Title: Locus of Control
1Locus of Control
- Its Impact on Self Identity Self Esteem
Alex Brown MBA 2005 Claudie Chaumette MBA
2005 Mark Scholten EMBA 2004
2Introduction
- Testing your Locus of Control
- Definitions
- Overview of the Concept
- Examples and Scientific research
- Locus of Control and Leadership
- Conclusion
3Testing Your Locus of Control
Disagree Strongly
Agree Strongly
Julian Rotter s 29-item Locus of Control
questionnaire and Paul E. Spectors Work Locus of
Control scale
4Definitions
- Locus A centre or focus of great activity or
intense concentration - Self-identity Awareness of and identification
with oneself as a separate individual - Self-esteem How much a person likes, accepts,
and respects him/herself overall as a person.
- HIGH
- Act independently
- Assume responsibility
- Be proud of accomplishments
- Tolerate frustration well
- Feel capable of influencing others
- LOW
- Demean ones own talents
- Feel powerless
- Avoid situations that provoke anxiety
- Be easily influenced by others
5Overview of the Concept
- Concept was developed by American psychologist
Julian Rotter in the 1960's and is considered an
important aspect of personality - Locus of control can be understood as a bipolar
construct, ranging from external causes to
internal causes
Internal
External
Individual believes that his/her behaviour is
guided by fate, luck, or other external
circumstances
Individual believes that his/her behaviour is
guided by his/her personal decisions and efforts
Locus of Control
6Overview of the Concept
- Locus of Control belief is also known as an
"attribution which refers to how people explain
events that happen to themselves and others - People tend to have a self-serving bias
- Where your LoC is on the continuum between
internal and external is determined by taking a
simple test - For example
A - Leaders are born, not made B - Leaders are
made, not born
A - More management skills courses should be
taught in business schools B - Less emphasis
should be put on skills in business schools
7Examples
Locus of Control
EXTERNAL
INTERNAL
I didn't just jump back on the bike and win.
There were a lot of ups and downs, good results
and bad results, but this time I didn't let the
lows get to me.
It is really unfair!
8Covey and the Locus of Control
- Stephen R. Covey authored the well known 7 Habits
of Highly Effective People - What I have seen...is people who feel victimized
and immobilized, who focus on the weaknesses of
other people and the circumstances they feel are
responsible for their own stagnant situation - HABIT 1 BE PROACTIVE Highly proactive
people...do not blame circumstances, conditions
or conditioning for their behaviour
Reactive Language Proactive Language Theres
nothing I can do Lets look at our
alternatives Thats just the way I am I can
choose a different approach He makes me so
mad I control my own feelings
9Studies Link LoC Self-Esteem
- Research shows a positive relationship between
self-esteem and leadership - (Bennis Nanus, 1985 Kaplan, 1986 Mowday,
1979 Zaleznik, 1977). - People with high self-esteem are likely to have
an internal locus of control. Internal locus of
control people (Internals) believe that they
largely determine their own outcomes. Research
shows that Internals exert greater effort on the
job and perform better. - (Burger, 1992 Schonbach, 1990).
10Locus of Control Leadership
Internal Locus of Control
Presumed ability to lead yourself
Presumed ability to impact the environment
Enhanced Commitment Responsibility
Pre-condition for leadership
Pre-condition for leadership
Pre-condition for leadership
11Locus of Control Leadership
- The belief you can be a leader will make you a
better leader (Pygmalion effect) - Link to locus of control of the ones you lead
- A participative leader is suitable for
subordinates with internal locus of control. - A directive leader is suitable for subordinates
with external locus of control.
12Locus of Control Leadership
- Leaders have an internal LOC
- see the world through an adaptive perspective
- their personal abilities will lead to positive
outcomes - meet challenges and succeed in their endeavors
- believe they will be efficacious in performing
actions - Leaders monitor their emotions (1 of big 5
factors of personality) - have high self-esteem
- are not easily discouraged
- have internal LOC
13Conclusion
Locus of Control Its Impact on Self Identity
Self Esteem?
14 15References
- Covey, S.R., The 7 Habits of Highly Effective
People, 1989, Simon Schuster, UK, p43, 71, 78. - Wise, M., Locus of Control in our daily lives-
How the concept of control impacts the social
world, Social Psychology / Miami University,
Ohio, USA, for Psy 342, Advanced Social
Psychology, Spring 1999. - Bennis, W. and Nannus, B. 1985. Leaders The
Strategies for Taking Charge. New York Harper
and Row. - Burger, Jerry M. 1992. Desire for control
Personality, social, and clinical perspectives.
New York Plenum Press - Kaplan, H. B. (1986). The Psychology of
Self-Referent Behaviour. New York Plenum - Mowday, R.T. (1979). Equity theory predictions of
behavior in organizations. In R.M. Steers L.W.
Porter (Eds.), Motivation and work behavior 124
146. New York McGraw-Hill. - Schonbach, P. (1990). Account Episodes The
Management of Escalation of Conflict, Cambridge
University Press, Cambridge. - Zaleznik, A. (1977). Managers and Leaders, Are
They Different? Harvard Business Review,
May/June, pp 67-78. - Locus of Control - A Class Tutorial
http//www.units.muohio.edu/psybersite/control/ove
rview.shtml- 06/09/2004 - The Teen Health Centre, Windsor, United Kingdom
- http//www.teenhealthcentre.com/teens/selfesteem/r
aising/raising-01.htm - 06/09/2004
16Scientific Studies
- Causes of children academic underachievement in
hopes of identifying an effective course of
prevention - Parental discipline, warmth, No parental
- involvement, reward and encouragement for
sense - encouragement for independence of independence
- (parental enabling)
- (more likely) Children with internal LOC
- External LOC
- Increased ability for impulse control,
Childhood anxiety, - academic success, and regulation
childhood depression and - of attention in classroom settings
poor academic achievement - High self-esteem Low self-esteem