NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF FASHION TECHNOLOGY

ORGANISATIONAL BEHAVIOUR
MFM - I

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PERSONALIT Y TRAITS
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CASE STUDY
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GROUP MEMBERS
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AVINASH KIRTI
BHAVIKA ANAND
BHUMIKA
CHITRA SHARMA
SHIVANGI SINGH
PRANPRATIM RON BHUYAN

https://www.coursehero.com/file/12673483/OB-Case-Study-Kennedy/
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

PERSONALITY

CASE STUDY

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QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

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 Personality

Personality encompasses the relatively stable feelings, thoughts, and behavioural patterns a
person has. Our personality differentiates us from other people, and understanding someone’s
personality gives us clues about how that person is likely to act and feel in a variety of situations.
In order to effectively manage organisational behaviour, an understanding of different
employees’ personalities is helpful. Having this knowledge is also useful for placing people in
jobs and organisations.

Our behaviour in organisations is to some extent dependent on our personality. While we will
discuss the effects of personality for employee behaviour, we must remember that the
relationships we describe are modest correlations. For example, having a sociable and outgoing
personality may encourage people to seek friends and prefer social situations. This does not

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mean that their personality will immediately affect their work behaviour. At work, we have a job

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to do and a role to perform. Therefore, our behaviour may be more strongly affected by what is

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expected of us, as opposed to how we want to behave. When people have a lot of freedom at

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work, their personality will become a stronger influence over their behaviour.
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Big Five Personality Traits
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 Case Study : Traits Inherited or Learned

President John F. Kennedy has been considered by historian to be one of the most charismatic
and effective leaders in the American history. He was born into a very rich, highly disciplined and
a closely knit family. His father was not only an industrial tycoon but also highly political
influential and at one time, he served as the U.S. Ambassador to England. Thus, John Kennedy
came from a family of highly placed socio-economic status.

When he ran for the presidency of the United States, odds were stacked high against him. If
elected, he would be the first Catholic in that high office and perhaps the youngest president
ever. Even though he had been a senator for some time, he was not as well known nationally. As
one commentator remark at the time “Don’t send a boy to do a man’s job”. His leadership quality
had not yet been tested. As it turned out, during his brief period of presidency he was

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instrumental in passage of many laws to protect human and civil rights. His handling of Cuban

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missile crisis October 1962 established him as one of the great leaders of modern times. His

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personality, his boyish charm, his personal charisma, his sense of humour, his political acumen,
his sociability and his grasp of world affairs made him a leader to remember.

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Behaviour is considered to be a function of personality and environment so that some of the
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characteristics exhibited by successful leaders are genetic by nature and others are formed by
environmental factors including value system of the immediate family. Based upon the excerpt
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provided, answer the following questions.

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 Q.1 What are the traits of President Kennedy that you consider are inherited?
Explain why these traits could not have been acquired later.

John F. Kennedy was born to business/politician Joseph Patrick Joe Kennedy, Sr. and
philanthropist, socialite Rose Elizabeth Fitzgerald-Kennedy. Throughout John’s childhood, his
family shifted their residence and because they were very wealthy, his family led a very affluent
lifestyle.
So he was essentially open to new experiences, which can be considered as an inherited trait, as
his family constantly kept changing residences and spend holidays in different states of the
U.S.A. Along with his schooling from different places his secondary education at London School
of Economics and then at Princeton University and finally at Harvard led to his openness to
diverse experiences in life.

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Kennedy’s personality trait of being an extrovert is also inherited because he had always been

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moving around different countries like U.K, Soviet Unions, the Balkans, Middle East, Germany

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and others. This lead to interaction with different people and cultures. In September 1936, He

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was enrolled at Harvard College where he was felicitated with the title of “Freshman Smoker”
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which included in its annual cast outstanding personalities of the radio, screen and sports world.
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He also played various sports like football, baseball and other team building sports which reflect
on his extrovert nature.
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John F Kennedy also had a very proactive personality, which again can be considered an
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inherited trait. He always actively participated in all kinds of activities around him, be it sports in
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school, or helping his father with his political work. He actively liked taking initiatives despite his
ill health.
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 Q.2 What role did the inherited traits play in making him a leader? Is it possible
that he may have not been the leader in spite of all these traits?

