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Nsscollege Rajakumari PERSONALITY Personality is an important determinant of employee behaviour. It influences selection of individuals to occupy various positions in an organisation.

The personality required for a successful sales manager is different from those required for an executive in charge of production. The term personality has been derived from Latin name persona, which means speak through. It denotes the mask worn by actors in ancient Greece and Rome. Personality is defined as a relatively stable set of characteristics that influence an individual's behaviour. It influences the way an individual interacts with his or her environment. It is reflected in the way people react to other people, situations, and problems. Gordon Allport defined personality as the dynamic organisation within the individual of those psychophysical systems that determine his unique adjustments to his environment. Stephen P. Robbins has defined personality as the sum total of ways in which an individual reacts and interacts with others. Determinants of Personality. Personality represents a process of change and it relates to the psychological growth and development of individuals. Managers can deal more effectively, if they understand how an individuals personality develops. The following are the major determinants of personality.

energy level, intelligence, reflexes etc. However, the importance of heredity varies from one personality trait to another.
ii) Brain: Brain is influenced by biological factors. Structure and composition of brain plays an important role in shaping personality. There are few empirical findings to state that the brain influences the personality. iii) Physical Features: The physical features and rate of maturation influence personality. The rate of maturity is related to the physical stature. It is believed that an individuals external appearance has a tremendous effect on personality. For instance height, colour, facial attraction, muscle strength influences ones self concept.

(B) Environment.

The personality traits are not completely dictated by heredity, environment also plays a very important role m the development of personality of a person. Environment comprises of culture, family, social and situational factors :
1. Culture. According to Hoebel, "Culture is the sum total of learned behaviour traits which are manifested and shared by the members of the society." Culture establishes norms, attitudes and values that are passed along from generation to generation and create consistencies over time. Every culture expects and trains its members to behave in the ways that are acceptable to the group. Persons belonging to different cultural groups generally have different attitudes towards independence, aggression, competition, cooperation, artistic talent etc.

2. Family. One of the very important determinants of the personality of a person is his immediate family. Families influence the behaviour of a person especially in the early stages. The nature of such influence will depend upon the following factors : (1) Socio-Economic level of the family (2) Family size (3) Birth order (4) Race (5) Religion (6) Parent's educational level (7) Geographic location.
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(A) Heredity

The concept that heredity is a determinant of personality is embedded in our minds. It is transmission of the qualities from ancestor to descendant. In our day to day life, so many times we use the term "Like father like son" as "Like mother like daughter * When we use these terms we generally refer to the traits like physique, eye colour, hair colour, height, temperament,

Nsscollege Rajakumari To elaborate, a person brought up in a rich and prestigious family has a different personality as compared to the people who belong to a poor family. The family size will also affect the behaviour of a child. The personality of a single child is different from the personality of a person who is brought up in a family of more than two siblings. Similarly, the personality of a person brought up in a nuclear family will be different from that of a person brought up in a joint family.

