lOMoARcPSD|27916040
ORGANISATIONAL
BEHAVIOURS lecture notes
C715
(Chapters 9,10,12,16 = 50% of Exam)
Chapter 5
Briefly describe the five key traits in the Big Five personality model.
• Conscientiousness- A highly conscientious person is responsible, organized, dependable and persistent.
Those who score low on this dimension are easily distracted, disorganized and unreliable.
• Emotional Stability- People with emotional stability tend to be calm, self-confident, and secure. High
scorers are more likely to be positive and optimistic and experience fewer negative emotions; they are
generally happier that low scorers. Emotional stability (those with high neuroticism) is hypervigilant and
vulnerable to physical and psychological effects of stress. Those which high neuroticism tend to be
nervous, anxious, depressed, and insecure.
• Extraversion- Extraverts tend to be gregarious, assertive, and sociable. They are generally happier and are
more often ambitious. Experience more positive emotions than introverts and they more freely express
these feelings. Introverts tend to be more thoughtful reserved, timid, and quiet.
• Openness to experience- Range of interests and fascination with novelty. Open people are creative,
curios and artistically sensitive. Those at the low end of the category are conventional and find comfort in
the familiar.
• Agreeableness- Agreeable people are cooperative, warm, and trusting. You might expect agreeable
people to be happier that disagreeable. They are, but only slightly. When people choose organizational
team members, agreeable individuals are usually their first choice. In contrast, people who score low on
agreeableness are cold and antagonistic.
, lOMoARcPSD|27916040
Describe conscientiousness and explain how it can predict behavior at work.
• Conscientiousness at work- Employees with a high score in conscientiousness develop higher levels of job
knowledge. These levels correspond with higher levels of job performance. Conscientious people are also
more able to maintain their job performance when faced with abusive supervision.
• Conscientious people show persistence, attention to detail and setting high standards.
• Highly conscientious people may prioritize work over family, resulting in more conflict between their work
and family roles. They may also become too focused on their own work to help others in the organization,
and they don’t adapt well to changing context. Conscientious people may have trouble learning complex
skills early in a training process because their focus on performing well rather than on learning.
Discuss John Holland's personality-job fit theory.
• Personality- job fit theory- Theory that identifies 6 personality types and proposes that the fit between
personality type and occupational environment determines satisfaction and turnover.
Type Personality Characteristics Congruent Occupation
Realistic- prefers physical activities Shy, genuine, stable, conforming, Mechanic, drill press operator,
that require skills, strength, and and practical. assembly line worker, farmer.
coordination.
Investigative- Prefers activities that Analytical, original curious Biologist, economist,
involve thinking, organizing, and independent mathematician, news reporter.
understanding
Social- Prefers activities that Sociable, friendly, cooperative, Social worker, teacher, counselor,
involve helping and developing understanding clinical psychologist.
, lOMoARcPSD|27916040
others.
Conventional- Prefers Conforming, efficient, practical, Accountant, corporate manager,
ruleregulated, orderly and unimaginative, inflexible bank teller, file clerk.
unambiguous activities
Enterprising- Prefers verbal Self-confident, ambitious, Lawyer, real estate agent, public
activities in which there are energetic, domineering relations specialist, small business
opportunities to influence others manager.
and attain power
Artistic- prefers ambiguous and Imaginative, disorderly, idealistic, Painter, Musician writer, interior
unsystematic activities that allow emotional, impractical decorator.
creative expression.
Describe the five value dimensions of national culture as identified by the Hofstede's framework for assessing
cultures.
• Power distance- The degree to which people in a country accept that power in institutions and
organizations is distributed unequally. High rating on power distance means large inequalities of power
and wealth exist and are tolerated in the culture, as in class or caste system that discourages upward
mobility. Low power distance rating characterizes societies that stress equality and opportunity.
• Individualism Vs Collectivism- Degree to which people prefer to act as individuals rather than as members
of groups and believe in individual rights above all else. Collectivism emphasizes a tight social framework
in which people expect others in groups of which they are a part to look after them and protect them.
• Masculinity Vs Femininity- Masculinity is the degree to which the culture favors traditional masculine
roles such as achievement, power and control. Femininity means the culture sees little differentiation
between male and female roles and treats women as equals to men in all respects.
• Uncertainty Avoidance- The degree to which people in a country prefer structure over unstructured
situations. High scores have people with increased anxiety about uncertainty and ambiguity and use laws
and controls to reduce uncertainty. Low scores are more accepting of ambiguity are less rule oriented,
take more risks, and more readily accept change.
• Long-term Vs Short-term Orientation- Measures a society’s devotion to traditional values. Long-term
orientation look to the future and value thrift, persistence, and tradition. Short-term orientation value the
here and now; also accept change more readily and don’t see commitments as impediments to change.
Glossary
Dark Triad- A constellation of negative personality traits consisting of Machiavellianism, narcissism, and
psychopathy.
Machiavellianism- Named after Niccolo Machiavelli. The degree to which an individual is pragmatic, maintains
emotional distance, and believes that the ends can justify the means.
Narcissism- Describes a person who has a grandiose sense of self-importance, requires excessive admiration, and is
arrogant. Often have fantasies of grand success, a tendency to exploit situations and people, a sense of
entitlement, and a lack of empathy.
Psychopathy- Lack of concern for others, and a lack of quilt or remorse when actions cause harm. Measures of
psychopathy attempt to assess the motivation to comply with social norms, impulsivity, willingness to use deceit to
obtain desired ends, and disregard, and lack of concern for others.
