Individual differences pertaining to personality and ability can weigh heavily on the influence of one’s performance in the workplace. There are many behavior traits that can influence how individuals interact with coworkers or team members. Some of these traits include a need for acceptance or achievement, self-esteem, self-monitoring behavior and A/B type behaviors (Wellness Checkpoint, n.d.). When employees display high self-motivation, superior self-esteem, and/or use of A or B behaviors, the overall productivity and efficiency improves (CTU, 2008).
Dr. Ray Rosenman and Dr. Meyer Friedman observed thousands of persons within the age of 31 and 59 for Type A and Type B behavior traits. Their discoveries included key indicators that show every personality with Type A or Type B behaviors. Type A personalities include insecurity and lower self-esteem while Type B shows a more patient and easy-going counter part. Type A personalities have a 70% more probability of suffering from coronary heart disease because they are more time urgent, easily angered and have a heavy insecurity. Those with Type A behaviors tend to over exert themselves to make up for the achievements they lack. As a result they are easily agitated and feel anxiety when under pressure (Wellness Checkpoint, n.d.). These feelings directly relate to business productivity as these negative feelings and pressures may cause the productivity of the entire company to decrease (CTU, 2008).
In a text written by Jennifer George and Gareth Jones (2005), research states that an individuals’ personality mixed with a specific situational factor stimulates the thoughts, feelings, attitudes, and behavior that will improve or diminish productivity within an organization. Their studies show that everyone is unique in that they have a specific mixture of personality traits that make them the person they materialize for others around them. The Big Five Model of Personality includes extraversion, neuroticism, agreeableness, conscientiousness, and openness to experience. Any level of these five traits will make a person more or less positive, negative, likeable, careful, and/or willing to explore risks and interests. It is important to understand how these traits affect employees and thus their work and environment. For example, it has been indicated that those displaying a high level of neuroticism or negative behavior are more likely to increase stressors in the workplace (George & Jones, 2005, pg 43-49).
There are other organizationally relevant personality traits which effect business directly through a personals feelings or efforts. For example, internal and external locus of control describes the way an individual feels about their fate and their responsibilities towards it. Someone with an external locus of control deems their success and growth dependant on larger forces such as luck, an easy task, or a more powerful person than themselves. However, those with an internal locus of control attribute their achievement to their own skill. Individuals with an internal locus of control will tend to exert more force over their job workload because they feel more responsibility or obligation to a job well done (George & Jones, 2005, pg. 48-49).
In conclusion, recent studies have shown that there is a correlation between job satisfaction and job performance. This concept suggests that any positive influences for higher employment satisfaction will stimulate stronger job productivity and performance. Creating the perfect job situation would involve the individual being satisfied in all personality aspects. In any other scenario, dissatisfaction could lead to a diversion or avoidance of the problem all together (CTU, 2008). It is very important for employees and employers that personality correspond with an individuals job title.
References:
CTU Online. (Ed.). (ca. 2008). Phase 1 Course Material [multimedia presentation]. Colorado Springs, CO: CTU Online. Retrieved February 23, 2008, from CTU Online, Virtual Campus, MGM335 Organizational Behavior Principles: 0801B-04. Website: https://campus.ctuonline.edu/MainFrame.aspx?ContentFrame=/Classroom/course.aspx?Class=23719&tid;=39
George, J. and Jones, G. (2005). Understanding and Managing Organizational Behavior. (4th ed.)Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall.
Wellness Checkpoint. (n.d.) Introduction to Type A & B Behavior Patterns. Retrieved February 21, 2008, from http://aipm.wellnesscheckpoint.com/library/banner_main.asp?P=29892EASME2
