Chapter 5 Personality and Values Page
Questions for Review
5-1. What is personality? How do we typically measure it? What factors determine
personality?
AACSB: Reflective thinking
5-2. What are the strengths and weaknesses of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) and
the Big Five personality model?
used in organizational settings, but evidence is mixed about its validity as a measure of
personality. Moreover, the results from the MBTI tend to be unrelated to job
—calm, self-confident versus negative, and depressed; Openness to experience—curious
and imaginative.
Big Five model
Learning Outcome: Describe the factors that influence the formation of individual attitudes and values
AACSB: Reflective thinking
5-3. How do the concepts of core self-evaluation (CSE), self-monitoring, and proactive
personality help us to understand personality?
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capable of conforming than are low self-monitors. They tend to be more mobile in their
careers, receive more promotions, and are more likely to occupy central positions in
organizations.
Learning Objectives: Describe personality, the way it is measured, and the factors that factors that shape
it
AACSB: Reflective thinking
5-4. What are the strongest predictors of job search behavior?
Answer: Many studies of unemployed job seekers have found that conscientiousness
behavior, although self-esteem and self-efficacy (parts of CSE) are also important.
Additional work on unemployed university students suggests that positive affectivity
their motivation, and reduce procrastination.
Learning Objectives: Describe how personality affects job search and unemployment
Learning Outcome: Describe the factors that influence job search and unemployment
AACSB: Reflective thinking
5-5. How does the situation or environment affect the degree to which personality predicts
behavior?
that some situations, events, or interventions “activate” a trait more than others.
Learning Objective: Describe how the situation affects whether personality predicts behavior
AACSB: Reflective thinking
5-6. What is the difference between terminal and instrumental values?
Answer: Values are basic convictions on how to conduct yourself or how to live your life
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or her lifetime. Instrumental values are preferable modes of behavior or means of
achieving one’s terminal values.
Learning Objective: Contrast terminal and instrumental values
5-7. What are the differences between person-job fit and person-organization fit?
selected by organizations that match their values, and they leave organizations that are
not compatible with their personalities.
AACSB: Ethical understanding and reasoning; Reflective thinking
5-8. How do Hofstede’s five value dimensions and the GLOBE framework differ?
Learning Objectives: Compare Hofstede’s five value dimensions and the GLOBE framework
Learning Outcome: Describe Hofstede’s five value dimensions of national culture
AACSB: Diverse and multicultural work environment; Reflective thinking
Experiential Exercise
Your Best Self
This exercise contributes to:
Learning Objective: Contrast terminal and instrumental values
Learning Outcome: Describe the factors that influence the formation of individual attitudes and values
AACSB: Reflective thinking
The object of this game is to end up with the labels that best represent each person’s values. The
following rows represent 11 rounds of play. Break the class into groups of four students (if the
number of students is not divisible by four, then we suggest three). Play begins with the person in
the group whose name comes first in alphabetical order. That student picks one of the values in
round one that represents him- or herself, crosses it off this list, and writes it down on a piece of
paper. Values can be used by only one person at a time. Moving clockwise, the next person does
the same, and so forth for round one until all the values have been taken.
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For round two, the first player can either add a second value from the round two row, or take a
value from one of the other players by adding it to his or her list while the other player crosses
off the value. The player whose value has been taken selects two new values from the one and
two rows. Play proceeds clockwise. The rest of the rounds continue the same way, with a new
row available for each round. At the end of the rounds, students rank the importance to them of
the values they have accumulated.
1. Freedom Integrity Spirituality Respect
2. Loyalty Achievement Fidelity Exploration
3. Affection Challenge Serenity Justice
4. Charity Discipline Security Mastery
5. Prudence Diversity Kindness Duty
6. Wisdom Inspiration Harmony Joy
7. Depth Compassion Excellence Tolerance
8. Honesty Success Growth Modesty
9. Courage Dedication Empathy Openness
10. Faith Service Playfulness Learning
11. Discovery Independence Humor Understanding
Questions
5-10. Is there a value you would claim for yourself that is not on the list?
5-11. It is often argued that values are meaningful only when they conflict and we have to
choose between them. Do you think that was one of the objectives of this game? Do
you agree with the premise?
Ethical Dilemma
This exercise contributes to:
Learning Objectives: Describe personality, the way it is measured, and the factors that shape it; Describe how the
situation affects whether personality predicts behavior. Describe how personality affects job search and
unemployment.Learning Outcome: Describe the factors that influence the formation of individual attitudes and
values
AACSB: Reflective thinking
you had to take to apply.
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Personality tests are becoming more common in their use for hiring in organizations. A 2014
the hiring process, both in marketing the organization to potential applicants and through
additional tests and interviews.
But what happens when you take this same approach to hiring but assess political ideology
instead? Kyle Reyes, the CEO of The Silent Partner Marketing based in Manchester,
would freeze state university hiring until a balance is achieved in political ideology among the
faculty professors, who would be required to disclose their affiliation at the time of application.
Even without these tests for political ideology, applicants can be at risk for being turned down
based on their ideologies. In one study, 1,200 politically branded résumés were sent to help
Sources: B. Chapman, “Company Introduces ‘Snowflake Test’ to Weed out ‘Whiny, Entitled’ Millennial Candidates,” The Independent, March
24, 2017, http://www.independent.co.uk/news/
business/news/snowflake-test-silent-partner-marketing-weed-out-whiny-entitled-millenial-candidates- job-applicants-a7646101.html; C.
