1. MGMT 371: Individual Differences: Self-Concept and Personality and Social Perceptions
Self-concepts
Self-Management
Personality
Social Perceptions

2. Variables Influencing Individual Behavior5 4 4 4

3. An OB Model for Studying Individual Differences
The Unique Individual
Forms of Self- Expression
Personality traits
Self-Management
Self Concept
Self-esteem
Self-efficacy
Self-monitoring
Attitudes
Abilities
Emotions
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4. Propositions of Interactional Psychology
Behavior is a function of continuous, multidirectional interaction between the person and the situation.
The person is active in this process and both changes situation and is changed by them.
People vary in many characteristics, including cognitive, affective, motivational and ability factors.
Two aspects of a situation are important: the objective situation and the person’s subjective view of the situation.

5. Self-Concepts Self-esteem Self-efficacy Self-monitoring Affect
Self-Management
Locus of Control

6. Self-Esteem Failure tends to decrease self-esteem Success tends
to increase
self-esteem 10 11 11 11

7. “I don’t think I can get the job done.”
Self-Efficacy Beliefs Pave the Way
for Success or Failure
Sources of Self-Efficacy Beliefs
Feedback
Results
Behavior
Patterns
Prior
experience
High
“I know I can do this job
Success
Behavior
models
Self-efficacy
Beliefs
Persuasion
From
Others
Behavior
Patterns
Low
“I don’t think I can get the job done.”
Assessment
Of Physical
Emotional
State
Failure
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8. Self-Monitoring Behavior and cues High self monitors
flexible: adjust behavior according to the situation and the behavior of others
can appear unpredictable and inconsistent
Low self monitors
act from internal states rather than from situational cues
show consistency
less likely to respond to work group norms or supervisory feedback 11 12 12 12

9. The Role of Affect
Positive Affect – an individual’s tendency to accentuate the positive aspects of oneself, other people, and the world in general
Negative Affect – an individual’s tendency to accentuate the negative aspects of oneself, other people, and the world in general 12 13 13 13

10. Self-Management Social Learning Model Situational cues
Cognitive supports
Self-talk
Self-reinforcement

11. A Social Learning Model of
Self-Management
Person
(Psychological self)
Behavior
Situational cues
Consequences
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12. People and circumstances control my fate!
Locus of Control
Internal
External
I control what
happens to me!
People and circumstances control my fate! 8 9 9 9

13. Personality
The relatively stable set of characteristics that influences an individual’s behavior and lend it consistency. 6 6 6 6

14. Personality Stable personal identity The Big Five Proactivity
Locus of Control
Ideal Personality?

15. Personality Theories
Trait Theory – understand individuals by breaking down behavior patterns into observable traits
Psychodynamic Theory – emphasizes the unconscious determinants of behavior
Humanistic Theory – emphasizes individual growth and improvement
Integrative Approach – describes personality as a composite of an individual’s psychological processes
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16. Big Five Personality Traits8 8 8

17. Personality Characteristics in Organizations
A strong
situation can
overwhelm the effects
of individual personalities
by providing strong cues
for appropriate behavior 13 14 14 14

18. Personality Characteristics in Organizations
Strong
personalities
will dominate
in a weak
situation 14 15 15 15

19. Myers-Briggs Type Indicator
In the 1940’s, Myers and Briggs
developed the MBTI to understand
individual differences by analyzing
the combinations of preferences.

20. Cognitive Abilities
Intelligence: Capacity for constructive thinking, reasoning, problem solving
Seven Major Mental Abilities
General and specific

21. Seven Major Mental Abilities
Ability
Description
Understanding what words mean and readily comprehending what is read
Verbal comprehension
Ability to produce isolated words that fulfill symbolic or structural requirements
Word fluency
Ability to make quick and accurate arithmetic computations such as adding and subtracting
Numerical
Able to perceive spatial patterns and to visualize how geometric shapes would look if transformed in shape and position
Spatial
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22. Seven Major Mental Abilities (Cont.)
Ability
Description
Having good memory for paired words, symbols, lists of numbers, or other associated items
Memory
Ability to perceive figures, identify similarities and differences, and carry out tasks involving visual perception
Perceptual speed
Ability to reason from specifics to general conclusions
Inductive reasoning
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23. Social Information Processing Model
Of Perception
Stage 1: Selective Attention/Comprehension - Attention is the process of becoming aware of something or someone - People pay attention to salient stimuli
Stage 2: Encoding and Simplification - Encoding = interpreting environmental stimuli by using info in cognitive schemata -Each individual encodes uniquely
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24. STEREOTYPES Traditional Stereotypes: Self-Fulfilling Prophecy
Sex roles, Age, Race, Disability, etc.
Managerial Implications
Why do we stereotype?
Self-Fulfilling Prophecy

