Choose a job you are very familiar with—a job you currently have, a job you used to have, or the job of a close family member or friend. Or the job could be one you have been able to observe closely during your interaction with an organization as a customer, client, or patient. For the job of your choosing, respond to the following items.
1. Describe the job, including all the tasks that the jobholder must perform.
2. Choose two of the Big Five personality traits you think would have the most impact on the jobholder’s feelings, thoughts, attitudes, and behaviors. Explain why you think these traits might be particularly important for understanding the jobholder’s reactions.
3. Identify three of the organizationally relevant personality traits you think would affect performance on this job, and explain why you think they are likely to be important.
4. Which of the jobholder’s behaviors are primarily determined by the situation and not personality?
5. What cognitive abilities must the jobholder possess?
6. What physical abilities must the jobholder possess?
7. How can selection and placement be used to ensure that prospective jobholders have these abilities?
8. How can an organization train jobholders to raise levels of these abilities?