Locus of Control

1
Locus of Control

• Its Impact on Self Identity Self Esteem

Alex Brown MBA 2005 Claudie Chaumette MBA
2005 Mark Scholten EMBA 2004
2
Introduction

• Testing your Locus of Control
• Definitions
• Overview of the Concept
• Examples and Scientific research
• Locus of Control and Leadership
• Conclusion

3
Testing 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
4
Definitions

• 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

5
Overview 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
6
Overview 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
7
Examples
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!
8
Covey 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
9
Studies 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).

10
Locus 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
11
Locus 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.

12
Locus 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

13
Conclusion

• Personal Experiences

Locus of Control Its Impact on Self Identity
Self Esteem?
14

• Questions ?

15
References

• 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

16
Scientific 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