Download CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER THREE
INDIVIDUAL
DIFFERENCES AND
TRAITS
Individual Differences Framework
Heredity
Genes
Race/Ethnicity
Gender
Environment
Culture & education
Parental Influence
Physical Environment
INDIVIDUAL CHARATERISTICS
Personality
Abilities &
Skills
Values
Leadership Style and
Behaviors
The Effect Of Individual Characteristics On
Behavior
BEHAVIORAL RANGE
Comfort Zone
Zone of
Discomfort
Individual
characteristics
Zone of
Discomfort
Personality




Psychological
characteristics
Stable over time and
across situations
A set of
characteristics, rather
than one trait
Makes the person
unique and different
from others
Abilities and Skills


Ability, or aptitude, is a stable
natural talent for doing something
mental or physical.
A skill is an acquired talent that a
person develops related to a specific
task.
Values And Value System
Values are long-lasting beliefs about what is
worthwhile and desirable
Factors that affect values include:





Culture
Personality
Gender
Ethnicity
Generational differences
Views of Ethics


The relativist view of ethics
suggests a belief that what is
right or wrong depends on the
situation or the culture.
The universalist view of ethics
suggests that all activities should
be judged by the same
standards, regardless of the
situation or culture.
Components Of Emotional Intelligence

Self-awareness

Managing
emotions

Self-motivation

Empathy for
others

Interpersonal
skills
Characteristics Of Creative Leaders
 Perseverance when facing obstacles
 Self-confidence
 Willingness to take risks
 Willingness to grow and openness to
new experiences
 Tolerance for ambiguity
Three Categories Of Leadership Skills
1. Technical skills
2. Interpersonal skills
3. Conceptual skills
Perception, Attribution
and Learning
Social Perception
Social Perception interpreting information
about another person
Social Perception
Social Perception interpreting information
about another person
Perceiver Characteristics
• Familiarity with target
• Attitudes/Mood
• Self-Concept
• Cognitive structure
Social Perception
Social Perception interpreting information
about another person
Perceiver Characteristics
• Familiarity with target
• Attitudes/Mood
• Self-Concept
• Cognitive structure
Target Characteristics
• Physical appearance
• Verbal communication
• Nonverbal cues
• Intentions
Social Perception
Social Perception interpreting information
about another person
Perceiver Characteristics
• Familiarity with target
• Attitudes/Mood
• Self-Concept
• Cognitive structure
Target Characteristics
• Physical appearance
• Verbal communication
• Nonverbal cues
• Intentions
Situational Characteristics
• Interaction context
• Strength of situational cues
The Perception Process
ATTENTION
•The Perceived
•The Perceiver
ORGANIZATION
•Patterns
•Schemas
•Scripts
PERCEPTION
Comprehending Perception
We all have a different store of knowledge.
We all therefore interpret the world around us
differently.
Understanding relies upon the speaker and his
audience having the same perception of the required
outcome.
Perception is a 'Learned
Experience'

It is the “awareness” of the
external world (or some aspect of
it, through one or more of our
senses and, the interpretation of
these by our mind.
Understanding

Understanding is achieved by interpreting current
experience using past experience as a source of
reference, and establishing a context upon which to
base this new information. In other words:
• We are only able to understand today in terms of,
and because of, our past experiences.
• Yet, we also know that 'Today' is unlike 'Yesterday'.
• We inherit Yesterday's patterns and need them to
interpret what our senses are experiencing in the
present.
• These patterns are simultaneously essential and
yet out of date.
How do we perceive?





We store a ‘model’ or memory of objects.
The process of perceiving involves
‘matching’ what our senses are
experiencing to one of our ‘models.’
Perception is an active pattern-matching
process.
We recognize the world because of our
historical store of information.
We create our own unique world, our own
interpretation of reality.
Barriers to Social Perception





Selective perception
Stereotyping
First-impression
error
Implicit personality
theory
Self-fulfilling
prophecies
Social Perception interpreting information
about another person
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
Variables Influencing
Individual Behavior
The Person
• skills & abilities
• personality
• perception
• attribution
• attitudes
• values
• ethics
Variables Influencing
Individual Behavior
The Person
• skills & abilities
• personality
• perception
• attribution
• attitudes
• values
• ethics
The Environment
• organization
• work group
• job
• personal life
Variables Influencing
Individual Behavior
The Person
• skills & abilities
• personality
• perception
• attribution
• attitudes
• values
• ethics
The Environment
• organization
• work group
• job
• personal life
Behavior
Interactional Psychology
Approach
The Person
• skills & abilities
• personality
• perception
• attribution
• attitudes
• values
• ethics
The Environment
• organization
• work group
• job
• personal life
Behavior
B = f(P,E)
The “Big Five” Personality
Dimensions


Conscientiousness
Extraversion/introversion

Openness to experience

Emotional stability

Agreeableness
Characteristics Of Individuals
With Internal Locus Of Control

Less anxious

Set harder goals



Manage stress well and adapt to
change
More considerate of followers and
less likely to use coercive power
Internal CEOs select risky and
innovative strategies
Characteristics Of Type A Individuals
High need for control
“Doing more in less and less time”
Work-Related Behaviors
Defining Characteristics
•Time urgency
• Competitiveness
• Polyphasic behaviors
• Hostility
• Poor delegation
• Likes to work alone
• Jumps into action
• Sets high goals
• Hard work
• Perceives more stress
Characteristics Of High
Self-monitors


