Barbie sales went from $200 million, when she took over in 1983, to $1.9
billion in 1997.
    Barad thrived in Mattel's competitive culture. Unafraid to speak her
mind, she forcefully pushed for greater responsibilities and promotions. "I
always fought for my point of view." And she never camouflaged her ambi-
tion, "I just always wanted the next job," she says. "She was never afraid to
go in and ask for a raise," adds a former colleague.
    As one of the few women heading up a major American company, Jill
Barad is still "dressing up and putting on shows." Glamorous and radiant,
she seems more Hollywood than corporate. Barad's personality has cer-
tainly played a role in shaping her career, as did her decision to work for a
company that valued and rewarded her assertive and competitive personality traits.

J ill Barad isn't unique. All our behavior is somewhat
shaped by our personalities. In the first half of this chap-
ter, we review the research on personality and its rela-
tionship to behavior. In the latter half, we look at how emotions
shape many of our work-related behaviors.

PERSONALITY

Why are some people quiet and passive, while others are loud
and aggressive? Are certain personality types better adapted to
certain job types? Before we can answer these questions, we need
to address a more basic one: What is personality?



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