Dimensional Models of Personality
Do you think there is a contradiction between what employers want in employees () and what employees actually do best (disagreeable employees)? Why or why not? Answer: The article is focusing on only one dimension out of 5 models of the personality dimensions. In the real-life, an individuals’ personality can’t be with only one dimension. For example, someone can be very cooperative, good-natured, and trusting “high on agreeableness” as well he could be high on Conscientiousness, which means that he does greater effort and persistence, more drive and discipline and is well organized which will definitely reflect on higher performance, his leadership behavior is probably more enhanced in the form of persistence, attention to details and setting high standards. Other studies on personality found that traits that matter most for the Business success of all about Conscientiousness. Moreover, Successful employees usually make compromises especially when area of conflict is reached and they show more cooperation when they feel that disagreeable will not serve their personal objectives which give the impression as they are high on agreeableness. Finally, the article assumes that employers always want agreeable employees by default, it could be true when in some jobs like interpersonally oriented jobs such as customer service, but the situation will definitely not be the same when the employer would like to hire candidates for strategic positions with high potential and needs strong leadership behavior.
Often the effects of personality depend on the situation. Can you think of some job situations in which agreeableness is an important virtue? And in which it is harmful? Answer: In situations like business crises, change management during mergers & acquisitions, when the chairman (or) maybe the board of directors is taking the lead to drive the company during the hard time, agreeableness from all subordinates would be an important virtue. There would not be more time to stop, argue and disagree. They will only require full cooperation, compliance and abiding the rules from each and everyone in the organization. Examples of jobs that requires agreeable situations:
- Social workers
- Nurses , Special Care to patients like Alzheimer patients
- School teachers
- Customer Service
On the other hand, for job situations that require bargaining skills where the job requires a dog-eat-dog attitude such as labor negotiation, defending the solid business case to get approval, Agreeableness would be harmful to the company, because agreeable people in less likely to get into accidents while such situation needs some sort of disagreement as conflict with a healthy level can boost the performance. Question (3) In some research we have conducted, we have found that the negative effect of agreeableness on earnings is stronger for men than for women (that is, being agreeable hurts men’s earnings more than women’s). Why do you think this might be the case? Answer: I believe that negative effect of agreeable on earnings hurt men more than woman due to differences in way men are perceived compared to women, also women as being “more socially active nature” being more communicative and more friendly thus assumed to be more conversational and mediators in social conflicts than men are.
Finally, agreeableness may be looked at as a feminine feature, and thus by men being agreeable, possibly feminize him at an unconscious level.
