Individual Differences and Traits
Exercise 4-1 Your Ideal Organization
T his ex ercise is desig n ed to help understand the w ay different in dividuals p erceive and d efin e org anizations.
Part I: Individual Description
T h in k o f w orking in the organization o f y our d ream s. W hat w ould it look lik e? How w ould it be organized?
H ow w ould people in teract? Y our assig n m en t in this part o f the exercise is to p rovide a descrip tio n o f y our ideal organization. In doing so, c o n sid er the fo llo w in g org an izatio n al ch aracteristics and elem ents.
1. W iiat industry w ould it be?
2. Wrhat is the m ission o f y our ideal org an izatio n ?
3. W hat is the cu ltu re? W hat are the basic a ssum ptions? W h at are the behavioral n o rm s? W ho are the h eroes? H ow do people interact?
4. H ow w ould people be organized? W hat is the structure? C o n sid er issues o f cen tralizatio n , hierarchy, fo rm alizatio n , specialization, span o f control, depart m entation, and so on.
5. W hat is the role o f the leader? W hat is the role o f follow ers?
C h a p te r 4 • Individual D ifferen ces and T raits 15 3 6. D escrib e the phy sical location, office spaces, office decor, and so on.
7. C o n sid er issues such as dress code, w ork schedules, and others that you think are im portant in d e scrib in g y o u r ideal organization.
F art II: C roup Work
Y o u r in stru cto r w ill assign you to a gro u p and provide you w ith fu rth er instructions.
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Self-Assessment 4-1: Value Systems
Rank the values in each o f the tw o categories from one (m ost im portant to you) to five (least im portant to you).
Rank Instrumental Values Rank Terminal Values
Ambition and hard work Contribution and a sense of
accomplishment
Honesty and integrity Happiness
Love and affection Leisurely life
Obedience and duty Wisdom and maturity
Independence and self-sufficiency Individual dignity
Humility Justice and fairness
Doing good to others (Golden rule) Spiritual salvation
Scoring Key: T he values that you ran k highest in each group are the o n e s that are m ost im portant to you.
C o n sid e r w h eth er y o u r actions, c are er c hoices, and so forth are co nsistent w ith y o u r values.
Sources: A nderson. C. “Values-based m anagem ent,” Academy o f Management Executive 11, no. 4 (1997): 25 -4 6 : Rokeach, M. Beliefs. Attitudes, and Values (San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. 1968).
C h ap ter 4 • Individual D iffere n ces and T raits 1 5 5
Self-Assessment 4-2: Emotional Intelligence
Indicate w h eth er each o f the fo llow ing statem en ts is true o r false for you.
Self-Awareness
1. I am aw are o f how I feel and why.
2. I und erstan d how my feelings affect my b eh av io r and my perform ance.
3. I have a good idea o f m y p erso n al stre n g th s and w eaknesses.
4. I analyze th in g s that happen to m e and reflect on w hat happened.
5. I am open to feedback from others.
6. I look for o p p o rtu n ities to leam m ore about m yself.
7. I put m y m istak es in perspective.
8. I m aintain a sense o f h u m o r a nd can laugh ab o u t my m istakes.
M anaging Emotions and Self-Regulation _____ 9. I can stay calm in tim es o f crisis.
______10. I th in k clearly and stay fo cu sed w hen u n d er pressure.
______11. I show integrity in all my actions.
______12. P eople can dep en d on m y w ord.
______13. I readily adm it m y m istakes.
_____ 14. I c o n fro n t the unethical a ctions o f others.
______15. I stand for w hat I b elieve in.
______16. I handle ch an g e well and stay the course.
______17. I can be flexible w hen facin g obstacles.
Self-Motivation
18. I set c h allen g in g goals.
19. I take reaso n ab le and m easured risks to achieve my goals.
20. I am resu lts oriented.
21. I look for inform ation on how to achieve m y goals and im prove m y p erform ance.
22. 1 go above and beyond w hat is sim p ly req u ired o f me.
