Why is individual differences important

Individual differences can play a key role in workplace well-being. Individual differences play a key role in how employees handle workplace stress and also heavily influence workplace dynamics and culture. Some personality traits have been linked to toxic working environments where scapegoating and bullying are rife.

Why are individual differences important? Individual differences are the ways in which people differ from each other. Every member of an organization has its own way of behavior. It is important for managers to understand individual differences because they influence the feelings, thoughts, and behavior of employees. Why are diversity and individual differences important in the workplace?

Diversity in the workplace will also increase employee morale and instill a desire to be more effective and work more efficiently.

This will greatly increase the productivity of your business. A workplace that encourages diversity and inclusion will make employees feel valued and accepted. Why are individual differences and diversity important? Individual differences in the workplace matter as each individual brings a number of differences to work, such as different values, uniqueness in personality, emotions, and moods. Intelligence is considered one of the most important factors in individual differences by organisations is because they expect the person can bring certain level of performance in contributing the organisation.

Ashleigh and Mansi, , p. The concepts of intelligence are always abstract. Individuals are similar in terms of Image, being Aesthetic, being Moral, and Relational. On the other hand, individual differences include psychological characteristics, intelligence, personality traits and values. Individual differences refers to the extent and type of distinctions among individuals on some of the significant psychological traits, personal characteristics, cognitive and emotional components.

Individuals bring a number of differences to work, such as unique personalities, values, emotions, and moods. When new employees enter organizations, their stable or transient characteristics affect how they behave and perform. Bad attitude can be demotivating and create conflict, whilst a positive attitude can motivate colleagues to be more productive. Attitudes are infectious and can affect the people that are near the person exhibiting a given attitude, which in turn can influence their behavior as well.

Shortness or tallness of stature, darkness or fairness of complexion, fatness, thinness, or weakness are various physical individual differences. In addition to personality, however, the situation also affects attitudes and behavior. If the situational pressure is strong, personality has less influence on work-related behavior. Employees are not free in varying behavior in such situations and so personality is not decisive.

Both personality and situation factors can, therefore, influence behavior. Eventually, cognition, affect, and behavior are determined by the interaction between personality and situation. Effective managers understand this interaction and use it to help employees perform optimally.

According to the attraction-selection-attrition ASA model of Schneider an organization attracts persons with corresponding personalities attraction and selects them selection while rejecting other types of personalities attrition.

As a result of the combination of attraction, selection, and attrition, a sort of 'typical' personality develops for a specific organization. ASA processes work in different ways. When hiring future employees, for example, people are unconsciously chosen to fit the current employees. In this way, the nature of the organization ultimately becomes a reflection of the typical personality of the employee. The Big Five Personality Model consists of 5 personality traits extraversion, neuroticism, altruism, conscientiousness, and openness that in turn consist of specific sub-traits.

These personality traits are at the top of the trait hierarchy. People can be placed on a continuum for each trait. Extraversion is the tendency to experience positive affect and to feel good about the self and the world. Introversion - the other side of the continuum - is associated with less positive feelings and less social interaction.

Extraversion is associated with more career satisfaction in the workplace. Neuroticism means that there is a tendency to experience negative feelings about the self and the world. People with strong neurotic traits experience stress more quickly and are critical of themselves.

This can be a vulnerability but also a force. Because of their critical attitude, they are driven to improve their performance and are able to reflect critically during group discussions. So it is not just a negative trait.

Altruism agreeableness refers to the property to be able to get along well with others. Low scorers on this personality trait are antagonistic and suspicious. In some cases, this property may be useful, for example in debt collecting where social skills are greatly needed. Conscientiousness refers to care and perseverance.

This is accompanied by orderliness and self-discipline. Conscientiousness is a good predictor for career success. It must be accompanied by the right skills for work and social competence. Openness is the extent to which an individual is open to new experiences and risks, has broad interests and is original.

This is an advantage in companies in which creativity and innovation are desired. The Big Five personality model can be used to understand behavior and functioning on the work floor.

It is important to realize that there is no such thing as a good or bad personality profile. In addition to the Big Five, there are various personality traits that are relevant to organizations. An internal locus of control means that events are attributed to personal factors and therefore that responsibility is taken for the consequences of their own behavior. An external locus of control means that events are attributed to situational factors.

Employees with an internal locus of control need less supervision than employees with an external locus of control because they are more independent. A high degree of self-monitoring leads to strongly socially acceptable behavior. These people are often accommodating and good at impression management. High self-monitoring is associated with good adaptability, which is beneficial in situations where positive interaction with others is needed.

Low self-monitoring is beneficial when open and honest feedback or criticism must be given. Self-confidence has different implications for behavior in organizations. Individual differences are the ways in which people differ from each other. Every member of an organization has its own way of behavior. It is important for managers to understand individual differences because they influence the feelings, thoughts, and behavior of employees.

What are the types of individual differences? Characteristics that define individual differences can be classified into four main categories: Learning Style, Aptitude, Personality and Emotional Intelligence. What are the individual differences in learning? Educational Psychology Interactive: Individual Differences.

There are a variety of individual differences that must be of concern to classroom teachers. Some of the most prominent are academic ability or intelligence , achievement level, gender, learning style, and ethnicity and culture. What are the characteristics of individual differences? What causes individual differences in learning? Individual differences in mental and physical traits are due to heredity and to environmental factors.

Heredity as a cause of individual differences may be due either to remote or immediate ancestry. Who gave the concept of individual differences? Broadly individual difference may be classified into two categories such as inherited traits and acquired traits: Alfred Binet's contributions to individual psychology also are immense.

What is the principle of individual differences? The Principle of Individual Differences is a principle that states that, because everyone is unique, each person experiences a different response to an exercise program. Some of these differences may be related to body size and shape, genetics, past experience, chronic conditions, injuries and gender.

What are the differences of every individual in a society? Differences: individuals are different in every other way, including: race, religion, national origin, creed, politics, color, age, hair, size, shape, attraction, health, food preferences, genitalia, sexual preferences, social class, economic class, career, property, opinions of beauty; moral opinions, pets, habits,.