Core self-evaluations (CSEs)- Bottom- line conclusions individuals have about their capabilities, competence and
worth as a person. People with positive CSEs like themselves and see themselves as effective and in control of their
ORGANISATIONAL
BEHAVIOURS lecture notes
C715
(Chapters 9,10,12,16 = 50% of Exam)
Chapter 5
Briefly describe the five key traits in the Big Five personality model.
• Conscientiousness- A highly conscientious person is responsible, organized, dependable and persistent.
Those who score low on this dimension are easily distracted, disorganized and unreliable.
• Emotional Stability- People with emotional stability tend to be calm, self-confident, and secure. High
scorers are more likely to be positive and optimistic and experience fewer negative emotions; they are
generally happier that low scorers. Emotional stability (those with high neuroticism) is hypervigilant and
vulnerable to physical and psychological effects of stress. Those which high neuroticism tend to be
nervous, anxious, depressed, and insecure.
• Extraversion- Extraverts tend to be gregarious, assertive, and sociable. They are generally happier and are
more often ambitious. Experience more positive emotions than introverts and they more freely express
these feelings. Introverts tend to be more thoughtful reserved, timid, and quiet.
• Openness to experience- Range of interests and fascination with novelty. Open people are creative,
curios and artistically sensitive. Those at the low end of the category are conventional and find comfort in
the familiar.
• Agreeableness- Agreeable people are cooperative, warm, and trusting. You might expect agreeable
people to be happier that disagreeable. They are, but only slightly. When people choose organizational
team members, agreeable individuals are usually their first choice. In contrast, people who score low on
agreeableness are cold and antagonistic.
, lOMoARcPSD|27916040
Describe conscientiousness and explain how it can predict behavior at work.
• Conscientiousness at work- Employees with a high score in conscientiousness develop higher levels of job
knowledge. These levels correspond with higher levels of job performance. Conscientious people are also
more able to maintain their job performance when faced with abusive supervision.
• Conscientious people show persistence, attention to detail and setting high standards.
• Highly conscientious people may prioritize work over family, resulting in more conflict between their work
and family roles. They may also become too focused on their own work to help others in the organization,
and they don’t adapt well to changing context. Conscientious people may have trouble learning complex
skills early in a training process because their focus on performing well rather than on learning.
Discuss John Holland's personality-job fit theory.
• Personality- job fit theory- Theory that identifies 6 personality types and proposes that the fit between
personality type and occupational environment determines satisfaction and turnover.
Type Personality Characteristics Congruent Occupation
Realistic- prefers physical activities Shy, genuine, stable, conforming, Mechanic, drill press operator,
that require skills, strength, and and practical. assembly line worker, farmer.
coordination.
Investigative- Prefers activities that Analytical, original curious Biologist, economist,
involve thinking, organizing, and independent mathematician, news reporter.
understanding
Social- Prefers activities that Sociable, friendly, cooperative, Social worker, teacher, counselor,
involve helping and developing understanding clinical psychologist.
, lOMoARcPSD|27916040
others.
Conventional- Prefers Conforming, efficient, practical, Accountant, corporate manager,
ruleregulated, orderly and unimaginative, inflexible bank teller, file clerk.
unambiguous activities
Enterprising- Prefers verbal Self-confident, ambitious, Lawyer, real estate agent, public
activities in which there are energetic, domineering relations specialist, small business
opportunities to influence others manager.
and attain power
Artistic- prefers ambiguous and Imaginative, disorderly, idealistic, Painter, Musician writer, interior
unsystematic activities that allow emotional, impractical decorator.
creative expression.
Describe the five value dimensions of national culture as identified by the Hofstede's framework for assessing
cultures.
• Power distance- The degree to which people in a country accept that power in institutions and
organizations is distributed unequally. High rating on power distance means large inequalities of power
and wealth exist and are tolerated in the culture, as in class or caste system that discourages upward
mobility. Low power distance rating characterizes societies that stress equality and opportunity.
• Individualism Vs Collectivism- Degree to which people prefer to act as individuals rather than as members
of groups and believe in individual rights above all else. Collectivism emphasizes a tight social framework
in which people expect others in groups of which they are a part to look after them and protect them.
• Masculinity Vs Femininity- Masculinity is the degree to which the culture favors traditional masculine
roles such as achievement, power and control. Femininity means the culture sees little differentiation
between male and female roles and treats women as equals to men in all respects.
• Uncertainty Avoidance- The degree to which people in a country prefer structure over unstructured
situations. High scores have people with increased anxiety about uncertainty and ambiguity and use laws
and controls to reduce uncertainty. Low scores are more accepting of ambiguity are less rule oriented,
take more risks, and more readily accept change.
• Long-term Vs Short-term Orientation- Measures a society’s devotion to traditional values. Long-term
orientation look to the future and value thrift, persistence, and tradition. Short-term orientation value the
here and now; also accept change more readily and don’t see commitments as impediments to change.
Glossary
Dark Triad- A constellation of negative personality traits consisting of Machiavellianism, narcissism, and
psychopathy.
Machiavellianism- Named after Niccolo Machiavelli. The degree to which an individual is pragmatic, maintains
emotional distance, and believes that the ends can justify the means.
Narcissism- Describes a person who has a grandiose sense of self-importance, requires excessive admiration, and is
arrogant. Often have fantasies of grand success, a tendency to exploit situations and people, a sense of
entitlement, and a lack of empathy.
Psychopathy- Lack of concern for others, and a lack of quilt or remorse when actions cause harm. Measures of
psychopathy attempt to assess the motivation to comply with social norms, impulsivity, willingness to use deceit to
obtain desired ends, and disregard, and lack of concern for others.
Core self-evaluations (CSEs)- Bottom- line conclusions individuals have about their capabilities, competence and
worth as a person. People with positive CSEs like themselves and see themselves as effective and in control of their
