believe that the events that occur around them are driven by luck,
chance, or fate.

AACSB: Analytic
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 1 Easy
Learning Objective: 09-03 Is personality driven by nature or by nurture?
Topic: How Can We Describe What Employees Are Like?

67. Neurotic people tend to:

(p. 281)

A. strive for status.

B. be communion strivers.
C. hold an external locus of control.
D. exhibit enthusiastic and upbeat mood patterns.
E. be extroverts.

Neurotic people tend to hold an external locus of control, meaning that they often believe that the events
that occur around them are driven by luck, chance, or fate. Less neurotic people tend to hold an internal
locus of control, meaning that they believe that their own behavior dictates events.

AACSB: Analytic
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 2 Medium
Learning Objective: 09-03 Is personality driven by nature or by nurture?
Topic: How Can We Describe What Employees Are Like?
68. In the context of the Big Five taxonomy, the personality dimension _____ is also called "inquisitiveness"
(p. 281) or "intellectualness."

A. conscientiousness
B. extraversion
C. agreeableness
D. openness to experience
E. neuroticism

In the context of the Big Five taxonomy, the personality dimension openness to experience is also called
"inquisitiveness" or "intellectualness." Open people are curious, imaginative, creative, complex, refined,
and sophisticated.

AACSB: Analytic
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 1 Easy
Learning Objective: 09-03 Is personality driven by nature or by nurture?
Topic: How Can We Describe What Employees Are Like?

69. In the context of the Big Five taxonomy, the personality dimension _____ is more likely to be valuable
(p. 283) in jobs that require high levels of creativity.

A. neuroticism
B. extraversion
C. agreeableness
D. conscientiousness
E. openness to experience

In the context of the Big Five taxonomy, the personality dimension openness to experience is more likely
to be valuable in jobs that require high levels of creativity. Open people are curious, imaginative,
creative, complex, refined, and sophisticated.

AACSB: Analytic
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 2 Medium
Learning Objective: 09-03 Is personality driven by nature or by nurture?
Topic: How Can We Describe What Employees Are Like?
70. Together with cognitive ability, _____ is a key driver of creative thought, as smart and open people excel
(p. 283) at the style of thinking demanded by creativity.

A. conscientiousness
B. extraversion
C. agreeableness
D. openness to experience
E. neuroticism

Together with cognitive ability, openness to experience is a key driver of creative thought, as smart and
open people excel at the style of thinking demanded by creativity. Openness to experience is also more
likely to be valuable in jobs that require high levels of creative performance, where job holders need to
be able to generate novel and useful ideas and solutions.

AACSB: Analytic
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 1 Easy
Learning Objective: 09-03 Is personality driven by nature or by nurture?
Topic: How Can We Describe What Employees Are Like?

71. Myers-Briggs Type Indicator evaluates individuals on the basis of all of these types of preferences
(p. 284- except:
285)

A. judging versus perceiving.

B. sensing versus intuition.
C. extraversion versus introversion.
D. thinking versus feeling.
E. short-term versus long-term orientation.

Short-term versus long-term is a dimension related to Hofstede's dimensions.

AACSB: Analytic
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 1 Easy
Learning Objective: 09-04 What taxonomies can be used to describe personality; other than the Big Five?
Topic: How Can We Describe What Employees Are Like?
72. Sam and Matilda are successful stock brokers working with Invest Right Broking. Before striking a deal
(p. 284- with a company, Sam reviews the company's reports and past data. Matilda on the other hand buys stock
285)
based on speculation. According to the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, the _____ type best describes Sam
and the _____ type best describes Matilda.

A. sensing; intuition
B. perceiving; judging
C. short-term; long-term
D. feeling; thinking
E. extraversion; introversion

In the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, sensing prefers clear and concrete facts and data and intuition
prefers hunches and speculations based on theory and imagination.

AACSB: Reflective Thinking

Blooms: Apply
Difficulty: 2 Medium
Learning Objective: 09-04 What taxonomies can be used to describe personality; other than the Big Five?
Topic: How Can We Describe What Employees Are Like?

73. "Approaching tasks by planning and setting goals" describes the _____ type of Myers-Briggs indicator.
(p. 285)

A. perceiving
B. introversion
C. extraversion
D. feeling
E. judging

"Approaching tasks by planning and setting goals" describes the judging type of Myers-Briggs indicator.

