For example, a person who is mild-mannered and is placed in high-stress situations often may become panicky when confronted with a problem. 3)    Much of the Trait Theory research fails to look at how specific traits influence leadership outcomes such as performance, productivity, and employee satisfaction. Of the many personality theories which abound in psychology today, a large number makes use of the concept of traits and types. 259-269). Trait based theory is a way of identifying leaders to non leaders. Whereas, the humanistic theory emphasizes conscious life experiences and choices. ), Group Dynamics: Research and Theory (pp. Trait Theory Like all the other factors it has advantages and disadvantages and has been selected for and against at different times resulting in a wide variation in this trait in humans and other animals. [1] 2)    Some findings are ambiguous and subjective leading to uncertainty in the validity of the approach. The trait or five-factor model focuses on characteristics themselves and not the roots of personality. What Are the Strengths and Weaknesses of Trait Theory. The social cognitive theory focuses on the effect of the environment on behavior and is based on theories of learning. Dead Poets Society: How Many Leadership Traits? Thus, the trait and type are the two currently main approaches to the study of personality. Trait theory goes in-depth on how managers and employees have characteristics like being adaptable to changing circumstances and alertness in a social environment that … Both early theories have both pros and cons , which everybody could … The pros of Trait Theory are that there are defined traits of an effective leader. Behavioral theories of leadership only assess behavior, not traits or capabilities. A factor analysis was conducted. The social cognitive theory focuses on the effect of the environment on behavior and is based on theories of learning. Sources: Northouse, 2013, pp. The theory of trait and factor was developed by Frank Parsons. 6. To begin, the psychodynamic theory VS These pictures represent Trait Theory vs Great Man Theory. Note the similarities amongst traits listed including the following traits that appear in more than one list: intelligence, self-confidence, determination, integrity, and sociability (Northouse, 2013, pp. Chart 1 provides a comparison of other traits researchers have found to be important to leadership. Advantages and Disadvantages of the Blake Mouton Grid Leadership Model The managerial or the leadership grid is used by managers to get better results and increase productivity. with information regarding job activities, demands, rewards, and availability. Difficult Predictions: Is AccuWeather's 30-day Forecast Accurate Anymore? Advantages of Big Five Personality Assessment. The Big Five Personality Factors include neuroticism, extroversion, openness, agreeableness, and conscientiousness. While examining this list, it appears that many of these traits are personality based. The trait theory was elaborated years earlier, instead of the personal construct theory; indeed, a strength in the Eysenck and Ranchman’s (1964) approach was more influential and it has been tested widely, conversely to Kelly’s (1995) approach that was elaborated later and had less impact on the field. The Good News One of these key ideas is known as the trait theory of personality. Each of the trait theorists came to similar conclusions during their own personal studies. For a trait theorist to come to a full conclusion on their subject, the subject must perform their own personal observations and reports. Other trait theorists from the last century are referenced in Table 1. However, not having the ability to address fully how or why the trait is developed can be seen as a weakness. 11). These traits were assumed to be enduring and relatively stable. The picture on the left shows a leader and each of the colors at the bottom represent a certain trait.The picture on the right shoes King Tut.The relevancy to Great Man Theory is that a leader is born and that in Ancient Egypt, kings were royal and nobody else could be a king. Trait Theory, one of the first systemic approaches to study leadership, attempts to discover what innate qualities make a superior leader. This would require the subject themselves to perform in-depth research of another individual and record their behaviors to understand what they are seeking fully. 4)    Since traits are innate, it becomes unusual for training and development purposes (Northouse, 2013, pp. Let’s look at these and their other strengths and weaknesses more in-depth. With every theory there are going to be disadvantages. Based on my reading trait refers to a characteristic of an individual that can be measured through testing. Helps to improve society in general; Disadvantages of Big Five Personality Assessment. ; Critics argue that traits do a poor job of predicting behavior in every situation. Taking two different test subjects and stating what their reactions will be to similar situations is not possible. The managers use it to analyze their natural leadership styles through a technical approach known as grid training. Considering agreeableness is the tendency to be nurturing and accepting it is an interesting finding that comforting traits are not as necessary to being an effective leader. For example, a theorist can predict how a social introvert will react to a large gathering but has no way of explaining why this happens. The subjects of these studies are put through similar situations and monitored as to what their reactions will be. The trait and factor theory operates under the premise that it is possible to measure both individual talents and the attributes required in particular jobs. Unlike all other leadership theories, Trait Theory boasts a century of research to confirm the approach. Objective Criteria Is Used for Categorizing and Measuring Behavior. These factors develop a profile of measurable characteristics, which allow a comparison of traits to potential career paths. ( Log Out /  Self-reports Are Necessary. 