Personality in Organizational Behaviour: Definition and Key Aspects
In organizational behavior, personality is defined as the unique and relatively stable pattern of thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that characterize a person. It's how individuals typically interact with the world, including their colleagues, superiors, and work environment.
Understanding personality is crucial in organizational behavior for several reasons:
* Predicting job performance: Certain personality traits can be linked to job success in specific roles.
* Understanding individual differences: Personality differences influence how individuals respond to stress, handle conflict, and communicate with others.
* Building effective teams: Understanding team members' personalities helps in creating cohesive and high-performing teams.
* Developing effective leadership: Leaders with certain personality traits are more likely to inspire, motivate, and guide their teams.
Key Aspects of Personality in Organizational Behavior:
* Nature vs. Nurture: Personality is influenced by both genetics and environmental factors.
* Stability: While personality traits can change over time, they are generally considered to be stable and enduring.
* Multi-dimensional: Personality is complex and consists of various traits that interact and influence each other.
* Situational Influences: The expression of personality traits can be influenced by the situation, such as work environment and social norms.
Popular Personality Models in Organizational Behavior:
* The Big Five Model: This model identifies five broad personality dimensions:
* Openness to experience: Curiosity, imagination, and willingness to try new things.
* Conscientiousness: Organized, reliable, and responsible.
* Extraversion: Outgoing, assertive, and sociable.
* Agreeableness: Cooperative, trusting, and empathetic.
* Neuroticism: Anxiety, moodiness, and emotional instability.
* Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI): A popular tool that classifies individuals into 16 personality types based on four dichotomies:
* Extraversion vs. Introversion
* Sensing vs. Intuition
* Thinking vs. Feeling
* Judging vs. Perceiving
* The DISC Model: A behavioral model that describes individuals based on four dimensions:
* Dominance
* Influence
* Steadiness
* Conscientiousness
Note: While personality assessments can provide insights into individual behavior, it's essential to remember that they are not deterministic. Individuals are complex, and their behavior can be influenced by various factors, including situational context and individual experiences.