The Nice Trap
Case Incident 1 (The Nice Trap)
Question (1)
Do you think there is a contradiction between what employers want in employees (agreeable employees) and what employees actually do best (disagreeable employees)? Why or why not?
Answer:
The article is focusing on only one dimension out of 5 models of the personality dimensions.
In the real life, individuals’ personality can’t be with only one dimension. For Example, someone can be very cooperative, good natured and trusting “high on agreeableness” as well he could be high on Conscientiousness, which means that he do greater effort and persistence, more drive and discipline and is well organized which will definitely reflect on higher performance, his leadership behavior is probably more enhanced in the form of persistence, attention to details and setting high standards. Other studies on personality found that traits that matter most for Business success of all about Conscientiousness.
Moreover, Successful employees usually make compromises specially when area of conflict is reached and they show more cooperation when they feel that disagreeable will not serve their personal objectives which give the impression as they are high on agreeableness.
Finally, the article assume that employers always want agreeable employees by default, it could be true when in some jobs like interpersonally oriented jobs such as customer service, but the situation will definitely not be the same when the employer would like to hire candidates for strategic positions with high potential and needs strong leadership behavior.
Question (2)
Often the effects of personality depend on the situation. Can you think of some job situation in which agreeableness is an important virtue? And in which it is harmful?
Answer:
In situations like business crises, change management during mergers & acquisitions, when the chairman (or) maybe the board of directors is taking the lead to drive the company during the hard time, agreeableness
Question (1)
Do you think there is a contradiction between what employers want in employees (agreeable employees) and what employees actually do best (disagreeable employees)? Why or why not?
Answer:
The article is focusing on only one dimension out of 5 models of the personality dimensions.
In the real life, individuals’ personality can’t be with only one dimension. For Example, someone can be very cooperative, good natured and trusting “high on agreeableness” as well he could be high on Conscientiousness, which means that he do greater effort and persistence, more drive and discipline and is well organized which will definitely reflect on higher performance, his leadership behavior is probably more enhanced in the form of persistence, attention to details and setting high standards. Other studies on personality found that traits that matter most for Business success of all about Conscientiousness.
Moreover, Successful employees usually make compromises specially when area of conflict is reached and they show more cooperation when they feel that disagreeable will not serve their personal objectives which give the impression as they are high on agreeableness.
Finally, the article assume that employers always want agreeable employees by default, it could be true when in some jobs like interpersonally oriented jobs such as customer service, but the situation will definitely not be the same when the employer would like to hire candidates for strategic positions with high potential and needs strong leadership behavior.
Question (2)
Often the effects of personality depend on the situation. Can you think of some job situation in which agreeableness is an important virtue? And in which it is harmful?
Answer:
In situations like business crises, change management during mergers & acquisitions, when the chairman (or) maybe the board of directors is taking the lead to drive the company during the hard time, agreeableness