important determinants of his personality


PERSONALITY TESTS. In this connection psychologists have developed a series of tests which would help selection of right individuals for suitable jobs. Various methods of personality appraisals are used today. The most prominent among them are 1. The Bell Adjustment Inventory. This questionnaire is designed mainly for rapid screening of high school students for counselling purpose. It can also be used for screening of workers. It yields scores in 4 different areas - Home, Health, Social and Emotional. The items in Bell test are selected from many inventories (Questionnaires) and are then grouped in the above categories. The categories used may be elaborated as follows. Health -- Extent of illness. Home -- Satisfaction with family life. Social -- Extent of shyness etc. Emotion--Extent of depression, nervousness etc. 2. The California Test of Personality. This another very frequently used test. The basic principle underlying the test is "life adjustment", which is thought as a balance between personal and social adjustment. It evaluates areas like self reliance, sense of personal freedom, social standard, family relations etc. 3. Minne Sota Multiphasic Personality Inventory. This is the most outstanding and elaborate test ever constructed and widely used in clinical practice and research. This test was developed by Hathway & Mckinley in 1940. It is a most comprehensive instrument which gives scores on all the important areas of human personality. The test consists of 550 affirmative statements, which the person is asked to sort out in 3 categories.-True, False and Cant say. But this test is not used extensively in industry because of the time it takes to answer, and also the clinical terminology. But it has been used by governmental agencies and often in spotting out troubled workers. 4. Rorschach Ink Blot Test. This test was developed by Hermann Rorscach, a Swiss psychiatrist in 1921. It makes use of simple
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Studies have also shown that first born children are more responsible, rational, independent, ambitious and more sensitive to social acceptance. Empirical evidence also suggests that the home and family environment, created by the mother and the father as well as their own behaviour is highly influential on personality development of the child. 3. Social. Socialization is a process by which an infant acquires from the enormously wide range of behavioural potentialities that are open to him at birth, those behaviour patterns that are customary and acceptable to the family and social groups. Initially socialisation starts with the contact of the infant with the mother when he grows up. Contacts with the other members of the family and social groups influence his socialisation process. These social groups include school mates, friends, then friends or colleagues at work place, groups to which an individual belongs. Because ''A man is known by the company he keeps," all these social groups influence the behaviour of the individuals. 4. Situational. Apart from the above factors, situational factors also play a very important role in determining the personality of a person Migram s research study indicates very powerful role the situation may play in human personality On the basis of his research studv he states that "A situation exerts an important press on the individual It exercises constraints and may provide push. In certain circumstances, it is not so much the kind of person a man is, as the kind of situation in which he is placed that determines his actions. " That is why it is often said that life is a collection of experiences. Every individual goes through different type of experiences and events in his life. Some of the events and experiences can serve as

Nsscollege Rajakumari materials like ' ink blots', to which the person respond by telling what things he sees in them. Rorschach first developed this test for applying to clinical cases. But now it is used widely in organisational psychology. The basic principle underlying the test is that, when faced with non conventional situations, peoples response reveal some fundamental features of his personality without his knowing. This test is used for analysing the personality and emotional aspects of an individual. 5. Thematic Apperception Test (TAT). This method consists of thirty picture cards containing vague pictures. The person being tested is told that this is a test of imagination and that he has to make up short stories based on scenes depicted in the cards. After persons interpretation is recorded and a post test interview is arranged, in which the examiner tries to find out the origin of his stories; and how the incidents, characters, places etc mentioned in the story are associated in his memory. The examiner then interprets and draws conclusions regarding the workers personality. 6. Situational Tests of Personality. As the name implies, in the situational tests, the individual is confronted with a life like situation, in response to which he gives expression to his feelings and his various personality factors. In most such cases the individuals behaviour is evaluated by some trained judges. in many jobs special situational tests can be developed. For example, it is a common practice to make an applicant of sales job to put in a sales situation to see whether he is able to convince his customers about the product. Among the above tests, the inventories are very frequently used because of the ease with which they could be administered. Theories of personality.