AACSB: Analytic
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 1 Easy
Learning Objective: 09-04 What taxonomies can be used to describe personality; other than the Big Five?
Topic: How Can We Describe What Employees Are Like?
74. The most appropriate use of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator is:
(p. 285)

A. in the job satisfaction prediction context.

B. in a team-building context.
C. to gauge the commitment of employees across jobs.
D. to predict the motivation of employees.
E. to forecast the performance of employees across jobs.

The most appropriate use of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator is in a team-building context, to help
different members understand their varying approaches to accomplishing tasks.

AACSB: Analytic
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 1 Easy
Learning Objective: 09-04 What taxonomies can be used to describe personality; other than the Big Five?
Topic: How Can We Describe What Employees Are Like?

75. _____ are expressions of personality that influence behavior through preferences for certain
(p. 285) environments and activities.

A. Values
B. Beliefs
C. Tests
D. Interests
E. Ethics

Interests are expressions of personality that influence behavior through preferences for certain
environments and activities. They reflect stable and enduring likes and dislikes that can explain why
people are drawn toward some careers and away from others.

AACSB: Analytic
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 1 Easy
Learning Objective: 09-04 What taxonomies can be used to describe personality; other than the Big Five?
Topic: How Can We Describe What Employees Are Like?
76. According to the RIASEC model, a(n) _____ person enjoys abstract, analytical, and theory-oriented
(p. 285) tasks.

A. enterprising
B. realistic
C. artistic
D. conventional
E. investigative

Investigative people enjoy abstract, analytical, theory-oriented tasks. They tend to be analytical,
intellectual, reserved, and scholarly.

AACSB: Analytic
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 1 Easy
Learning Objective: 09-04 What taxonomies can be used to describe personality; other than the Big Five?
Topic: How Can We Describe What Employees Are Like?

77. Tina's psychology curriculum required her to study an individual's personality type using the process of
(p. 285) interviewing. She selected Darren, her brother's roommate, as her test subject. The highlighted points of
her research were that Darren is a Law graduate, who is a musician in his spare time. He is an
independent person who paid his way through Law school; his friends get annoyed with his impulsive
behavior. According to the RIASEC model, Tina classified Darren under the _____ type of personality
dimension.

A. enterprising
B. realistic
C. artistic
D. conventional
E. investigative

According to the RIASEC model, artistic people enjoy entertaining and fascinating others using
imagination. They tend to be original, independent, impulsive, and creative.

AACSB: Reflective Thinking

Blooms: Apply
Difficulty: 2 Medium
Learning Objective: 09-04 What taxonomies can be used to describe personality; other than the Big Five?
Topic: How Can We Describe What Employees Are Like?
78. Dawson is a famous carpenter in Oregon. Though rugged, Dawson is good at carpentry and electrical
(p. 285) work. According to the RIASEC model, the _____ type of personality dimension best describes
Dawson.

A. enterprising
B. realistic
C. artistic
D. conventional
E. investigative

Realistic people enjoy practical, hands-on, real-world tasks. They tend to be frank, practical, determined,
and rugged.

AACSB: Reflective Thinking

Blooms: Apply
Difficulty: 2 Medium
Learning Objective: 09-04 What taxonomies can be used to describe personality; other than the Big Five?
Topic: How Can We Describe What Employees Are Like?

79. Which of the following is not a Hofstede's dimension of cultural values?

(p. 287)

A. Power distance
B. Masculinity-femininity
C. Individualism-collectivism
D. Uncertainty avoidance
E. Extraversion-introversion

Extraversion-introversion is a dimension of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator.

AACSB: Analytic
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 2 Medium
Learning Objective: 09-05 What taxonomies can be used to describe cultural values?
Topic: How Can We Describe What Employees Are Like?
80. Unicoi Inc., a Brazilian sports manufacturer, is known as a company that focuses on improving its
(p. 287) customers' quality of life. In the context of the Hofstede's dimensions, the cultural dimension _____ best
describes Unicoi Inc.

A. individualism
B. uncertainty avoidance
C. femininity
D. high power distance
E. short-term orientation

Femininity values stereotypical female traits such as caring for others and caring about quality of life.

AACSB: Reflective Thinking

Blooms: Apply
Difficulty: 2 Medium
Learning Objective: 09-05 What taxonomies can be used to describe cultural values?
Topic: How Can We Describe What Employees Are Like?

81. Dallas, a project manager at Stars Inc., was the man behind the company's shift to a new culture that
(p. 287) focused on being assertive with their clients. In the context of the Hofstede's dimensions, the cultural
dimension _____ best describes Stars Inc.

