11

The Manager
as a Person
 Personality Traits

– Personality Traits: Characteristics that influence how

people think, feel and behave on and off the job.
• Include tendencies to be enthusiastic, demanding, easy-
going, nervous, etc.
• Each trait can be viewed on a continuum, from low to high.
– There is no “wrong” trait, but rather managers have a
complex mix of traits.
 The Big Five Traits:
Figure 11.1

I
Low Extroversion High

II
Low Negative Affectivity High

III
Low Agreeableness High

IV
Low Conscientiousness High

V
Low Openness to Experience High
 The Big Five
 Extroversion: people are positive and feel good about
themselves and the world.
– Managers high on this trait are sociable, friendly.
 Negative Affectivity: people experience negative
moods, are critical, and distressed.
– Managers are often critical and feel angry with others and
themselves.
 Agreeableness: people like to get along with others.
– Managers are likable, and care about others.
 Conscientiousness: people tend to be careful,
persevering.
 Openness to Experience: people are original, with broad
interests.
 Traits and Managers
– Successful managers vary widely on the “Big Five”.
• It is important to understand these traits since it helps
explain a manager’s approach to planning, leading,
organizing, etc.
– Managers should also be aware of their own style and try to
tone down problem areas.
– Internal Locus of Control: People believe they are
responsible for their fate.
– See their actions are important to achieving goals.
– External Locus of Control: People believe outside
forces are responsible for their fate.
– Their actions make little difference in achieving outcomes.
• Managers need an Internal Locus of Control!
 Other Traits
– Self-Esteem: Captures the degree to which
people feel good about themselves and abilities.
• High self-esteem causes people to feel they are
competent, and capable.
• Low self-esteem people have poor opinions of
themselves and abilities.
– Need for Achievement: extent to which people
have a desire to perform challenging tasks and
meet personal standards.
– Need for Affiliation: the extent to which people
want to build interpersonal relationships and
being liked.
– Need for Power: indexes the desire to control or
influence others.
 Values
– Values: describe what managers try to achieve
through work and how to behave.
• These are personal convictions about life-long goals
(terminal values) and modes of conduct (instrumental
values).
• A person’s value system reflects how important their
values are as a guiding principle in life.
• Terminal values important to managers include:
– Sense of Accomplishment, equality, self-respect.
• Instrumental values include:
– hard-working, broadminded, capable.
 Terminal and Instrumental Values
Figure 11.3

INSTRUMENTAL
INSTRUMENTAL
TERMINAL
TERMINALVALUES
VALUES VALUES
VALUES

Prosperous
Prosperouslife life Ambitious
Exciting Ambitious
Excitinglife
life Broadminded
Broadminded
Sense
Senseof
ofAccomplishment
Accomplishment Capable
AAworld Capable
worldat atpeace
peace Cheerful
Cheerful
Salvation
Salvation Clean
Self-respect Clean
Self-respect Helpful
Helpful
Pleasure
Pleasure Honest
Wisdom Honest
Wisdom Obedient
Obedient
True
Truefriendship
friendship Loving
Equality Loving
Equality Responsible
Responsible