23. I am alw ays looking for o p p o rtu n ities to do new things.
24. I m aintain a positive attitu d e even w hen I face o b stacles and setbacks.
25. I focus on su ccess rath er than failure.
26. 1 d o n 't take failure perso n ally o r blam e m y se lf too much.
Em pathy for O thers
______27. I pay atten tio n to how o th ers feel and react.
_____ 28. I can see so m eone e ls e ’s point o f view, even w hen I d o n ’t agree w ith them . _____ 29. I am sensitive to o th er people.
_____ 30. I o ffer feedback and try to help oth ers achieve th eir goals.
_____ 31. I reco g n ize and rew ard o th ers for th eir accom plishm ents.
______32. I am available to co ach and m en to r people.
______33. I respect peo p le from varied b ackgrounds.
_____ 34. I relate w ell to peo p le w ho are d ifferen t from me.
_____ 35. I ch allen g e intolerance, bias, and d iscrim in atio n in others.
Social Skills
36. I am skilled at persu ad in g others.
37. I can c o m m u n icate clearly and effectively.
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______38. I am a good listener.
_____ 39. 1 can acccpt bad as w ell as g ood news.
_____ 40. I can share m y vision w ith others and inspire them to follow my lead.
_____ 4 1 . 1 lead by exam ple.
_____ 42. I challenge the status q u o w hen necessary.
_____ 43. I can han d le difficult people tactfully.
______44. I en co u ra g e open and professional discu ssio n s when there are disag reem en ts.
_____ 45. 1 look for w in-w in solutions.
______46. 1 build and m aintain relationships w ith others.
_____ 47. I help m aintain a positive clim ate at w ork.
_____ 48. I m odel team qu alities such as respect, helpfulness, and cooperation.
______49. I encourage p articipation from everyone w hen I w ork in team s.
_____ 50. I understand political fo rces that operate in organizations.
Scoring Key: F or each o f the 50 item s, give y o u rse lf a 1 if you m arked “ true" and 0 if you m ark ed “fa lse.”
C o n sid e r y o u r total for each o f the subscales and y o u r overall total score:
Self-awareness: ______________ out of 8
Managing emotions and self-regulation: _____________ out of 9
Self-motivation: ______________ out of 9
Empathy for others: ______________ out of 9
Social skills: ______________ out of 15
Overall total: ______________ out of 50
T hose with h ig h er scores in each category, and overall, dem onstrate m ore o f the c h ara cteristics a sso ciated w ith high em o tio n al intelligence. S om e things you can keep in m ind as y o u focus on develo p in g y o u r EQ:
• K eep a jo u rn a l to track y o u r b ehavior and progress.
• S eek help from friends, cow orkers, and m entors.
• W ork on co n tro llin g y our tem p er and y our m oods; stay com posed, positive, and tactful w hen facin g difficult situations.
• Stay true to y o u r w ords and com m itm ents.
• B uild relatio n sh ip s and a w ide netw ork.
• P ractice active listening and pay attention to those around you.
Sources: Based on inform ation in Golem an. D. Working with Emotional Intelligence (New York: Bantam Books, 1998);
M O SA IC com petencies for professional and adm inistrative occupations (U.S. Office o f Personnel M anagem ent);
Rosier. R. H. (ed.). The Competency Model Handbook. Volumes One and Two (Boston: Linkage, 1994: 1995).
C h ap ter 4 • Individual D ifferen ces and T raits 157
Self-Assessment 4-3: Proactivity
U sing the scale below , indicate the extent to w hich each o f the follow ing statem ents d escrib es you.