A. collectivism
B. uncertainty avoidance
C. masculinity
D. low power distance
E. short-term orientation

Masculinity values stereotypical male traits such as assertiveness and the acquisition of money and
things.

AACSB: Analytic
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 1 Easy
Learning Objective: 09-05 What taxonomies can be used to describe cultural values?
Topic: How Can We Describe What Employees Are Like?
82. Connor, a trainer at T&R Inc., preaches the company's policy of prudence to all his new trainees. In the
(p. 287) context of the Hofstede's dimensions, the cultural value followed in T&R Inc. is an example of _____.

A. collectivism
B. low power distance
C. masculinity
D. high uncertainty avoidance
E. long-term orientation

When a Hofstede's culture stresses values such as persistence, prudence, and thrift, the culture is high on
long-term orientation.

AACSB: Reflective Thinking

Blooms: Apply
Difficulty: 1 Easy
Learning Objective: 09-05 What taxonomies can be used to describe cultural values?
Topic: How Can We Describe What Employees Are Like?

83. In the context of Hofstede's dimensions, the cultural dimension _____ stresses on values such as respect
(p. 287) for tradition and fulfilling obligations.

A. individualism
B. high power distance
C. masculinity
D. low uncertainty avoidance
E. short-term orientation

In the context of Hofstede's dimensions, short-term orientation stresses on values such as respect for
tradition and fulfilling obligations.

AACSB: Analytic
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 1 Easy
Learning Objective: 09-05 What taxonomies can be used to describe cultural values?
Topic: How Can We Describe What Employees Are Like?
84. The Chinese culture is a tight social framework in which people take care of the members of a broader in
(p. 287) group and act loyal to it. In the context of Hofstede's dimensions, what is the personality dimension that
you will use to describe the Chinese culture?

A. Collectivism
B. Uncertainty avoidance
C. Masculinity
D. Low power distance
E. Short-term orientation

The collectivistic culture is a tight social framework in which people take care of the members of a
broader in group and act loyal to it.

AACSB: Reflective Thinking

Blooms: Apply
Difficulty: 2 Medium
Learning Objective: 09-05 What taxonomies can be used to describe cultural values?
Topic: How Can We Describe What Employees Are Like?

85. In the context of Hofstede's dimensions, the culture low on _____ tolerates ambiguous situations and
(p. 287) values unusual ideas and behaviors.

A. collectivism
B. power distance
C. masculinity
D. uncertainty avoidance
E. short-term orientation

In the context of Hofstede's dimensions, the culture low on uncertainty avoidance tolerates ambiguous
situations and values unusual ideas and behaviors.

AACSB: Analytic
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 2 Medium
Learning Objective: 09-05 What taxonomies can be used to describe cultural values?
Topic: How Can We Describe What Employees Are Like?
86. In the context of Hofstede's dimensions, the culture high on _____ accepts the fact that authority is
(p. 287) usually distributed unequally within organizations.

A. collectivism
B. uncertainty avoidance
C. masculinity
D. power distance
E. short-term orientation

In the context of Hofstede's dimensions, the culture high on power distance accepts the fact that authority
is usually distributed unequally within organizations.

AACSB: Analytic
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 2 Medium
Learning Objective: 09-05 What taxonomies can be used to describe cultural values?
Topic: How Can We Describe What Employees Are Like?

87. A culture high on _____ feels threatened by uncertain and ambiguous situations and relies on formal
(p. 287) rules to create stability.

A. collectivism
B. power distance
C. masculinity
D. uncertainty avoidance
E. short-term orientation

When a culture feels threatened by uncertain and ambiguous situations and relies on formal rules to
create stability, it is said to be high on uncertainty avoidance.

AACSB: Analytic
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 2 Medium
Learning Objective: 09-05 What taxonomies can be used to describe cultural values?
Topic: How Can We Describe What Employees Are Like?
88. Which of the following refers to the propensity to view one's own cultural values as "right" and those of
(p. 289) other cultures as "wrong"?

A. Ethnocentrism
B. Neuroticism
C. Extraversion
D. Zero acquaintance
E. Short-term orientation

Ethnocentrism refers to the propensity to view one's own cultural values as "right" and those of other
cultures as "wrong."

AACSB: Analytic
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 1 Easy
Learning Objective: 09-05 What taxonomies can be used to describe cultural values?
Topic: How Can We Describe What Employees Are Like?

89. The Big Five personality dimension _____ is a key driver of what's referred to as typical performance,
(p. 291) which reflects performance in the routine conditions that surround daily job tasks.

