This chapter discusses individual differences in personality, attitudes, and ethical behavior. It defines personality as consistent patterns of behavior influenced by both heredity and environment. The "Big Five" personality factors describe traits on continua from stable to nervous, sociable to withdrawn, conscientious to careless, agreeable to rude, and open to dull. Specific traits like self-esteem and introversion/extraversion are also discussed in relation to job performance, satisfaction, and commitment. The chapter outlines how to instill moral management through selecting ethical employees and reinforcing ethics in culture and evaluations.

1. Chapter 2
Understanding Individual Differences
The Concept of Personality
Sources of Personality Differences
Personality Structure*
Personality and Behavior*
The Concept of Attitude*
Attitudes and Behavior
Job Satisfaction and Organizational Commitment*
Individual Differences and Ethical Behavior*
Case: Robert Princeton
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2. Robert Princeton Case Procedure
Brief lecture review of chapter slides
10 minutes in teams to prepare a team response to
the assigned team question
Spokesperson presents team’s response
(maximum time of 1-2 minutes each)
Instructor’s comments
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3. Robert Princeton Case Questions
1. Describe possible sources of personality differences between Robert and
Mario. [Slide 5]
2. Where on the continuum of the Big Five personality factors would
Robert likely fall? [Slide 6]
3. Where on the continuum of the Big Five personality factors would Mario
likely fall? [Slide 6]
4. Characterize Robert and Mario respectively on the specific traits of self-
esteem, introversion-extraversion, and dogmatism. [Slide 7]
5. How might the effects of work factors at Falls Video be related to
Robert’s experience of job satisfaction? [Slide 11]
6. What types of management ethics seem to predominate at Falls Video?
Why? [Slide 15]
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4. Concept of Personality
Definition: Personal characteristics that lead to consistent
patterns of behavior
Important Note*: Personality alone accounts for only 2-
12% of the variance in behavior (NOT IN TEXT)
Interactionist Perspective*: (p. 48) Note that both the
person and the situation act as significant causes of
behavior in organizations, thus reinforcing the importance
of properly managing the situations that employees work
in.
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5. Sources of Personality Differences
Heredity: Research on the nature-nurture controversy*
indicates that about 50% of the variance in personality is
inherited, thus setting limits on development
Environment: Shapes at least 50% of personality?
Culture
Family
Group Membership
Life Experiences
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6. Personality Structure:
The “Big Five” Personality Factors*
(Each factor is a continuum of many related traits)
Adjustment
(Stable, confident, effective) (Nervous, self-doubting, moody)
Sociability
(Gregarious , energetic, self-dramatizing) (Shy, unassertive, withdrawn)
Conscientiousness
(Planful, neat, dependable) (Impulsive, careless, irresponsible)
Agreeableness
(Warm, tactful, considerate) (Independent, cold, rude)
Intellectual Openness
(Imaginative, curious, original) (Dull, unimaginative, literal-minded)
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7. Personality and Behavior:
Specific Personality Traits* and
Their Linkage to the “Big Five”
Self-esteem (“self-worth”) is part of adjustment
Locus of control (“fate vs. personal control”) is part of
conscientiousness
Introversion and extraversion (preference for thinking
vs. interacting--NOT “social skills”) are part of sociability
Dogmatism (generalized rigidity of beliefs) and
authoritarianism (narrower personality type who prefers
to follow orders) are part of intellectual openness
REMEMBER: Traits are continua—people may be high,
low, or in-between. Most people are in-between!
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8. Goal Orientation as a Personality Trait
Definition: The preference for one type of goal
versus another. Two orientations are important in
understanding individual job performance:
Learning goal orientation – a predisposition to
develop competence by acquiring new skills and
mastering new situations; may be associated with better
individual job performance
Performance goal orientation – a predisposition to
demonstrate and validate competence by seeking
favorable judgments from others (e.g., a supervisor) and
avoiding negative judgments; may be associated with a
“helpless” response pattern and weak performance
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9. The Concept of Attitude*
Definition: Relatively lasting feelings, beliefs, and
behavior tendencies directed toward specific people,
groups, ideas, issues, or objects.
Attitudes consist of three components*:
AFFECTIVE = feelings
COGNITIVE = beliefs
BEHAVIORAL = predispositions to act
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10. Attitudes and Behavior
Attitudes do not normally predict or cause
behavior in a simple and direct way
Three principles relate attitudes to behavior:
General attitudes best predict general behaviors
Specific attitudes best predict specific behaviors
The less time that elapses between attitude measurement
and behavior, the more consistent will be the
relationship between them
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11. Effects of Work Factors on Job Satisfaction*
(Def: The general attitude toward a job--NOT directly related to
performance, but IS related to turnover, absenteeism, and health)
Job satisfaction is enhanced when:
Work is challenging and interesting but not tiring.
Rewards are equitable and provide feedback.
Working conditions match physical needs and promote
goal attainment.
Self-esteem is high.
Others in the organization hold similar views and facilitate
reward attainment.
Policies and procedures are clear, don’t conflict, and aid
goal attainment.
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12. Organizational Commitment*
Refers to the strength of an employee’s involvement in and
identification with the organization
Strong organizational commitment entails:
Strong belief in/acceptance of an organization’s goals and values
Willingness to exert considerable effort on behalf of the
organization
Strong desire to maintain membership in the organization
Higher commitment is negatively related to absenteeism
and turnover, and positively related to productivity
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13. Changes in Organizational Commitment Over Time
Initial Commitment is determined by individual
characteristics and degree of congruence between their
expectations and organizational realities
Subsequent Commitment is influenced by job
experiences, including many of the same factors which
influence job satisfaction (such as pay, interpersonal
relationships, working conditions, advancement
opportunities, etc.)
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14. Ethical Attitudes and Behavior
Characterized by significant individual differences
People are more likely to behave ethically if*:
They have reached a higher level of cognitive moral
development
They possess a high internal locus of control
Organizational culture supports and reinforces specific
ethical attitudes and behavior
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15. Types of Management Ethics*
Immoral management
Devoid of any ethical principles, characterized
by exploitation for corporate or personal gain
Moral management
Guided by appropriate ethical principles
Amoral management
Indifference toward ethical principles,
characterized by a lack of awareness of ethical
issues
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16. Steps for Instilling Moral Management*
1. Identify ethical attitudes crucial for the
organization’s operations, and use training
programs to foster them
2. Select employees with desired attitudes
3. Incorporate ethics in the performance evaluation
process
4. Establish a work culture that reinforces ethical
attitudes
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