Human Behavior in

Organization
Chapter 2- Individual Differences , Mental Ability,
and Personality
 II. Individual Differences ,
Mental Ability, and Personality

2 Individual Differences –
Consequences of Individual Differences
What Makes People Different from Each Other
Demographic Diversity
Aptitude and Ability
Personality
Emotional Intelligence
More on Physical Ability

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 Quotations are commonly printed as a means of
inspiration and to invoke philosophical thoughts from
the reader.

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 Individual Differences

▪ Refers to the variation in how people respond to the same situation

based on personal characteristics. The idea is that each person is
different from all others and that these differences are usually
substantial rather than meaningless.

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 Consequences of Individual
Differences

1. People Differ in Productivity

2. People Differ in the quality of their work
3. People react differently to empowerment
4. People react differently to any style of Leadership
5. People differ in terms of need for contact with other people
6. People differ in terms of commitment to the organization
7. People differ in terms of level of self-esteem.

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 What makes people
different from each other

1. Demographics
2. Aptitude and Ability
3. Personality

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 I. Demographic
Diversity
Sources of Demographic Diversity:
▪ Gender
▪ Generational Differences and Age
▪ Culture

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 - Refers to differences in the
Gender Differences perception of male and female.

1. Problem Solving Abilities

2. Analytical Skills
3. Competitive Drive
4. Motivation
5. Learning Ability
6. Sociability

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 Generational and Age-Based
Differences

Workers who belong to a certain generation may behave differently from a worker
who belongs to another.

Culture - Differences in job performance and behavior are sometimes caused by

differences in culture.
- refers to the learned and shared ways of thinking and acting among a group of
people or society.

Two Dimensions of Culture

1. Social Culture
2. Organizational Culture

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 II. Aptitude and Ability

Aptitude
- is defined as the capacity of a person to learn or acquire skill.

Ability
- refers to individual’s capacity to perform the various tasks in
a job.

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 Refers to the capacity of the individual to
Physical Ability do tasks demanding stamina, strength,
and similar characteristics.

1. Dynamic Strength
2. Trunk Strength
3. Static Strength
4. Explosive Strength
5. Extent Flexibility
6. Dynamic Flexibility
7. Body Coordination
8. Balance
9. Stamina

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 Intellectual Ability

- refers to the capacity to do mental activities, such as thinking,

reasoning, and problem solving

- also referred to as intelligence, it is one of the major sources of individual

differences.

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 Dimensions of Intellectual
Ability

1. Cognitive
- refers to the capacity of a person to acquire and apply knowledge including solving
problems.
2. Social Intelligence
- refers to person’s ability to relate effectively with others.
3. Emotional Intelligence
- refers to person’s qualities such as understanding one’s own feelings, empathy for
others, and the regulation of emotion to enhance living.
4. Cultural Intelligence
- refers to an outsider’s ability to interpret someone’s unfamiliar and ambiguous
behavior the same way that person’s compatriot would.

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 An eminent researcher, ROBERT
The Triarchic Theory of STERNBERG, developed an approach to
Intelligence the study of intelligence, which is now
known ad the Triachich Theory of
Intelligence.

1. Componential Intelligence
- also referred to as analytical intelligence, it involves components used in
thinking. This is traditional type of intelligence needed for solving difficult problems with
abstract reasoning.

2. Experiential Intelligence
- Also referred to as creative intelligence, is that type of intelligence that
focuses on how people perform on tasks with which they have either little or no previous
experience or else great experience.

3. Contextual Intelligence
- also known as practical intelligence, is a type of everyday intelligence or
streets smart. It requires adapting to, selecting, and shaping our real-world environment.
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 Another eminent researcher, Howard
Theory of Multiple Gardner, developed a very useful means
Intelligence of understanding intelligence. He
proposes eight different components of
intelligence.

1. Linguistic. People who possess this component of intelligence is sensitive to

language, meanings, and relations among words.

2. Logical-Mathematical. This intelligence component covers abstract thought,

precision, counting, organization, and logical structure, enabling the individual to see
relationship between objects and solve problems such as those in algebra and actuarial
concerns.

3. Musical. This intelligence component gives people the capacity to create and
understand meanings made out of sounds and to enjoy different types of
music.

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 Another eminent researcher, Howard
Theory of Multiple Gardner, developed a very useful means
Intelligence of understanding intelligence. He
proposes eight different components of
intelligence.

4. Spatial. This intelligence component enables people to perceive and manipulate images
in their brain and to recreate them from memory, such as making graphic design.

5. Bodily-Kinesthetic. This intelligence enables people to use their body and perceptual
and motor systems in skilled ways, such as dancing, playing sports, and
expressing emotion through facial expression.

6. Intrapersonal. The person with this kind of intelligence has highly accurate
understanding of himself or herself.

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 Another eminent researcher, Howard
Theory of Multiple Gardner, developed a very useful means
Intelligence of understanding intelligence. He
proposes eight different components of
intelligence.

7. Interpersonal. This intelligence component makes it possible for persons to recognize

and make distinctions among the feelings, motives, and intentions of others

8. Naturalist. A person with this intelligence possesses the ability to seek patterns in the
external physical environment.

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 Personality refers to the sum total of
III. Personality ways in which individual reacts and
interacts with others.

Determinants of Personality

Hereditary Factors:
1. Physical Stature
2. Facial Attractiveness
3. Gender
4. Temperament
5. Muscle Composition and Reflexes
6. Energy Level
7. Biological Rhythms

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 Personality refers to the sum total of
III. Personality ways in which individual reacts and
interacts with others.

Determinants of Personality

Environmental Factors
1. Cultural Factor
2. Social Factor
3. Situational Factor

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 III. Personality

Personality Factors and Traits

1. Emotional Stability
a. emotionally stable person – calm, self-confident, secure
b. emotionally unstable person - nervous depressed, insecure
2. Extraversion
a. Extravert – sociable, gregarious, assertive
b. Introvert – reserved, timid, quiet
3. Openness to Experience –
a. open-minded person – imaginative, cultured, curious, original,
broadminded, intelligent artistically sensitive.
4. Agreeableness
a. agreeable person – cooperative, warm, trusting
b. disagreeable person – cold, antagonistic
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 III. Personality

Personality Factors and Traits

5. Concientiousness
a. highly conscientious person – responsible, organized, dependable,
persistent.
b. person with low score on conscientiousness – easily distracted,
disorganized, unreliable.

6. Self-Monitoring Behavior
a. high self monitor – pragmatic, chameleon-like actor in social groups, often
say what others want to hear.
b. low self monitor – avoid situation that require him/her to adapt to different
outer images, often inflexible

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 III. Personality

Personality Factors and Traits

7. Risk Taking and Thrill Seeking

a. risk taker – willingness to take risks and pursue thrills
b. play safe person – not willing to take risk, and pursue thrills
8. Optimism
a. optimistic – tendency to experience positive emotional states and to believe
that positive outcome will be forthcoming from most activity.
b. pessimist – tendency to experience negative emotional states and to
typically believe that negative outcomes will be forthcoming from most activity.

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 Want big impact?

1. When does conflict of interest

exist?
2. What may be expected of a
society with low regards for morals?

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 End

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