A. neuroticism
B. conscientiousness
C. extraversion
D. openness to experience
E. agreeableness

The Big Five personality dimension conscientiousness is a key driver of what's referred to as typical
performance, which reflects performance in the routine conditions that surround daily job tasks.

AACSB: Analytic
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 2 Medium
Learning Objective: 09-06 How does personality affect job performance and organizational commitment?
Topic: How Important Are Personality And Cultural Values?
90. The principle of _____ suggests that "strong situations" have clear behavioral expectations, incentives, or
(p. 292) instructions that make differences between individuals less important, whereas "weak situations" lack
those cues.

A. situation awareness
B. situational strength
C. situational prevention
D. situational ethics
E. situation specificity

The principle of situational strength suggests that "strong situations" have clear behavioral expectations,
incentives, or instructions that make differences between individuals less important, whereas "weak
situations" lack those cues. Personality variables tend to be more significant drivers of behavior in weak
situations than in strong situations.

AACSB: Analytic
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 2 Medium
Learning Objective: 09-06 How does personality affect job performance and organizational commitment?
Topic: How Important Are Personality And Cultural Values?

91. Which of these given below asks applicants about their attitudes toward dishonesty, the desire to punish
(p. 294) dishonesty, and confessions of past dishonesty?

A. A clear purpose test

B. Differential reactivity
C. Positive affectivity
D. A veiled purpose test
E. A Big Five Inventory

Clear purpose tests ask applicants about their attitudes toward dishonesty, beliefs about the frequency of
dishonesty, endorsements of common rationalizations for dishonesty, desire to punish dishonesty, and
confessions of past dishonesty.

AACSB: Analytic
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 1 Easy
Learning Objective: 09-07 Are personality tests useful tools for organizational hiring?
Topic: Application: Personality Tests
92. _____ do not reference dishonesty explicitly but instead assess more general personality traits that are
(p. 294) associated with dishonest acts.

A. Clear purpose tests

B. Differential reactivity
C. Positive affectivity
D. Veiled purpose tests
E. Aptitude inventories

Veiled purpose tests do not reference dishonesty explicitly but instead assess more general personality
traits that are associated with dishonest acts.

AACSB: Analytic
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 1 Easy
Learning Objective: 09-07 Are personality tests useful tools for organizational hiring?
Topic: Application: Personality Tests

93. Exaggerating your responses to a personality test in a socially desirable fashion is called _____.
(p. 295)

A. ethnocentrism
B. faking
C. neuroticism
D. creativity
E. negative affectivity

Exaggerating your responses to a personality test in a socially desirable fashion is called faking.

AACSB: Analytic
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 1 Easy
Learning Objective: 09-07 Are personality tests useful tools for organizational hiring?
Topic: Application: Personality Tests

Essay Questions
94. "What people are like and what people can do are two sides of the same coin." Elaborate on the given
(p. 272) statement.

Personality refers to the structures and propensities inside people that explain their characteristic patterns
of thought, emotion, and behavior. Personality creates people's social reputations—the way they are
perceived by friends, family, coworkers, and supervisors. In this way, personality captures what people
are like. In contrast, ability captures what people can do. Although we sometimes describe people as
having "a good personality," personality is actually a collection of multiple traits. Traits are defined as
recurring regularities or trends in people's responses to their environment. Adjectives such as
responsible, easygoing, polite, and reserved are examples of traits that can be used to summarize
someone's personality.

AACSB: Analytic
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 1 Easy
Learning Objective: 09-01 What is personality? What are cultural values?
Topic: Personality And Cultural Values

95. Two individuals have had similar educational backgrounds, share the same interests and work in the
(p. 273) same organization. One of them systematically exhibits a competitive character that may be hostile and
aggressive, while the other one is a patient, calm and relaxed individual who is also a methodological
professional.
While defining personality, analyze their personality traits according to the Big Five model.

Personality refers to the structures and propensities inside a person that explain his or her characteristic
patterns of thought, emotion, and behavior. The Big Five personality dimensions include
conscientiousness, agreeableness, neuroticism, openness to experience, and extraversion. Conscientious
people are dependable, organized, reliable, ambitious, hardworking, and persevering.
Neurotic people are nervous, moody, emotional, insecure, and jealous. Occasionally you may see this
Big Five dimension called by its flip side: "Emotional Stability" or "Emotional Adjustment." If
conscientiousness is the most important of the Big Five from the perspective of job performance,
neuroticism is the second most important. There are few jobs for which the traits associated with
neuroticism are beneficial to on-the-job behaviors. Instead, most jobs benefit from employees who are
calm, steady, and secure.

