Organizational Behavior a Science or Just a Theory

"Heredity determines personality." (a) Build an argument to support this statement. (b) Build an argument against this statement.

Ans- Personality is a dynamic concept describing the growth and development of a person’s whole psychological system. Personality is the sum total of ways in which an individual reacts to and interacts with others. It is most often described in terms of measurable traits that a person exhibits. The early argument was that personality was the result of heredity or of environment. It now appears that personality appears to be a result of both influences and even a third factor—the situation. Heredity refers to those factors that were determined at conception.

The heredity approach argues that the ultimate explanation of an individual’s personality is the molecular structure of the genes, located in the chromosomes. Three different streams of research lend some credibility to the heredity argument.

• The genetic underpinnings of human behavior and temperament among young children. Evidence demonstrates that traits such as shyness, fear, and distress are most likely caused by inherited genetic characteristics.

• The study of twins who were separated at birth. Genetics accounts for about 50 percent of the variation in personality differences and over 30 percent of occupational and leisure interest variation.

• The consistency in job satisfaction over time and across situations. Individual job satisfaction is remarkably stable over time. This indicates that satisfaction is determined by something inherent in the person.

Personality characteristics are not completely dictated by heredity. Factors that exert pressure on our personality formation are:

• The culture in which we are raised

• Early conditioning

• Norms among our family

• Friends, and social groups

The environment we are exposed to plays a substantial role in shaping our personalities. Culture establishes the norms,...