Organizational Behavior (Stephen Robbins)

Donald Trump interacting with the characters on The Apprentice.Yet these high-Mach out-
comes are moderated by situational factors. It has been found that high Machs flourish
(1) when they interact face to face with others rather than indirectly; (2) when the sit-
uation has a minimum number of rules and regulations, thus allowing latitude for
improvisation; and (3) when low Machs get distracted by emotional involvement with
details irrelevant to winning.^50
Should we conclude that high Machs make good employees? That answer depends
on the type of job and whether you consider ethical implications in evaluating per-
formance. In jobs that require bargaining skills (such as labour negotiation) or that
offer substantial rewards for winning (as in commissioned sales), high Machs will be pro-
ductive. But if the ends cannot justify the means, if there are absolute standards of
behaviour, or if the three situational factors noted in the preceding paragraph are not in
evidence, our ability to predict a high Mach’s performance will be severely curtailed. If
you are interested in determining your level of machiavellianism, you might want to com-
plete Learning About Yourself Exercise #2 on page 60.

Self-Esteem
People differ in the degree to which they like or dislike themselves. This trait is called self-
esteem.^51 The research on self-esteem (SE) offers interesting insights into OB. For example,
self-esteem is directly related to expectations for success. High SEs believe that they have the
ability to succeed at work. Individuals with high self-esteem will take more risks in job
selection and are more likely to choose unconventional jobs than are people with low
self-esteem. High SEs also tend to emphasize the positive when confronted with failure.^52
The most generalizable finding on self-esteem is that low SEs are more easily influ-
enced by external factors than are high SEs. Low SEs are dependent on the receipt of

Chapter 2Perception, Personality, and Emotions 47

EXHIBIT 2-5 The Effects of Locus of Control on Performance

Conditions Performance

Information Processing

The work requires complex information processing and complex Internals perform better.

learning.

The work is quite simple and easy to learn. Internals perform no better than externals.

Initiative

The work requires initiative and independent action. Internals perform better.

The work requires compliance and conformity. Externals perform better.

Motivation

The work requires high motivation and provides valued rewards Internals perform better.

in return for greater effort; it offers incentive pay for greater

productivity.

The work does not require great effort and contingent rewards Externals perform at least as well as internals.

are lacking; hourly pay rates are determined by collective bargaining.

Source: J. B. Miner, Industrial-Organizational Psychology(New York: McGraw-Hill, 1992), p. 151. Reprinted with permission of The McGraw-Hill

Companies.

self-esteem The degree to which

individuals like or dislike themselves.