25. Social Information Processing Model
of Perception (Cont.)
Stage 3: Storage and Retention - Encoded info stimuli is sent to long-term memory - Long-term memory: three compartments of info about events, semantic materials, and
people
Stage 4: Retrieval and Response - Information is retrieved from memory to make judgments and decisions
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26. Commonly Found Perceptual Errors
Description
A rater forms an overall impression about an object and then uses the impression to bias ratings about the object.
Halo
A personal characteristic that leads an individual to consistently evaluate other people or objects in an extremely positive fashion.
Leniency
The tendency to avoid all extreme judgments and rate people and objects as average or neutral.
Central Tendency
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27. Perceptual Errors (Cont.)
Commonly Found
Perceptual Errors (Cont.)
Perceptual Error
Description
The tendency to remember recent information. If the recent information is negative, the person or object is evaluated negatively.
Recency Effects
The tendency to evaluate people or objects by comparing them with characteristics of recently observed people or objects.
Contrast Effects
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28. Positive and Negative Emotions
Negative emotions (Goal incongruent): - Anger - Fright/anxiety - Guilt/shame - Sadness - Envy/jealousy - Disgust
Positive emotions (Goal congruent) - Happiness/joy - Pride - Love/affection - Relief
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29. PERCEPTION IS REALITY! Info Processing Model
1. Selective Attention/Comprehension
2. Encoding & Simplification
3. Storage & Retention
4. Retrieval & Response

30. Social Perception Model
Perceiver Characteristics
Familiarity with target
Attitudes/Mood
Self-concept
Cognitive structure
Target Characteristics
Physical appearance
Verbal communication
Nonverbal cues
Intentions
Barriers
Selective perception
Stereotyping
First-impression error
Projection
Self-fulfilling prophecies
Social Perception
Social Perception Model
Situational Characteristics
Interaction context
Strength of situational cues 22 22

31. Barriers to Social Perception
Impression Management
Stereotype
First Impression Error
Projection
Self-fulfilling prophecy 24 24

32. Impression Management
The process by which individuals try to control the impression others have of them
Name dropping
Appearance
Self-description
Flattery
Favors
Agreement with opinion 24 24

33. ATTRIBUTIONS: Inferring Cause and Effect
1. Kelly’s Model
3 dimensions of behavior assessed
1. Consensus
2. Distinctiveness
3. Consistency
Internal Attributions
External Attributions

34. Consensus Low High A B C D E A B C D E People People
Individual Performance
Individual Performance A B C D E A B C D E
People
People
Source: KA Brown, “Explaining Group Poor Performance: an Attributional Analysis,” Academy of Management Review, January 1984, p 56. Used with permission.
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35. Distinctiveness High Low A B C D E A B C D E Tasks Tasks
Individual Performance
Individual Performance A B C D E A B C D E
Tasks
Tasks
Source: KA Brown, “Explaining Group Poor Performance: an Attributional Analysis,” Academy of Management Review, January 1984, p 56. Used with permission.
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36. Consistency Low High Time Time Individual Performance
Source: KA Brown, “Explaining Group Poor Performance: an Attributional Analysis,” Academy of Management Review, January 1984, p 56. Used with permission.
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37. ATTRIBUTIONS: Inferring Cause and Effect
2. Weiner’s Model (Process)
Individual performs a task
He/she judges it successful or non
Causal analysis (Internal vs. External)
Influence on self-esteem, future performance

38. ATTRIBUTIONS: Inferring Cause and Effect
Fundamental Attribution Bias
Self-Serving Bias
Managerial Implications