Nicole Chipfakacha

BUS 1710-03
Reflection journal

Reflection 1: Personality and Individual Behaviour

One of the most important concepts I learned in this course is how personality and individual
differences shape behaviour in the workplace. Before this class, I assumed that performance was
mostly about skills and effort, but the MARS Model taught me that behaviour depends on
motivation, ability, role clarity, and situational factors. This framework helped me understand
that even highly motivated individuals may underperform if they lack ability, misunderstand
expectations, or face environmental constraints such as inadequate resources. It shifted my
thinking from blaming the person to understanding the system influencing their behaviour.

The Big Five personality traits highlighted how stable characteristics help predict workplace
tendencies. Conscientiousness, for example, strongly correlates with performance because it
shapes reliability and persistence. Openness relates to creativity, while extraversion predicts
success in social, leadership, and sales roles. Understanding these traits helped me reflect on my
own strengths, such as agreeableness, which supports collaboration but may make assertive
decision-making harder. This self-awareness reinforced the course’s idea that effective
organizations consider fit between personality and job demands.

The chapter’s discussion on self-concept was equally eye-opening. I learned that people function
best when they have clarity, consistency, and complexity in their self-identity. Low clarity can
cause confusion and stress, while high consistency supports stability and confidence. I realized
that how I see myself deeply influences how I behave, interpret feedback, and react to
challenges.
Finally, the topic of perception and bias made me aware of how unconscious processes influence
judgment. Concepts like confirmation bias, halo effect, and stereotyping occur automatically, yet
they shape workplace interactions in powerful ways. This insight pushed me to become more
reflective and to slow down before making assumptions about others.

Overall, this learning changed how I understand people at work. Instead of seeing behaviour as
random or personal, I now analyze it through personality, motivation, and situational influences.
This perspective will help me manage relationships more effectively and make more informed
decisions in future workplace settings.

Reflection 2: Perception, Bias, and Social Identity

A second key learning from this course was the role of perception and bias in shaping
organizational behaviour. I was surprised to learn how much of what we “see” is constructed in
our minds through the perceptual process of selecting, organizing, and interpreting information.
This made me realize that misunderstandings at work are not always about miscommunication,
but often about how people mentally filter and interpret situations differently.

The concept of mental models really stood out to me because it explains why people often resist
latest ideas. Mental models help us predict and understand the world, but they can also limit our
thinking by making us focus on familiar interpretations. I recognized that I sometimes rely too
heavily on my past experiences and unintentionally close myself off to new viewpoints.

One of the most impactful topics was unconscious bias. Learning that people instinctively
categorize others and make snap judgments—even when they consciously value fairness—was
humbling. The processes of categorization, homogenization, and differentiation helped me
understand why stereotypes occur so easily. Although stereotyping can simplify information
processing, it can result in unfair expectations and inaccurate judgments. The halo effect,
primacy effect, and recency effect further proved how easily our evaluations of others can be
distorted by limited information.

Social identity theory also resonated with me. It showed that we define ourselves partly through
group memberships, and this shapes how we relate to others. I realized that belonging to certain
groups cultural, academic, or social can unconsciously influence how I interpret people who are
“in-group” versus “out-group.”

This learning reinforced the importance of slowing down, seeking more information, and
questioning my assumptions. It also encouraged me to approach organizational interactions with
more humility and empathy. Understanding these biases is not just academically useful it is
essential for building fairness and inclusion in any workplace. This topic changed the way I see
everyday interactions, making me more intentional and aware of the hidden processes shaping
my judgments.

Reflection 3: Team Dynamics and Cohesion

Another significant learning from this course was the complexity of team dynamics. I discovered
that effective teams are not successful by chance; they develop through intentional processes
involving communication, trust, roles, and shared purpose. The characteristics of high-
performing teams such as clear goals, open communication, mutual accountability, and trust—
helped me understand why some group experiences. I have had felt productive while others were
frustrating.

The Tuckman model of team development (forming, storming, norming, performing, and
adjourning) made sense of my past team experiences. I often assumed that conflict during group
work was a negative sign, but this model taught me that the storming phase is natural and
necessary for setting up norms. This helped me reinterpret conflict as a normal part of building
cohesion rather than a sign of dysfunction.

