This document discusses personality and its key aspects. It defines personality as the sum of an individual's psycho-physical systems that determine their behavior. Personality is influenced by biological/hereditary factors, cultural/environmental factors, family/social factors, and situational factors. The document also describes the main personality types of extraversion and introversion. Extraverts are outgoing while introverts prefer solitary activities. Machiavellianism is discussed as a personality trait involving manipulativeness and indifference to morality.

1. PAPER TWO: ORGANISATIONAL BEHAVIOUR
MODULE FIVE : PERSONALITY
• THE TERM PERSONALITY IS DERIVED FROM THE LATIN WORD “PERSONARE” WHICH MEANS “TO
SPEAK THROUGH”.
• ACCORDING TO THE DICTIONARY OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT, PERSONALITY IS A PERSON’S
CHARACTER OR GENERAL NATURE.
• PERSONALITY CAN BE DEFINED AS THE SUM TOTAL OF AN INDIVIDUAL’S PSYCHO-PHYSICAL
SYSTEMS THAT DETERMINE HIS/HER BEHAVIOUR IN A GIVEN ENVIRONMENT OR SITUATION.
• PERSONALITY DIFFERS FROM PERSON TO PERSON.
• PERSONALITY OF AN INDIVIDUAL ALSO AFFECTS HUMAN BEHAVIOUR .
• PERSONALITY ALSO INFLUENCES ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOUR.
• THUS THE STUDY OF PERSONALITY IS VERY IMPORTANT IN UNDERSTANDING THE CONCEPT OF
ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOUR.

2. MODULE SIX: PERSONALITY………………………………
• ACCORDING TO FLOYD L RUCH, PERSONALITY REFERS TO HOW A PERSON UNDERSTANDS AND
VIEWS HIMSELF, AND HIS PATTERN OF INNER AND OUTER MEASURABLE TRAITS.
• PERSONALITY IS CONSIDERED AS A CHARACTERISTIC PATTERN OF BEHAVIOUR AND MODES OF
THINKING.
• PERSONALITY IS A COMBINATION OF BOTH INTERNAL ASPECTS AND EXTERNAL ASPECTS.
• INTERNAL ASPECTS OF PERSONALITY REFERS TO ATTITUDE, VALUES, LEARNING etc…………….
• EXTERNAL ASPECTS OF PERSONALITY REFERS TO FACIAL FEATURES, COLOUR, HEIGHT, WEIGHT
etc.
• PERSONALITY IS ALSO CONSIDERED AS THE SUM TOTAL OF WAYS IN WHICH AN INDIVIDUAL
REACTS AND INTERACTS WITH OTHERS AND THE ENVIRONMENT.

3. DETERMINANTS OF PERSONALITY OR
FACTORS DETERMINING PERSONALITY
PERSONALITY IS THE COMBINATION OF CHARACTERISTICS OR QUALITIES THAT FORM AN
INDIVIDUAL’S DISTINCTIVE CHARACTER.
PERSONALITY IS A VERY COMPLEX CONCEPT. IT IS DEVELOPED AS A RESULT OF MANY INFLUENCES
WITHIN AND OUTSIDE THE INDIVIDUAL.
VARIOUS FACTORS DETERMINE PERSONALITY. THESE FACTORS CAN BE CLASSIFIED AS FOLLOWS:
1. BIOLOGICAL OR HEREDITARY FACTORS
2. CULTURAL FACTORS/ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS
3. FAMILY AND SOCIAL FACTORS
4. SITUATIONAL FACTORS

4. FACTORS DETERMINING PERSONALITY………………………….
• 1. BIOLOGICAL OR HEREDITARY FACTORS:
• ARE DETERMINED AT CONCEPTION. THERE CAN BE TRANSMISSION OF QUALITIES FROM PARENTS TO
CHILDREN.
• THIS IS DUE TO THE BIOLOGICAL MECHANISM-CHROMOSOMES OF THE GERM CELLS RESULTING IN-
• PHYSICAL STATURE
• FACIAL ATTRACTIVENESS
• TEMPERAMENT
• ACCORDING TO EXPERTS, HEREDITY PLAYS A ROLE IN DETERMINING ONE’S PERSONALITY.
• VARIOUS STUDIES POINT TO THIS DIRECTION.
• EXAMPLES: STUDY OF GENETICS BY R.L.HOTZ
• STUDY OF JOB SATISFACTION BY B.M.STAW AND J.ROSS
• STUDIES CONDUCTED BY PSYCHOLOGISTS W.G.SCOTT, T.R. MITCHELL

