Personality traits, types and disorders powerfully influence human relations both socially and professionally. In many cases, these dynamics can be crucial to the success or failure of a person's social as well as professional life. If nothing else, we would all like to know how to get along better with the people we work with. (Miller, 2003). This essay will discuss personality and determining some of it characteristics with tests such as the locus of control test. This essay will discuss my results in these personality tests along with some academic literature. .
Analysing personality and behaviour is complex and exists on multi-level and it is multi-caused (Argyris, 1957). Personality can be defined as specific characteristics of individuals which may be open or hidden and which may determine either commonality or differences in behaviour in an organization (Brooks, 1999). In addition, Robbins, Millett, Cacioppe & Waters-Marsh (2001) define personality as the consistent psychological patterns within an individual that effect the way they interact with others and the situations they encounter. Robbins, Millett, Cacioppe & Waters-Marsh (2001) also discuss the different personality determinants, they state that some aspects of human personality are predetermined at birth and some are the result of the individual's interaction with his or her environment. .
Furthermore, they divide the determinants into three categories which are, firstly, Heredity, which refers to those factors such as facial attractiveness, gender, temperament, muscle composition and reflexes, energy level, biological rhythms etc. that are predetermined at birth, secondly, Environment which refers to the culture in which one is raised, early conditioning, norms among family, friends and social groups, and other influences that one experiences, that exerts pressure on the personality formation, and thirdly, Situation, which states that a person's personality does change in different situations they face.
