An ocean of people, all different and special, has something in common: O.C.E.A.N. – Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism – The Big Five.
- Openness – creativity and innovation vs. status quo
- Conscientiousness – responsibility and positive motivation vs. unreliability
- Extraversion – energy and positive emotions vs. lack of involvement and introversion
- Agreeableness – friendliness and generosity vs. extreme self-interest
- Neuroticism – emotional stability vs. negative emotions and depression
I have noticed the tendency, in current research, of the newest theory to make peace with the past. Usually the result is a combination of the old theories, each of them applying to specific aspects in the new one.
In organizational behavior the most accepted theory related to the role of personality is the interactionist approach. This theory is the result of mixing another two:
- The dispositional approach – an individual possesses stable traits or characteristics that influence his/her attitudes and behaviors
- The situational approach – characteristics of the organizational setting such as rewards and punishment influence employees’ feelings, attitudes, and behavior
According to the interactionist approach, organizational behavior is a function of both disposition and the situation. When the rules of an organization and the description of the role are not clearly specified and imposed, personality makes a difference. When the rules and role are defined the personality is less important and its manifestation does not affect the work environment.
O.C.E.A.N. is important. The most important predictor of career success remains intelligence (IQ) – separate topic (to follow).
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