Not at all like
me
Not like me
Sounds like me
Sounds a lot like me
1. I am always looking for new opportunities. 1 2 3 4
2. I believe in leaving well enough alone. 1 2 3 4
3. Whenever I can, I take initiative in school or work projects.
1 2 3 4
4 . I have a "can-do" approach. 1 2 3 4
5. I see change as an opportunity. 1 2 3 4
6. I focus on making things happen. 1 2 3 4
7. When I see that something works, I would rather leave it alone.
1 2 3 4
8. I like to advocate for others whenever I can. 1 2 3 4
9. Once I set my mind to do something, it gets done.
1 2 3 4
10. I see opportunity where many others see problems.
1 2 3
Total
4
Scoring Key: R everse scorc item s n um ber 2 and 7 (l = 4, 2= 3, 3 =2.4 = l ). then add up y o u r scores for the 10 item s. T h e po ssib le scores range from 10 to 40. If you have scored betw een 40 and 30, you have m any o f the ch aracteristics o f pro activ e people: if y o u r score is betw een 10 and 20. you are less proactive. S cores in the m iddle indicate a m o d erate am ount o f proactiveness. R eview each o f the item s to identify areas o f strength.
Sources: Based on inform ation in Becherer and M aurer, 1999: Crant, 2000: and Parker. Bindl. and Strauss, 2010.
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Self-Assessment 4-4: Type A
In d icate w h eth er each o f the follow ing item s is true or false for you.
________ I . I am alw ays in a hurry.
________ 2. I have list o f things I have to achieve on a daily o r w eekly basis.
________ 3. I tend to take one problem o r task at a tim e, finish, and then m ove to the next one.
________ 4. I tend to take a break o r quit w hen I get tired.
________ 5. I am alw ays doing several things at once both at w ork and in my personal life.
________ 6. People w h o know m e w ould describe my tem per as hot and fiery.
________ 7. I enjoy co m petitive activities.
________ 8. I tend to be relaxed and easygoing.
________ 9. M any things are m ore im portant to me than my job.
________ 10. I really enjoy w inning both at w ork and at play.
________ 11. I lend to rush peo p le along o r finish th eir sentences fo r them w hen they are taking too long.
________ 12. I en jo y “doing n o th in g “ and ju st hanging out.
Scoring Key: T ype A in dividuals tend to an sw er questio n s 1, 2, 5. 6, 7, 10, and 11 as true and q u estio n s 3, 4, 8, 9, and 12 as false. T ype B individuals tend to an sw e r in the reverse (1. 2, 5, etc. as false and 3, 4, etc.
as true and so forth).
C h ap ter 4 • In d iv id u al D ifferen ces and T raits 159
Self-Assessment 4-5: Self-Monitoring
Indicate the degree to w hich you think the fo llo w in g statem en ts are true o r false by w ritin g the a p p ro p riate num ber. F o r ex am p le, if a statem en t is alw ays true, you should w rite 5 next to that statem ent.
5 = C ertain ly alw ays true 4 = G en erally taie
3 = S om ew hat true, but w ith ex cep tio n s 2 = S o m ew h at false, but w ith e x ceptions
I = G en erally false 0 = C ertain ly alw ays false
________ l . In social situatio n s. I have the ability to a lte r my b eh av io r if I feel that som ething else is called for.
________ 2. I am often ab le to read p e o p le ’s irue em o tio n s correctly th ro u g h th eir eyes.
________ 3. I have the ability to co n tro l the w ay I com e acro ss to people, depen d in g on the im pression I w ish to give them .
________ 4. In con v ersatio n s, I am sensitive to even the slig h test ch an g e in the facial ex pression o f the person I ’m conversing w ith.
________ 5. M y pow ers o f in tuition are quite g ood w hen it com es to u n d erstan d in g o th ers’
em o tio n s and m otives.
________ 6. I can usually tell w hen o th ers c o n sid e r a jo k e in bad taste, even though they m ay laugh convincingly.
________ 7. I feel that the im age I am p o rtray in g is n ’t w orking. I can readily change it to so m eth in g that does.
________ 8. I can usually tell w hen I’ve said som ething inappropriate by reading the listen er’s eyes.
________ 9. I have trouble ch an g in g my b e h av io r to suit different people and different situations.
________ 10. I have found that I can adjust my b eh av io r to m eet the req u ire m en ts o f any situation 1 lind m y se lf in.
