Week 2 - Self Awareness & Personality

Question 1

What is personality?

Answer 1

A person
s tendency toward thinking, behaving
and feeling in consistent ways across different
types of situations & across time.

Question 2

What is are the three aspects of personality?

Answer 2

Approach to
interaction
(Behaviour)

Approach to
perception/processing
information
(Thinking)

Approach to
interpreting and
reacting
(Feeling)

Question 3

What does OCEAN trait’s stand for?

Answer 3

Slide 9
Openness - imagination, feelings, actions, ideas

Conscientiousness - competence, self-discipline, thoughtfulness, goal-driven

Extroversion, social, assertiveness, emotional expression

Agreeableness - cooperative, trustworthy, good-natured

Neuroticism (Emotional Stability) - unstable emotions

Question 4

Connections between work and the traits?

Answer 4

Extraversion = lower absenteeism

Emotional Stability = more motivation and job satisfaction

Conscientiousness = lower absenteeism, counterproductive work behaviour, and turnover. More motivation job satisfaction and job performance.

Openness to experience and agreeableness have no links

Question 5

How is behaviour different from personality?

Answer 5

Can be observed/measured all the time - E.g., Talkativeness in social situations is extraversion vs. talkativeness in non social
situations is not

Is influenced by personality & other factors
E.g., Talking in class is determined by personality and reinforcement in class whereas
talking across different social situations is determined by personality

Question 6

What is this debate: Is your behaviour
determined more
by your personality
or the situation?

Answer 6

The Person situation debate

Question 7

Dispositional Approach

Answer 7

Focuses on individual dispositions and personality.

Individuals possess stable traits or characteristics that influence
their attitudes and behaviours.

Individuals are predisposed to behave in certain ways.

Question 8

Situational Approach

Answer 8

Many studies have shown that job satisfaction and other work
related attitudes are largely determined by situational factors
such as the characteristics of work tasks.

rewards/punishments influenced by emotions/attitudes/behaviours result in job satisfaction

Question 9

Interactionist Approch

Answer 9

Organizational behaviour (individuals’ attitudes and behaviour)
is a function of both dispositions and the situation.

To predict and understand organizational behaviour, we need to
know something about an individual’s personality and the work
setting.

The interactionist approach is the most widely accepted
perspective within organizational behaviour.

Question 10

Give an example of a “weak” situation

Answer 10

Interactionist Approach:

Roles are loosely defined, few
rules and weak reinforcement
and punishment contingencies.

Personality has the strongest
effect in weak situations.

Question 11

Give an example of a “weak” situation

Answer 11

Interactionist Approach:

Roles, rules, and contingencies
are more defined.

Personality has less of an
impact in strong situations.

Question 12

Implications of the Interactionist Approch?

Answer 12

Some personality characteristics are useful in certain
organizational situations.

There is no one best personality.

Appreciate the advantages of employee diversity.

The importance of fit putting the right person in the right job,
group, or organization.

Question 13

Self Awareness Steps

Answer 13

1. Making observations of thoughts and behaviours
2. Scales and Questionnaires
   - Reliable, valid, and structured scales
3. Comparing observations with external sources
   - Context matters (Professional social, intimate)
4. Learning for results
5. Modify the future behaviour
   - Self observation
   - Comparison

Question 14

Why become self aware?

Answer 14

To develop Intrapersonal skills
ex. Choose appropriate careers: considering your own personality and interests

To manage yourself - setting appropriate goals

Accept yourself - 30-50% of personality is genetic

Develop Interpersonal skills - Initiating building and maintaining relationships, understand other people and why they react

To improve performance (Church, 97)

Question 15

What are things that leaders should become self aware of?

Answer 15

Intra: Attitudes towards authority
Self Esteem

Inter: Self Monitoring, Social Skills

Both: Self control

Question 16

What is Behavioural Placticity?

Answer 16

Events and people in organizations have more impact on beliefs and actions on someone with low self- esteem

Question 17

Employees with ___ self
esteem react badly to negative feedback it lowers subsequent
performance.

Answer 17

low

Question 18

People with ____ self
esteem make more fulfilling career decisions and have higher job
satisfaction and job performance.

Answer 18

high

Question 19

People with _____ self

esteem are more resilient to the strains of everyday worklife.

Answer 19

high

Question 20

Self esteem is an aspect of ____

Answer 20

Emotional Stability

Question 21

Emotional Stability (aka Neuroticism)=??

Answer 21

Calm, Angry, anxious, worried, guilt

ridden, nervous

Question 22

Authority + High self esteem = ??

Answer 22

Tendency to act in an obedient manner in situations where it is socially expected of one to follow an overt/implied command

Tendency to follow rules, respect procedures, behave in socially
appropriate manner, be conforming, be compliant

E.g., in traffic; in a church, in certain offices, with people holding certain roles

Question 23

Social Skills

Answer 23

Able to read others accurately

Make favorable first impressions

Adapt to a wide range of social situations

Be persuasive

Summary: Put oneself in the place of another person and try to understand what the person expects
in an interaction

Question 24

Self-monitoring

Answer 24

The extent to which people observe and regulate how they
appear and behave in social settings and relationships.

E.g., a high self monitor may deceive people by being friendly when s/he really dislikes them

more involved in their jobs, perform better, and are more likely to emerge as leaders.

do not feel comfortable in ambiguous social settings in which it is hard to determine what behaviours are
socially appropriate.

Low self monitors behave according to their own inner states whereas high monitors behave according to the
social situation

Summary: Incorporate information about other person’s expectations in one’s subsequent behaviour

e.g., Regulating oneself when interacting with supervisor

Question 25

Self Control

Answer 25

Features…
Impulse control : Delay gratification

Persistence (Conscientiousness)

On task;

On others expectations

E.g., customer service context

Low risk seeking (for self and other)

Ability to Control emotions

E.g., Temper, anxiety

Can do all of these in social (interpersonal) and personal (intrapersonal) context

Summary: Stay focused on the other person’s expectation

E.g., supervisor’s expectation of being treated with respect