PERSONALITY

Definition of personality
• Personality is the sum total of ways in which
an individual reacts to and interacts with
others. We most often describe it in terms of
the measureable traits a person exhibits.
 Measuring personality
• The most common means of measuring
personality is through self-report surveys, with
which individuals evaluate themselves on a
series of factors, such as “I worry a lot about
the future.” though self report measures work
well when well constructed, one weakness is
that the respondent might lie or practice
impression management to create a good
impression.
• When people know their personality scores are
going to be used for hiring decisions, they rate
themselves as about half a standard deviation
more conscientious and emotionally stable than
if they are taking the test just to learn more
about themselves. Another problem is accuracy.
A perfectly good candidate could have been in a
bad mood when taking the survey, and that will
make the scores less accurate.
 Personality determinants
• Heredity
• Environment
 Heredity
• Heredity refers to the factors determined at
conception. Physical stature, facial
attractiveness, gender, temperament, muscle
composition and reflexes, energy level, and
biological rhythms are generally considered to
be completely or substantially influenced by
two of your parents are – that is, by their
biological, physiological and inherent
philological makeup.
• The heredity approach argues that ultimate
explanation of an individual’s personality is
the molecular structure of genes, located in
the chromosomes.
• Environment refers to refers to the immediate
physical and social setting in which people live
or in which something happens or develops. It
includes the culture that the individual was
educated or lives in, and the people and
institutions with whom they interact.
• Personality changes over the period of time in
a consistent manner. For example at the age of
20, a person will smarter than what s/he was
at the age of 10. However, the changes are
also dependent on genetic characteristics.
 Myers-Briggs Type Indicator

• The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)

assessment is a psychometric questionnaire
designed to measure psychological
preferences in how people perceive the world
and make decisions. there are four principal
psychological functions by which we
experience the world: sensation, intuition,
feeling, and thinking.
Dichotomies
• Extraversion (E) – (I) Introversion
• Sensing (S) – (N) Intuition
• Thinking (T) – (F) Feeling
• Judging (J) – (P) Perception
 Attitudes: extraversion/introversion (E/I)

• Myers-Briggs literature uses the terms

extraversion and introversion as Jung first used
them. Extraversion means "outward-turning"
and introversion means "inward-turning".
These specific definitions vary somewhat from
the popular usage of the words. Note that
extraversion is the spelling used in MBTI
publications.
• The preferences for extraversion and
introversion are often called "attitudes".
Briggs and Myers recognized that each of the
cognitive functions can operate in the external
world of behavior, action, people, and things
("extraverted attitude") or the internal world
of ideas and reflection ("introverted attitude").
The MBTI assessment sorts for an overall
preference for one or the other.
• People who prefer extraversion draw energy from
action: they tend to act, then reflect, then act
further. If they are inactive, their motivation tends
to decline. To rebuild their energy, extraverts need
breaks from time spent in reflection. Conversely,
those who prefer introversion "expend" energy
through action: they prefer to reflect, then act, then
reflect again. To rebuild their energy, introverts
need quiet time alone, away from activity
• The extravert's flow is directed outward toward people and objects,
and the introvert's is directed inward toward concepts and ideas.
Contrasting characteristics between extraverts and introverts
include the following:
• Extraverts are "action" oriented, while introverts are "thought"
oriented.
• Extraverts seek "breadth" of knowledge and influence, while
introverts seek "depth" of knowledge and influence.
• Extraverts often prefer more "frequent" interaction, while
introverts prefer more "substantial" interaction.
• Extraverts recharge and get their energy from spending time with
people, while introverts recharge and get their energy from
spending time alone; they consume their energy through the
opposite process.
 Functions: sensing/intuition (S/N) and thinking/feeling (T/F)

• Jung identified two pairs of psychological functions:

• The two perceiving functions, sensing and intuition
• The two judging functions, thinking and feeling
• According to Jung's typology model, each person
uses one of these four functions more dominantly
and proficiently than the other three; however, all
four functions are used at different times
depending on the circumstances.
• Sensing and intuition are the information-
gathering (perceiving) functions. They
describe how new information is understood
and interpreted. Individuals who prefer
sensing are more likely to trust information
that is in the present, tangible, and concrete:
that is, information that can be understood by
the five senses. They tend to distrust hunches,
which seem to come "out of nowhere".
• They prefer to look for details and facts. For them,
the meaning is in the data. On the other hand,
those who prefer intuition tend to trust information
that is more abstract or theoretical, that can be
associated with other information (either
remembered or discovered by seeking a wider
context or pattern). They may be more interested in
future possibilities. For them, the meaning is in the
underlying theory and principles which are
manifested in the data.
• Thinking and feeling are the decision-making
(judging) functions. The thinking and feeling
functions are both used to make rational decisions,
based on the data received from their information-
gathering functions (sensing or intuition). Those
who prefer thinking tend to decide things from a
more detached standpoint, measuring the decision
by what seems reasonable, logical, causal,
consistent, and matching a given set of rules.
• Those who prefer feeling tend to come to decisions
by associating or empathizing with the situation,
looking at it 'from the inside' and weighing the
situation to achieve, on balance, the greatest
harmony, consensus and fit, considering the needs
of the people involved. Thinkers usually have
trouble interacting with people who are
inconsistent or illogical, and tend to give very direct
feedback to others. They are concerned with the
truth and view it as more important.
• As noted already, people who prefer thinking do
not necessarily, in the everyday sense, "think
better" than their feeling counterparts; the
opposite preference is considered an equally
rational way of coming to decisions (and, in any
case, the MBTI assessment is a measure of
preference, not ability). Similarly, those who prefer
feeling do not necessarily have "better" emotional
reactions than their thinking counterparts.
 Dominant function

