Chapter 2 - Individual Behaviour, personality and values

Question 1

Explain: performance = person x situation

Answer 1

Person includes individual characteristics and situation represents external influences on the individual’s behaviour.

Question 2

Explain: performance = ability x motivation

Answer 2

‘Skill-and-will’ model. This formula elaborates 2 specific characteristics within the person that influence individual performance.

Question 3

What does MARS stand for?

Answer 3

Motivation
Ability
Role Perceptions
Situational Factors

Question 4

Define Motivation.

Answer 4

The forces within a person that affect his or her direction, intensity and persistence of voluntary behaviour.

Question 5

What are the elements of Motivation?

Answer 5

1. Direction - the path along which people steer their effort.
2. Intensity - the amount of effort allocated to the goal.
3. Persistence - continuing the effort for a certain amount of time.

Question 6

Why are the elements of Motivation important?

Answer 6

Motivation is only a force within an individual, it isn’t our actual behaviour, thus the elements are cognitive (thoughts) and emotional conditions that directly cause us to act.

Question 7

Define Ability.

Answer 7

The natural aptitudes and learned capabilities required to successfully complete a task.

Question 8

Aptitudes and learned capabilities are the main elements of a broader concept?

Answer 8

Competencies; which are characteristics of a person that result in superior performance and wellbeing.

Question 9

Define Role Perceptions.

Answer 9

The degree to which a person understands the job duties assigned to or expected of him or her.

Question 10

What are the 3 forms that Role Clarity exist in?

Answer 10

1. Clear role perceptions; understand the specific duties or consequences for which they are accountable.
2. When employees understand the priority of their various tasks and performance expectations.
3. Understanding the preferred behaviours or procedures for accomplishing the assigned tasks.

Question 11

What are Situational factors?

Answer 11

This is pretty self explanatory. But essentially, it refers to conditions beyond the employee’s immediate control that constrain or facilitate behaviour and performance.
-> environmental cues

Question 12

What are the five type of individual behaviours ?

Answer 12

1. Task Performance
2. Organisational Citizenship
3. Counter-productive behaviour
4. Joining/Staying with the organisation
5. Maintaining Attendance

Question 13

What is Task Performance?

Answer 13

Goal-directed behaviours under the individual’s control that support organisational objectives.

Question 14

Define Organisational Citizenship Behaviours (OCBs).

Answer 14

Various forms of cooperation and helpfulness to others that support the organisation’s social and psychological context,

Question 15

Define Counterproductive work behaviours (CWBs).

Answer 15

Voluntary behaviours that have the potential to directly or indirectly harm the organisation.

eg. being untruthful, stealing, sabotaging work, etc.

Question 16

Define Presenteeism.

Answer 16

Attending scheduled work when one’s capacity to perform is significantly diminished by illness or other factors.

Question 17

Define Personality.

Answer 17

The relatively enduring pattern of thoughts, emotions and behaviours that characterise a person, along with the psychological processes behind those characteristics.

Question 18

What is a trait?

Answer 18

It is something within the person, rather than environmental influences alone, that predicts this behavioural tendency.

Question 19

Explain the 2 Personality determinants; Nature vs. Nurture.

Answer 19

Nature - our genetic or hereditary origins; the genes that we inherit from our parents.

Nurture - our socialisation, life experiences and other forms of interaction with the environment.

Question 20

Define the Five-Factor Model (FFM).

Answer 20

The five broad dimensions representing most personality traits: conscientiousness, emotional stability, openness to experience, agreeableness and extraversion.

Question 21

Define Conscientiousness.

Answer 21

A personality dimension describing people who are organised, dependable, goal-focused, thorough, disciplined, methodical and industrious.

Question 22

Define Neuroticism.

Answer 22

A personality dimension describing people who tend to be anxious, insecure, self-conscious, depressed and temperamental.

Question 23

Define Extraversion.

Answer 23

A personality dimension describing people who are outgoing, talkative, sociable and assertive.

Question 24

Define Agreeableness.

Answer 24

Trusting, helpful, good-natured, considerate, tolerant, selfless, generous, flexible.

Question 25

Define Openness to Experience.

Answer 25

Imaginative, creative, unconventional, curious, nonconforming, autonomous, perceptive.

Question 26

What behaviours associate with ‘getting ahead’?

Answer 26

Openness to experience, extraversion, conscientiousness and emotional stability.

Question 27

Define Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI).