AACSB: Reflective Thinking

Blooms: Analyze
Difficulty: 2 Medium
Learning Objective: 09-02 What are the "Big Five?"
Topic: How Can We Describe What Employees Are Like?
96. Describe each of the five dimensions of Big Five. Which dimension has the biggest influence on job
(p. 276- performance?
Explain.
279, 281-
283)

Conscientious people are dependable, organized, reliable, ambitious, hardworking, and persevering.
Conscientious employees prioritize accomplishment striving. They have a built-in desire to finish work
tasks, channel a high proportion of their efforts toward those tasks, and work harder and longer on task
assignments.
Agreeable people are warm, kind, cooperative, sympathetic, helpful, and courteous. They prioritize
communion striving. They focus on "getting along" and not necessarily on "getting ahead".
Agreeableness is not related to performance across all jobs and occupations.
Extraverted people are talkative, sociable, passionate, assertive, bold, and dominant. Of the Big Five,
extraversion is the easiest to judge in zero acquaintance situations. Like agreeableness, extraversion is
not related to performance across all jobs and occupations. Extraverts prioritize status striving. They care
a lot about being successful and influential and direct their work efforts toward "moving up" and
developing a strong reputation.
Neurotic people are nervous, moody, emotional, insecure, and jealous. Whereas extraversion is
synonymous with positive affectivity, neuroticism is synonymous with negative affectivity. Neurotic
individuals experience lower levels of job satisfaction.
Openness to experience is the final dimension of the Big Five. Open people are curious, imaginative,
creative, complex, refined, and sophisticated. This dimension is also referred to as inquisitiveness or
intellectualness or culture. This dimension is not related to performance across all jobs and occupations.
This dimension is more likely to be valuable in jobs that require creativity.
Conscientiousness is the most important dimension and has the most influence on the job performance. It
has a moderate positive effect on both performance and commitment.

AACSB: Analytic
Blooms: Analyze
Difficulty: 2 Medium
Learning Objective: 09-03 Is personality driven by nature or by nurture?
Topic: How Can We Describe What Employees Are Like?
97. "Conscientious employees strive for accomplishment." Validate the above statement with suitable
(p. 277) examples.

Conscientious employees prioritize accomplishment striving, which reflects a strong desire to

accomplish task-related goals as a means of expressing personality. People who are "accomplishment
strivers" have a built-in desire to finish work tasks, channel a high proportion of their efforts toward
those tasks, and work harder and longer on task assignments. As evidence of their accomplishment-
striving nature, one research study showed that conscientious salespeople set higher sales goals for
themselves than unconscientious salespeople and were more committed to meeting those goals. Another
study of salespeople showed that conscientious salespeople's organizational skills were particularly
valuable during their first year of employment, and their ambitious nature became more critical as they
gained tenure and experience.

AACSB: Analytic
Blooms: Analyze
Difficulty: 2 Medium
Learning Objective: 09-03 Is personality driven by nature or by nurture?
Topic: How Can We Describe What Employees Are Like?

98. Compare and contrast extraversion and neuroticism. Explain the negative implication of neuroticism.
(p. 278-
279)

Both extraversion and neuroticism are dimensions of the Big Five.

Extraverted people are talkative, sociable, passionate, assertive, bold, and dominant. Of the Big Five,
extraversion is the easiest to judge in zero acquaintance situations. Extraversion is not related to
performance across all jobs and occupations. Extraverts prioritize status striving. They care a lot about
being successful and influential and direct their work efforts toward "moving up" and developing a
strong reputation. Extraverted employees tend to be high in positive affectivity - a dispositional tendency
to experience pleasant, engaging moods such as enthusiasm, excitement, and elation. They tend to be
more satisfied with their jobs.
Neurotic people are nervous, moody, emotional, insecure, and jealous. Whereas extraversion is
synonymous with positive affectivity, neuroticism is synonymous with negative affectivity—a
dispositional tendency to experience unpleasant moods such as hostility, nervousness, and annoyance.
Neurotic individuals experience lower levels of job satisfaction and life satisfaction.

