Personality Crash

Organizational Behavior: Assignment 1

Case Study: Personality Clash?

Personality is generally defined as the individual unique and habitual patterns and qualities of behaviours, thoughts and emotions, expressed by physical and mental activities and attitudes.

Personality traits are generally determined by a unique set of characteristics that represent the strengths of individuals and team. This set of differences can create personality clashes, in the sense that people find themselves in a conflict due to a fundamental incompatibility in their personalities.

In the class we have discussed the most famous model of personality, the Big Five. According to it, there are five fundamental categories.

Starting with Agreeableness, it is the tendency of an individual to get along with other people. This category captures traits as trust, altruism, tolerance and empathy.

Then, Conscientiousness is the extent to which individuals are focused on accomplishing goals and maintaining high levels of performance. Specific traits include responsibility, self- discipline and organization.

Extraversion is the predisposition to experience positive emotional states and to socialize. Extraverts are described as being sociable; assertiveness and they tend to seek the company of others.

Individuals characterized by neuroticism tend to experience negative emotional states and new situations from a negative perspective. Traits associated with it are emotional instability, anxiety and vulnerability.

Finally, Openness to Experience is the extent to which individuals are open to experiences and have a wide range of interests. They can be described as open- minded, receptive and imaginative.

John and Susan present completely distinctive personalities. Relating it with the previous categories I am able to identify similarities between its description and the two individuals in the case.

I would say that John has some characteristics of Openness to Experience in...