Significance and Nature of Individual Differences

Significance and nature of individual differences

(Further reading: Chapter 4, 14 in Organizational Behavior, S. P. Robbins, 11th ed.,)

Self and self-image:

The self is a key construct in several schools of psychology, referring to either the cognitive and affective representation of one's identity or the subject of experience. A person's self image is the mental picture, generally of a kind that is quite resistant to change, that depicts not only details that are potentially available to objective investigation by others (height, weight, hair colour, sex, I.Q. score, etc.), but also items that have been learned by that person about himself or herself, either from personal experiences or by internalizing the judgments of others. A simple definition of a person's self image is their answer to this question - "What do you believe people think about you?"

Personality and work behaviour: Personality is the sum total of ways in which an individual reacts and interacts with others. There are six major personality attributes that can influence work behaviour:

1. Locus of control: The degree to which people believe they are masters of their own fate.

2. Machiavellianism (Mach): Degree to which an individual is pragmatic, maintains emotional distance, and believes that ends can justify means.

3. Self-Esteem (SE): Individuals’ degree of liking or disliking themselves.

4. Self-Monitoring: A personality trait that measures an individuals ability to adjust his or her behaviour to external, situational factors.

5. Risk taking: which is related to the speed of making decisions and amount of information required?

6. Type A’s and Type B’s: Type A is more active than Type B.

Conflict: a process that begins when one party perceives that another party has negatively affected, or is about to negatively affects something that the first party cares about. Functional conflict is conflict that supports the goals of the group and improves its performance....