Chapter 2 Values, Personality, and Individual Differences People are Different

Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.2-2 Chapter 2 Study Questions What are culture and values? What is personality? How do personalities differ? What are individual differences and how are they related to workforce diversity?

Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.2-3 What are culture and values? Culture –The learned and shared way of thinking and acting among a group of people or society

Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.2-4 What are culture and values? Cultural intelligence –the ability to identify, understand, and act with sensitivity and effectiveness in cross-cultural situations.

Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.2-5 What are culture and values? Values and national culture –Cultures vary in underlying patterns of values and attitudes –Hofstede’s five dimensions of national culture: Power distance Uncertainty avoidance Individualism-collectivism Masculinity-femininity Long-term/short-term orientation.

Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.2-6 What are culture and values? Power distance –The willingness of a culture to accept status and power differences among members. –Respect for hierarchy and rank in organizations.

Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.2-7 What are culture and values? Uncertainty avoidance –The cultural tendency toward discomfort with risk and ambiguity. –Preference for structured versus unstructured organizational situations.

Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.2-8 What are culture and values? Individualism-collectivism –The cultural tendency to emphasize individual self-interests or group relationships –Preferences for working individually or in groups.

Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.2-9 What are culture and values? Masculinity-femininity –The tendency of a culture to value stereotypical masculine or feminine traits. –Emphasizes competition/assertiveness versus interpersonal sensitivity/relationships.

Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.2-10 What are culture and values? Long-term/short-term orientation –The tendency of a culture to emphasize future- oriented values versus present-oriented values. –Adoption of long-term or short-term performance horizons.

Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.2-11 Figure 2.1

Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.2-12 What are culture and values? Values –Broad preferences concerning appropriate courses of action or outcomes. –Values influence behavior and attitudes.

Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.2-13 What are culture and values? Terminal values –reflect a person’s preferences concerning the “ends” to be achieved Instrumental values –reflect a person’s beliefs about the means for achieving desired ends

Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.2-14 Figure 2.2

Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.2-15 What are culture and values? Gordon Allport’s values categories –Theoretical values –Economic values –Aesthetic values –Social values –Political values –Religious values

Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.2-16 What are culture and values? Maglino’s categories of workplace values –Achievement –Helping and concern for others –Honesty –Fairness

Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.2-17 What are culture and values? Value congruence –occurs when individuals express positive feelings upon encountering others who exhibit values similar to their own

Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.2-18 What is personality? Personality –The overall profile or combination of characteristics that capture the unique nature of a person as that person reacts and interacts with others.

Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.2-19 Figure 2.3

Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.2-20 What is personality? Heredity and environment –Heredity sets the limits on the development of personality characteristics –Environment determines development within these limits –About a heredity-environment split

Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.2-21 Figure 2.4

Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.2-22 What is personality? Personality and the self-concept –Personality dynamics The ways in which an individual integrates and organizes social traits, values and motives, personal conceptions, and emotional adjustments –Self-concept The view individuals have of themselves as physical, social, and spiritual or moral beings Self-esteem Self-efficacy

Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.2-23 How do personalities differ? “Big Five” personality dimensions –Extraversion Being outgoing, sociable, assertive –Agreeableness Being good-natured, trusting, cooperative –Conscientiousness Being responsible, dependable, persistent

Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.2-24 How do personalities differ? “Big Five” personality dimensions –Emotional stability Being unworried, secure, relaxed –Openness to experience Being imaginative, curious, broad-minded

Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.2-25 How do personalities differ? Social traits –Surface-level traits that reflect the way a person appears to others when interacting in various social settings

Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.2-26 How do personalities differ? Information gathering –Getting and organizing data for use –Styles range from sensation to intuitive

Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.2-27 How do personalities differ? Evaluation in problem solving –Making judgments about how to deal with information once it has been collected –Styles vary from an emphasis on feeling to an emphasis on thinking

Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.2-28 Figure 2.5

Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.2-29 How do personalities differ? Personal conception traits –The way individuals tend to think about their social and physical settings as well as their major beliefs and personal orientation concerning a range of issues

Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.2-30 How do personalities differ? Locus of control –The extent to which a person feels able to control his/her own life –Concerned with a person’s internal-external orientation

Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.2-31 Figure 2.6

Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.2-32 How do personalities differ? Authoritarianism –Tendency to adhere rigidly to conventional values and to obey recognized authority Dogmatism –Tendency to view the world as a threatening place

Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.2-33 How do personalities differ? People with a high-Machiavellian personality: –Approach situations logically and thoughtfully. –Are capable of lying to achieve personal goals. –Are rarely swayed by loyalty, friendships, past promises, or others’ opinions.

Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.2-34 How do personalities differ? People with a low-Machiavellian personality: –Accept direction imposed by others in loosely structured situations –Work hard to do well in highly structured situations

Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.2-35 How do personalities differ? Self-monitoring –A person’s ability to adjust his/her behavior to external, situational (environmental) factors

Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.2-36 How do personalities differ? Emotional adjustment traits –How much an individual experiences distress or displays unacceptable acts. –Type A orientation –Type B orientation

Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.2-37 How do personalities differ? Stress –A state of tension experienced by individuals facing extraordinary demands, constraints, or opportunities

Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.2-38 How do personalities differ? Source of stress –Stressors The wide variety of things that cause stress for individuals –Types of stressors Work-related stressors Life stressors

Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.2-39 How do personalities differ? Work-related stressors –Task demands –Role ambiguities –Role conflicts –Ethical dilemmas –Interpersonal problems –Career developments –Physical setting

Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.2-40 How do personalities differ? Life stressors –Family events –Economic difficulties –Personal affairs

Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.2-41 How do personalities differ? Stress and performance –Constructive stress (or eustress) Moderate levels of stress act in a positive way for both individuals and organization –Destructive stress (or distress) Low and especially high levels of stress act in a negative way for both individuals and organization –Job burnout A loss of interest in and satisfaction with a job due to stressful working conditions

Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.2-42 How do personalities differ? Stress and health –Stress can harm a person’s physical and psychological health –Health problems associated with stress Heart attack. Stroke. Hypertension. Migraine headache.

Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.2-43 How do personalities differ? Stress management –Stress prevention Taking action to keep stress from reaching destructive levels in the first place –Stress management Begins with the recognition of stress symptoms and continues with actions to maintain a positive performance edge

Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.2-44 How do personalities differ? Stress management (cont.) –Personal wellness Pursuit of one’s job and career goals with the support of a personal health promotion program –Employee assistance programs Provide help for employees who are experiencing personal problems and related stress

Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.2-45 What are individual differences and how are they related to workforce diversity? Workforce diversity –The presence of individual human characteristics that make people different from one another

Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.2-46 What are individual differences and how are they related to workforce diversity? Stereotyping –occurs when one thinks of an individual belonging to a group and the characteristics commonly associated with the group are assigned to the individual in question

Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.2-47 What are individual differences and how are they related to workforce diversity? Equal employment opportunity –Nondiscriminatory employment decisions No intent to exclude or disadvantage legally protected groups –Affirmative action Remedial actions for proven discrimination or statistical imbalance in workforce

Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.2-48 What are individual differences and how are they related to workforce diversity? Demographic characteristics –The background characteristics that help shape what a person becomes

Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.2-49 What are individual differences and how are they related to workforce diversity? Gender –No consistent differences between men and women in: Problem-solving abilities Analytical skills Competitive drive Motivation Learning ability Sociability

Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.2-50 What are individual differences and how are they related to workforce diversity? Age –Aging workforce –Older workers are more susceptible to stereotyping –Experienced workers, who are usually older, tend to perform well, be absent less, and have low turnover

Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.2-51 What are individual differences and how are they related to workforce diversity? Able-bodiedness –Despite evidence of effective job performance, most disabled persons are unemployed –Most disabled persons want to work –More firms are likely to hire disabled workers in the future

Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.2-52 What are individual differences and how are they related to workforce diversity? Racial and ethnic groups –African Americans, Asian Americans, and Hispanic Americans make up an ever- increasing percentage of the American workforce

Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.2-53 What are individual differences and how are they related to workforce diversity? Important lessons regarding demographic characteristics –Respect and deal with the needs and concerns of people with different demographics –Avoid linking demographics to stereotypes –Demography is not a good indicator of individual-job fits

Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.2-54 What are individual differences and how are they related to workforce diversity? Aptitude –A person’s capability of learning something Ability –A person’s existing capacity to perform the various tasks needed for a given job –Includes relevant knowledge and skills