INDIVIDUAL LEVEL OF ANALYSIS-MANAGING INDIVIDUALS

The study of personality aspects of human performance has its roots in the countryside of psychology. From an organizational viewpoint, we are interested in explanation and prediction to help us manage efficiency and promise. The core of every organizational actions course includes coverage of character and attitudes, decision making, inspiration, leadership, and power.

Personality and Attitude

Managers habitually blame "personality conflicts" for troubles, or say of employees that "they just don't have the right attitude." This is a simple way out for most managers-we can't do any- thing about character or attitudes (other than tell a person to change them), so we can feel protected in the knowledge that the low efficiency is not our fault and that our employees would be effectual if only they made the effort. However, a good manager can use personality differences to enhance the inspiration and work of a partition; a good manager can set things up so that people working for him or her have positive, constructive attitudes. Yes, there are behavior conflict and bad attitudes out there-the key is how well do you manage them? To administer something, you need to understand it.