chapter 5 - personality and individual differences

Question 1

define productive narcissist and what are narcissistic leaders and ceos more likely to do?

Answer 1

which are leaders with a certain degree of narcissism that allows them to achieve their influential leaders in history

Narcissistic leaders and CEOs are more likely to engage in fraud and white-collar crime

Question 2

john holland’s personality-job fit theory (on exam)

Answer 2

is a theory that identifies six personality types and proposes that the fit between personality type and occupational environment determines satisfaction and turnover. is the effort to match job requirements with personality characteristics

6 types: realistic, investigative, artistic, social, enterprising, conventional

Question 3

john holland’s personality-job fit theory - 1. realistic (on exam)

Answer 3

realistic: prefers physical activities that require skill, strength and coordination

personality: shy
occupations: mechanic or farmer

Question 4

john holland’s personality-job fit theory - 2. investigative (on exam)

Answer 4

prefers activities that involve thinking, organizing and understanding

personality: analytical and original
occupations: biologist or economist

Question 5

john holland’s personality-job fit theory - 3. artistic (on exam)

Answer 5

artistic: prefers ambiguous and unsystematic activities that allow creative expression

personality: imaginative and emotional
occupation: painter or musician

Question 6

john holland’s personality-job fit theory - 4. social (on exam)

Answer 6

social: prefers activities that involve helping and developing others

personality: sociable and friendly
occupation: social worker or teacher

Question 7

john holland’s personality-job fit theory - 5. enterprising (on exam)

Answer 7

enterprising: prefers verbal activities in which there are opportunities to influence others and attain power

personality: self-confident and energetic
occupation: lawyer or real estate agent

Question 8

john holland’s personality-job fit theory - 6. conventional (on exam)

Answer 8

conventional: prefers rule-regulated, orderly and unambiguous activities

personality: conforming and efficient
occupation: accountant or corporate manager

Question 9

individualistic vs. collectivistic countries and the job fit

Answer 9

In individualistic countries where workers expect to be heard and respected by management, increasing person–job fit by tailoring the job to the person increases the individual’s job satisfaction.

However, in collectivistic countries, person–job fit is a weaker predictor of job satisfaction because people do not expect to have a job tailored to them, so they value person–job fit efforts less.

Question 10

person-organization fit

Answer 10

Person-organization fit essentially means that people are attracted to and are selected by organizations that match their values and they leave organizations that are not compatible with them

EX: extroverts fit well with organizations that value relationships and socialization
Should yield employees who fit better with the organization

Question 11

person-group fit

Answer 11

Person–group fit is important in team settings, where the dynamics of team interactions significantly affect work outcomes.

Question 12

person-supervisor fit

Answer 12

Person–supervisor fit has become an important area of research because poor fit in this dimension can lead to lower job satisfaction and reduced performance. There is even some truth to the phrase “misery loves company,” as some research suggests that congruence between leader and follower cynicism predicts follower job performance”

Question 13

person-environment fit

Answer 13

All dimensions of fit are sometimes broadly referred to as person–environment fit.

the dimensions of person–organization and person–job fit are the strongest predictors of positive work attitudes and performance

Question 14

personality (on exam)

Answer 14

in ob we organize these characteristics (lazy or fun etc.) into overall traits describing a person’s personality

Personality is the sum of ways in which an individual reacts to and interacts with the world around them. We often describe personality in terms of the measurable traits a person exhibits

Question 15

personality traits (maybe on exam)

Answer 15

When someone frequently exhibits these characteristics (like fun or lazy) across many situations and when they are relatively enduring over time, we call them personality traits

The more consistent the characteristic over time and the more frequently it occurs in various situations, the more important the trait is in describing the individual

Question 16

personality assessment: self-report survey

Answer 16

which individuals evaluate themselves on a series of factors, such as “I worry a lot about the future.”

In general, when people know their personality scores are going to be used for hiring decisions, they rate themselves much higher on desirable traits

This presents a problem of applicants and candidates “faking” their responses to the personality test

Question 17

personality frameworks/ assessment: Myer-Briggs Type Indicator (on exam)

Answer 17

Little empirical support for its use bt is the most used in the world

The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) is a personality test that taps four characteristics and classifies people into one of sixteen personality types.

