Understanding Personalities Is the Most Important Factor in Effective People Management - Literature review Example

University Name Department Question 1Understanding personalities is the most important factor in effective people management Student name & Admission number Date of Submission Introduction Businesses in the entire world today are facing a number of challenges. Internal and external operating environment factors persist to challenge general performance and revenue growth of various organisations. To continue being profitable in the greatly changing, challenging and competitive surroundings, all the factors of production should be prudently managed. Among the factors of production, the personnel represents the prevalent challenge since unlike other inputs worker management calls for competent handling of thoughts, feelings and emotions to safeguard maximum productivity (López-Cabrales, 2011). Employee motivation delivers continuing benefits in terms of immeasurable value to the organisation in maintaining and strengthening its business and revenue growth. The individual in the organization People think of an organisation in communal sense; however it really is composed of individuals. These individuals do something on their working lives in line with the structure of an organization code of conduct and in the perspective of an organization culture (Zimmerman, and Darnold, 2009). An individual in organizations is believed that is having gender, age, race and size; as a person with a variety of capabilities that is intellectual, physical and social; and as a personality, that is someone having a particular kind of temperament. R.B. Cattell theory on personality Cattell did research on personality and concluded that there are two main groups of personality traits; surface traits, which are clusters of overt behaviour, such as honesty and self-discipline and source traits, which are characteristics tendencies that underlie, surface (López-Cabrales, 2011). He identified sixteen source traits, which have the basis of his efforts to measure personality using a questionnaire known as the 16PF questionnaire (personality Factor). Catell’s personality test has been employed for several years in the selection process and management of employees in order to get the right personality for the job. Carl Jung personality theory Jung’s personality theory illustrates the way people have a preference in perceiving their surroundings as well as acquiring and processing information. He positioned his argument upon the concept that individuals are essentially unlike, however also essentially alike. Jung’s classic discourse on psychological forms suggested that the people were made up of two indispensable types, which are extravert and introvert. Jung went further in his theory to formulate two forms of perception which encompassed sensing and intuition as well as two forms of judgment which are thinking and feeling (Zimmerman and Darnold, 2009). Perception entailed gathering information whereas judgment entailed the way people make decisions thus symbolising the indispensable mental operations that everyone uses. He expounded on the theory by proposing that individuals’ similarities and differences may be well comprehended by merging preferences. Myers-Briggs type indicator (MBTI) MBTI is an extensively used device for evaluating personality types in working environment. The test evaluates the way individual center their attention, may be in form of extroversion or introversion; collect information which may either be through sensing or intuition; process and measure information via thinking or feeling; and familiarize themselves to the outside world which could be undertaken through judging or perceiving (Zimmerman and Darnold, 2009). Sources of personality differences A number of factors determines an individual personality and may be categorized as hereditary, culture, family, group membership and life experiences. Hereditary- this are variables founded in the belief in the general source of personality, for example “he is just like her mother, or he is so hardworking as his maternal uncles. Nevertheless the level to which genetic factors tend to affect personality is ardently challenged. The main concerns have originated from nature-nurture disagreement. Acute nature disputes that personality is for the most part inherited. Acute nurture situation is that personality attributes are rarely inherited but may be formed or determined by an individual’s experiences. Culture- many scholars, especially anthropologists have illustrated without a doubt the significant ways that culture plays in forming personality. Individuals culture are exposed to existing values and norms which are accepted in that particular set up. Culture defines the way a number of roles essential to life in a particular organisation or society are to be performed. For example, American culture is believed to rewards people for being independent and competitive, whereas Japanese’s culture rewards individuals for being cooperative and group oriented. Group membership- Groups that sway personality comprise workmates, school mates, and social groups. Workmates may influence the way individuals perform, same to social groups may have influence to people and how they respond to issues. Life experiences- the advance of self -esteem is likely