1. Stage One, Infancy: During the first year of life a person resolves the basic crisis of trust vs mistrust. An infant who is cared for in a loving and affectionate way learns to trust other people. Lack of love and affection results in mistrust. This stage makes a serious impact on a child that influences events for remaining life. In the early stages of organizational life when a person knows very little about the job and is dependant on others for guidance, he develops the feelings of trust or mistrust toward others in the organization depending upon how other people respond to his needs and help him. 2. Stage Two, early childhood: In the second and third years of life, a child begins to assert independence. If the child is allowed to control these aspects of life that the child is capable of controlling, sense of autonomy will develop. If the child encounters constant disapproval or inconsistent rule setting, a sense of self-doubt and shame is likely to develop. Likewise in the organization life, a person wants to operate independently after the initial training. If he is allowed to do so, a sense of autonomy will develop. But if he is criticized and disapproved by others for making mistakes, he will tend to have self doubts about his competency and experience a sense of shame. 3. Stage Three, play age: The four and five year olds seek to discover just how much they can do. If a child is encouraged to experiment and to achieve reasonable goals, he or she will develop a sense of initiative. If a child is blocked and made to feel incapable, he or she will develop a sense of `guilt and lack
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of self-confidence . In same way people try to use their creative and acquired talents as they settle down in their jobs. But if the things go wrong, other people make him feel guilty that he was wasted resources of the organization. But if the things go according to his planning, he will develop a sense of initiative. 4. Stage Four, school age: From ages 6 to 12, a child learns many new skills and develops social abilities. If a child experiences real progress at a rate compatible with his or abilities, the child
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Development of Personality: Erikson's eight life stages Erikson identified eight stages of life that characterize the unending development of a person. He characterized each stage by a particular conflict that needs to be resolved successfully before a person can move to the next stage.
However, These eight stages are not totally separate, and the crises are never fully resolved. Movement between stages is developmental. Movement can even involve regression to earlier stages when traumatic events occur.

Nsscollege Rajakumari will develop a sense of industry. The reverse situation results in a sense of inferiority. Likewise in organization people try to work hard to make a position for themselves. If they are not successful in their efforts they will develop a sense of inferiority and low esteem otherwise they will develop a sense of industry. 5. Stage Five, adolescence: The crisis of the teenage years is gain a sense of identity rather than to become confused about who you are. While undergoing rapid biological changes, the teenager is also trying to establish himself or herself as socially separate from parents. The autonomy, initiative, and industry developed in earlier stages are very important in helping the teenager successfully resolve this crisis and prepare for adulthood. In the organizational set up also every employee has to make contributions to the institution and establish himself as a high performing member. If he does it, he is identified in the eyes of the management but if fails to establish himself he becomes just another employee in the eyes of the management whose identity is diffused.

to them. Through innovation and creativity, they begin to exert influence that benefits their organisation. In the organization a s a person reaches his mid career, there is an expectation and need to mentor others in the system and help them to develop and grow in the organization. If a person does not do this effectively, he senses a feeling of stagnation in the system. 8. Stage Eight, later life: The adult of integrity has gained a sense of wisdom and prospective that can truly help guide future generations. Assessment . In organizational life, a person can have a feeling of ego integrity after retirement by looking at his stock of accomplishment or he can leave the organization with a sense of purposelessness and despair. All the stages are inter linked. If one conflict is not resolved in one stage, it will be carried forward to the subsequent development stage. Managers can play a very important role in identifying the un resolved conflicts and try to help the employees in dealing with them. Freudian stages or Psycho Analytical Theory

6. Stage Six, young adulthood: The young adult (20's and 30's) faces the crisis of intimacy versus isolation. The sense of identity developed during the teenage years allows the young adult to begin developing deep and lasting relationships. In the organizational life also, people may desire to develop close contacts with others who are significant and important in the system. Those who can do it, have a sense of intimacy. For those who find it difficult to do it, experience a sense of isolation in the system. Sigmund freuds psycho analytical theory of personality has been based primarily on his concept of unconscious nature of personality. It is based on the notion that man is motivated more by unseen forces than by conscious and rational thoughts. Freud noted that his patients behaviour could not always be consciously explained. It was a clinical finding which led him to conclude that the major force which motivates a human being is his unconscious framework. This include three concepts of mind The ID, EGO and Super Ego. 1. Id.