5. FACTORS DETERMINING PERSONALITY………………………….
• 2. CULTURAL FACTORS/ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS:
• REFERS TO SOCIO-CULTURAL FACTORS SUCH AS EARLY CONDITIONING-USUALLY ON PAR WITH
THE CULTURE OF THE SOCIETY, FAMILY NORMS, ATTITUDES, VALUES, SOCIAL GROUPS etc.
• CULTURE IS A VERY BROAD TERM REFERING TO NORMS, ATTITUDES, VALUES ETC.
• CULTURE IS THE SUM TOTAL OF EVERYTHING WE HAVE IN SOCIETY.
• SOCIOLOGISTS AND ANTHROPOLOGISTS HAVE CLEARLY DEMONSTRATED THE IMPORTANT ROLE
OF CULTURE IN DETERMINING PERSONALITY. THESE FACTORS CAN EXERT PRESSURE ON ONE’S
PERSONALITY FORMATION.
• CULTURE PLAYS A MAJOR ROLE IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF HUMAN PERSONALITY. CULTURAL
ENVIRONMENT EXPECTS CERTAIN BEHAVIOUR FROM THE MEMBERS OF THE SOCIETY.
• THERE ARE CULTURALLY DETERMINED BEHAVIOUR AND SEX ROLES ETC. IN SOCIETY.

6. FACTORS DETERMINING PERSONALITY………………………….
• 3. FAMILY AND SOCIAL FACTORS:
• THESE FACTORS PLAY A VERY SIGNIFICANT ROLE IN THE EARLY DAYS IN DETERMINING THE
PERSONALITY OF AN INDIVIDUAL.
• OVERALL HOME ENVIRONMENT, DIRECT INFLUENCE OF PARENTS, SIBLINGS, OTHER RELATIVES,
SOCIALIZATION PROCESS etc. PLAY A MAJOR ROLE IN DETERMINING PERSONALITY IN THE INITIAL
YEARS.
• HOME ENVIRONMENT PLAYS AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN INFLUENCING AND SHAPING THE
PERSONALITY. SOCIALIZATION PROCESS HAS A MAJOR ROLE/INFLUENCE ON ONE’S PERSONALITY
DEVELOPMENT.
• SOCIAL GROUPS SUCH AS PEERS, SCHOOL, COLLEGE, FRIENDS GROUPS, COLLEAGUES AT WORK
PLACE etc. CAN ALSO DETERMINE/INFLUENCE THE PERSONALITY OF THE INDIVIDUAL.

7. FACTORS DETERMINING PERSONALITY………………………….
• 4. SITUATIONAL FACTORS:
• THIS IS AN IMPORTANT DETERMINANT OF PERSONALITY. STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THAT THE
PERSONALITY OF AN INDIVIDUAL WILL CHANGE DEPENDING ON THE SITUATION.
• SITUATION EXERTS AN IMPORTANT PRESSURE ON THE INDIVIDUAL TO BEHAVE IN A PARTICULAR
MANNER.
• IT IS NOTICED THAT PERSONALITY OF AN INDIVIDUAL CAN CHANGE WITH CHANGES IN
SITUATION. PERSONALITY NEEDS TO BE LOOKED AT IN THE SITUATIONAL CONTEXT AND NOT IN
ISOLATION.
• SITUATIONAL CONSIDERATIONS CAN CONSTRAIN MANY BEHAVIOURS. AN INDIVIDUAL CAN
PROJECT A DIFFERENT PERSONALITY DURING A PARTICULAR SITUATION.

