Personality and Its Measurement

Personality refers to the sum of ways in which individuals interact with the world. It is assessed through self-report surveys or observer-rating surveys. While the former involves individuals evaluating their traits, the latter gathers perspectives from coworkers, which often provides a more accurate prediction of job success.

The Big Five Personality Model

This model identifies five key traits that influence workplace behavior:

1. Conscientiousness: Predicts job performance and safety compliance. However, excessively high conscientiousness may hinder creativity.
2. Emotional Stability: Linked to job satisfaction and reduced burnout. Low stability can result in conflict and disengagement.
3. Extroversion: Associated with leadership emergence and positive emotions. However, extroverts may dominate conversations and take excessive risks.
4. Openness to Experience: Facilitates creativity and adaptability. Open individuals perform well in dynamic environments.
5. Agreeableness: Enhances teamwork and interpersonal relationships but may lower assertiveness in leadership roles.

Person-Job and Person-Organization Fit

The concept of person-job fit suggests that matching an individual’s personality to a job enhances satisfaction and performance. John Holland’s personality-job fit theory categorizes individuals into six types (e.g., realistic, artistic) to align job roles with personal traits.

In contrast, person-organization fit emphasizes how well an individual’s values align with the company culture. This alignment fosters commitment and reduces turnover. In individualistic cultures, job tailoring to align with personal strengths is more effective than in collectivist societies, where pre-structured roles are valued.

Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)

The MBTI, although popular, lacks empirical support. It categorizes people into 16 personality types based on four dichotomies, such as introversion vs. extroversion. However, it does not reliably predict job performance, and its results may vary over time.

The Dark Triad

The Dark Triad identifies three undesirable traits:

1. Machiavellianism: Individuals with this trait manipulate others for personal gain. While effective in the short term, it damages long-term relationships.
2. Narcissism: Narcissists seek admiration and are prone to risky behaviors. While they can inspire others, their lack of empathy can harm organizations.
3. Psychopathy: Refers to a lack of remorse and empathy. In the workplace, it is linked to unethical behavior and manipulation.

Core Self-Evaluations, Self-Monitoring, and Proactive Personality

1. Core Self-Evaluations (CSEs): Reflect how individuals view their abilities and worth. Positive CSEs correlate with job satisfaction and goal attainment.
2. Self-Monitoring: Measures the ability to adjust behavior to situational demands. High self-monitors are adaptable but may appear inauthentic.
3. Proactive Personality: Describes individuals who take initiative and drive change. Proactive employees are valuable in dynamic work environments.

Situational Influences on Personality

The situation strength theory explains that personality traits predict behavior more accurately in weak situations where norms are ambiguous. Conversely, in strong situations with clear norms, individual personality plays a lesser role. Organizations should balance strong and weak situations to foster creativity and compliance.

Conclusion

Understanding personality and individual differences is essential for organizational success. By leveraging frameworks like the Big Five and aligning employees with suitable roles and cultures, organizations can enhance job satisfaction, performance, and retention. Balancing personality traits with situational demands enables companies to cultivate a productive and adaptive workforce.