7. Stage Seven, adulthood: During their 40's and 50's adults face the crisis of generativity versus self-absorption. Self-absorbed persons never develop an ability to look beyond themselves. They may become absorbed in career advancements and maintenance; and they may never learn to have concern for future generations, the welfare of organisations to which they belong or the welfare of society as a whole. Generative people see the world as much bigger than themselves. Productivity in work or child rearing or societal advancement become important

The id is the source of Psychic energy and seeks immediate gratification for biological or instinctual needs. these needs include sexual pleasure and other biological pleasures. ID has animalistic instincts of aggression, power and domination. It demands immediate pleasure at whatever cost. As an individual matures he learns to control th ID, but even then it remains a driving force through out life and an important source of thinking and behaviour.
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Nsscollege Rajakumari 2. The EGO The ego is associated with realities of life. Just as the ID is the unconscious part of personality, Ego is the conscious and logical part because it is concerned about realities of external environment. The Ego of a person keeps the ID in check whenever it demands immediate pleasure. With its logic and intellect, ego controls the Id so that the pleasure unconsciously demanded by human beings are granted at an appropriate time and place and in an appropriate manner. 3. The Super Ego. Super ego is the highest level force to restrain the Id and is described as the conscious of a person. The super ego represents the norms of the individual, his family and the society and is an ethical constraint on the behaviour. The conscious of a person continuously telling him what is right and what is wrong. A person may not be aware of the working of the super ego, because conscious is developed by the cultural values inculcated in a person by the norms of society. All these three elements are inter related. In order to create a normal personality there must be a proper balance in the relationship among these forces. For example if the super ego is over developed, a man will become very impractical and irrational. Such a person can not exist in the modern life. On the other hand, an under developed super ego would let the ID urges loose, which would make a man highly immoral. Then there will not be much difference between animals and man.

conscious, concerned about their status, highly competitive, ambitious, business-like, aggressive, having difficulty relaxing. Because of these characteristics, Type A individuals are often described as "stress junkies." Type A people tend to be very productive and work very hard. They are workaholics. The negative side of them is that they are impatient, not good team players, more irritable, have poor judgement. Type B individuals, in contrast, are described as patient, relaxed, and easy-going, generally lacking any sense of urgency. Because of these characteristics, Type B individuals are often described as apathetic and disengaged. Type B people do better on complex tasks involving judgement, accuracy rather than speed and team work. There is also a Type AB mixed profile for people who cannot be clearly categorized. TRAIT THEORY OF PERSONALITY Trait theory of personality is one of the recent and slightly `implementable theory of personality. The approach here is to focus on the quantitative measurement of traits, or identifiable characteristics that define a person. For example, people can be distinguished by the degree to which they are socially outgoing (the trait of extroversion). Allports Trait Theory. This theory is based upon the distinction between common traits and personal dispositions. Allport classifies people on the basis of his scale of values test. He identified six categories of values. Theoretical, economic, aesthetic, social, political, and religious. These six values are common traits which may be used for comparing people. Besides these common traits, he has identified some unique traits which he calls as personal dispositions. He classifies these unique traits under three categories. (1) cardinal- pervasive, (2) Central- Unique and limited in number, and (3) Secondary peripheral.

TYPES THEORY Personality type refers to the psychological classification of different types of people. Personality types are distinguished from personality traits, which come in different levels or degrees. For example, according to type theories, there are two types of people, introverts and extraverts. According to trait theories, introversion and extraversion are part of a continuous dimension, with many people in the middle. Two personality types were developed by the psychological profession in order to define peoples behaviors. Each of these two types has a set of criteria by which those who belong to one type or the other are discovered. These types are type A, the strict and rigid, perfectionist type and type B, the relaxed individuals personality type. Type A individuals can be described as impatient, time-