to depend on a sequence of experiences that consist of the opportunity set and apprehend goals, capacity to control others, as well as a understandable sense of being appreciated and valued by other individuals. Personality, individual behaviour and management of individual As working environment and practices change and circumstances evolve, firms are forced to review their operations to remain vibrant and maintain their competitive edge. For many workforce and organisations, coping with change, if not managing it remains to a foreseeable upshot regarding the roles and responsibilities played by various stakeholders within organisations. A number of changes may be fundamental as well as desirable to firms, although the management of it has turned out to be a big challenge for managers and a well-paid area of operation for both consultants and organisation groups. For many centuries, human motivation was explained as hedonistic, meaning an individual seeks pleasures and comfort, and avoids pain and discomfort (Zimmerman and Darnold,, 2009). At the beginning of the twentieth century the idea of instinct based behaviour emerged, as seen in animals. By the 1920s this concept was abandoned and replaced by a more complex theory of cognitive and environmental interactions governing behaviour (Christensen & Wright, 2011). This theory raises the question of whether motivation is an unconscious process or if there is a conscious effort. A modern view is that some motives cannot be explained by a conscious process. These motives are based on learning but are not instinctive. They explain why certain behaviour is difficult to identify. Furthermore, they explain the effect of habits that person. If unpleasant situations develop and confront an individual, the motive may be repressed. Unconscious motivation is still debatable and lacks research. The modern structure of operation calls for new scenario that requires organisational leaders with skills, who can motivate employees effectively so as to achieve intended results (Finney et al, 2004). According to Humphreys and Revelle (1984), there is a strong relationship between motivation and employees performance. Motivated individuals put more energy and effort into their work. Motivated staff can do more with fewer resources and in less time than unmotivated staff. Motivation is due in part to surroundings, leadership and individual factors. The management of individuals at workplace is changing to keep pace with dynamics of rapidly changing conditions at work. Personnel management has turned into human resource management to human capital management as firms endeavor to surpass competitors in a global economy (Adam-Smith, 1998; Christensen & Wright, 2011). Successful organisations for that reason search to build up productive interaction with employees, a move that translate into approaches that draw on the full potential of their workers through performance improvement and organisational change. Bryson argues that economic forces demand that the speed of revolutionise is likely to be instantaneous with technological advancements, which is improving day by day and calls for customised changes in services (2001). Employee relations as a result should aim at knowledge management in addition to individuals at their own level similar to a competitive advantage. There are certain features which help to clarify the meaning of motivation: employees must be willing (possessing a motive) to undertake an activity and have the capacity to perform it, the degree of willingness of particular individuals in an organisation (or in a society) varies from high intensity to low intensity, satisfaction is only achieved when an effort (or drive) to reach a goal is successful; therefore motivation differs from satisfaction. The significance of these features is that improving relationships by influencing behaviour is reasonably straightforward, but improving behaviour that establishes motivation is a deeper, complex process (Bennett, 1997). Although improved relationships helps initially, a comprehensive motivation plan must comprise a four aspects such as how to energise the inner driving force in a person, how to promote an acceptable level of motivation for the employee and the company, how to sustain this level during day-to-day activities, and how to overcome difficulties that dampen the inner driving force to a point where motivation ceases. Factors affect the motivation of individuals The main factors that affect motivation of people are the job itself, the company environment, external pressures on people, internal human pressures, individual capacity, and override features (Fisher, 1993; Yuan & Woodman, 2010). Furthermore, there is no way of accurately assessing each factor, or aspect within that factor; therefore the idea of calculating which mix is suitable for motivation is strongly suspect at present. In other words, it seems the priorities and correct mixtures of factor vary with each individual. The Job- the breadth of job content and the knowledge required are two features which have varied over the years. In the past, craftsmen possessed both in depth but they were naturally superseded by the factory and office type of employee who suffered narrow job content and knowledge requirements during the first seventy years of this century (Katzen and Smith, 