The recognition of individual differences is central to any discussion of organizational behavior. Individual differences are the variations from one person to another on variables such as self-esteem, rate of cognitive development or degree of agreeableness. Historically, psychological science has overlooked individual differences in favor of focusing on average behavior. Individual differences have been most often studied in the area of personality development. All in all, the study of individual differences helps us to understand not only what makes humans similar to one another, but also what makes them different. By considering the variations that can occur from one person to another, we can best understand the full range of human behavior.
If you go into any job no matter where you are in the world you will come across a multitude of different personalities and behaviors. An individual's personality doesn't just affect the individual, but everyone around them. Managers are responsible for recognizing and treating employees as individuals and not as groups. There is no way an individual can be treated the same way as the next person because everyone is different. We observe one another's actions and try to understand what we see, this is known as "reading a person" which may or may not be accurate (Robbins, & Judge, 2010). Individual behavior is determined by many factors such as environment, culture, beliefs and the quality of life. Attitude is expressed in either satisfaction or dissatisfaction and the interaction between them. If a person has a feeling of unhappiness on the job, it can have an affect in other areas as well such as personal life. An individual may have discontent on the job due to stress, frustration or feeling alienated.
There are many different types of personalities. Personality is the sum total of ways in which an individual reacts to and interacts with others (2010).