Personality Traits and Performance at Workplace - Abu Dhabi - Case Study Example

Personality Traits and Performance at Workplace Executive Summary The aim of this report was to outline the relationship between personality traits, emotion and work place effectiveness using the case study of the author’s work place which is Abu Dhabi municipality. In addition, it was to expose the author’s competencies in line with the identified traits in various literatures and propose areas where the author would like to develop further so as to enhance effectiveness. The emerging theme out of the literature review is that personality trait is critical for ones effectiveness at the work place. This is based on the fact that workplace involves dealing with people and thus, having appropriate peoples’ skills empowers one to navigate the social world at work place. Moreover, emotions are critical in enabling one in managing other peoples’ personality and thus, ability to interact with them constructively. In the personal reflection on my competencies at work place, I found that I am a hand on person who likes to give example and engage in team work. This shows that I am a pragmatic person with a strong will and curiosity. Hence, I concluded that my competencies border extrovert and openness traits. However, I found out that to expand my competencies, I should strive and embrace traits of an agreeable individual. Table of Contents Executive Summary 1 Table of Contents 2 1.0 Introduction 1 3.0 Analysis of Competencies 3 4.0 How to Develop the Competencies Further 5 5.0 Conclusion 6 References 7 1.0 Introduction Human resource is a significant factor in growth of organisation in order to deliver services, create value and gain market leadership. Apart from rendering their human power, employees are critical in innovation, driving change and acting as contact person between organisation and the clients. There are two critical skills required of an employee so that they can be able to deliver beyond expectations. The first is the technical skills which are related to ones profession and include factors like planning, organising and controlling among others. On the other hand soft skills are related to interpersonal or peoples skills which allow one to navigate his or her work place. The argument behind this later statement is based on the fact that work place is made of people and relationship among these individuals is important. This report outlines effectiveness of an employee by using Abu Dhabi as a case example. This is done in the context of personality & emotion and how these two can affect individual behaviour and performance at work. To address the said topic, the report outlines three principal discussions. The first would be to examine literature about personality and emotion on individual behaviour and performance at work. The second section is a personal reflection by analysing the author’s own effectiveness at work by using appropriate diagnostics of personality and emotional competencies as well as evaluation of author’s actual behaviour. The third section identify specific strategies for developing author’s workplace effectiveness taking account of author’s personality characteristics & emotional competencies and how they might aid in improvement of performance. 2.0 Effects of Personality & Emotion on Individual Behaviour & Performance at Work Irrespective of one’s technological skills, human behaviour will influence his or her job involvement and consequently performance (Liao and Lee, 2009, p.22). The best way to understand the concept of personality and work place performance is through trait theory. Matthews, Deary & Whiteman (2003, p.3) observes that traits are tied to individual quality in terms of how they behave. The nexus between trait which defines personality and work places performance is embedded in the fact that individual trait which is stable over time influences ones behaviour and performance at work place (Thoresen et al., 2004, p.835). These traits include favourable behaviours like being truthful, neutral traits like being impulsive and unfavourable behaviour like dishonesty (Matthews, Deary & Whiteman, 2003, p.4). Liao and Lee (2009) outlines the big five traits as neurotic personality/ emotionally stable, extroverted personality, openness personality, agreeable personality and conscientious personality. Thoresen et al., (2004) examine the relationship between the big five traits and individual job performance. Pertaining to mean performance differences in maintenance and transitional job stages, they note that two traits are critical in determining maintenance and transitional job stages. They postulate that such trait include consciencentiousness. They adopt this trait because it has been empirically proven to have generalizable validity across board (Barrick and Mount cited in Thoresen et al., 2004, p.837). In their review they note an employee who scores high on consciencentiousness can be depended on and is achievement driven. On the other hand, those employees who are low in the same are likely to be careless and undependable. The second they identify under their topic is the link between sales and traits of extraversion. They posit that those who have higher scores as extroverts do well in sales because of their ability to be assertive, sociable and have positive emotionality among others. On the other hand, those who are week in the same are timid, aloof and socially withdrawn among others (Thoresen et al., 2004, p.837). Liao and Lee (2009, p.24) brings in the concept of job involvement and its nexus with performance whereby they note that individual identification with work determines their productivity. Liao and Lee (2009, p.25) in their work they examine the negative relationship of emotional stability