1993). Presently, the concept of job enrichment has reversed the process to satisfy the achievement motive. The Company Environment Mullins (1996) points out that the company environment covers all the internal features except the job itself. Examples are salary, bonuses, perks, organisational culture, the organisational structure, rules and regulations. Using these features alone to accomplish sustained motivation tends to fail. The effects are often an initial rise followed by a fall to the previous level, although employees think the aspects are important. External Pressures- External pressures include national and local cultures, parents, spouse, relatives, friends, the state, political parties, the community, the economic situation, the media, and the individual capital possessed (Wellins et al, 1991). An ambitious spouse, for example, can motive by using subtle powers of persuasion which make the partner feel an intense inner desire to succeed. According to Reddin (1969), the effect some people have on others is frightening: sheer strength of personality is sometimes sufficient to make an impressionable person go against logical reasoning and behave in very odd ways. The element of confusion caused by many external pressures should also be taken into consideration. If this factor plays an important part in motivation, it then becomes the responsibility of everyone in a country to ensure their influential powers are used to encourage motivation (Christensen & Wright, 2011). The well-known chain effect applies because someone, in turn, needs to take the responsibility for ensuring each individual is capable of exercising this responsibility. Internal Human Pressures- within the individual are many pressures, such as physical needs, mental needs, traits, drives and attitudes, which affect motivation. Some are inherent whereas others develop during a person’s lifetime. Understandably, being able to recognize these in oneself is an advantage, but this is elusive since it depends upon having learned how to recognise them and make the necessary self-adjustments (Denison, 1984). Consequently, many people enter business without realizing the importance of cooperation, coordination, self-discipline and self-control. The outcome is suspicion and antagonism, often accelerated by poor management. Frustration develops since there is little opportunity to satisfy higher needs, and irresponsible behaviour develops due to healthy reactions to an unhealthy situation. Often highly absorbing hobbies are pursued to compensate for the inadequate work environment. These stress people who often arrive at work exhausted. Adopting collaborative management avoids this predicament since a philosophy which absorbs all cultural aspects encourages employee commitment (Handy, 1989). An employee-centred culture overcomes frustration and develops mutual trust. Capacity- capacity is closely linked with internal pressures. The main features are education, training, background, experience and intelligence. The extent to which capacity affects behaviour depends upon matching the individual with the job not only from the “square peg, round hole” aspect but also from the individual’s ability to develop within that field (Adam-Smith, 1998). Although it is healthy to stretch a person’s mind, a job that is overreaching the limit of his or her capability will only cause frustration. Conversely, underutilization is equally dangerous. In these circumstances the need is vital for rapid, adjustment of the job based upon results. Override- the so-called override factors upset the effect of all the previous factors, often regardless of their combined strength to motivate. Override occurs on the spot: it has an immediate, powerful and dominating effect on motivation by altering behaviour because of some mental incapability, physical incapability or sudden change in the situation surrounding the individual (Bennett, 1997; Mullins, 1996). Conclusion Leaders at all stages in modern organisations have had significant responsibilities in instituting a hospitable and a comprehensive working and learning atmosphere for people of all backgrounds and viewpoints. This develops a positive attitude in the minds of employees towards the organization, and could enable them to fight all vices and encourage all positive virtues aimed at developing and protecting the interest of the organisation. At all times, the management have known that employees will always be productive in an organization if proper support is given to them, to enable them achieve the skills to do the various activities present in an organization. Organisations that positively manage the diversity of its workers will be positioned to benefit from their social diversity. This calls for creation of essential structures and establish a diversity culture at work. References Armstrong, M. (2012) Armstrong's Handbook of Human Resource Management Practice. Kogan Page Publishers Cardy, R.L. and Leonard, B. (2011) Performance Management:New York: M.E. Sharpe.  Dimba, B.A. (2010) Strategic human resource management practices: Journal of Economic and Management Studies, Vol.1 No. 2, pp.128 – 137 Hughes, J.C. and Rog, E. (2008) Talent management, International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, Vol. 20, No. 7, pp.743 – 757. Guinn, S.L. 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