23, Adapted from “The Bases of Social Power,” by J.R.P French Jr., and B. Raven, 1962, in D. Cartwright (Ed. Trait theories which assume the capacity of leadership is the personality acquired by nature, mainly concentrate on personal quality and characteristics. Take a look at the material on sensation seeking on page 286 (Ch. Challenge the Process – Ex-Navy Seal Breaks the Code of Silence! These studies were conducted with the individual being subjected to varying circumstances. This has been proven by the different trait theories that were created on an independent basis. It’s a self-psychological assessment which means that the results obtained may be skewed. Management Implications. Here are some of their findings. General strength and weakness Gordon Allport founded the trait theory in 1936 by analyzing every trait separated in three categories; Cardinal, secondary, and central. While these studies do provide a closer look at the different types of feelings, actions, and reactions a person will display, they don’t always serve as a predictive template for future occurrences. Another personality theory, called the Five Factor Model (FFM), effectively hits a middle ground. Traits are relatively stable and enduring patterns of thinking, feeling and behaving. A knowledge of the requirements and conditions of success, advantages and disadvantages, compensation, opportunities, and prospects in different lines of work. Some of the most current trait theorists, Zaccaro, Kemp, and Bader (2004) found the following traits to be important to prototypical leaders: cogitative abilities, extroversion, conscientiousness, emotional stability, openness, agreeableness, motivation, social intelligence, self-monitoring, emotional intelligence, and problem solving (pp. While Trait Theory builds off of the “Great Man” Theory, it still maintains that leaders are born not made. The strengths of trait theories lie in their ability to categorize observable behaviors and their use of objective criteria. There are many advantages and disadvantages of the different levels of these three main traits in different sporting activities. Another strength of trait theory is the ability to categorize observable behavior. The combination and interactions of various traits form personalities unique in each person. What Are The Advantages And Disadvantages Of Using Trait And Factor Theory In Counseling. After numerous studies, you can see how different traits are easily shared and identified with top leaders today. Limitations of the Five Factor Personality Test. New York: Harper and Row; Zaccoro, Kemp, & Bader (2004). ( Log Out /  Trait Theory Trait Theory, one of the first systemic approaches to study leadership, attempts to discover what innate qualities make a superior leader. Ability to Categorize Observable Behaviors. There are also four flaws of Trait Theory. Trait-factor counseling approaches assume that career choice may be facilitated and career outcomes optimized through a fairly straightforward process of matching an individual’s most relevant work-relevant characteristics (abilities, interests, values, etc.) There are certain positive attributes to the study of traits and the theories that researchers have concerning them. The trait theory says personalities are composed dispositions and are different in each person. Running Head: MOTIVATION THEORIES AND PERSONALITY TRAITS Motivation Theories and Personality Traits DeVry University Psychology: 110 November 27, 2013 MOTIVATION THEORIES AND PERSONALITY TRAITS 1. This can lead to self-bias as no two individuals can form the same opinion without personal emotions being involved. It help s people to understand themselves better; Leads to better self-awareness and better relationships. The Trait Approach to Personality . • The development of assessment instruments and the refinement of occupational information are closely associated with the trait-and-factor theory. Here is a look at some of the common strengths that have been discovered. The trait of assertiveness will be the focus of this paper. ( Log Out /  Trait Theory. 30-32). To address the connection between personality and leadership traits, Judge, Bono, Ilies, and Gerhardt (2002) conducted a comparison using the Big Five Personality Factors. According to trait theory, human personality is composed of a number of broad traits … These characteristics come from researchers studying extraordinary people. What are the main advantages and limitations of the trait and type approaches to the study of personality? Enable Other to Act – The Blind Side, Michael Oher. ( Log Out /  While Trait Theory builds off of the “Great Man” Theory, it still maintains that leaders are born not made. The five factors are commonly referred to as the Big Five personality traits (McCrae & Costa, 1987). Using Trait and Factor theory requires the counselor to do what? They also cannot explain why a person may react one way at one time but has a different reaction when given the same situation at another time.