Cattells Theory. Cattell has identified two categories of traits- surface traits and source traits. He determined 35 surface traits by finding cluster of traits that are correlated. Such traits lie on the surface of the personality and are largely detrmined by the underlying source traits. He identified 16 source traits (Primary traits), which have two dimension.
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Nsscollege Rajakumari 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. Reserved Less Intelligent Affected by feelings Submissive Serious Expedient Timid Tough minded Trusting Practical Forthright Self assured Conservative Group dependant Un controlle Relaxed - Outgoing - More intelligent - Emotinally stable - Dominant - Happy go lucky - Conscientious - Venturesome -Sensitive - suspicious - Imaginative -Shrewd - apprehensive - Experimenting - Self sufficient - Controlled - Tensed 5. Openness: This trait features characteristics such as imagination and insight, and those high in this trait also tend to have a broad range of interests. It is important to note that each of the five personality factors represents a range between two extremes. For example, extraversion represents a continuum between extreme extraversion and extreme introversion. In the real world, most people lie somewhere in between the two polar ends of each dimension. The Holland Codes or the Holland Occupational Themes ( Matching personality with job types) It represents a set of personality types described in a theory of careers and vocational choice formulated by psychologist John L. Holland Holland's theory argued that "the choice of a vocation is an expression of personality" and that the six factor typology he articulated could be used to describe both persons and work environments. Holland's theory does not assume that a person is just one type or that there are "only six types of people in the world." Instead, he assumed that any person could be described as having interests associated with each of the six types in a descending order of preference. Typology Personality occupation characteristics Realistic Shy, genuine, Mechanic, farmer, stable, practical assembly line worker Investigative Analytical, original, Economist, curious, mathematician, independent journalist Social Socialable, friendly, Social worker, co-operative, teacher understanding Conventional Conforming, Accountant, coefficient, practical, manager, clerk un imaginative, inflexible. Enterprising Self confident, Lawyer, real estate ambitious, agent, small energetic, business manager domineering. artistic Imaginative, Painter, musician, disorderly, writer, idealistic, emotional, impractical.
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Trait theory makes more sense than other theories as it provides continuity to human personality. The trait theorist have provided personality tests and factor analysis techniques to behavioural sciences. In spite of these facts, it is description rather than analytical to present a comprehensive theory of personality. Big Five Dimensions of Personality / The Five-Factor Model of Personality Today, many contemporary personality psychologists believe that there are five basic dimensions of personality, often referred to as the "Big 5" personality traits. The "big five" are broad categories of personality traits. these five categories are usually described as follows: 1. Extraversion: This trait includes characteristics such as excitability, sociability, talkativeness, assertiveness and high amounts of emotional expressiveness. 2. Agreeableness: This personality dimension includes attributes such as trust, altruism, kindness, affection, and other prosocial behaviors. 3. Conscientiousness: Common features of this dimension include high levels of thoughtfulness, with good impulse control and goal-directed behaviors. Those high in conscientiousness tend to be organized and mindful of details. 4. Neuroticism: Individuals high in this trait tend to experience emotional instability, anxiety, moodiness, irritability, and sadness.

Nsscollege Rajakumari PERSONALITY ATTRIBUTES ORGANISATIONAL BEHAVIOUR.

INFLUENCING 2.

Personality attributes of employees are used in understanding the behaviour of employees and design suitable strategies to deal with their behaviour. Some of the traits that influence the behaviour in organisations are described below : 1) Authoritarianism: Authoritarianism is an attribute used to describe the persons having certain negative beliefs about the work and workers. Taking this concept, behaviour of employees in organisation is explained by using the following traits. believes in the formal authority. compels obedience to the authority. adheres to the conventional values and does not give preference to the new ideas. conforms to the rules and regulations. believes in directing the subordinates than listening to them. tries to be rigid and prefers structured environment. Taking these characteristic traits, a leadership style of superiors was developed, known as authoritarian. Employees possessing the authoritarian attributes will command respect and achieve production targets in the short run. In the end, these people cannot maintain the level of motivation and satisfaction. 2) Locus of Control: Locus of control is the belief regarding the outcome of their actions. Or a persons

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own life. He believes that he is a master of his own destiny. These people are more active in seeking more information to make decisions. Internals are more active socially They prefer skill achievement outcome They are more independent and less susceptible to influence of others. They prefer participative management. They holds jobs of higher status, advance more rapidly in their careers. They take more responsibility to their health, and have better health habits. As a result their incidence of sickness and absenteeism are lower.

