Page 27 - eBOOK ORGANISATIONAL BEHAVIOUR FULL REPORT (eISBN)
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CHAPTER 3: PERSONALITY AND VALUES
3.1 Definition of Personality
When we talk of personality, we don’t mean a person has charm, a positive attitude toward
life, or a constantly smiling face. For our purposes, you should think of personality as the
sum total of ways in which an individual reacts to and interacts with others.
3.2 Personality Determinants
Was personality predetermined at birth, or was it the result of the individual’s interaction
with his or her surroundings? What determines our personality?
a) Heredity
Refers to factors determined at conception. Physical stature, facial attractiveness,
gender, temperament, muscle composition and reflexes, energy level, and biological
rhythms are generally considered to be either completely or substantially influenced by
who your parents are—that is, by their biological, physiological, and inherent
psychological makeup.
b) Environment
The factors such as culture in which we grow up, norms among the family, friends and
social groups are belief to influence our personality. Situational factors also have an
impact on personality.
c) Situation
Although an individual’s personality is generally stable and consistent, personality does
change in different situation. For example, personality of someone when attending an
interview is differ compared to when he or she is having a picnic at park.
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