Understanding Evolutionary Psychology in an Organization
Organisation consists of managers and their employees striving for
their goals and aspiration. In a work place there is tremendous amount
of disputes and misunderstanding as people interact with each other.
Study of psychology provides important information and insights about
the human behaviour. An understanding of human behaviour is useful to
a manager in maintaining and improving workplace performance.
Personality is a vital tool, which indicates success or the failure of
an individual for that job. " Those relatively stable enduring aspects
of the individual which distinguish him from other people and at the
same time form the basis of our predictions concerning his future
behaviour"(Wright et al, 1970). Managers get to know their employees
even better as personality depicts their habits, interests,
sentiments, ideals, opinions and believes. In addition to this
managers can also judge the level of awareness that employee has
towards his job. Sometimes there are conflicts between ego, superego,
and id. Assessing personality can help managers placing people in jobs
who are compatible with their characteristics. Personality indicates
the individual's way of coping and dealing with life. However,
opposites can be bad, especially if undetected, and not properly
managed in the work environment. Personality predicts how well we do
in terms of "contextual performance" (i.e., commitment,
non-attendance, involvement, dedication, abilities and job experiences
predict task performance better). Cultural differences may impact
personality: may determine one's success in managing cross-c...
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easy to deal with. If employees feel bored or workplace to be
monotonous then probably managers can use colors to induce certain
atmosphere in buildings, design of wallpaper or texture of curtains
may be used to create feelings of spaciousness or coziness. A mangers
perception of the workforce will influence attitudes in dealing with
people and the style of managerial behaviour adopted. The way in which
managers approach the performance of their jobs and the behaviour they
display towards their staff are likely to be conditioned by
predispositions about people, human nature and work for example the
management adopted on the basis of McGregor's theory X and Y.
Managers, however, are responsible for more work and results than they
can accomplish on their own; they are responsible for the performance
of others.
The concept of Social Darwinism was a widely accepted theory in the nineteenth-century. Various intellectual, and political figures from each side of the political spectrum grasped the theory and interpreted it in various ways. In this paper, we will discuss three different nineteenth-century thinkers and their conception of Social Darwinism. The conservative, Heinrich von Treitschke, and liberal Herbert Spencer both gave arguments on the usefulness of competition between people on a global scale. The anarchist, Peter Kropotkin, refuted the belief of constant competition among members of the same species and emphasized mutual aid.
The theory of Social Darwinism stems from the idea that the human species can progress by following the principal of Charles Darwin’s natural selection, in which he states that plants and animals that can adapt to changes in their environment are able to survive and reproduce, while those that cannot adapt will die. Social Darwinists applied this biological concept to social, political and economic issues, which created the “survival of the fittest” attitude, as well as competition and inequality between social groups. This paper will discuss some of the proponents of this theory, the results of their interpretation and application of the theory, and why this theory no longer holds a prominent position in Anthropological theory.
“One needs to cultivate the spirit of sacrificing the little me to achieve the benefits of the big me” (Chinese saying, Page 155). America has gone from sacrificing oneself for the good of others, to sacrificing others for the good of oneself. Charles Darwin had long predicted this phenomenon and coined it as the “survival of the fittest.” By definition, it is “a 19th century concept of human society, inspired by the principle of natural selection, postulating that those who are eliminated in the struggle for existence are the unfit” (“Survival of the fittest”, Dictionary.com). The American society, once based on collectivism, has changed drastically and is now based on individualism. The shift can be easily shown through works of literature, art, and in the everyday actions of the ones around us. There was once an atmosphere of humility and love, the atmosphere transformed into a black hole of of arrogance and hate. There is no more assisting those who need more help, but instead throwing them to the nearest lion to get eaten while you move higher up on the totem pole. Are you being cradled? Or are you making your way to the top at any cost? It’s the survival of the fittest, will you be left behind?
The debate among creationists and evolutionists as to the origin of modern life on Earth has pushed increasingly into the limelight over the last several years. Unfortunately, such mainstream coverage has caused many of the related issues to become skewed and misinterpreted. In the article “Five Major Misconceptions about Evolution,” Mark Isaak attempts to make clear the true nature of evolutionary theory so that, if it must be challenged, such arguments can be made on a purely factual basis rather than, as Isaak says, “against a set of misunderstandings that people are right to consider ludicrous” (“Misconceptions” Para. 1). He presents these misconceptions and his explanation of the faulty logic behind each one in five main categories: “Evolution has never been observed,” “Evolution violates the 2nd law of thermodynamics,” “There are no transitional fossils,” “The theory of evolution says that life originated, and evolution proceeds, by random chance,” and “Evolution is only a theory; it hasn't been proved” (“Misconceptions” Para. 2). In addressing each of these proposed falsehoods individually, Isaak forms an argument with few faults that is clear, precise, and effective.
For many years, there has been a debate in which whether or not personality plays a role in the workplace, in areas like “teamwork, job-fit, leadership, service, sales, and overall performance and satisfaction” (Furnham, 2008). Personality is an important topic for human resources and training professionals to consider during the hiring process and employee development. Employees’ personalities might have a significant impact on an organization’s performance. Therefore, I believe using personality tests in a workplace is necessary.
