This paper examines the Big Five personality traits as identified in organizational behavior literature: agreeableness, conscientiousness, emotional stability, openness to experience, and extraversion. Drawing on Griffin and Moorhead (2011), Hellriegel and Slocum (2007), and Nelson and Quick (2007), the paper defines each trait and illustrates how it can positively influence individual performance in organizational settings. The discussion highlights the practical relevance of personality dimensions for managers seeking to understand employee behavior, and concludes that no single trait defines a person's full personality—rather, all five dimensions work together to shape individual character.
Different people possess different personality traits. In seeking to define individuals' core personalities, researchers have identified several key personality dimensions. According to Griffin and Moorhead (2011), personality is "the relatively stable set of psychological attributes that distinguish one person from another." As these authors point out, there exists a need for managers to familiarize themselves with various primary personality attributes and the impact they have on the behavior of people in organizational situations.
Numerous personality traits have been identified over the years. However, in an attempt to ease the description and analysis of personalities, researchers have more recently identified several generalized personality traits (Hellriegel and Slocum, 2007). The Big Five personality traits, according to Nelson and Quick (2007), "include extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, emotional stability, and openness to experience." Each trait is discussed below, along with examples of how it can contribute positively to an individual's performance in an organizational setting.
Agreeableness, according to Griffin and Moorhead (2011), is essentially the ability of an individual to "get along with others." Agreeable individuals tend to be sociable and empathetic. People who are agreeable are also affectionate and kind — qualities that make it easy for them to connect with those around them. Indeed, a lack of agreeableness, in the opinion of Griffin and Moorhead (2011), can make an individual antagonistic, uncooperative, and irritable. In an organizational setting, an agreeable individual is likely to perform better at tasks that require collective effort, such as those carried out in a group or team context.
Conscientiousness, in the opinion of Hellriegel and Slocum (2007), "refers to the number of goals on which a person focuses." As the authors further point out, individuals who focus on a limited number of key goals and objectives tend to be more responsible, thorough, and organized than those who spread their attention across many goals. In the organizational setting, managers who are conscientious are more likely to achieve organizational goals as a result of their ability to remain focused and persistent. A manager with a high level of conscientiousness is also likely to be regarded as more reliable by colleagues and subordinates.
"Self-confidence and calm under workplace pressure"
"Curiosity, creativity, and receptiveness to change"
"Social comfort and performance in outward-facing roles"
Nelson, D. L., & Quick, J. C. (2007). Understanding Organizational Behavior (3rd ed.). Mason, OH: Thomson Higher Education.
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