CHAPTER 3: 104-118ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR 261

GABRIELLE DUREPOS

Personality and Identity

Outline

Towards an understanding of PersonalityPersonality Test:

The Five Factor Model Vocational Choice Theory Myers-Briggs Type Indicator

Criticisms of Personality TestsTowards an understanding of IdentitySocial Identity TheorySocial Identity & The OrganizationConclusions

Towards an Understanding of: Personality

Refers to all the mental and behavioral characteristics that make up and define the uniqueness of an individual These characteristics are called personality traits Examples include: shy, kind, anxious, trustworthy,

extraverted, introverted, conscientious

Personality is shaped by both genetic (nature) and environmental (nurture) influences

Personality traits remain stable over time This is unlike identity which is fluid

Personality Test:The Five Factor Model

A framework developed to characterize personality Used by organizations for hiring and assessing leadership styles

The model represents five basic dimensions of personality: Extraversion – outgoing, assertive, active, excitement seeking Agreeableness – the degree to which someone is warm,

likeable, kind, gentle, trusting Conscientiousness – dependability, conformity Emotional Stability – opposite includes anxious, neurotic,

fearful, depressed, moody Openness to experience – creative, imaginative, perceptive,

thoughtful behaviors

Personality Test:The Five Factor Model

Extraversion

Agreeableness

Conscientiousness

Emotional stability

Openness to experience

Each of these dimensions are representative of a continuum

Personality Test:The Five Factor Model

The only good predictor of job performance has been shown to be Conscientiousness

Different test instruments (NEO) are used to measure where individuals fall each continuum

Interviews are sometimes used to assess personality traits however studies have shown that interviewers can not

assess traits that are good predictors of job performance Eg: Conscientiousness

Reliability of The Five Factor Model is high

Personality Test:Vocational Choice Theory

Holland’s Vocational Choice looks at the individual’s: Distinct personality traits Choices of occupation Their level of satisfaction & productivity level within the occupation

The premise of Vocational Choice Theory: People select occupations based on their personality traits Best-fit between an individual and the organization leads to:

high performance high satisfaction low levels of stress

Lack of fit between an individual and the organization leads to: increased levels of stress decreased employee moral low productivity high levels of absenteeism

Personality Test:Vocational Choice Theory

Holland’s occupational classification system: Personalities & occupations are grouped in 6 categories: realistic investigative artistic social enterprising conventional

Each category represents an interaction of: Cultural forces Personal forces; example: biological heredity, parents, peers, social class

Individuals seek to match -- Their personality characterization with an occupation’s characterization Example: Someone is characterized as enterprising

this means they are ambitious, extroverted, self-confident, energetic They will seek out occupations that have been categorized in the enterprising category – they

will seek out occupations that are consistent with these traits, such as business executive

Vocational choice theory is less reliable

Personality Test:

Myers-Briggs Type Indicator

The Myers-Briggs test is a personality type indicator

Myers-Briggs Test was designed to: Help individuals understand their & others personality type Find their proper niche of work Enable them to be productive at work Enable a good person-organization fit

Myers and Briggs develop a typology of 16 psychological types Individuals are classified into the typology

The instrument: Self-report questionnaire individuals report their personal preference on certain situations Answers are used to classify individuals into 1 of 16 personality

types

Criticisms of Personality Test

Personality tests are used to assess the personality of individuals to see if they may fit a: Job Workgroup Organization

1. Do we know for certain if there is a relationship between personality traits & job performance? Two meta-analyses were

conducted only some aspects of

personality tests are found to be “good predictors” of job performance

2. High costs of administering personality test

3. Assumes that jobs remain stable over time

4. Rely on self-reportage; People can lie on tests

5. Scores on personality tests can lead to individuals being classified rigidly and can lead to stereotypes or discrimination

** Hiring decisions, promotion or termination should never be based solely on results of personality tests – they should accompany other methods

Towards an Understanding of: Identity

Is the ‘sense of self’ that we experience in different situations, that we develop over time, as we are socialized through various experiences

Fluid, it changes based on situation and role within a situation Ex: At work I have a different ‘identity’ than at the pub on Friday

Shaped by the various groups (musical band; soccer team; Amnesty International) and social categories (sex, gender, race, occupation) to which we belong

Is what we use to tell others ‘who we are’

Is subject to many different interpretations

Social Identity Theory

Social Identity theory states that: people attach meaning to and develop an ‘identity’ … through their membership with various social groups / categories

The premise is that:

All individuals have an individuated identity

Individuals also have a social identity, which is defined by their self identification with a social category (ex. race, age, gender, sex)

Through time / experience, we come to associate meaning and values with certain social categories: “oh yeah… you know how irresponsible they are at that age…” “…and he didn’t apologize? typical man...” “well he is one of us, strong, determined and pays attention to detail. He will do well

in the reserves…”

The meaning we attach to certain social categories to which we belong shapes our identity

Social Identity Theory

The downside: Stereotyping

Judging a stranger based on the social group or category to which they are associated

Example: “I don’t know her but she is a feminist and you know

how they are…”

Social Identity & The Organization

The organization influences identity through:

The establishment of norms that affect individuals such as professional codes of conduct, dress codes

etc.

Categorizing and classifying individuals through the use of titles allocation of physical space location in the hierarchy roles / sets of tasks and their ascribed importance occupation department workgroup

Social Identity & The Organization Silos

Silos in organizations: Groups who become closely knit and do not interact with other departments

often to their detriment

May be due to: hierarchal structures social identity of members

Members of silos: perceive themselves to be different and unique from members of other groups may want to maintain that sense of uniqueness

Downside includes: lack of communication lack of coordination duplication of work stereotyping discrimination

Conclusions

What are the downsides of hiring practices based on personality tests?

What does assimilation mean in terms of identity?

To what degree should / can organizations shape an individuals identity?