Answer 27

An instrument designed to measure the elements of Jungian personality theory, particularly preferences regarding perceiving and judging information.

Question 28

According to Jung what are the 4 ways that people vary?

Answer 28

1. Sensing-intuition - how individuals gather information.
2. Thinking-feeling - how individuals process information.
3. Introversion-extraversion - Big 5.
4. Judging-perceiving - person’s attitude towards the external world.

Question 29

Define Resilience.

Answer 29

The capability of individuals to cope successfully in the face of significant change, adversity or risk.

Question 30

Define Self-efficacy.

Answer 30

This refers to a person’s belief that he or she can successfully complete a task.

Question 31

Can values be used to describe a company?

Answer 31

No. Because values only exist within individuals (personal values). However, groups of people might hold the same/similar values thus we call this shared values to the team.

Question 32

What are the 10 values included in the Schwartz’s values circumflex?

Answer 32

1. Stimulation
2. Self-direction
3. Universalism
4. Benevolence
5. Conformity
6. Tradition
7. Security
8. Power
9. Achievement
10. Hedonism

Question 33

Define value congruence.

Answer 33

How similar a person’s values hierarchy is to the value hierarchy of the organisation, a co-worker or another source of comparison.

Question 34

Define person-job congruence.

Answer 34

This occurs when a person’s needs, values and preferences are met by their job, and is thought to affect employees wellbeing and sense of satisfaction.

Question 35

Define person-organisation values congruence.

Answer 35

This occurs when a person’s values are similar to the organisation’s dominant values.

• This increases the chance that employees will make decisions and act in ways consistent with organisational expectations.
• it leads to higher job satisfaction, loyalty and organisational citizenship, as well as lower stress and turnover.

Question 36

Are companies better off with employees that have similar personal values to the company?

Answer 36

Not at all! Employees with diverse values offer different perspectives, which potentially lead to better decision making.

-> too much congruence = “corporate cult” that potentially undermine creativity, organisational flexibility and business ethics.

Question 37

Define espoused-enacted value.

Answer 37

Espoused values are expected values and norms preferred by the organisation. Whereas enacted are values exhibited by employees.

Question 38

Why is the espoused-enacted value congruence is especially important for people in leadership positions?

Answer 38

This is because any obvious gap between espoused and enacted values undermines their perceived integrity, a critical feature of effective leaders.

Question 39

What is organisation-community values congruence?

Answer 39

It refers to the similarity of an organisation’s dominant values with the prevailing values of the community or society in which it conducts business.

Question 40

What are the 3 ethical principles?

Answer 40

1. Utilitarianism
2. Individual rights
3. Distributive justice

Question 41

Define Utilitarianism.

Answer 41

• Seek the good with highest degrees of satisfaction for the greatest number of people.
• Aka Consequentialist principle because it focus on consequences of our actions, not on HOW we achieve those consequences.
• impossible to evaluate the benefits or costs of many decisions
• we are uncomfortable with working unethically to attain results that are ethical.

Question 42

Define Individual Rights.

Answer 42

• The belief that everyone has entitlements that let them act a certain way.
• Includes more than legal rights, it also includes human rights that everyone is granted as a norm of society.
• Certain individual rights may may conflict with others.

Question 43

Define Moral Intensity.

Answer 43

The degree to which an issue demands the application of ethical principles.

Question 44

Define Moral Sensitivity.

Answer 44

A person’s ability to recognise the presence of an ethical issue and determine its relative importance.

Question 45

Define Mindfulness.

Answer 45

A person’s receptive and impartial attention to and awareness of the present situation as well as to one’s own thoughts and emotions in that moment.

Question 46

How does mindfulness increase one’s moral sensitivity?

Answer 46

It involves actively monitoring the environment, as well as being sensitive to our responses to that environment.

Question 47

List the Five cross-cultural values.

Answer 47

1. Individualism - Main focus on one’s uniqueness and personal goals.
2. Collectivism - Main focus on the ability for individuals to work harmoniously in a group; self-sacrifice.
3. Power Distance - Reluctant to disagree or contradict the boss.
4. Uncertainty Avoidance - Prefer predictable situations.
5. Achievement Orientation - Main focus on outcomes; low empathy or showing emotions.

Question 48

Define Achievement-nurturing orientation.

Answer 48

A cross-cultural value describing the degree to which people in a culture emphasise competitive versus cooperative relations with other people.