Theories Of Employee Personality

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Personality can be defined as the unique combination of personal traits or characteristics that define an individual (Cooper, 2015). As the definition itself implies, the personality of each individual can be considered to differ. Yet, personality and trait theories have been developed to categorise individuals based on the common dimensions of their personalities (Cooper, 2015). With people having different personalities and numerous ways of describing the personality of a person. Mullins (2007, p.122), sees how people are different from one another and this differences are basis of diversity. Things people do is always reflected in what they say and do and according to Carver and Scheier (2008, p.3), it shows how people do what they do. …show more content…

Maslow’s hierarchy of needs (1943) represents one of the earliest theoretical framework that explored the aspects of human motivation. Staw (1976, p.49-52) sees intrinsic and extrinsic motivation as way of distinguishing employee motivation and the first way of making that distinction is by Herzberg’s two-factor theory. Intrinsic factor is seen as job satisfaction and extrinsic as job dissatisfaction. Both motivators are essential in motivating employees (Herzberg, 1959), on the other hand it can be argued that concentrating only on the necessary factors by managers is not enough according to Herzberg (1959). Hygiene and motivator factors must all be addressed by manager to motivate employees (Saiyadain 2009, 158). According to Maslow (1943), these needs are fulfilled in a hierarchical order and hence, the lowest unfulfilled need drives the motivation of a given individual. In the context of a workplace environment, the application of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs (1943) suggests that basic salary is intended to satisfy low-order needs (physiological and safety), whilst additional motivation factors (e.g. challenging work, positive work environment, recognition) are needed to satisfy higher-order needs (esteem and self-actualisation in particular). Building on the work of Maslow (1943), Nohria, Groysberg and Lee (2008) explored the drives that motivate employees in the contemporary business environment, revealing that the need to acquire, to bond, to comprehend and to defend represent key motivational mechanisms for employees nowadays. These drives uncovered by Nohria, Groysberg and Lee (2008) can be linked with respective layers of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, suggesting that it is the recognition of employees’ needs that allows organisations to effectively

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