Chapter 4

Personality and Values

Learning Objectives
Define personality, describe how it is measured, and explain the factors that
determine an individuals personality.
Describe the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator personality framework and assess its
strengths and weaknesses.
Identify the key traits in the Big Five personality model.
Demonstrate how the Big Five traits predict behavior at work.
Identify other personality traits relevant to OB.
Define values, demonstrate their importance, and contrast terminal and
instrumental values.
Compare generational differences in values, and identify the dominant values in
todays workforce.
Identify Hofstedes five value dimensions of national culture.

Personality

What is 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

Personality

Measuring Personality

Personality Tests

Helpful in hiring decisions

Self Report Surveys

Most common method

Observer Rating Surveys

Provide an independent assessment of personality often

better predictors

Personality
Personality Determinants

Heredity

Factors determined at conception: physical stature, facial

attractiveness, gender, temperament, muscle composition and
reflexes, energy level, and bio-rhythms
Heredity Approach argues that
Twin studies: raised apart but
genes are the source of
very similar personalities
personality
Parents dont add much
personality development

Personality Traits

to

There is some personality

change over long time periods

Enduring characteristics that describe an individuals behavior

The more consistent the characteristic and the more frequently it
occurs in diverse situations, the more important the trait
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Personality
The Myers Briggs Indicator (MBTI)
A personality test that taps four characteristics and classifies people into 1 of 16 personality
types using 100 questions
Most widely-used instrument in the world

Extroverted (E) vs. Introverted (I)

Sensing (S) vs. Intuitive (N)

Thinking (T) vs. Feeling (F)

Judging (J) vs. Perceiving (P)

Each of the sixteen possible combinations has a name

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Personality
The Big Five Personality Model
A personality assessment model that taps five basic dimensions

+ + + Extraversion

Introversion - - Extraversion

The quality of being comfortable with relationships (Sociable, gregarious, and assertive)
Higher performance Enhanced leadership Higher job & life satisfaction

Personality
The Big Five Personality Model
+ + + High

Low - - Agreeableness

The ability to get along with others (Good-natured, cooperative, and trusting)
Higher performance Lower levels of deviant behavior

+ + + High

Low - - Conscientiousness

The number of goals on which a person focuses (Responsible, dependable, persistent, and
organized)
Higher performance Enhanced leadership Greater longevity
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Personality
The Big Five Personality Model
+ + + More

Less- - Emotional Stability

Less moodiness and insecurity (Calm, self-confident, secure under stress (positive), versus
nervous, depressed, and insecure under stress (negative)
High job & life satisfaction Lower stress level

+ + + More

Less - - Openness

The capacity to entertain new ideas and to change as a result of new information (Curious,
imaginative, artistic, and sensitive)
Training performance Enhanced leadership More adaptable to change
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Personality
Other Personality Traits Relevant to OB
Core Self Evaluation

The degree to which people like or dislike

themselves

higher job performance

Machiavellianism

A pragmatic, emotionally distant power-player who

believes that ends justify the means

win more often

Narcissism

An arrogant, entitled, self-important person who

needs excessive admiration

Less effective in their

jobs

Self Monitoring

The ability to adjust behavior to meet external,

situational factors.

more likely to become

leaders.

Risk Taking

The willingness to take chances.

make faster decisions

with less information

Types A Personality

Aggressively involved in a chronic, incessant

struggle to achieve more in less time

High performance

Proactive Personality

Identifies opportunities, shows initiative, takes

action, and perseveres to completion

Creates positive
change
10
10
in the environment

Values
What is Values?
Basic convictions on how to conduct yourself or how to live your life that is personally or
socially preferable to an opposite or converse mode of conduct or end state of existence

Attributes of Values
Content Attribute

That the mode of conduct or end-state is importance

Intensity Attribute

Persons beliefs about his or her capabilities to perform a task

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Values

What is Value System?

A hierarchy based on a ranking of an individuals value in terms of their intensity

Tends to be relatively constant and consistent

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Values
What is the Importance of Values?

Provide understanding of the 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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Values

Terminal Versus Instrumental Values Rokeach Value Survey

Terminal Values

Desirable end-states of existence; the goals that a person would like to

achieve during his or her lifetime

Instrumental Values

Preferable modes of behavior or means of achieving ones terminal values

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Values
Generational Values
Cohort

Entered
Workforce

Approximate
Current Age

Dominant Work Values

Veterans

1950-1964

65+

Hard
working,
conservative,
conforming; loyalty to the organization

Boomers

1965-1985

40-60s

Success,
achievement,
ambition,
dislike of authority; loyalty to career

Xers

1985-2000

20-40s

Work/life
balance,
team-oriented,
dislike of rules; loyalty to relationships

Nexters

2000-Present

Under 30

Confident, financial success, selfreliant but team-oriented; loyalty to

both self and relationships
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Linking an Individuals Personality and

Values to the Workplace
Personality - Job Fit
Theory

A theory that identifies six personality types and proposes that the fit
between personality type and occupational environment determines
satisfaction and turnover
John Hollands Personality-Job Fit Theory
Vocational Preference Inventory (VPI)
Realistic

Social

Investigative

Enterprising

Artistic

Conventional

1.
2.
3.

There appear to be intrinsic differences in personality between people.

There are different types of jobs.
People in jobs congruent with their personality should be more satisfied
and have lower turnover.
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Linking an Individuals Personality and

Values to the Workplace

Person
Organization Fit

The extent that employees personality must fit with the organizational
culture.

People are attracted to organizations that match their values.

Those who match are most likely to be selected.

Mismatches will result in turnover.

Can use the Big Five personality types to match to the organizational culture.

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Global Implications

Personality

Do frameworks like Big Five transfer across cultures?

Yes, but the frequency of type in the
culture may vary

Values

Better
in
individualistic
collectivist cultures

than

Values differ across cultures

Hofstedes Framework for assessing culture five value dimensions: Power
distance - Individualism vs. Collectivism - Masculinity vs. Femininity Uncertainty Avoidance - Long-term vs. Short-term Orientation

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Global Implications
Hofstedes Framework for Assessing Cultures

Power Distance

The extent to which a society accepts that power in institutions and

organizations is distributed unequally

Low Distance

High Distance

Relatively equal power between those with

status / wealth and those without status /
wealth

Extremely unequal power distribution

between those with status / wealth and
those without status / wealth

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Global Implications
Hofstedes Framework for Assessing Cultures

Individualism

Collectivism

The degree to which people prefer to act as

individuals rather than as members of
groups

A tight social framework in which people

expect others in groups of which they are a
part to look after them and protect them

Masculinity

Femininity

The extent to which the society values work

roles of achievement, power, and control,
and where assertiveness and materialism
are also valued

The extent to which there is little

differentiation between roles for men and
women
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Global Implications
Hofstedes Framework for Assessing Cultures

Uncertainty
Avoidance

The extent to which a society feels threatened by uncertain and

ambiguous situations and tries to avoid them

High Uncertainty Avoidance

Low Uncertainty Avoidance

Society does not like ambiguous situations

and tries to avoid them

Society does not mind ambiguous situations

and embraces them

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Global Implications
Hofstedes Framework for Assessing Cultures

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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Global Implications
GLOBE Framework for Assessing Cultures
Global Leadership and Organizational Behavior Effectiveness (GLOBE) research program
(Nine dimensions of national culture)

Humane Orientation

Performance Orientation

How much society rewards people for being

altruistic, generous, and kind

How much society encourages and rewards

performance improvement and excellence

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