or neurotic personality as a personality trait and its connection with job involvement. In their work, they postulate that neuroticism can be linked to lower job efficiency. They observe that one who is in this category is likely to experience anxiety, depression worry, anger and insecurity. This then implies that neurotic person is likely to have inadequate ambition and less focus as a result of having low confidence and optimism. Apart from this negative relationship, it is important to explore the importance of emotional intelligence ion enabling an employee navigate the social world at work place and manage different personalities. Schermerhorn et al (2011, p. 156) identifies importance of emotional intelligence in helping one manage different personality by striking to their emotional side. 3.0 Analysis of Competencies Work place is made of people and hence, an employee has to have adequate skills that should enable him or her to navigate the social world at work place. The reason behind this argument is based on the fact that work place is not an island of only individual input (one can’t claim to be knowledgeable in all areas), but a setting that equally relies on the synergy of many to realise the required goals (necessitated by the need to share information). For instance, one needs various interpersonal skills so as to relate with people in different ways. The ability to relate with other employees well so as to attain the organisational goals and consequently performance at work is tied to personality and emotional intelligence. Working with Abu Dhabi municipality is a challenging experience as every employee is expected to contribute towards the service charter of the municipality so as to make life easier for the occupants, business people and visitors to the city. The below reflection expresses what I feel is my competencies at work. Following are some of my strengths that I identified. I have learned that I am hands on person and get high percentage of things done when trying them out. I achieve the anticipated results even though I find it difficult in the start. I feel at home trying something new using my own initiative to achieve required results. I am good at resolving conflicts amongst the members of the team and therefore present solutions to the problems that arise from within the work group. I welcome constructive feedback and work upon the elements of improvement which are important. People trust me with their secrets as I consider empathy to be the integral ingredient of good relationships. To link the above observation about my job involvement and the various personality traits, I pragmatically feel that I border in between two traits. These traits that I feel I border are extroverted personality and openness personality. The reason why I support the extrovert trait in me is because I am sociable and like engaging others in what I do. Moreover, am aggressive and ambitious on any thing I want to achieve by being hands on. Leo and Lee (2009, p.25) observes that an extrovert are level headed and are able to respond to customer needs adequately. The hallmark of this kind is being sociable and thus, being able to handle relationships. On the other hand, why I say I can also fall in the category of those who are open is based on the fact that I am imaginative and any time would wish to have answers for my curiosity. Leo and Lee (2009, p.26) affirms the same by stating that those who are in this category are broad minded and expresses high job involvement. 4.0 How to Develop the Competencies Further For continued growth, it is important for employees to have a paradigm shift by trying acquiring desirable traits. The same applies to me. The belief is tied to the fact that while I display certain characters that are critical for success, I steel need to work on some aspects so as to enhance my capacity in the office. To me, there is no perfect trait, but the ability to combine all these to suit at any given time would help. To enhance my competency further, the area that I would like to develop further is on agreeable personality. The reason why I say this is because I tend to be strong willed and at time water down other peoples’ input and that might dilute team work. Leo and Lee (2009, p.26 & 27) observes those who are agreeable are well behaved, courteous, flexible and trusting. These are really critical for an individual at work place. 5.0 Conclusion The aim of the report was to outline my competencies as individual at work place by relating it with various personality traits and how they contribute to unrivalled performance or not. The emerging issue is that knowing of personality traits is important since they influence individual behaviour and thus, performance. The same can be said of emotion and emotional intelligence. In the discussion, I outlined that I tend to fall into two major categories as a result of the characters and competencies I display at work place. The personalities I have are openness and extroverted personality. However, the area I would like to improve on is to adopt certain characters of those who have agreeable personality. References Lio, C. & Lee, C. (2009). An empirical study of employee job involvement and personality traits: the case of Taiwan. Journal of Economics and Management 2(1), 22–36. Matthews, G., Deary, I. J. & Whiteman, M. C. (2003). Personality traits. New York: Cambridge University Press. Schermerhorn, J. R., Osborn, R. N., Uhl-Bien, M. & Hunt, J. G. (2011). Organisational behaviour. New York: John Wiley & Sons. Thoresen, C. J., Bliese, P. D., Bradley, J. C. & Thoresen, J. D. (2004). The big five personality traits and individual job performance growth trajectories in maintenance and transitional job stages. Journal of Applied Psychology, 89(5), 835– 853. Read More