Classifications:
Extroverted (E) versus Introverted (I). Extroverted individuals are outgoing, sociable, and assertive. Introverts are quiet and shy.

Sensing (S) versus Intuitive (N). Sensing types are practical and prefer routine and order, and they focus on details. Intuitives rely on unconscious processes and look at the big picture.

Thinking (T) versus Feeling (F). Thinking types use reason and logic to handle problems. Feeling types rely on their personal values and emotions.

Judging (J) versus Perceiving (P). Judging types want control and prefer order and structure. Perceiving types are flexible and spontaneous.

Question 18

problems with the myer-briggs type indicator (on exam)

Answer 18

• developed in a rather unscientific, subjective way based on Carl Jung’s neo-Freudian theories.
• evidence does not support the validity of the MBTI as a measure of personality/evidence against it
• forces a person into one type or another; that is, you are either introverted or extroverted. There is no in-between
• When people retake the assessment, they often receive different results.
• MBTI does not predict job performance or other important organizational outcomes

Question 19

personality frameworks/ assessment: big five model (on exam)

Answer 19

is a personality model that proposes five basic dimensions encompass most of the differences in human personality

does a good job on predicting how people will behave and remains stable over time

classifications:
Conscientiousness. a measure of personal consistency and reliability. A highly conscientious person is responsible, organized, dependable, and persistent. Those who score low on this dimension are easily distracted, disorganized, and unreliable.

Emotional stability. taps a person’s ability to withstand stress. People with emotional stability tend to be calm, self-confident, and secure. High scorers are more likely to be positive and optimistic and experience fewer negative emotions (e.g., nervousness, anxiety, insecurity); they are generally happier than low scorers.

Extroversion. captures our relational approach toward the social world. Extroverts tend to be gregarious, assertive, and sociable. They experience more positive emotions than do introverts, and they more freely express these feelings. On the other hand, introverts (low extroversion) tend to be more thoughtful, reserved, timid, and quiet.

Openness to experience. addresses the range of a person’s interests and their fascination with novelty. Open people are creative, curious, and artistically sensitive. Those at the low end of the category are conventional and find comfort in the familiar.

Agreeableness. refers to an individual’s propensity to defer to others. Agreeable people are cooperative, warm, and trusting. You might expect agreeable people to be happier than disagreeable people. They are, but only slightly. When people choose organizational team members, agreeable individuals are usually their first choice. In contrast, people who score low on agreeableness are cold and antagonistic.

Question 20

what is conscientiousness?

Answer 20

Conscientiousness. a measure of personal consistency and reliability. A highly conscientious person is responsible, organized, dependable, and persistent. Those who score low on this dimension are easily distracted, disorganized, and unreliable.

Question 21

how do the big five traits predict behavior at work? (on exam)

Answer 21

conscientiousness:
best predictor of job performance
score high = develop high level of job. knowledge and job performance –> OCB

emotional stability:
life satisfaction and job satisfaction
high score = adapt to most things
low score = hard to cope with change

extroversion:
extroverts = experience advantage in careers
extroverts = adapt well and high job satisfaction
risk taking however

openness:
innovative and effective leaders
high score: less of a decline in performance over time

agreeableness:
good at customer service and less work-family conflict and turnover
lower levels of career success however

Question 22

personality frameworks/ assessment: the dark triad (on exam)

Answer 22

three other socially undesirable traits, which we all have in varying degrees: Machiavellianism, Narcissism, and Psychopathy. usually when someone is under stress.

Machiavellianism (often abbreviated Mach):
An individual high in Machiavellianism is pragmatic, maintains emotional distance, and believes ends can justify means. “If it works, use it” more power and status
is consistent with a high-Mach perspective.
They are more likely to act aggressively and engage in CWBs in acquiring more power or status

Narcissism:
describes a person who has a grandiose sense of self-importance, requires excessive admiration, and is arrogant. Narcissists often have fantasies of grand success, a tendency to exploit situations and people, a sense of entitlement, and a lack of empathy.

Psychopathy:
is defined as a lack of concern for others and a lack of guilt or remorse when actions cause harm.
One review found little correlation between measures of psychopathy and job performance or CWBs
related to the use of hard influence tactics (threats, manipulation), bullying work behavior (physical or verbal threatening), and inappropriate interpersonal behavior during meetings and suggests that such employees do not feel remorseful for their actions.”