Chatterjee, “5 Personality Tests Hiring Managers are Using That Could Make or Break Your Next job Interview,” MSN Money, December 6,
news/2017/02/22/proposed-bill-would-force-universities-to-hire-professors-based/21719412/.
Questions
5-12. Do you think an organization has a right to test your political ideology as a condition of
hiring? Why or why not?
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ideology is not ethical.
5-13. Can we reliably differentiate values (such as those used to assess person–organization fit)
may point out that an individual’s political ideology can influence other values and
vice-versa.
5-14. Do you think it is important to foster political ideological diversity in organizations? Why
or why not?
Answer: Responses to this question will depend on the student’s personal experience and
frame of reference. Some students will agree that fostering political diversity can create a
Case Incident 1
On the Costs of Being Nice
This exercise contributes to:
Learning Objectives: Describe personality, the way it is measured, and the factors that shape it; Describe how the
situation affects whether personality predicts behavior
AACSB: Reflective thinking
Agreeable people tend to be kinder and more accommodating in social situations, which you
might think could add to their success in life. However, one downside of agreeableness is
potentially lower earnings. Recent research has shown the answer to this and other puzzles; some
of them may surprise you.
Second, agreeable individuals may choose to work in industries or occupations that earn lower
salaries, such as the “caring” industries of education or healthcare. Agreeable individuals are also
attracted to jobs both in the public sector and in non-profit organizations.
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Nice guys—and gals—may finish last in terms of earnings, but wages themselves do not define a
happy life, and on that front, agreeable individuals have the advantage.
Sources: T. A. Judge, B. A. Livingston, and C. Hurst, “Do Nice Guys—and Gals—Really Finish Last? The Joint Effects of Sex and Agreeableness
on Income,” Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 102 (2012), pp. 390–407; J. B. Bernerth, S. G. Taylor, H. J. Walker, and D. S.
Questions
5-15. Do you think employers must choose between agreeable employees and top performers?
Why or why not?
Student responses will vary.
5-16. The effects of personality often depend on the situation. Can you think of some
jobsituations in which agreeableness is an important virtue, and some in which it is
harmful to job performance?
Answer: This item can be assigned as a Discussion Question in MyLab Management.
Student responses will vary.
5-17. In some research we’ve conducted, the negative effects of agreeableness on earnings are
stronger for men than for women (that is, being agreeable hurt men’s earnings more than
women’s). Why do you think this might be the case?
Answer: This item can be assigned as a Discussion Question in MyLab Management.
Student responses will vary.
Case Incident 2
The Clash of the Traits
This exercise contributes to:
AACSB: Reflective thinking
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Dr. Judith Sills in an article in Psychology Today recalls the story of an organizational consultant
Ursiny, an organizational psychologist and founder of Advantage Coaching, was hired by Wells
Fargo to help manage some of these personality clashes that had arisen within their ranks. He
suggests that many personality differences result from clashes between trait dimensions such as
outspoken and reserved, impulsive and methodical, along with skeptical and accepting. It is easy
emotional stability, conflict can help their performance. However, when the team is low on these
qualities, conflict can hurt performance. Additional research has explored how personality
differences affect employees’ relationships with their supervisors. Employees and supervisors
report weaker relationships between one another when they differ on emotional stability,
other person so that the conflict occurs less frequently, and (4) develop some insight into who
you are and what your personality is like (this can help you figure out what you can do or what
you should stop doing in order to reduce conflict).
Sources: J. B. Bernerth, A. A. Armenakis, H. S. Field, W. F. Giles, and H. J. Walker, “The Influence of Personality Differences between
https://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/200611/when- personalities-clash; and S. Simpson, “Personality Clashes in the Workplace: Five
Interesting Employment Cases,” Personnel Today, February 27, 2015, http://www.personneltoday.com/hr/
personality-clashes-workplace-five-interesting-employment-cases/.
Questions
5-18. Have you ever had an experience in which your personality clashed
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5-19. Which do you think is more important: similarity between personality types or
differences? Explain your answer.
Student responses will vary.
5-20. Do you think knowledge of personality similarities or differences can help employees
reduce conflict and get along better? Or does this knowledge have the potential to cause
harm? Explain your answer.
Answer: This item can be assigned as a Discussion Question in MyLab Management.
Student responses will vary.
MyLab Management
following Assisted-graded writing questions:
5-21. What do you feel are the pros and cons of extraversion and introversion for your work
life? Can you increase desirable traits?
5-22. Refer again to the Ethical Dilemma in this chapter. Imagine that you are head of Human
evidence would you cite to make your case?
5-23. MyLab Management only—comprehensive writing assignment for this chapter.
Instructor’s Choice
This exercise contributes to:
Learning Objective: Describe the strengths and weaknesses of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) personality
indicator and the Big Five model
AACSB: Reflective thinking
Begin by pointing out some behaviors that effective teams practice: establish a common mission,
assess strengths and weaknesses, develop individual goals, secure agreement on a way to achieve
goals, develop accountability for individual and group actions, build trust, maintain a mix of skills and
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the board, appoint a scribe.
Exploring OB Topics on the Web
This exercise contributes to:
Learning Objective: Contrast terminal and instrumental values
Learning Outcome: Describe the factors that influence the formation of individual attitudes and values
AACSB: Reflective thinking
findings.
How are personality tests and employment linked? Why would an employer or employee be
interested in the results of a personality test? Go to the following sites to learn more:
Go to Career Journal and search ‘job hunting’:
http://www.careerjournal.com/jobhunting/interviewing/20010622-webb.html
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