Chapter 3 Individual Characteristics

Dimensions of E.I/EQ

-Self-awareness: being aware of what you're feeling -Self-motivation: persisting through obstacles, setbacks -Self-management: managing your own emotions and impulses -Empathy: sensing how others are feeling -Social skills: effectively handling emotions of others

Emotional Intelligence (EQ)

-The ability to perceive and express emotions, to understand and use them, and to manage emotions in oneself and other people

Good person-group fit (or person-team fit)

means that an individual fits with the workgroup's work styles, skills, and goals. Person-group fit recognizes that employees often must work effectivelywith their supervisor, workgroup, and teammates to be successful.

Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences

Suggests that there are a number of distinct forms of intelligence that each individual possesses in varying degrees 1. Linguistic: words and language 2. Logical-mathematical: logic and numbers 3. Musical: music, rhythm, and sound 4. Bodily-kinesthetic: body movement and control 5. Spatial-visual: images and space 6. Interpersonal: other people's feelings 7. Intrapersonal: self-awareness

Type A and B traits

Two cardiologists identified a pair of different personality profiles they called Type A and Type B. The Type A personality is impatient, competitive, ambitious, and uptight. The Type B personality is more relaxed and easy- going and less overtly competitive than Type A.

Individual differences

are personal attributes that vary from one person to another. Individual differences may be physical, psychological, and emotional.

Realistic job previews (RJPs)

involve the presentation of both positive and potentially negative information to job candidates. Rather than trying to sell candidates on the job and company by presenting the job opportunity in the most positive light, the company strives to present an accurate picture through an RJP.

Information processing capacity

involves the manner in whic h individuals process and organize information. Information processing capacity also helps explain differences between experts and novices on task learning and performance, as experts process and organize information more efficiently and accurately than novices.

Workplace bullying

is a repeated mistreatment of another employee through verbal abuse; conduct that is threatening, humiliating, or intimi- dating; or sabotage that interferes with the other person's work.4

A sensory modal- ity

is a system that interacts with the environment through one of the basic senses.

General mental ability

is the capacity to rapidly and fluidly acquire, process, and apply information. It involves reasoning, remembering, understanding, and problem solving. It is associated with the increased ability to acquire, pro- cess, and synthesize information and has been defined simply as the ability to learn.

Person-job fit

is the fit between a person's abilities and the demands of the job, and the fit between a person's desires and motivations and the attributes and rewards of a job.

Person-vocation fit

is the fit between a person's interests, abilities, values, and personality and a profession. 1

Person-organization fit

is the fit between an individual's values, beliefs, and personality and the values, norms, and culture of the organization.12 The strength of this fit influences important organizational outcomes including job performance, retention, job satisfaction, and organizational commit- ment.1

Learning style

refers to individual differences and preferences in how we pro - cess information when problem solving, learning, or engaging in similar activities.9

Personalities

the relatively stable sets of psychological and behavioral attributes that distinguish one person from another.

The "Big Five" Personality Traits

A set of fundamental traits that are especially relevant to organizations Agreeableness: The ability to get along with others Conscientiousness: The ability to be counted on to get things done Neuroticism: Experiencing anger, anxiety, moodiness/insecurity Extraversion: Comfort level with relationships Openness: The capacity to entertain new ideas and to change as a result of new information

Kolb Learning Style Inventory

Convergers: Learn by active experimentation and abstract conceptualization; superior in technical tasks, inferior in interpersonal settings Divergers: Learn by concrete experience and reflective observation; superior in generating alternate hypotheses and ideas; tend to be imaginative and people or feeling-oriented Assimilators: Learn by abstract conceptualization and reflective observation; more concerned about abstract concepts and logical soundness than about people and practical values; suited to research units Accommodators: Learn by active experimentation and concrete experience; focus on risk taking, opportunity seeking, and action; deal with people easily; suited to action-oriented jobs such as marketing and sales

Learning Style Orientations

Discovery Learning: An inclination for exploration during learning Experiential Learning: A desire for hands-on approaches to instruction Observational Learning: A preference for external stimuli such as demonstrations and diagrams

PERSONALITY TRAITS at Work

Locus of Control: The extent to which a person believes her circumstances are a function of either her own actions or of external factors beyond her control Authoritarianism: The belief that power and status differences are appropriate within hierarchical social systems such as organizations Machiavellianism: Behavior directed at gaining power and control of others Tolerance for Risk (Risk Propensity): The degree to which a person is willing to take chances and make risky decisions Tolerance for Ambiguity: The tendency to view ambiguous situations as either threatening or desirable General Self-Efficacy: Confidence in one's ability to be successful Self-Esteem: Feelings of self-worth and liking or disliking oneself