Robbins, Judge, and Vohra

Organizational Behavior
14th Edition

Personality
Personality and
and Values
Values

Kelli J. Schutte
William Jewell College
Copyright © 2012 Dorling Kindersley (India) Pvt. Ltd
Authorized adaptation from the United States edition of Organizational
Behavior, 14e 5-1
 What
What IsIs Personality?
Personality?
The dynamic organization within the individual of those
psychophysical systems that determine his unique
adjustments to his environment. - Gordon Allport
– The sum total of ways in which an individual reacts and
interacts with others, the measurable traits a person exhibits
Measuring Personality
Helpful in hiring decisions. Most common methods are:
– self-reporting surveys
– Observer-ratings surveys provide an independent assessment
of personality – often better predictors
– Projection

Copyright © 2012 Dorling Kindersley (India) Pvt. Ltd

Authorized adaptation from the United States edition of Organizational
Behavior, 14e 5-2
 Personality
Personality Traits
Traits
Enduring characteristics that describe an individual’s
behavior
– The more consistent the characteristic and the more
frequently it occurs in diverse situations, the more important
the trait.

Two dominant frameworks used to describe

personality:
– Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI®)
– Big Five Model

Copyright © 2012 Dorling Kindersley (India) Pvt. Ltd

Authorized adaptation from the United States edition of Organizational
Behavior, 14e 5-3
 The
The Myers-Briggs
Myers-Briggs Type
Type Indicator
Indicator
 Most widely used instrument in the world.
 Participants are classified on four axes to determine one of
16 possible personality types, such as ENTJ.

Sociable and Quiet and

Assertive Shy

Practical and Unconscious

Orderly Processes

Use Reason Uses Values

and Logic & Emotions

Want Order Flexible and

& Structure Spontaneous

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Authorized adaptation from the United States edition of Organizational
Behavior, 14e 5-4
 The
The Types
Types and
and Their
Their Uses
Uses
 Each of the sixteen possible combinations has a name,
for instance:
– Visionaries (INTJ): original, stubborn, and driven
– Organizers (ESTJ): realistic, logical, analytical, and
businesslike
– Conceptualizers (ENTP): entrepreneurial, innovative,
individualistic, and resourceful

 Research results on validity mixed

– MBTI® is a good tool for self-awareness and counseling.
– Should not be used as a selection test for job candidates.

Copyright © 2012 Dorling Kindersley (India) Pvt. Ltd

Authorized adaptation from the United States edition of Organizational
Behavior, 14e 5-5
 The
TheBig
BigFive
FiveModel
Modelof
ofPersonality
PersonalityDimensions
Dimensions

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Authorized adaptation from the United States edition of Organizational
Behavior, 14e 5-6
 How
How Do
Do the
the Big
Big Five
Five Traits
Traits Predict
Predict Behavior?
Behavior?
 Research has shown this to be a better framework.
 Certain traits have been shown to strongly relate to
higher job performance:
– Highly conscientious people develop more job knowledge,
exert greater effort, and have better performance.
– Other Big Five Traits also have implications for work.
• Emotional stability is related to job satisfaction.
• Extroverts tend to be happier in their jobs and have good
social skills.
• Open people are more creative and can be good leaders.
• Agreeable people are good in social settings.
See E X H I B I T 5–1
See E X H I B I T 5–1

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Authorized adaptation from the United States edition of Organizational
Behavior, 14e 5-7
 Other
Other Personality
Personality Traits
Traits Relevant
Relevant to
to OB
OB
 Core Self-Evaluation
– The degree to which people like or dislike themselves
– Positive self-evaluation leads to higher job performance
 Machiavellianism
– A pragmatic, emotionally distant power-player who believes that
ends justify the means
– High Machs are manipulative, win more often, and persuade more
than they are persuaded. They flourish when:
• they have direct interaction with others
• they work with minimal rules and regulations
• emotions distract others
 Narcissism
– An arrogant, entitled, self-important person who needs excessive
admiration
– Less effective in their jobs
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Authorized adaptation from the United States edition of Organizational
Behavior, 14e 5-8
 More
More Relevant
Relevant Personality
Personality Traits
Traits
 Self-Monitoring
– The ability to adjust behavior to meet external, situational
factors.
– High monitors conform more and are more likely to become
leaders.

 Risk Taking
– The willingness to take chances.
– May be best to align propensities with job requirements.
– Risk takers make faster decisions with less information.
Copyright © 2012 Dorling Kindersley (India) Pvt. Ltd
Authorized adaptation from the United States edition of Organizational
Behavior, 14e 5-9
 Even
Even More
More Relevant
Relevant Personality
Personality Traits
Traits
 Type A Personality
– Aggressively involved in a chronic, incessant struggle to achieve
more in less time
• Impatient: always moving, walking, and eating rapidly
• Strive to think or do two or more things at once
• Cannot cope with leisure time
• Obsessed with achievement numbers
– Prized in today’s competitive times but quality of the work is low
– Type B people are the complete opposite of Type A’s

 Proactive Personality
– Identifies opportunities, shows initiative, takes action, and
perseveres to completion
– Creates positive change in the environment

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Authorized adaptation from the United States edition of Organizational
Behavior, 14e 5-10
 Values
Values
Basic convictions on how to conduct yourself or how to
live a life that is personally or socially preferable – “How
To” live life properly.

