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Examples of Reflective Diary Writing:

Poor Example:
Week 4. 22 Oct Individual differences and diversity in organisations

I attended a class today where we discussed individual

differences and personality testing in organisations. I think
that personality testing is widely used in organisations and
is very good for selecting employees who will do their job
well. In the lecture we were asked to discuss in pairs what
we think organisations should do about increasing diversity
of workforce. I found this discussion interesting although I
disagreed over some issues with the other person. The main
point of this session was that tests used in personnel
selection are very good for identifying individuals who will
fit into the company and do their work very well. It made me
think about the times I had taken different tests.

(Comment: The example above is limited due to the lack of depth of

reflection; the comments are brief and more descriptive than
reflective. In other words- it merely describes the learning event,
but does not show your reactions to this event. Rather than
stipulating that the lecturer discussed individual differences and
personality testing in organisations, it is better to provide a
reflection on what you found most remarkable about this topic. The
entry mentions disagreements over issues raised in a discussion,
but these are not expanded upon. The main points of the lecture are
not accurately summarised here, e.g. the session was about
different individual differences, not only and particularly personality
and how these differences contribute to increasing diversity in
organisations. The personal experience mentioned, whilst may be
relevant is too general and not related to the broader literature or
themes introduced in the session).
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Good Example:

Week 4. 22 Oct Individual differences and diversity in organisations

The session today discussed individual differences, and how

these differences contribute to increasing diversity in
organisations. The lecturer made two main points: 1) the
behaviour of an individual is a function of his/ her individual
characteristics and his/her environment therefore when
explaining this behaviour we should not over-focus only on
individual’s characteristics; 2) diversity is rapidly increasing
in many organisations, therefore they have to develop
strategies how to deal with it.
I was particularly interested to learn if how reliable and
valid are personality tests in predicting people’s actual
behaviour in workplace. My experience suggests that
personality tests alone might not be reliable predictors of
one’s job performance. For example, according to
personality tests I am more introvert than extrovert. Despite
that I have been a successful sales person dealing with
numerous people on daily basis. My job is related to selling
very complex equipment, therefore customers are more
interested in what I am saying about the properties of the
equipment than whether I look very approachable and am
outgoing. If I had been tested before I got my sales job I
would have never got it, because I am an introverted
person. I suppose, this might be different I would be trying
to sell cosmetics when standing in a shopping centre. So,
from this experience I agree with the thesis articulated in
the lecture that we have to remember that environment not
only individual characteristics affect people’s behaviour and
therefore should not overly rely on test results when
selecting employees.
Later in the day I was thinking that testing actually can be
seen as a form of discrimination. If we agree with the
nomothetic approach to personality, then personality
characteristics are very stable. So it means, by testing
prospective employees we are actually discriminating them
judging them by the characteristics they largely cannot
change.

(Comment: This entry provides a fuller reflective account; the main

theses examined in the lecture are accurately mentioned. The
author is able to reflect at a deeper level by explaining which
sections of the literature or discussions impacted profoundly upon
their thoughts. The author also has demonstrated an independent
thinking by suggesting an original idea (testing as discrimination)
which was not discussed in the lecture. The personal experience is
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clear and in context. This reflection would be better rounded if the

author would have also included his thoughts on diversity in
organisations).