Personality Theory and Stereotyping Theory

Stereotyping Personality and Stereotyping Theories Taking a leadership or management role in the workplace is inherently challenging. This is because it falls upon leadership to manage a wide variance of personalities and needs. This is why it's important to develop a complete understanding of the various theories describing workplace behavior. In the case of this discussion, Personality Theory and Stereotyping Theory offer the opportunity for insight into management the specific workplace challenges of Anger Management and Conflict. Of the topics selected, Personality Theory was selected for its versatility.

According to Cherry (2008), this is a theoretical model in which a wide range of lenses can be used to understand individual motivations. Behavioral, psychodynamic, humanist and trait theories can all be used to understand individual personalities and to work within the scope of their respective needs. Cherry traces personality theory to models proposed by Erickson, Piaget, Freud and Skinner, all in the early 20th century. Stereotyping Theory would emerge a little later but from a similar school of thought. Writing in 1998, Levy et al.

would observe that "over the last two decades, research on social cognition has identified fundamental cognitive processes involved in the formation, use, and maintenance of stereotypes." (p. 1421) As this applies to the topic of our discussion, stereotyping theory suggests that we observe cultural and identity differences in others to draw broader conclusions about behavioral tendencies. A similar theory for consideration is that of Developmental Intergroup Theory, which posits that we use stereotypes to draw dividing lines between ourselves and others.

This is less suitable to the present discussion than stereotyping theory because it doesn't offer the same clear connections to personality theory. Here, the two are seen as directly interrelated because stereotyping theory appears to correlate to the trait dimension of personality theory. Application The two theories offer a substantial opportunity to improve conflict within the scope of my organization. Here, the IT department and the Sales department are at constant odds, a condition which can be attributed to their respective negative impressions of their counterpart departments.

The stereotyping theory helps to explain some of that resentment. Examples No examples emerge immediately from available evidence. But in my personal experiences in the scope of another organization, evidence suggests that negative intergroup stereotypes were instigated by poor cultural and social intersection of separate departments. Recommendations This offers a clear path for recommendations. The stereotyping theory allows us to see some of the negative dynamics in play between two deparmtnet groups.