A diagram depicting the cognitive functions of each type. A type's

background color represents its Dominant function, and its text
color represents its Auxiliary function.
According to Jung, people use all four cognitive functions. However,
one function is generally used in a more conscious and confident
way. This dominant function is supported by the secondary
(auxiliary) function, and to a lesser degree the tertiary function.
The fourth and least conscious function is always the opposite of
the dominant function. Myers called this inferior function the
shadow.The four functions operate in conjunction with the
attitudes (extraversion and introversion). Each function is used in
either an extraverted or introverted way. A person whose
dominant function is extraverted intuition, for example, uses
intuition very differently from someone whose dominant
function is introverted intuition.
 Lifestyle: judging/perception (J/P)

• Myers and Briggs added another dimension to Jung's

typological model by identifying that people also have a
preference for using either the judging function (thinking
or feeling) or their perceiving function (sensing or
intuition) when relating to the outside world
(extraversion).
• Myers and Briggs held that types with a preference for
judging show the world their preferred judging function
(thinking or feeling). So TJ types tend to appear to the
world as logical, and FJ types as empathetic. According to
Myers, judging types like to "have matters settled".
• Those types who prefer perception show the world their
preferred perceiving function (sensing or intuition). So
SP types tend to appear to the world as concrete and NP
types as abstract. According to Myers, perceptive types
prefer to "keep decisions open".
• For extraverts, the J or P indicates their dominant
function; for introverts, the J or P indicates their
auxiliary function. Introverts tend to show their
dominant function outwardly only in matters "important
to their inner worlds"
• For example , because the ENTJ type is
extraverted, the J indicates that the dominant
function is the preferred judging function
(extraverted thinking). The ENTJ type
introverts the auxiliary perceiving function
(introverted intuition). The tertiary function is
sensing and the inferior function is introverted
feeling.
• Because the INTJ type is introverted, however,
the J instead indicates that the auxiliary
function is the preferred judging function
(extraverted thinking). The INTJ type introverts
the dominant perceiving function (introverted
intuition). The tertiary function is feeling and
the inferior function is extraverted sensing.
 Big five model of personality
• The Big Five personality traits are five broad
domains or dimensions of personality that are
used to describe human personality. The
theory based on the Big Five factors is called
the Five Factor Model (FFM). The Big Five
factors are openness, conscientiousness,
extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism.
• A summary of the factors of the Big Five and their constituent
traits:

• Openness to experience: (inventive/curious vs.

consistent/cautious). Appreciation for art, emotion, adventure,
unusual ideas, curiosity, and variety of experience. Openness
reflects the degree of intellectual curiosity, creativity and a
preference for novelty and variety a person has. It is also
described as the extent to which a person is imaginative or
independent, and depicts a personal preference for a variety of
activities over a strict routine. Some disagreement remains about
how to interpret the openness factor, which is sometimes called
"intellect" rather than openness to experience.
• Conscientiousness: (efficient/organized vs.
easy-going/careless). A tendency to be
organized and dependable, show self-
discipline, act dutifully, aim for achievement,
and prefer planned rather than spontaneous
behavior.
• Extraversion: (outgoing/energetic vs.
solitary/reserved). Energy, positive emotions,
urgency, assertiveness, sociability and the
tendency to seek stimulation in the company
of others, and talkativeness.
• Agreeableness: (friendly/compassionate vs.
analytical/detached). A tendency to be
compassionate and cooperative rather than
suspicious and antagonistic towards others. It
is also a measure of one's trusting and helpful
nature, and whether a person is generally well
tempered or not.
• Neuroticism: (sensitive/nervous vs.
secure/confident). The tendency to experience
unpleasant emotions easily, such as anger,
anxiety, depression, and vulnerability.
Neuroticism also refers to the degree of
emotional stability and impulse control and is
sometimes referred to by its low pole,
"emotional stability".
 Other personality traits relevant to OB

• Core self evaluation

• Machiavellianism
• Narcissism
• Self monitoring
• Risk taking
• Proactive personality
 Core self evaluation
• Core self-evaluations (CSE) represent a stable
personality trait which encompasses an individual's
subconscious, fundamental evaluations about
themselves, their own abilities and their own
control. People who have high core self-evaluations
will think positively of themselves and be confident
in their own abilities. Conversely, people with low
core self-evaluations will have a negative appraisal
of themselves and will lack confidence
 Machiavellianism

• The degree to which an individual is

pragmatic, maintains emotional distance, and
believes ends justifies means.
 Narcissism
• The tendency to be arrogant, have a grandiose
sense of self importance, require excessive
admiration, and have sense of entitlement.
 Self-monitoring
• A personality trait that measures an
individual’s ability to adjust his or her behavior
to external, situational factors.
 Proactive personality
• People who identify opportunities, show
initiative, take action, and persevere until
meaningful change occurs.