1. Business School O & O/OB Lecture 5 Personality (2). Aims:  Introduce the idiographic approach to understanding personality.  Identify potential importance of values within the study of personality and individuals’ psychological contract.

2. Reading  French et al (2008), pages 102-107  Mullins, L J (2007), pages 129-134.

3. WEEK 4 SOME DIFFICULTIES OF PERSONALITY INVENTORIES (TESTS?)  insufficient data-support with other evidence  danger of clone effect i.e. need complementary employees  consider adverse impact on groups (discrimination)  validity of individual measures –see graphology  need to ensure professional ethics (Myers-Briggs Type Indicator).

4. APPROACHES (2) IDIOGRAPHIC  Individuals are unique complex entities and cannot (and should not) be located within typologies.  Personality a complete entity-not a collection of traits.  Personality-linked to self-image- can change.

5. From week 4…ANOTHER DEFINITION….. “It is simply the observable manifestation of social identity which a person develops and constructs through negotiation and interaction with others”. Thompson & McHugh (2009,p287).

6. Stanley Milgram-The man who shocked the world

7. Or Carl Rogers’s process of becoming an adult  Environment of unconditional regard, leading to…  Fully-functioning adult: Open to experience Free to choose Live a rich full life Spin-off in psychotherapy and counselling, but at work?!

8. Is the idiographic approach applicable in workplace situations?  When managers look for ready-made solutions within time and budget constraints can idiographic insights be applied?  Maybe Thematic Apperception Tests (TATs)?

10. Impression Management… not a new idea!  “All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players”…”and one his man in his time plays many parts”.

11. Persona? Do we select the ‘correct’; or at least an appropriate persona for given situations? Most of us do this unwittingly and instinctively.Some individuals, however are required to so within roles at work. The classic work of Erving Goffman (1959)- croupiers, waiters and orderlies in psychiatric hospitals.

12. Roles at work?

13. Personal Fronts  ‘sign activity’ and ‘sign equipment’ Actors manipulate these symbolic aspects of social interaction in order to project themselves on to social situations.

14. Four Typical Personal Fronts  superior  subordinate  specialist  lower participant

16. An alternative view of personality  repertoire of roles-importance of the situation  self-concept in relation to others (looking-glass self)  developing persona  scope for unpredictable behaviour?

17. Values (meaning and purpose) Meglino et al (1992).  Achievement.  Helping & concern for others.  Honesty.  Fairness.  -Note link to motivation (week 7). See work – related values in French et al (2008) p. 107.

18. Personality in context  ‘ Personhood’ in the 20 th century (in the UK) moved from philosophical, political or legal to personalised idea.  Subconsciously etc…”Almost no normal person would have said such a thing, or been understood if they had said it as little as 120 years ago”. Grey (2008).