President Kennedy belonging to a very rich and powerful family had all the facilities growing up,
his brothers were senators and his father a very successful businessman and also the American
ambassador to England. Hence from childhood itself, having the right upbringing and growing
up in the right environment, he cultivated a very pro active personality, having a high self
esteem, and openness to experiences. These are also the characteristics traits which make up a
good leader.

As a president, John F. Kennedy was known for his capability to handle the problems that were
out of reach of the other people.

His personality was embedded with a combination of affection and hard mind. He thoroughly
enjoyed the variety of diverse personalities and talents that surrounded him throughout the era

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of his presidency.

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He followed the authoritative and charismatic leadership style. Authoritative leaders are to be
known as the experts in whatever they get into. They are able to provide you with a clear vision

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and a perfect path through which it can be achieved and be a success.
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His authoritative leadership trait can be seen in this example. The New Frontier, as his program
was styled, had some success especially in its first year. Congress established the Peace Corps,
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raised the minimum wage, liberalised social security benefits and passed bills on housing,
depressed areas, manpower retraining, and temporary unemployment compensation. The
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president was given unprecedented authority to negotiate large across-the-board traffic cuts.
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Another example exhibiting his authoritative leadership was his vision regarding the united
states space program. He continued to talk about a long term vision of sending a man to the
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moon. He talked about the metal alloys that were not invented at that time. He was exhibiting an
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authoritative nature that gathered together the resources of the entire nation to a particular
goal.
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 Q.3 What are the traits that he learned from his environment? Are these learned
traits exclusive to a particular kind of environment such as a rich family or better
education? Support your reasons.

John F. Kennedy joined the U.S. Navy in the year 1941.

For extremely heroic conduct as commanding officer of Motor Torpedo boat 109 following the
collision and sinking of that vessel in the Pacific War theatre on August 1-2, 1943. Unmindful of
personal danger Lieutenant Kennedy unhesitatingly braved the difficulties and hazards of
darkness to direct rescue operations, swimming many hours to secure aid and food after he had
succeeded after getting his crew ashore.
His outstanding courage, endurance and leadership contributed to the saving of several lives
and were in keeping with the highest tradition of the United States Navel service.

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This shows how responsible and pragmatic he was as an individual.

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A closely knit family helped him to understand human bonds and value of life. This environment

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manifested as his efforts to preserve human life.

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Rich family means access to better education. The social circle comprised of the elite class. A high
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level of education aids understanding affairs of the state and the world on a whole. A highly
sociable atmosphere develops traits like charisma, fine humour etc.
Kennedy made an important innovation upon becoming President when he allowed press
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conferences to be televised live. He used these conferences to communicate directly with the
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public, which was immediately impressed with his personality, poise and knowledge of the
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government. That made him a media sweetheart.

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 Q.4 Keeping the traits aside, how much did his ‘desire’ to become a leader help him
in becoming a leader?

From childhood itself John F Kennedy had a lot of health issues. He had to withdraw from
Canterbury School because he required an appendectomy, leave Choate School because of
suspected leukaemia but it turned out to be Colitis. But it did not stop or demotivate him as he
was voted most likely to succeed in his high school yearbooks.

He went to LSE to pursue higher education but he had to come back again due to health issues.
He came back, continued at Princeton, had to leave again. He then went to Harvard from where
he graduated with a Bachelor of Science. It was his desire that kept him going.

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He wanted to join the army during the second world war but could not clear the health

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examinations. So he joined the Marines instead and served his nation.

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He was always a rebel, belonging to a powerful family was not enough for him and he had to

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take a step ahead and outshine them all. His brothers being senators and his father an
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ambassador was just an asset for him. It was his charismatic personality and his desire and
willingness to utilise and channelise it in the right direction which made him the 2nd youngest
president of the United States of America.
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