Personality Different People Possess Different Personality Traits.

Personality

Different people possess different personality traits. In seeking to define individuals' core personalities, researchers have in the past outlined/identified several core personality dimensions. This text concerns itself with the 'Big 5' personality traits.

The 'Big 5' Personality Traits

Personality in the words of Griffin and Moorhead (2011) "is the relatively stable set of psychological attributes that distinguish one person from another." As the authors point out, there exists a need for managers to familiarize themselves with various primary personality attributes and the impact they have on the behavior of people in organizational situations. Numerous personality traits have been identified in the past. However, in an attempt to ease the description and analysis of personalities, researchers have in recent times identified several generalized personality traits (Hellriegel and Slocum, 2007). The 'Big Five' personality traits according to Nelson and Quick (2007) "include extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, emotional stability, and openness to experience." In the section below, I will discuss each trait while at the same time giving examples of how each trait could contribute positively to the performance of an individual.

Agreeableness

Agreeableness according to Griffin and Moorhead (2011) is essentially the ability of an individual to "get along with others." Agreeable individuals tend to be rather sociable and empathetic. Further, people who are agreeable are affectionate and kind. It is these qualities that make it easy for them to get along with others. Indeed, lack of agreeableness in the opinion of Griffin and Moorhead (2011) could make an individual antagonistic, uncooperative and irritable. In the organizational setting, an agreeable individual could be better at accomplishing tasks which require collective effort i.e. In a group setting.

Conscientiousness

Conscientiousness in the opinion of Hellriegel and Slocum (2007) "refers to the number of goals on which a person focuses." As the author further points out, individuals with a habit of focusing on a limited number of key goals and objectives tend to be more responsible, thorough and organized than their counterparts who choose to focus on many goals. In the organizational setting, managers who happen to be conscientious are more likely to achieve organizational goals as a result of their ability to remain focused and persistent. A manager with a high level of conscientiousness could also be regarded more reliable.

Emotional Stability

This trait is also referred to as neuroticism. Individuals with this trait according to Nelson and Quick (2007) tend to be self-confident and calm. Those who lack emotional stability on the other hand as the authors note are likely to be anxious and insecure. A sales manager who is emotionally stable is more likely to maintain his or her composure in the face of declining sales than an emotionally unstable sales manager.

Openness to Experience

Openness in basic terms "refers to a person's curiosity and range of interests" (Hellriegel and Slocum, 2007). Individuals who are seen as being open to experience are both creative and daring. They do not fear exploration. According to Hellriegel and Slocum (2007), people who are not open may not be receptive to new ideas. Further, such individuals according to the authors rarely change their minds. In the organizational setting, less open people are more likely to be resistant to change than open people.