This chapter discusses The Evolutionary Perspective, Genetic Foundations, reproductive Challenges, and Heredity-Environment Interactions. Natural selection is the process by which those individuals of a species that are best adapted survive and reproduce. Darwin proposed that natural selection fuels evolution. In evolutionary theory, adaptive behavior is behavior that promotes the organism’s survival in a natural habitat. Evolutionary psychology holds that adaptation, reproduction, and “survival of the fittest” are important in shaping behavior. Ideas proposed by evolutionary developmental psychology include the view that an extended childhood period is needed to develop a large brain and learn the complexity of human social communities. According to Baltes, the benefits resulting from evolutionary selection decrease with age mainly because of a decline in reproductive fitness. At the same time, cultural needs increase. Like other theoretical approaches to development, evolutionary psychology has limitations. Bandura rejects “one-sided evolutionism” and argues for a bidirectional lin...
Personality is patterns of thinking, behavior and emotional responses that make up individuality over time. Psychologist attempt to understand how personality develops and its impact on how we behave. Several theories attempt to explain personality, using different approaches. The social-cognitive and humanistic approaches are two of many theories that attempt to explain personality. This essay will identify the main concepts of social-cognitive and humanistic approach, identify perspective differences and discuss approach limitations.
The purpose of this academic piece is to critically discuss The Darwinist implication of the evolutionary psychological conception of human nature. Charles Darwin’s “natural selection” will be the main factor discussed as the theory of evolution was developed by him. Evolutionary psychology is the approach on human nature on the basis that human behavior is derived from biological factors and there are psychologists who claim that human behavior is not something one is born with but rather it is learned. According to Downes, S. M. (2010 fall edition) “Evolutionary psychology is one of the many biologically informed approaches to the study of human behavior”. This goes further to implicate that evolutionary psychology is virtually based on the claims of the human being a machine that can be programmed to do certain things and because it can be programmed it has systems in the body that allow such to happen for instance the nervous system which is the connection of the spinal cord and the brain and assists in voluntary and involuntary motor movements.
Additionally, differences in personality greatly influence the working culture, dynamics, and effectiveness of a HSO. Some organizations utilize personality tests to look at a worker’s potential strengths. One example is the Myer’s Briggs Type Indicator that can identify how the worker perceives the world. However, perhaps it is the approach taken towards differences in personality that needs to be examined. Gardner concludes, that people tend to impose that their way is right verses understanding the differences between
Managers seem to inherit a strong trust in the authority of personality traits to forecast behavior at the work area. If managers thought that situations resolute behavior, they would hire individuals almost at random and assemble the situation correctly. But the employee selection procedure in most establishments places a great deal of importance on how applicants achieve in interviews and on examine through which the personality of a person can be achieved and the task distribution can be much easy varying upon the type of personality (Robbins, Odendaal and Roodt, 2001)
Allport defines personality as ‘the dynamic organisation within the individual of those psychological systems that determine his unique adjustment to his environment’ (Allport, 1937). An individual’s unique personality traits and attributes are a powerful indicator of how he/she will interact with the work environment. The difference between average and outstanding employees can often be solely personality related. As the employee is the most valuable asset to the company, ‘selecting the right employee during the process is critical’ (Carbery and Cross, 2013, pp. 41-53)
An individual’s personality is the basis of who they are and generates how they react to and behave in different situations. Personality testing is used in workplaces to identify whom to hire, promote and even put into teams. Personality testing is efficient in being able to determine which employees will perform best in certain roles, and this can remove some stress from employers. Personal testing has been shown to help improve the quality of employees who are in the workplace. The method of assessing personalities that will be examined in this essay is the Big Five taxonomy method. The two main questionnaires, which are used to determine these traits, are the Sixteen Personality Factor (16PF) Questionnaire and the NEO personality test. A participant’s results from a personality survey will be analysed to determine what their results mean for current and future workplace behaviour. Finally, this essay will review a case study and it will be explained why personality testing should be used in the workplace and what other work contexts these tests can take place in.
...theories of nature and nurture as a precursor of personality may enable an individual to obtain a clear perspective of its evolution. However, in the study of personality, it is very important to understand the different theoretical approaches within its realm. It is important for the same reason that not one person is the same and neither are personalities; and for the very same reason why personality theorist’ differ when describing the concept and nature of humanity.
Personality traits can be manifested as strengths or weaknesses depending on the situation, and personality tests can help individuals maximize strengths and minimize weaknesses within the organizational structure. Organizational behavior is critical to organizational effectiveness, and these tests can also point individuals toward certain careers or organizations that are good fits. Pearson Education’s MyManagementLab (2016) contains a series of personality tests and the following discussion analyzes the results of these tests as they apply to my personality and my career. The writing contains illustrations of my personality traits in action. The text also highlights areas of improvement that will enable me to be a better employee, co-worker,
One of the most prominent trends in organization today is the use of team to accomplish the work, which have assigned to an individual. Every team is made up of specific individuals and they are specialized in certain area of interest. If one of the specifications is missing It can be reflected on their performance. It indicates that, every individual is important for the organization. An individual’s performance within an organization and its relationship with its subordinates and coworkers is highly influenced by the Big Five personality traits. My Big five test results depicted that I am traditional/conventional individual with significantly high percentile of conscientiousness and agreeableness. I also have lower neuroticism and slightly