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Learning Objectives:
 Understand what is Personality
 Understand how Personality contributes to
differences in individual behaviour
 Appreciate various factors influencing
Personality
 Understand Indian context shaping individual
personality
 Explore important concepts related to
Personality

Numerous theories and approaches

In general,
 a wide range of individual attributes
 that distinguish people from one another
 the enduring and consistent characteristics
 leading to predictable patterns of behaviour in
similar ways across situations and settings

According to Hogan, Personality has two
different meanings:
 The way an individual is perceived by others - the
observer’s perspective, public and verifiable
 The structures, dynamics, processes, and
propensities that explain why a person behaves in
a characteristic way; private, must be inferred
Social Influences including Family
background
Biological
Factors
Personality as viewed by self
and others:
(A) Traits and Affectivity
(B) Core self evaluations
Genetic
Influences
Personsituation
interaction
Others, Task,
Organisation

Of interest for persons wanting to be more effective,
consultants,
recruiters,
reformers,
counselors,
therapists and researchers

Measurement has revealed some interesting findings
 Leader failure could be understood better from the leader’s
personality, than personality measurement predicting leader
effectiveness
 Lack of creativity-relevant processes included personality as
one of the reasons, personality also explained successful
differentiation strategy through innovation
 Negative behaviour at work, including violence and
aggression
 Crucial links between personality type and differing response
to workplace conflict
Consistent behaviour across situations
Individual Trait
Cluster of traits, i.e. a “Facet”
Cluster of Facets, i.e. a Factor
Group of factors, i.e. a Dimension

Follows the Traits approach to stable and heritable
aspects of personality
 Consistent behaviour across situations reveals
Individual Trait
 A Cluster of traits is known as a “Facet”
 Cluster of Facets is called a Factor



The reviews support the validity of this approach
Generalized for cultures and allows self, peer,
observer, and stranger ratings to measure
personality
Uses Analyses of trait adjectives, factor analysis of
personality inventories, expert judges’
categorizations of existing personality measures

Neuroticism – opposite of Emotional Stabilty

Extraversion- opposite of Introversion

Openness to Experience

Agreeableness – compassion to Antagonism

Conscientiousness

Tendency to feel consistently positively/negatively towards
objects. Positive Affectivity (PA) and Negative Affectivity
(NA) considered basic dimensions of personality

High PA: high energy, optimism, enthusiasm, pleasurable
engagement, like interpersonal relationships, overall
wellbeing, job satisfaction, achievement-oriented activities

High NA: distress, unpleasurable engagement,
nervousness, agitation, and pessimism, higher levels of
anxiety, dissatisfaction, focus on the unpleasant aspects of
themselves, the world, the future, and other people
Basic conclusions or bottom-line evaluations that individuals
hold about themselves and their worthiness and capability
 Self Esteem

 Self-esteem is a person’s overall evaluation or appraisal of
himself/herself as an individual

Self Efficacy
 Self-efficacy represents an individual’s belief in his or her
capabilities to successfully accomplish a specific task or set of
tasks

Locus of Control
 Perception of Locus of Control (LOC) is a personality variable
reflecting the degree to which individuals believe that they
control events in their lives, rather than the environment, luck or
fate

Indian personality is characterized by
 dependency, 'seldom directed to task performance based on
assessment and understanding of the reality of the environment',
 general apathy towards work, low accountability and commitment.
 hierarchical, mechanistic structures embodying authority, rigidly
defined roles and risk-avoidance

Adult Socialisation
 During this phase, the individual develops capability of becoming a
contributing, productive member of the society
 On the personal front, capable of intimate relationship, faith and trust
in self and others, integrity of character

Adolescent Socialisation
 Cross-over between childhood, adulthood and Identity crisis, strong
identity is developed if appropriate values are developed
Values, Value System and Work Values
Values held
by
individual’s
referent
group (s)
Individual
Values
Attitudes
Individual choice making, decision
making
Fit between the individual and the
organisation
Leadership processes such as
visioning, transformation
Strength of organisational culture or
sub culture
Emotion is a subjective feeling state, consisting
of: Thought (evaluating situation/stimuli),
Action (arousal and movement), Motivation
(behaviour intentions or readiness)

Emotional Intelligence: major components  Self awareness: knowing one's emotions
 Self-control and resilience managing emotions
 Self-recognizing motivation and creativity
 Empathy: emotion in others
 Helping others manage their emotions: handling
relationships through social and organisational
skills, handling diversity, resolving conflicts,
transformational leadership