Another concept that strongly affected me was team cohesion. I learned that cohesive teams
perform better because members share information more freely, provide stronger social support,
and commit to team goals. I realized that cohesion builds gradually through similarity,
interactions, team success, and trust. This insight explained why larger teams or those with
unclear goals often struggle. The topic of team roles and norms showed me the importance of
proving expectations early. Task roles support productivity, while teamwork roles support
communication and relationships. I now understand that when these roles are unclear, teams
experience confusion, duplication of work, or conflict.
A particularly surprising concept was social loafing the tendency for individuals to put in less
effort when their performance is not individually visible. This helped me understand why group
assignments sometimes feel unbalanced. Knowing this, I will advocate for clearer task division,
accountability, and smaller team size.

Overall, this learning fundamentally changed how I view teamwork. Instead of thinking of teams
as simply groups of people working together, I now see teamwork as a dynamic system
influenced by structure, relationships, and psychology. This knowledge will help me approach
future group work more strategically and with greater awareness of how to contribute effectively.

Reflection 4: Communication in Organizations

One of the most valuable topics I learned was the complexity of communication in organizations.
I realized communication is much more than exchanging words it is a process involving
encoding, decoding, messages, channels, and potential noise. This understanding helped me see
why messages often become distorted despite good intentions.

The communication process model made me aware that misunderstandings happen not just
because of what is said, but because people interpret messages through their own mental
frameworks. The course also explained that communication improves when the sender and
receiver share similar codebooks, experiences, and mental models.

The topic of digital communication was especially relevant to today’s workplace. I learned that
while digital tools allow fast and convenient information sharing, they can also reduce social
presence, increase misunderstandings, and contribute to information overload. Emojis and digital
nonverbal signals can help, but digital messages still struggle to convey emotion accurately. This
showed me that choosing the right channel is a strategic decision.

The media richness theory and concepts of synchronicity, social presence, and social acceptance
taught me how to match communication channels to message complexity. For example, sensitive
or ambiguous topics require richer channels such as face-to-face conversation, while simple
updates can be sent by email or text. This framework will help me communicate more effectively
in both academic and professional settings.
I also found nonverbal communication and the idea of emotional contagion fascinating.
Realizing that people unconsciously mimic emotions and body language helped me understand
why face-to-face interactions feel more engaging and supportive.

Lastly, the topic of communication barriers, such as filtering, language differences, and
information overload, reminded me that effective communication requires effort. Strategies such
as active listening, empathy, repetition, and clear descriptions can significantly improve message
clarity.

Overall, this topic strengthened my appreciation for communication as a skill that requires
awareness, intentionality, and adaptability. I now understand that effective communication is
central to workplace success, leadership, teamwork, and conflict resolution.

Reflection 5: Leadership Approaches

The final major learning that stood out to me was the study of leadership. Before this class, I
viewed leadership as a personality trait or position, but this course showed me that leadership is a
set of behaviours and approaches that can be adapted. Transformational leadership was one of
the most inspiring concepts. Transformational leaders create change by communicating a
compelling vision, role-modeling desired behaviours, encouraging innovation, and building
commitment. I realized that leadership is not just about managing tasks but motivating people to
see possibilities beyond the present. This broadened my view of what impactful leadership looks
like.

In contrast, managerial leadership focuses on day-to-day operations through task-oriented and

The situational leadership and path–goal theories were also meaningful. They emphasize that
leaders must adapt their style depending on employee readiness, motivation, and task
characteristics. This flexibility challenges the idea of a one-size-fits-all leadership style. It taught
me that effective leaders read the situation and adjust their behaviour accordingly. Servant
leadership introduced a more human-centered approach one that prioritizes serving others,
supporting personal growth, and fostering community. I found this particularly relevant to
creating positive organizational cultures.

Finally, the course highlighted leadership competencies such as emotional intelligence, integrity,
drive, and knowledge of the business. Emotional intelligence especially resonated with me
because it shows the importance of managing one’s own emotions and understanding others.
This learning changed my perspective on what it means to be a leader. Leadership is not about
authority but about influence, vision, and service. Understanding these theories will help me
show leaders I want to emulate and guide how I develop myself professionally.