________ 11. If so m eone is lying to m e, I usually know it at once from the p e rso n ’s m an n er or expression.
________ 12. Even w hen it m ight be to m y advantage. I have difficulty putting up a good front.
________ 13. O nce 1 know w hat the situation calls for. it's easy for m e to reg u late m y actions accordingly.
Scoring Key: T o obtain y o u r score, add up the nu m b ers w ritten, except reverse the scores for q u estions 9 and 12. O n 9 and 12. 5 b ecom es 0. 4 beco m es 1, and so forth. H igh self-m o n ito rs are d efined as those w ith score o f ap p ro x im ate ly 53 or higher.
Source: Lennox R. D., and Wolfe, R. N. “Revision o f the self-m onitoring scale,” Journal o f Personality and Social Psychology, June 1984: 1361. Copyright by the A merican Psychological A ssociation. Reprinted with perm ission.
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Self-Assessment 4-6: Narcissism
For each o f the follow ing statem ents, indicate the degree to w hich you think each describes you by w riting the appropriate num ber. For exam ple, if a statem ent fits you well and sounds a lot like you. you w ould w rite 4.
1 = Does not sound like me at a ll/does not fit me at all 2 = D oes not sound like me
3 = Sounds like me
4 = Sounds a lot like m e/fits m e very well 1. I sec m y self as a good leader.
2. I know that I am g ood because everyone tells me so.
3. I can usu ally talk m y w ay ou t o f anything.
4. E verybody likes to hear m y stories.
5. I expect a great from o th er people.
6. I am assertive.
7. 1 like to display m y body.
8. I find it easy to m an ip u late o th er people to get w hat I w ant.
9. I d o n 't need anyone to help me get things done.
10. I insist on g etting the respect I deserve.
11. I like having auth o rity over o th er people.
12. I en jo y show ing off.
13. I can read people like a book.
14. I alw ays know w hat 1 am doing.
15. I w ill not be satisfied until I get all that I deserve.
16. People alw ays seem to recognize my authority.
17. 1 enjoy being the cen ter o f attention.
18. 1 can m ake anybody believe anything.
19. I seem to be b etter at m ost things than o th er people.
20. I get upset w hen people d o n 't notice me o r recognize m y acco m p lish m en ts.
21. I enjoy being in charge and telling people w hat to do.
22. I like to be com plim ented.
23. I can get my w ay in m ost situations.
24. 1 think I am a special person.
25. I deserve m ore than the average person because I am b etter than m ost people.
26. I have a natural talent for leadership.
27. 1 like to look at m y se lf in the mirror.
28. I know how to get others to do w hat 1 w ant.
29. T he w orld w ould be a b etter place if I w as in charge.
30. I am g o ing to be a great person.
Scoring Key:
Desire for power and leadership (L): A dd up scores for item s: I. 6, l l . 16, 21, and 26:
T o ta l:___________
Need for admiration and self-admiration (SA)\ A dd up scores for item s: 2. 7. 12, 17. 22. and 27.
T o ta l:___________
Exploitiveness (EX): A dd up scores for item s: 3. 8, 13. 18, 23, and 28.
T o ta l:___________
C h a p te r 4 • Individual D ifferen ces and T raits Arrogance and a sense o f superiority (A): A dd up scores fo r item s: 4, 9, 14, 19, 24, and 29.
T o ta l:____________
Sense of entitlement (ET): A dd up scores fo r item s: 5, 10, 15, 20, 25. and 30.
T o ta l:___________
A dd up the total for the five subscales: (30 low est to 120 h ig h est possible score).
Interpreting Your Score
T he live su b scales are the key facto rs in narcissism . T he highest possible total in each subscale is 24, with highest po ssib le total score o f 120. T h e h ig h e r y o u r scores, the m ore narcissistic ch ara cteristics you have.
S o m e deg ree o f n arcissism is a sso ciated w ith healthy self-esteem and effectiv e leadership.
Sources: Based on Emm ons. 1987; Raskin and Terry. 1988; Rosenthal and Pittinsky, 2006.
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