org psych

1. Personality
• The sum total of ways in which an individual
reacts to and interacts with others.
• A characteristic pattern of thinking, feeling,
and behaving.

2. Theories of Personality
1. Psychoanalysis: Focus on Unconscious drives and conflicts
and childhood experiences.
2. Psychodynamic: Dynamic interplay of conscious and
unconscious motives. De-emphasized sex and gave more
importance to influence of social environment.
3. Humanistic: Focus on healthy people and their potential
for growth.
4. Trait: Scientific study of traits (stable and enduring
characteristics), influenced by genetic predispositions.
5. Social-Cognitive: Personality and social context
(environment) influence each other. Importance of
learning and cognition.

3. Trait Theory of Personality
• Personality Traits are enduring characteristics
that describe an individual’s behaviour.
• Key proponents of Trait Theory were Gordon
Allport, Eysenck, Costa and McCrae
• Observable and Measurable traits

4. Trait theory
• Theory that states that in order to understand
individuals, we must break down behavior
patterns into a series of observable traits
• Behavioral measures of personality:
Observation of people’s behavior
• Use of self-report questionnaire as a
measurement tool

5. Measuring Personality
•Self-report surveys
•Observer ratings

6. Personality Determinants
1. Is Personality determined by Heredity or
Environment?
2. How stable is personality over the life-span?

7. Personality Determinants
1. Is Personality determined by Heredity or
Environment?
Personality is determined by both hereditary and
environmental factors. The two forces interact in a
wide variety of ways to form and shape personality.
2. How stable is personality over the life-span?
Personality is more changeable during childhood
and adolescence. It is more stable among adults.

8. Nature Vs Nurture Debate
• Nurture works on what Nature Endows
• Our Species is biologically endowed with an
enormous capacity to learn and adapt

9. Neuroplasticity
• The brain’s ability to change or adapt due to
experience.
• There are two main types of neuroplasticity:
– Functional plasticity is the brain's ability to move
functions from a damaged area of the brain to
other undamaged areas.
– Structural plasticity is the brain's ability to actually
change its physical structure as a result of
learning.

11. The “Big Five” Personality Factors
 Openness to Experience
 Conscientiousness
 Extraversion
 Agreeableness
 Neuroticism
Known as the Five-Factor Model of Personality, it was
developed by Costa and McCrae.

12. The Big Five Personality Model

13. Social-Cognitive Theory
Views behaviour as influenced by the interaction
between people’s traits (including their thinking)
and their social context.

14. Reciprocal Determinism: The interacting influences of
behaviour, internal cognition and environment.

15. Reciprocal Determinism
• Our personalities drive us to choose
environments.
• Our personalities shape how we interpret and
react to environments.
• Our personalities help us create
environments.

16. Personality and Situations
• Personality helps predict your average pattern of
behaviour across situations, but cannot predict your
behaviour in a specific situation.
• Typically, it is your personality that determines your
behaviour, but if a situation has strong rules, norms,
cues and standards, it can control your behaviour. Such
a situation is known as a strong situation.
• E.g Classroom, Library

17. Situation Strength Theory of Personality
• Clarity
• Consistency
• Constraints
• Consequence
A situation is strong if it has high clarity,
consistency, constraints and consequences.

18. Locus of Control
• Internal
• External

19. Questions
- What is Learned Helplessness and what are the
benefits of giving people personal control?
- What is self-control? What are the benefits of
good self-control?
- How do you develop self-control?
- How do the “Trait theory” of personality and
the “Social-Cognitive” theory of personality
differ?

20. Learned Optimism
• Positive Psychology views Optimism as how
we interpret the world, how we interpret the
causes of events.
• Therefore, it’s not a fixed trait or part of our
disposition. It can be learned.

21. ABCDE Model
Seligman's approach is known as the "ABCDE" model of
learned optimism:
• Adversity: The situation that calls for a response
• Belief: How we interpret the event
• Consequence: The way that we behave, respond, or feel
• Disputation: The effort we expend to argue or dispute the
belief
• Energization: The outcome that emerges from trying to
challenge our beliefs

22. Machiavellianism
• The degree to which an individual is
pragmatic, maintains emotional distance, and
believes that ends can justify means

23. Questions
What kind of behaviors in the workplace
would fall under High Machiavellianism?
What kind of situations would High Machs
thrive in?
What about Low Machs?

24. Questions
• When can Machiavellianism be beneficial to the
organization?
• What kind of jobs will High Machs be suited for?
• Are High Machs always successful?
• Are you worried about your high Mach score?

25. What would you do as Manager if you are concerned about
unethical behaviours in the team?
•Create an ethical code of conduct for the team.
•Clearly Communicate that code of conduct to employees and
communicate the consequences of violation.
•Hire people who show tendency towards ethical behaviors.
•Conduct ethics workshops or training programs for employees.
•Visibly reward ethical behaviors.
• Punish unethical behaviors.
• Understand that as a leader, you need to model ethical
behaviors.

26. What would you do as HR Head if CEO says he is concerned
about unethical behaviours in the company?
•Create an ethical code of conduct for the company.
•Clearly Communicate that code of conduct to employees and
communicate the consequences of violation.
•Hire people who show tendency towards ethical behaviors.
•Conduct ethics workshops or training programs for employees.
•Visibly reward ethical behaviors.
• Punish unethical behaviors.
• Advise your CEO that as a leader, he needs to model ethical
behaviors.

27. Narcissism
• The tendency to be arrogant, have a grandiose
sense of self-importance, require excessive
admiration, and have a sense of entitlement.
• Name Some Famous Narcissists

28. Questions
• What jobs are Narcissists suitable for?
• Are Narcissists more likely to be leaders? Why?
• How should you as a manager deal with a
subordinate with high narcissism?

29. Psychopathy
• The tendency for a lack of concern for others
and a lack of guilt or remorse when their
actions cause harm

30. Use of Personality Assessments in
Organizations
• Selection
– Job/Role Fit
– Culture Fit
• Talent Management and Development
• Team Building
• Succession Planning
• E.g.: CEB/Gartner’s Occupational Personality
Questionnaire, Saville Assessments’ Wave, AON Hewitt’s
ADEPT, Thomas Personal Profile Analysis, DISC, MBTI,
Eysenck Personality Questionnaire.

31. AI and Personality
- How can AI be used to assess job
candidates?
- What are the benefits and challenges in
doing so?
- E.g. Pymetrics which sells neuroscience
computer games