IOP2606 - Individual Differences And Work Performance (IOP2606)
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IOP2606 - EXAM PACK (2022)
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IOP2606 - Individual Differences And Work Performance (IOP2606)
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University Of South Africa (Unisa)
Contains frequently asked Questions and Answers from past exam papers AND a summary of important study notes - Definitions, Short Questions, Long questions and lecturer's exam tips.
IOP2606 - Individual Differences And Work Performance (IOP2606)
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IOP2606
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Questions. Answers
, Study unit 1:
The origin and nature of individual differences
Explain why personality is an important factor in work success and organizational functioning 10
QUESTION: Is personality an important factor in work success and organisational functioning?
Personality is the sum of the total ways in which an individual thinks, behaves and interacts with others,
and copes or adjusts when necessary. It constitutes all that we can see of a person; it is also shaped and
influenced by factors that are hidden, unobtrusive or not always visible to the naked eye or other
senses. Has a cognitive domain and non-cognitive domains.
According to Allport, personality is “the dynamic organization within the individual of those
psychophysical systems that determine his characteristic behavior and thought”.
According to Meyer, Moore and Viljoen personality is “the constantly changing but nevertheless
relatively stable organization of all physical, psychological and spiritual characteristics of the individual
which determine his/her behavior in interaction with the context in which the individual finds himself
or herself.
From a work perspective personality might be seen as those attributes which fit the demands of the
work environment.
From a work perspective personality might be seen as those attributes which fit the demands of the
work environment. Neff, defines the work personality as semi-autonomous and separate from other
aspects of personality and includes acquired work styles, behaviours, abilities, feelings and attitudes
necessary to fulfil a productive role as demanded in work situations. Impaired work performance in
individuals may be because these working attributes or competencies were not acquired.
Related to personality:
● Character emphases a person's values, moral and ethical principles.
● Temperament or nature denotes a person's emotional orientation and has genetic,
physiological or biological connotations.
● The ``self'' and related concepts like self-image, self-identity, perceived self, and self-evaluation
have a more personality-related connotation. May refer to something that unifies various,
aspects of personality or which motivates or energises personality.
Conclusion: It is evident from the above discussion that personality is an important factor in work
success and organisational functioning.
Page 1 of 19
,There might be confusion on the usage of personality and individual differences as they appear to
have the same meaning. Define personality and individual differences, and differentiate between the
two, and also determine a relationship between the two. 10
Personality is the sum of the total ways in which an individual thinks, behaves and interacts with
others, and copes or adjusts when necessary. It constitutes all that we can see of a person; it is also
shaped and influenced by factors that are hidden, unobtrusive or not always visible to the naked eye or
other senses. It has a cognitive domain and non-cognitive domains.
According to Allport, personality is “the dynamic organization within the individual of those
psychophysical systems that determine his characteristic behavior and thought”.
According to Meyer, Moore and Viljoen personality is “the constantly changing but nevertheless
relatively stable organization of all physical, psychological and spiritual characteristics of the individual
which determine his/her behavior in interaction with the context in which the individual finds himself
or herself.
From a work perspective personality might be seen as those attributes which fit the demands of the
work environment.
The concepts of temperament, character and the self are related to personality. Character refers to a
person's values and moral and ethical principles. Temperament or nature denotes a person's emotional
orientation and has genetic, physiological or biological connotations. The self denotes anything which
people themselves, or through others, perceive as belonging to their sense of being a person and which
describes the ``I'' ``me'' and ``mine''.
Individual differences are all our personal attributes which make us unique and often differentiate us
from other people, even though we may also have some similarities with other individuals, groups and
even all other people. Individual differences also refer to the following:
● a person's genetic attributes (for example physical, physiological and neurological structures)
● a person's acquired social, psychological, moral and cognitive attributes and behaviours which
may distinguish him or her from others
The areas or types of individual differences derive from various sources of knowledge on personality
such as the following:
● Personality and other psychological theories, other behavioural and bio-psychological theories,
and other disciplines that examine human behavior.
● Assessment and research on personality and applications which use knowledge of personality.
Conclusion: From the above discussion it is clear that personality and individual differences are related
to each other because both can be used to explain differences between people. However they are also
different because personality refers mainly to behaviour aspects, whereas individual differences is
more holistic and includes everything that is different between people. Individual differences can be
specified without observing any behaviour by the person whereas personality cannot.
Page 2 of 19
, Explain individual differences by using the main ideas from four main perspectives on personality
25
Personality theories are also associated with individual difference. Discuss personality theories and
indicate each theory’s contribution to the uniqueness of each person (individual differences). 15
Researchers in the field of psychology have developed a scientific approach for assessing personality
differences. The scientific psychology is based on good theory, and on empirical or objective and
reputable measurements which provide evidence that concepts are valid and reliable.
1. Psychodynamic or psychoanalytic theories (depth psychology)
Question: What are psychodynamic or psychoanalytic theories all about do they contribute to the
study of the uniqueness of each person?
● Differences according to external or covert factors (such as unconscious influences), and also
biological factors have not much control.
● Differences in the structures of personality (the id, ego, and superego) that drive behaviour and
are unconscious.
● People unaware of why they behave in certain ways.
● Emphasis on people's experience of conflicts because of internal biological drives, unconscious
motives, past events and the norms of society.
● Early childhood development more important.
● Personality is an integrated phenomenon that is unique to each person and stable over time
and situations.
Conclusion: These theories emphasise that much of what we consider as people’s personality and
individual differences are things that the person has no control over.
2. Behaviouristic or learning theories
Question: What are behaviouristic or learning theories all about do they contribute to the study of the
uniqueness of each person?
● Personality is characterised by responses (behaviours), expectations and thoughts as learned
(conditioned) and rewarded in the various types of environments in which humans function.
● People reacting to stimuli (stimulus-response or S-R principle), while the S-O-R
(stimulus-organism-response) principle assumes the person or organism can influence or
self-regulate how they want to respond.
● People's environments and circumstances are dominant influences on what they become and
may even override basic natural or genetic potential.
● Personality develops because certain behaviours occur and are rewarded more often than
Page 3 of 19
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