What is personality?
A relatively stable set of psychological characteristics that influence how an individual thinks, feels, and behaves in interaction with the environment.
Why does personality matter in OB?
It helps predict behaviour, match people to jobs, and explain attitudes, motivation, and performance.
What are the Big Five Personality Traits?
- Openness: flexible, creative, open to new ideas.
- Conscientiousness: responsible, dependable, achievement-oriented.
- Extraversion: sociable, outgoing, assertive.
- Agreeableness: cooperative, friendly, compassionate.
- Neuroticism: emotional instability (opposite of emotional stability).
Which Big Five traits are most strongly related to job performance?
Conscientiousness (best predictor across jobs); Extraversion (in social/leadership jobs).
What are the three approaches to personality in OB?
- Dispositional (traits only matter).
- Situational (context drives behaviour).
- Interactionist (Person × Situation → best predictor; supported by Trait Activation Theory).
What does Trait Activation Theory state?
Personality traits influence behaviour only when the situation makes those traits relevant/salient.
What is locus of control?
Belief about control of outcomes:
* Internal → outcomes controlled by self.
* External → outcomes controlled by luck/fate/environment.
What is self-monitoring?
The degree to which people regulate how they present themselves in social situations (low = consistent, high = adaptable).
What is self-esteem and what is behavioral plasticity theory?
Self-esteem = how positively one evaluates oneself.
Behavioral plasticity theory = people with low self-esteem are more influenced by others and external environments.
What are positive affectivity (PA) and negative affectivity (NA)?
PA = tendency to experience positive moods/emotions.
NA = tendency to experience negative moods/emotions.
They are independent, not opposites.
What is a proactive personality?
A trait reflecting initiative, persistence, and the ability to effect positive change.
What is general self-efficacy?
A motivational trait reflecting belief in one’s ability to perform well across a variety of tasks and situations.
What are core self-evaluations (CSE)?
A broad trait combining self-esteem, generalized self-efficacy, locus of control, and emotional stability.
