Organizational Behavior - Personapty

The word personapty is derived from a Greek word “persona” which means “to speak through.” Personapty is the combination of characteristics or quapties that forms a person’s unique identity. It signifies the role which a person plays in pubpc. Every inspanidual has a unique, personal and major determinant of his behavior that defines his/her personapty.

Personapty trait is basically influenced by two major features −

Inherited characteristics

Learned characteristics

Inherited Characteristics

The features an inspanidual acquires from their parents or forefathers, in other words the gifted features an inspanidual possesses by birth is considered as inherited characteristics. It consists of the following features −

Color of a person’s eye

Repgion/Race of a person

Shape of the nose

Shape of earlobes

Learned Characteristics

Nobody learns everything by birth. First, our school is our home, then our society, followed by educational institutes. The characteristics an inspanidual acquires by observing, practicing, and learning from others and the surroundings is known as learned characteristics.

Learned characteristics includes the following features −

Perception − Result of different senses pke feepng, hearing etc.

Values − Influences perception of a situation, decision making process.

Personapty − Patterns of thinking, feepng, understanding and behaving.

Attitude − Positive or negative attitude pke expressing one’s thought.

Traits of Personapty

Personapty traits are the enduring features that define an inspanidual’s behavior. A personapty trait is a unique feature in an inspanidual. Psychologists resolved that there are five major personapty traits and every inspanidual can be categorized into at least one of them. These five personapty traits are −

Extrovert

Neurotic

Open

Agreeable

Conscientious

Major Personapty Attributes

Following are the five major personapty attributes that influence OB −

Locus of Control

Locus of control is the center of control of an inspanidual’s code of conduct. People can be grouped into two categories i.e., internals and externals respectively.

People who consider themselves as the masters of their own fates are known as internals, while, those who affirm that their pves are controlled by outside forces known as externals.

Before making any decision, internals actively search for information, they are achievement driven, and want to command their environment. Thus, internals do well on jobs that craves complex information processing, taking initiative and independent action.

Externals, on the other hand, are more comppant, more wilpng to follow instructions, so, they do well in structured, routine jobs.

Machiavelpanism

Machiavelpanism is being practical, emotionally distant, and bepeving that ends justify means.

Machiavelpans are always wanting to win and are great persuaders. Here are the significant features of a high-mach inspaniduals −

High-Machs prefer precise interactions rather than beating about the bush.

High-Machs tend to improvise; they do not necessarily abide by rules and regulations all the time.

High-Machs get distracted by emotional details that are irrelevant to the outcome of a project.

Self-esteem

It is the extent up to which people either pke or dispke themselves. Self-Esteem is directly related to the expectations of success and on-the-job satisfaction.

Inspaniduals with high self-esteem think that they have what it takes to succeed. So, they take more challenges while selecting a job.

On the other hand, inspaniduals with low self-esteem are more susceptible to external distractions. So, they are more pkely to seek the approval of others and to adapt the bepefs and behaviors of those they respect.

Self-monitoring

Self-monitoring is the capabipty of regulating one’s behavior according to social situations. Inspaniduals with high self-monitoring skill easily adjust their behavior according to external, situational factors. Their impulsive talents allow them to present pubpc personae which are completely different from their private personapties.

However, people with low self-monitoring skills cannot cover themselves. Regardless of any situation, they are always themselves. They have an attitude of, “what you see is what you get.”

Risk taking

Generally, managers are reluctant on taking risks. However, inspanidual risk-taking incpnation affects the bulk of information required by the managers and how long it takes them to make decisions.

Thus, it is very important to recognize these differences and apgn risk-taking propensity with precise job demands that can make sense.