Able to change behavior to match
situation


Able to read cues from the
environment
Able to cope in cross-cultural
environments
May be a key factor in leadership
effectiveness
Four Major MBTI Types
Sensation Thinkers (ST)
Intuitive Thinkers (NT)
Focus on hard facts
Change agents
Realistic, goal-oriented but Responsive to creativity
can be impatient and jump but can be unreasonable and
into action quickly
unaware of others
Sensation Feelers (SF)
Practical and caring
Good understanding of
systems but can be
reluctant to accept change
Intuitive Feelers (NF)
Personal charisma and
commitment to others
Many ideas, trouble with
implementation
FEELING (F)
INTUITIVE (N)
SENSING (S)
THINKING (T)
Machiavellian Personality



High Machs are:
• Skilled at controlling others
• Able to perceive and resist
manipulation
• More successful in
unstructured environments
Low Machs are:
• Naive and trusting
Leadership is associated with
moderate Mach score
Characteristics Of
Leaders Who Fail
* Abrasive and intimidating
* Cold and arrogant
* Untrustworthy
* Self-centered and political
* Poor performers
* Unable to delegate
The Johari Window
Known to Self Not Known to
Self
Known to
Others
Not Known to
Others
FREE/ARENA
BLIND SPOT
FACADE
UNKNOWN
Myers-Briggs Type Indicator

Based on Carl Jung’s work
• People are fundamentally different
• People are fundamentally alike
• People have preference combinations for
extraversion/introversion, perception,
judgment

Briggs & Myers developed the MBTI to
understand individual differences
Take it at:
http://www.humanmetrics.com
Kiersey Temperament Sorter



1.In most situations are you more
deliberate than spontaneous
spontaneous than deliberate
2.Is it worse to be
a softy
hard-nosed
3.Is it better to be
just
merciful
Myers-Briggs Type Indicator

Introvert-Extrovert
• where you derive your energy

Sensing-Intuitive
• where you obtain your
information

Thinking-Feeling
• analysis & logic versus pleasing
people

Judging-Perceiving
• how you make a decision
MBTI Preferences
Preferences
Represents
Extraversion Introversion
How one
re-energizes
How one gathers
information
How one makes
decisions
How one orients to the
outer world
Sensing
Intuiting
Thinking
Feeling
Judging
Perceiving
Each Manager Has a Particular Personality Type
That Focuses Attention and Presents Strengths and
Weaknesses in Dealing With Situations
Psychological Focus and
Types
Preferences
Extroversion
Focuses on
people
and things;
sociable;
outgoing
Introversion
Focuses on
thoughts
and concepts;
reflective;
inwardly directed
Strengths
Weaknesses
(if Overextended)
Good at social
interaction; enthusiastic and
confident; instigates action; open
and straightforward
Intellectual superficiality; intrusive;
lack of respect for
others’ privacy;
easily distracted
Good at personal
interaction; stays calm
and focused; can concentrate intensely;
develops ideas; uses
discretion in talking
May lose touch
with outer world;
keeps people at
a distance; easily
preoccupied
Each Manager Has a Particular Personality Type That
Focuses His or Her Attention and Presents Strengths and
Weaknesses in Dealing With Situations as They Arise (Cont.)
Psychological Focus and
Types
Preferences
Strengths
Weaknesses
(if Overextended)
Sensing
Facts; data; details;
concrete; reality
based; present
oriented
Pragmatic; precise;
stable; results oriented; sensible; systematic
Lacks long-range
outlook; may reject
innovative ideas
Intuitive
Possibilities;
hunches;
speculations; theoretical ; future
oriented
Imaginative; conceptulizes easily; creative;
intellectually tenacious;
idealistic
Unrealistic; out of
touch; bored by
routine; scattered
Rational; analytical;
assertive; logical; carefully weighs alternatives;
firm but fair; explains
thoroughly
Undervalues feelings; overly analytical; insensitive;
critical; judgmental
Thinking
Analysis; objective;
logic; impersonal;
justice; systematic
inquiry
Each Manager Has a Particular Personality Type That
Focuses His or Her Attention and Presents Strengths
and Weaknesses in Dealing With Situations as They
Arise (Cont.)
Psychological Focus and
Types
Preferences
Feeling
Judging
Strengths
Sympathy;
Persuasive; empathic;
subjective; humane; warm; sensitive; demonpersonal;
strative and expressive;
compassion; trust; loyal
consideration
Plan, organize, and
Organized; planned;control well; persistent;
settled;control one’s decisive; conscientious;
life; set goals; struc- reliable
tured; routine
Perceiving Pending; flexible; Open minded; adaptable;
curious; spontaneity;spontaneous; undertentative; let life
standing; tolerant;
happen; undaunted inquisitive
by surprise; open to
change
Weaknesses
(if Overextended)
Overly sensitive;
moody; can become
emotionally overburdened
Close minded; inflexible; can jump to
conclusions too
quickly; intolerant;
judgmental
Indecisive; procrastinates; unfocused;
disorganized; impulsive; may collect
data too long before
deciding