Question 23

the DiSC framework

Answer 23

is a circumplex model (similar to the affective circumplex; see the chapter on emotions and mood), which suggests that personality characteristics can be represented on a circle with more similar traits in closer proximity, whereas more dissimilar traits are positioned farther apart.

dominating (D), influencing (i), steadiness (S), and conscientiousness (C),

Question 24

the HEXACO model

Answer 24

is composed of a new trait, honesty-humility (H), and emotionality (E; i.e., emotional stability), extroversion (X), agreeableness (A), conscientiousness (C), and openness to experience (O).

cross cultural studies

Question 25

core self-evaluations (CSEs)

Answer 25

Core self-evaluations (CSEs) are bottom-line conclusions individuals have about their capabilities, competence, and worth as a person.

People who have positive CSEs like themselves and see themselves as effective and in control of their environment.
- perform better especially for customer service
- may abstain from helping others in the workplace

Those with negative CSEs tend to dislike themselves, question their capabilities, and view themselves as powerless over their environment.

Question 26

self-monitoring

Answer 26

describes an individual’s ability to adjust behavior to external, situational factors.

High self-monitors show considerable adaptability in adjusting their behavior to external situational factors.

Low self-monitors cannot disguise themselves in that way. They tend to display their true dispositions and attitudes in every situation;

Question 27

proactive personality

Answer 27

identify opportunities, show initiative, take action, and persevere until meaningful change occurs, compared to others who generally react to situations.

Question 28

situation strength theory

Answer 28

proposes that the way personality translates into behavior depends on the strength of the situation. By situation strength, we mean the degree to which norms, cues, or standards dictate appropriate behavior.

clarity
consistency
constraints
consequences

Question 29

trait activation theory (tat)

Answer 29

TAT predicts that some situations, events, or interventions “activate” a trait more than others. Using TAT, we can foresee which jobs suit certain personalities.

Question 30

ability vs. intellectual abilities vs physical abilities

Answer 30

ability is an individual’s current capacity to perform the various tasks in a job. Overall abilities are essentially made up of two sets of factors: intellectual and physical

intellectual abilities: are abilities needed to perform mental activities—thinking, reasoning, and problem solving. Most societies place a high value on intelligence, and for good reason.

Physical abilities are the capacity to do tasks that demand stamina, dexterity, strength and similar characteristics.

Question 31

ability vs. intellectual abilities vs physical abilities

Answer 31

ability is an individual’s current capacity to perform the various tasks in a job. Overall abilities are essentially made up of two sets of factors: intellectual and physical

intellectual abilities: are abilities needed to perform mental activities—thinking, reasoning, and problem solving. Most societies place a high value on intelligence, and for good reason.

Physical abilities are the capacity to do tasks that demand stamina, dexterity, strength and similar characteristics.

Question 32

strength factors

Answer 32

dynamic strength: ability to exert mascular force repeatedly or continuously over time
trunk strength: ability to exert msucular strength using the trunk muscles
static strength: abiltiy to exert force against external objects
explosive strength: ability to spend a maximum of energy in one or a series of explosive acts

Question 33

flexibility factors

Answer 33

exert flexibility: ability to move the trunk and back muscles as far as possible
dynamic flexibility: ability to make rapid, repeated flexing movements

Question 34

other factors:

Answer 34

body coordination: ability to coordinate the simulataneous actions of different parts of the body
balance: ability to maintain equilibrium despite forces pulling off baalnce
stamina: ability to continue maximum effort requiring prolonged effort over time

Question 35

values vs value system

Answer 35

values: represent relatively stable and enduring, basic convictions that some actions and outcomes are more morally, socially, or personally preferable than others.

value system: The intensity attribute specifies how important it is. When a person ranks their values in terms of intensity, we get an idea of that person’s value system

Question 36

terminal vs instrumental values

Answer 36

terminal values, refers to desirable end-states. These are the goals a person would like to achieve during a lifetime.

instrumental values, refers to preferable modes of behavior, or means of achieving the terminal values.

Question 36

terminal vs instrumental values

Answer 36

terminal values, refers to desirable end-states. These are the goals a person would like to achieve during a lifetime.

instrumental values, refers to preferable modes of behavior, or means of achieving the terminal values.