Discussion on different types of personality traits

2. Personality
Personality is the relatively permanent set of psychological and
behavioral attributes that distinguish one person from another.
It is the combination of characteristics or qualities that form an
individual's distinctive character.
It includes physiological characteristics like external appearances
as well as behavior or social stimulus reactions.
Personality is the sum total of the ways in which an individual
reacts to and interacts with others. In other words, personality
is an organized behavior of an individual to react to a given
stimulus in a set manner.

3. Determinants of Personality
 Heredity
 Environment
Situation (mediating factor)

4. Personality & OB
People's personalities influence their behavior in groups, their attitudes, and the way
they make decisions. The more the managers understand how personality in
organizational behavior works, the better equipped they are to be effective and
accomplish their goals.
Personality tests can help employers to find the best match of individual to occupation
and working environment. As a recruitment and selection tool, they can be applied in
a straightforward way at the early stages of selection to screen-out candidates who
are likely to be unsuitable for the job or, to provide guidance on career progression to
existing employees. Placing individuals with certain characteristics in jobs that best
suit them raises their level of motivation. It also affects their overall job performance
because they are happier on a daily basis.

5. Person- Job fit
The effort to match job requirements with personality
characteristics is best articulated in John Holland’s
personality job fit theory. Holland presents six
personality types and proposes that satisfaction and the
propensity to leave a job depend on how well
individuals match their personalities to a job. The theory
argues that satisfaction is highest and turnover is lowest
when personality and occupation are in agreement.

6. Holland’s typology of Personality and
Congruent Occupations
Type Personality
characteristics
Congruent occupations
Realistic Genuine, stable,
practical
Mechanic, farmer,
assembly line worker
Investigative Analytical, curious Detective,
mathematician, news
reporter
Social Sociable, friendly,
cooperative
Counselor, psychologist,
social worker
Enterprising Ambitious, domineering Lawyer, public relations
specialist, business
manager
Conventional unimaginative, inflexible Accountant, bank teller
Artistic Imaginative, idealistic,
impractical
Musician, writer, interior
decorator

7. Person- organization fit
Besides the specific characteristics of a job, people are
also matched to the overall organizational culture. The
person- organization fit essentially argues that people
are attracted to and selected by organizations that match
their values, and they leave organizations that are not
compatible with their personalities.

8. Big Five Personality Model
This model advocates that the following five basic
personality variables/ dimensions underly all other
variables:Extroversion: This trait includes characteristics such as excitability,
sociability, talkativeness, assertiveness, and high amount of emotional expressiveness.
Sociable, gregarious, and assertive
I love excitement and am a cheerful person
Agreeableness: This personality dimension includes attributes
such as trust, altruism, kindness, affection, and other prosocial behaviors.
Good-natured, cooperative, and trusting.
People find me warm, generous and selfless
Conscientiousness: Common features of this dimension
include high levels of thoughtfulness, with good impulse control and goal-
directed behaviors
Responsible, dependable, persistent, and organized.
People find me reliable and I keep my house clean

9. Emotional Stability
Individuals low in this trait tend to experience emotional instability, anxiety, moodiness,
irritability, and sadness.
Calm, self-confident, secure (positive) versus nervous, depressed, and insecure (negative).
I am very moody I often feel sad and down
Openness to Experience
This trait features characteristics such as imagination and insight, and those high in this
trait also tend to have a broad range of interests.
Imaginativeness, artistic, sensitivity, and intellectualism.
I am a very curious person & enjoy challenges

10. Other traits relevant to OB
 Locus of control
 Machiavellianism
 Core Self Evaluation
 Self monitoring
 Risk taking
 Proactive Personality
 Type A, Type B
 Narcissistic

11. Personality measurement
 Personality Inventories
This is the most widely used method of personality
assessment. This method consists of a number of
statements relating to a specific dimension of personality
of the individual. These statements are combinedly called
‘personality inventories’ and become basis for prediction
or understanding personality. (MMPI, Myers Brigg Type
Indicator etc)

12.  Projective Tests
Projective tests are designed to know the more subtle
aspects of personality. These tests are based on the basic
underlying assumptions that one’s personality can be
assessed by measuring some of his/ her dominant feelings,
aspirations, ambitions and hopes. (Rorschach Inkblot Test,
TAT, Sentence Completion Test)

13.  Assessment centre
In the assessment centre method of personality, individuals
are asked to participate in various exercises like
situational decision making, in basket exercises etc. The
multiple trained assessors who could be from within the
organization or from outside observe the participants
behavior and rate them based on predetermined
dimensions considered crucial in their work. Each
assessor prepares an evaluation report on each of the
individual participating in assessment exercises. Finally,
all the reports are integrated to get the profile of the
particular employee.

14. References
 Organizational Behavior: Stephen P. Robbins
 Introduction to Psychology: Morgan & King
 Organizational Behavior: Dr. S.S Khanka