Attributes of Values:
– Content Attribute: that the mode of conduct or end-state is
important
– Intensity Attribute: just how important that content is
Value System
– A person’s values rank ordered by intensity
– Tends to be relatively constant and consistent
Copyright © 2012 Dorling Kindersley (India) Pvt. Ltd
Authorized adaptation from the United States edition of Organizational
Behavior, 14e 5-11
 Importance
Importance of
of Values
Values
 Provide understanding of attitudes, motivation, and
behaviors
 Influence our perception of the world around us
 Represent interpretations of “right” and “wrong”
 Imply that some behaviors or outcomes are preferred
over others

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Authorized adaptation from the United States edition of Organizational
Behavior, 14e 5-12
 Classifying
Classifying Values
Values –– Rokeach
Rokeach Value
Value Survey
Survey
 Terminal Values
– Desirable end-states of existence; the goals that a person
would like to achieve during his or her lifetime
 Instrumental Values
– Preferable modes of behavior or means of achieving one’s
terminal values

 People in same occupations or categories tend to hold

similar values
– But values vary between groups
– Value differences make it difficult for groups to negotiate
and may create conflict

Copyright © 2012 Dorling Kindersley (India) Pvt. Ltd

Authorized adaptation from the United States edition of Organizational
Behavior, 14e 5-13
 Value
Value Differences
Differences Between
Between Groups
Groups

Source: Based on W. C. Frederick and J. Weber, “The Values of Corporate Managers and Their Critics: An Empirical Description and Normative Implications,” in
W. C. Frederick and L. E. Preston (eds.) Business Ethics: Research Issues and Empirical Studies (Greenwich, CT: JAI Press, 1990), pp. 123–44.

E X H I B I T 5-3
E X H I B I T 5-3
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Authorized adaptation from the United States edition of Organizational
Behavior, 14e 5-14
 Values
Values across
across culture
culture
 Values
– Values differ across cultures.
– Hofstede’s Framework for assessing culture – six value
dimensions:
• Power Distance
• Individualism vs. Collectivism
• Masculinity vs. Femininity
• Uncertainty Avoidance
• Long-term vs. Short-term Orientation
• Indulgence vs. Restraint

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Authorized adaptation from the United States edition of Organizational
Behavior, 14e 5-15
 Hofstede’s
Hofstede’s Framework:
Framework: Power
Power Distance
Distance
The extent to which a society accepts that power in
institutions and organizations is distributed unequally.
• Low distance: Relatively equal
power between those with
status/wealth and those without
status/wealth
• High distance: Extremely
unequal power distribution
between those with status/wealth
and those without status/wealth

Copyright © 2012 Dorling Kindersley (India) Pvt. Ltd

Authorized adaptation from the United States edition of Organizational
Behavior, 14e 5-16
 Hofstede’s
Hofstede’sFramework:
Framework:Individualism
Individualismvs
vs
collectivism
collectivism
 Individualism
– The degree to which people prefer to act as individuals
rather than as member of groups
 Collectivism
– A tight social framework in which people expect others in
groups of which they are a part to look after them and
protect them

Versus

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Authorized adaptation from the United States edition of Organizational
Behavior, 14e 5-17
 Hofstede’s
Hofstede’sFramework:
Framework:Masculinity
Masculinityvs
vsFemininity
Femininity
 Masculinity
– The extent to which the society values work roles of
achievement, power, and control, and where assertiveness
and materialism are also valued
 Femininity
– The extent to which there is little differentiation between
roles for men and women

Versus

Copyright © 2012 Dorling Kindersley (India) Pvt. Ltd

Authorized adaptation from the United States edition of Organizational
Behavior, 14e 5-18
 Hofstede’s
Hofstede’sFramework:
Framework:Uncertainty
UncertaintyAvoidance
Avoidance
The extent to which a society feels threatened by uncertain
and ambiguous situations and tries to avoid them

High Uncertainty Avoidance:

Society does not like ambiguous
situations and tries to avoid them.
Low Uncertainty Avoidance:
Society does not mind ambiguous
situations and embraces them.

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Authorized adaptation from the United States edition of Organizational
Behavior, 14e 5-19
 Hofstede’s
Hofstede’s Framework:
Framework: Time
Time Orientation
Orientation
 Long-term Orientation
– A national culture attribute that emphasizes the future, thrift,
and persistence
 Short-term Orientation
– A national culture attribute that emphasizes the present and
the here and now

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Authorized adaptation from the United States edition of Organizational
Behavior, 14e 5-20
 Hofstede’s
Hofstede’s Framework:
Framework: Indulgence
Indulgence
 Indulgence
– The degree to which it is alright for people to enjoy life, have
fun, and fulfill natural human desires
 Restraint
– The extent to which there are social norms governing the
gratification of basic human desires and behavior

Copyright © 2012 Dorling Kindersley (India) Pvt. Ltd

Authorized adaptation from the United States edition of Organizational
Behavior, 14e
 Hofstede’s
Hofstede’s Framework:
Framework: An
An Assessment
Assessment

 There are regional differences within countries

 The original data is old and based on only one company
 Hofstede had to make many judgment calls while doing
the research
 Some results don’t match what is believed to be true
about given countries
 Despite these problems it remains a very popular
framework

Copyright © 2012 Dorling Kindersley (India) Pvt. Ltd

Authorized adaptation from the United States edition of Organizational
Behavior, 14e 5-22