Personality and intelligence at work: exploring and explaining individual differences at work PDF
Preview Personality and intelligence at work: exploring and explaining individual differences at work
Personality and Intelligence at Work Personality and Intelligence at Work examines the increasingly controversial role of individual differences in predicting and determining behaviour at work. It combines approaches from organisational psychology and personality theory to critically exam- ine the physical, psychological and psychoanalytic aspects of individual differences, and how they impact on the world of work. Topics covered include the role of IQ at work as the best predictor of success, but also the importance of increasingly recognised social intelligences such as emotional intelligence (EI). The significance of personality traits and the impact of temperaments on work performance are also examined, and the methods used to assess work behaviour and potential are reviewed. Psychological tests, which measure personality traits, are questioned as accurate predictors of behaviour at work, alongside other factors such as job satisfaction, productivity, absenteeism and turnover. This new, thoroughly revised and updated edition of Personality at Work provides a comprehensive review of the relevant literature from psychology, sociology and man- agement science. It will be of interest to students of organisational psychology and business and management studies, as well as HR professionals. Adrian Furnham is Professor of Psychology at University College London and a Fellow of the British Psychological Society. He is on the editorial board of a number of international journals, as well as the past elected president of the International Society for the Study of Individual Differences. He believes work is more fun than fun and considers himself to be a well-adjusted workaholic. Personality and Intelligance at Work Exploring and explaining individual differences at work Adrian Furnham First published 2008 by Routledge 27 Church Road, Hove, East Sussex BN3 2FA Simultaneously published in the USA and Canada by Routledge 270 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10016 This edition published in the Taylor & Francis e-Library, 2008. “To purchase your own copy of this or any of Taylor & Francis or Routledge’s collection of thousands of eBooks please go to www.eBookstore.tandf.co.uk.” Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor and Francis Group, an Informa business Copyright © 2008 Psychology Press All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers. The publisher makes no representation, express or implied, with regard to the accuracy of the information contained in this book and cannot accept any legal responsibility or liability for any errors or omissions that may be made. Every effort has been made to trace the copyright holders and obtain permission to reproduce some of the tables, boxes or figures in this book that are from other sources. Any omissions brought to our attention will be remedied in future editions or reprints. This publication has been produced with paper manufactured to strict environmental standards and with pulp derived from sustainable forests. British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Furnham, Adrian. Personality and intelligence at work: exploring and explaining individual differences at work / Adrian Furnham p. cm. ISBN 978–1–84169–585–3 (hardcover)—ISBN 978–1–84169–586–0 (pbk) 1. Personality and occupation. 2. Prediction of occupational success. 3. Employees—Psychological testing. 4. Work—Psychological aspects. 5. Personality and intelligence. 6. Individual differences. I. Title. BF698.9.O3F867 2007 155.2′2—dc22 2007020404 ISBN 0-203-93891-7 Master e-book ISBN ISBN 978–1–84169–585–3 (hbk) ISBN 978–1–84169–586–0 (pbk) For: The Memsahib and the Dauphin: Godspeed and Hamba Kahle Contents List of figures xi Foreword by Tim Judge xii Preface xiv 1 Individual differences at work 1 Introduction 1 The two disciplines of differential psychology 2 The relationship between personality and intelligence 5 Explaining the relationship 7 Personality psychology 13 Seven approaches to personality at work 16 Personality and organisational behaviour 22 Longitudinal studies at work 26 Conclusion 30 2 Methods to assess work behaviour and potential 31 Introduction 31 The use of tests in selection and assessment 32 Costing assessment and assessment trends 34 Cognitive and mental-ability tests 38 Personality tests 38 Three crucial assessment issues 40 Eight questions and answers about contemporary assessment 44 Recommendations: Lessons from experience 64 The advantages and disadvantages of testing 68 Conclusion 71 3 Personality testing in the workplace 73 Introduction 73 A short history of industrial testing 73 Testing in Europe today 81 viii Contents The occupational application of major tests 86 Research on other tests 106 Conclusion 110 4 Types, temperaments and traits at work 112 Introduction 112 Traits and types 112 Typologies 113 Temperaments 118 Traits at work 120 Does personality predict job performance? 123 Personality and specific work behaviours 128 Recent debates 134 Why personality traits do not predict behaviour at work 138 Conclusion 140 5 Personality disorders at work 141 Introduction 141 Traits and disorders 145 Disorders at work 151 The types 154 Pathological organisations 176 Conclusion 178 6 Cognitive ability at work 180 Introduction 180 Distinctions, differences and disagreements 187 Intelligence and IQ: What managers should know 189 Intelligence research and testing at work 191 Intelligence and occupational performance 193 The strong case for measuring intelligence 198 Applications and implications of testing at work 202 Controversies in intelligence research 204 Conclusion 209 7 The social intelligences at work 210 Introduction 210 Business or managerial intelligence 215 Emotional intelligence 216 Emotional intelligence at work 222 Management fads 228 Conclusion 230 Contents ix 8 Creativity at work 233 Introduction 233 Defining creativity 234 Creativity and intelligence 238 Personality and creativity 249 Creativity in business 264 Conclusion 267 9 Attitudes, beliefs, styles and values at work 268 Introduction 268 Beliefs about work 273 Belief in a just world 274 The Protestant work ethic 275 Perceived control 277 Social values and work 279 Style at work 287 Conclusion 291 10 Integrity and dishonesty at work 293 Introduction 293 Personality, integrity and dishonesty 297 Integrity testing 300 Reviews of integrity tests 304 Reactions to tests 307 The tests themselves 308 Integrity tests today 311 Integrity test validity 312 Conclusion 317 11 Competence at work 318 Introduction 318 Defining competence 319 The nature of competence 322 Competency lists 324 Methods for deciding on competencies 328 Research questions 330 The competent organisation 332 Conclusion 333 12 The future of differential psychology and assessment and selection 335 Introduction 335 The politics of assessment 339
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