External Locus Of control. 1. External people are less satisfied with their jobs, have high absenteeism rate, and are less involved in jobs 2. They feel that outside forces are affecting the events in their life, and what ever happens is the result of destiny. They believe that everything will happen according to the will of God and nobody can stop it. 3. They are more interested in job security and not in advancement of carriers.

perception of the sources of his FATE is termed as Locus Of control. Certain people
believe that their skills and abilities influence the outcome of the action. Others believe that some external factors like fate or chance influence their result.

3) Machiavellianism: Niccolo Machiavelli has introduced the concept. The term refers to the degree of individual effort to gain control over organisational tasks. According to Robbins, Machiavellianism is the degree to which an individual is pragmatic, maintains emotional distance, and believes that ends can justify means. The characteristics of Machiavellianism personality attributes are: They are active to participate in organisational politics. They manipulate more, win more and persuade less. They are adept at interpersonal game playing, power tactics and identifying influence system in organisations. They consider ethics.

According to Robbins, individuals who believe that they control what happens to them are called Internals and individuals who believe that what happens to them is controlled by outside forces such as luck or chance are called Externals.
Following are characteristics of Internals and externals. Internal Locus Of Control. 1. A person with strong Internal Locus Of Control has more control over his own behaviour. He believes that he controls events concerning his

4) Self-esteem: Self-esteem is a feeling of liking or disliking of one self. It is related to the individual desire for success. A person having a greater desire for success is rated as high self-esteem person. He
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Nsscollege Rajakumari believes that he possesses required abilities to succeed on the jobs. People with high esteem are risk takers. They tend to choose risky and challenging jobs. They have internal locus of control. They give preference to pride, recognition, flair, success, independence, and are satisfied with higher order needs than simple monetary motivation. On the other hand, people having low self-esteem are influenced by the external factors. They give more respect and importance to the opinions of others. They do not want to face unpleasant situation. Thus, they try to please others. 5) Self-monitoring: Self-monitoring is the ability to adapt to the situational demands. Individuals possessing high score on self-monitoring observe the behaviour of others from close angle in order to adjust their behaviour. They like mobility in their career. They are more successful in discharging contradictory roles. Simply they can wear a mask suitable to the situation. Thus, there is high degree of behavioural inconsistency in high self-monitoring people. Therefore, self-monitoring attribute helps managers to understand the personality and behaviour of their subordinates in order to direct, communicate, motivate and regulate them on the jobs. 6) Risk taking Attitude: Risk taking is an attitude. Persons differ in the attitude towards assuming the risk. The propensity to take risk influences the decisionmaking. High-risk takers are likely to take rapid decisions. Risk taking is also related to the job demands. High-risk taking is found in certain caste, religion, nationality and gender. In organisations, risktaking behaviour is related to the ability of employees to take up challenging tasks and possess high achievement motivation. Therefore, a number of personality attributes influence the behaviour of person in the organisational behaviour. 7) . Type A and Type B Personality. Type A people tend to be very productive and work very hard. They are workaholics. The negative side of them is that they are impatient, not good team players, more irritable, have poor judgment. Type B individuals, in contrast, are described as patient, relaxed, and easy-going, generally lacking any sense of urgency. Type B people do better on complex tasks involving judgment, accuracy rather than speed and team work.

8) Emotional Intelligence. Emotional Intelligence also called EQ refers to an individuals ability to be aware of feelings and emotions and the extent to which they can manage them more effectively. It consists of following abilities. a) Knowing ones emotions and recognising ones feelings. b) Managing emotions appropriately to the relevant situation. c) Motivating oneself directing the feelings and emotions in such way as to fulfil the desired goals and objectives. d) Recognising emotions in others e) Handling relationships being able to inter relate, communicate and work with others.

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