8. TYPES OF PERSONALITY: EXTROVERT AND INTROVERT
EXTRAVERSION AND INTROVERSION
• APART FROM THE LATIN WORD ‘PERSONARE’, PERSONALITY HAS ALSO A GREEK ORIGIN-IN THE
WORD ‘PERSONA’ WHICH MEANS A MASK.
• ACCORDING TO RYCKMAN, “PERSONALITY CAN BE DEFINED AS A DYNAMIC AND ORGANIZED SET
OF CHARACTERISTICS POSSESSED BY A PERSON THAT UNIQUELY INFLUENCES HIS OR HER
COGNITIONS, MOTIVATIONS, AND BEHAVIOURS IN VARIOUS SITUATIONS.
• THE TRAIT OF EXTRAVERSION-INTROVERSION IS A CENTRAL DIMENSION OF HUMAN
PERSONALITY.
• THE TERMS EXTRAVERSION AND INTROVERSION WERE POPULARIZED BY CARL JUNG.
• THERE ARE TWO TYPES OF PERSONALITY NAMELY:
• 1.EXTRAVERTS (SOMETIMES CALLED ‘EXTROVERTS’) and
• 2.INTROVERTS

9. TYPES OF PERSONALITY: EXTROVERT AND INTROVERT………..
• EXTRAVERSION AND EXTROVERTS:
• EXTRAVERSION IS “THE ACT, STATE, OR HABIT OR BEING PREDOMINANTLY CONCERNED WITH AND
OBTAINING GRATIFICATION FROM WHAT IS OUTSIDE THE SELF”.
• EXTRAVERTS, ALSO CALLED EXTROVERTS, ARE GREGARIOUS, ASSERTIVE AND GENERALLY SEEK OUT
EXCITEMENT.
• EXTRAVERTS/EXTROVERTS TEND TO ENJOY HUMAN INTERACTIONS AND TO BE ENTHUSIASTIC,
TALKATIVE, ASSERTIVE AND GREGARIOUS. THEY TAKE PLEASURE IN ACTIVITIES THAT INVOLVE LARGE
SOCIAL GATHERINGS, SUCH AS PARTIES, COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES, PUBLIC DEMONSTRATIONS, AND
BUSINESS OR POLITICAL GROUPS.
• AN EXTRAVERTED PERSON/EXTROVERT IS LIKELY TO ENJOY TIME SPENT WITH PEOPLE AND FIND LESS
REWARD IN TIME SPENT ALONE. THEY ENJOY RISK-TAKING AND OFTEN SHOW LEADERSHIP ABILITIES.
THEY ARE ENERGIZED WHEN AROUND OTHER PEOPLE.
• EXTRAVERTS TEND TO “FADE” WHEN ALONE AND CAN EASILY BECOME BORED WITHOUT OTHER
PEOPLE AROUND. THEY TEND TO THINK AS THEY SPEAK. WHEN GIVEN A CHANCE, AN EXTRAVERT WILL
TALK WITH SOMEONE ELSE RATHER THAN SIT ALONE AND THINK.

10. TYPES OF PERSONALITY: EXTROVERT AND INTROVERT………..
• INTROVERSION/INTROVERTS:
• INTROVERSION IS “THE STATE OF/ OR TENDENCY TOWARD BEING WHOLLY OR PREDOMINANTLY
CONCERNED WITH AND INTERESTED IN ONE’S OWN MENTAL LIFE”.
• IN CONTRAST TO EXTROVERTS, INTROVERTS ARE RESERVED, THOUGHTFUL AND SELF-RELIANT. THEY
ARE NOT NECESSARILY ASOCIAL, BUT THEY TEND TO HAVE SMALLER CIRCLES OF FRIENDS, AND ARE
LESS LIKELY TO THRIVE ON MAKING NEW SOCIAL CONTACTS. IT IS NOT THE SAME AS SHYNESS,
THOUGH INTROVERTS MAY ALSO BE SHY. THEY CHOOSE SOLITARY OVER SOCIAL ACTIVITIES BY
PREFERENCE, AND NOT OUT OF FEAR-LIKE SHY PEOPLE.
• INTROVERTS TEND TO BE QUIET, LOW-KEY, DELIBERATE AND RELATIVELY NON-ENGAGED IN SOCIAL
SITUATIONS. THEY TAKE PLEASURE IN SOLITARY ACTIVITIES SUCH AS READING, WRITING, DRAWING,
WATCHING MOVIES, LISTENING TO MUSIC, INVENTING, AND DESIGNING.
• AN INTROVERTED PERSON IS LIKELY TO ENJOY TIME SPENT ALONE AND FIND LESS REWARD IN TIME
SPENT WITH LARGE GROUPS OF PEOPLE. THEY MAY ENJOY ONE-TO-ONE OR ONE-TO-FEW
INTERACTIONS WITH CLOSE FRIENDS. THEY PREFER TO CONCENTRATE ON A SINGLE ACTIVITY AT A
TIME AND LIKE TO OBSERVE SITUATIONS BEFORE THEY PARTICIPATE. THEY ARE ENERGIZED WHEN
ALONE AND TEND TO “FADE’ WHEN WITH PEOPLE. THEY TEND TO THINK BEFORE SPEAKING AND
GIVEN A CHANCE, THEY WOULD SIT ALONE AND THINK RATHER THAN TALK WITH SOMEONE ELSE.