AACSB: Analytic
Blooms: Analyze
Difficulty: 2 Medium
Learning Objective: 09-03 Is personality driven by nature or by nurture?
Topic: How Can We Describe What Employees Are Like?
99. Define locus of control. Differentiate between the external and internal locus of control beliefs.
(p. 281)

Locus of control reflects whether people attribute the causes of events to themselves (internal locus of
control) or to the external environment (external locus of control). Neurotic people tend to hold an
external locus of control, meaning that they often believe that the events that occur around them are
driven by luck, chance, or fate. Less neurotic people tend to hold an internal locus of control, meaning
that they believe that their own behavior dictates events.

AACSB: Analytic
Blooms: Understand
Difficulty: 2 Medium
Learning Objective: 09-03 Is personality driven by nature or by nurture?
Topic: How Can We Describe What Employees Are Like?

100. Describe the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). Explain how this taxonomy might be used by an
(p. 284- organization.
285)

The MBTI evaluates individuals on the basis of four types of preferences:

• extraversion versus introversion

• sensing versus intuition
• thinking versus feeling
• judging versus perceiving

The MBTI categorizes people into one of 16 different types on the basis of their preferences. The most
appropriate use of the MBTI is in a team-building context, to help different members understand their
varying approaches to accomplishing tasks.

AACSB: Analytic
Blooms: Understand
Difficulty: 2 Medium
Learning Objective: 09-04 What taxonomies can be used to describe personality; other than the Big Five?
Topic: How Can We Describe What Employees Are Like?
101. Describe the personality types from Holland's RIASEC model.
(p. 285)

Holland's RAISEC model suggests that interests can be summarized by six different personality types:

• Realistic
• Investigative
• Artistic
• Social
• Enterprising
• Conventional

AACSB: Analytic
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 2 Medium
Learning Objective: 09-04 What taxonomies can be used to describe personality; other than the Big Five?
Topic: How Can We Describe What Employees Are Like?

102. Write a note on the purpose of project GLOBE. How does this project contribute toward cultural studies
(p. 288) in organizations?

Project GLOBE (Global Leadership and Organizational Behavior Effectiveness) is a collection of 170
researchers from 62 cultures who have studied 17,300 managers in 951 organizations since 1991. The
main purpose of Project GLOBE is to examine the impact of culture on the effectiveness of various
leader attributes, behaviors, and practices. In pursing that goal, project researchers asked managers to
rate the values held within their organizations and within their societies. That research identified nine
different dimensions that are used to summarize cultures within Project GLOBE. Some of those
dimensions can be viewed as replications of Hofstede's work. For example, Project GLOBE identified
both power distance and uncertainty avoidance as key dimensions of cultural values. The project also
identified collectivism, though it was differentiated into institutional collectivism (where formalized
practices encourage collective action and collective distribution of resources) and ingroup collectivism.
Awareness of such cultural variations is critical, given that those differences can influence reactions to
change, conflict management styles, negotiation approaches, and reward preferences, just to name a few.
Failing to understand those differences can compromise the effectiveness of multinational groups and
organizations. Such problems are particularly likely if employees are high in ethnocentrism, defined as a
propensity to view one's own cultural values as "right" and those of other cultures as "wrong."

AACSB: Analytic
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 2 Medium
Learning Objective: 09-05 What taxonomies can be used to describe cultural values?
Topic: How Can We Describe What Employees Are Like?
103. Explain the principle of situational strength and principle of trait activation.
(p. 292)

The principle of situational strength suggests that "strong situations" have clear behavioral expectations,
incentives, or instructions that make differences between individuals less important, whereas "weak
situations" lack those cues. Personality variables tend to be more significant drivers of behavior in weak
situations than in strong situations. Similarly, the principle of trait activation suggests that some
situations provide cues that trigger the expression of a given trait. For example, a cry for help provides a
cue that can trigger the expression of empathy. Personality variables tend to be more significant drivers
of behaviors in situations that provide relevant cues than in situations in which those cues are lacking.

AACSB: Analytic
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 2 Medium
Learning Objective: 09-06 How does personality affect job performance and organizational commitment?
Topic: How Important Are Personality And Cultural Values?

104. Contrast clear purpose tests from veiled purpose tests.

(p. 294)

Clear purpose tests ask applicants about their attitudes toward dishonesty, beliefs about the frequency of
dishonesty, endorsements of common rationalizations for dishonesty, desire to punish dishonesty, and
confessions of past dishonesty. Veiled purpose tests do not reference dishonesty explicitly but instead
assess more general personality traits that are associated with dishonest acts.

AACSB: Analytic
Blooms: Understand
Difficulty: 2 Medium
Learning Objective: 09-07 Are personality tests useful tools for organizational hiring?
Topic: Application: Personality Tests