Personality

Definition
According to Fred Luthans, “Personality means how a person affects

others and how he understands and views himself as well as pattern of

inner and outer measurable traits and the person-situation interaction.

Determinants of Personality
• Heredity

• Environment

• Culture

• Family

• Society

• Situation
Personality Traits
Personality traits can be defined as enduring characteristics that
describe an individual’s behaviour. A trait can be better described as
tendency of an individual to respond in an equivalent manner to
various stimuli he is facing in daily life.
The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) and The Big Five Personality

Model provided a useful framework for classifying traits of human

personality which are important from an organisation’s point of view.

The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator
MBTI is an instrument which is very commonly used worldwide to

assess personality of an individual. This instrument is comprised of 100

statements pertaining to human personality. MBTI asks people about

how they generally feel in particular situations.

• Extraverted Vs. Introverted: Extraverted people are social, friendly and self-confident whereas,
introverted people are more shy and calm.

• Sensing Vs. Intuitive: Sensing personalities are very practical and prefer to follow routine and
orders. On the other hand, intuitive types of people are not practical and usually rely on
unconscious processes.

• Thinking Vs. Feeling: Feeling types of people generally take decisions based on their personal
values and emotions. Thinking types of people are generally more logical and rational.

• Judging Vs. Perceiving: Judging types want control and prefer their world to be ordered and
structured. Perceiving types are more flexible and spontaneous.
MBTI is a very useful tool which is widely used for
• selection of employees

• increasing self-awareness and

• providing career guidance

The Big Five Personality Model
Other Personality Traits Relevant to Organisational
Behaviour
• Authoritarianism
• Locus of control
• Machiavellianism
• Achievement orientation
• Self-Esteem
• Self Efficacy
• Type A Personality and type B personality
Type A personalities:

(i) Hurried moving, eating and walking.

(ii) Tend to undertake two or more tasks simultaneously;

(iii) Cannot be relaxed and don’t believe in having leisure time

(iv) Believe in evaluating their success in terms of how much they gain from everything.
The alternative to the Type A personality is the Type B personality. People with Type B personalities are usually relaxed,
incompetent and easy going.

• Type B Personality:

(i) Never become impatient and never face hurriedness.

(ii) Never discuss achievements with others unless or until situation demands so.

(iii) More relaxed and Play for fun and relaxation than to win.