11. MACHIAVELLIANISM
• MACHIAVELLIANISM IS PRIMARILY THE TERM USED BY SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGISTS AND PERSONALITY
PSYCHOLOGISTS TO DESCRIBE A PERSON’S TENDENCY TO DECEIVE AND MANIPULATE OTHERS FOR
PERSONAL GAIN.
• IN THE FIELD OF PERSONALITY PSYCHOLOGY, MACHIAVELLIANISM IS A PERSONALITY TRAIT
CENTERED ON MANIPULATIVENESS, CALLOUSNESS AND INDIFFERENCE TO MORALITY.
• ITS CAUSES ARE CONSIDERED TO BE BOTH GENETIC AS WELL AS ENVIRONMENTAL.
• MACHIAVELLIANISM IS BASICALLY A PERSONALITY TRAIT INVOLVING A COLD, CALCULATING VIEW
TOWARDS OTHERS. IT INVOLVES THE USE OF MANIPULATIVENESS AND DECEIT TO ACHIEVE ONE’S
GOALS.
• LYING, CHEATING etc. ARE CONSIDERED AS MACHIAVELLIAN CHARACTERISTICS.
• THE CONCEPT IS NAMED AFTER THE WRITER AND ITALIAN DIPLOMAT NICCOLO BERNARDO
MACHIAVELLI WHO WROTE THE WELL KNOWN BOOK ‘THE PRINCE’ IN THE YEAR 1513. HE WAS
WELL KNOWN FOR HIS POLITICAL IDEAS.

12. MACHIAVELLIANISM
• IN THE 1960s RICHARD CHRISTIE AND FLORENCE L GEIS, DEVELOPED A TEST FOR MEASURING A
PERSON’S LEVEL OF MACHIAVELLIANISM. THIS EVENTUALLY BECAME THE MACH-IV TEST, A TWENTY-
STATEMENT PERSONALITY SURVEY THAT IS NOW THE STANDARD SELF-ASSESSMENT TOOL OF
MACHIAVELLIANISM.
• PEOPLE SCORING ABOVE 60 OUT OF 100 ON THE MACH-IV ARE CONSIDERED ‘HIGH MACHS’ AND
THOSE SCORING BELOW 60, ARE CONSIDERED ‘LOW MACHS’.
• HIGH MACHS ARE FOCUSED ON THEIR OWN WELL BEING. THEY BELIEVE THAT TO GET AHEAD, ONE
MUST BE DECEPTIVE. THEY HAVE HIGH MANIPULATIVE TENDENCIES AND COLD CALLOUSNESS AS THEIR
PRIMARY ATTRIBUTES. THEY HAVE HIGH LEVEL OF DECEITFULNESS AND AN UNEMPATHETIC
TEMPERAMENT.
• THEY TEND TO TAKE A MORE DETACHED, CALCULATING APPROACH IN THEIR INTERACTION WITH
OTHER PEOPLE. THEY BELIEVE SOME OF THE MOST EFFICIENT WAYS TO ACHIEVE A GOAL ARE TO USE
DECEPTION, REWARDS, PROMISES, FLATTERY TO MANIPULATE OTHERS INTO DOING THEIR BIDDING.
THEY BELIEVE IT IS IMPRACTICAL TO BE ETHICAL ALL THE TIME.
• LOW MACHS TEND TO TAKE A MORE PERSONAL, EMPATHETIC APPROACH IN THEIR INTERACTION WITH
OTHER PEOPLE. THEY TEND TO BE MORE TRUSTING OF OTHERS AND ARE MORE HONEST. THEY BELIEVE
HUMANS ARE ESSENTIALLY GOOD NATURED. AT THE EXTREME, LOW MACHS ARE PASSIVE, SUBMISSIVE
AND HIGHLY AGREEABLE. THEY ALSO TEND TO BELIEVE THAT EVERYONE HAS A GOOD AND BAD SIDE.