Personal Management-Career Focus

CHAPTER 15—PERSONAL MANAGEMENT ACTIVITY BIG FIVE PLUS

Chapter 15 focuses on work arrangements and the relationship to personal satisfaction and job performance. The importance of the work environment is reinforced by the steel worker’s comments in the section on quality of work life. As you complete this activity, keep in mind that there will generally be some degree of flexibility in the way a job is designed. Be sure to consider a range of jobs and organizations. In a variety of assessments and activities throughout the term, you have had the opportunity to examine various aspects of your personality and work style. In addition, several of the activities emphasized the role of person-job and person-organization fit. While other factors such as pay, supervision, and policies influence satisfaction, the job itself and the degree of fit are two very important contributors. Since there is a strong relationship between satisfaction and other key organizational outcomes, absenteeism and turnover in particular you want to maximize the chances that you will be in the majority of American workers that indicate some degree of satisfaction with their jobs.

Putting It All Together. Review Figure 15.2 and the descriptions of the Big Five personality traits. You may wish to consider the other personality dimensions included in the figure. Rate yourself on each of the Fig Five factors. Now review the organizational descriptions you developed in the activities associated with Chapter 10 and Chapter 11. How will does your personality mesh with these organizational characteristics? Do potential jobs offer features that will be compatible with your personality/personal work style? To what extent is a match or mismatch likely to influence your attitudes about working? Work attitudes are important because they ultimately contribute to your willingness to perform (i.e., effort).