Women's access to managerial positions: an experimental study of leadership styles and gender

This study attempts to test one of the explanations of the scarce representation of women in managerial positions, specifically the one advanced by "role congruity theory of prejudice toward female leaders" (Eagly & Karau, 2002), which appeals to the fact that women get unfavorable evaluations if they adopt male-stereotypical leadership styles. One-hundred and thirty-six undergraduate students participated in an experiment with a 2 (Male-stereotypical vs. Female-stereotypical leadership style) x 2 (Male vs. Female leader) design. Dependent variables were leader's competence, efficacy, and evaluation in a series of traits. It was found that, regardless of sex, the leaders were considered more competent and efficient, and were evaluated more favorably, when they adopted stereotypically feminine leadership styles. Implications of these findings for women's underrepresentation as leaders in management top positions worldwide are discussed.     

Sex and personality differences in occupational interests

Females differed significantly compared to males along several interest dimensions—they displayed less interest in technical trades and technical-scientific occupations, and were more inclined to select design-oriented and social-educational occupations. High trait neurotics were inclined to choose social-educational interests—as did extraverts. Extraversion was negatively correlated with the higher order ‘task-related’ interest factor, and positively correlated with ‘person- and nature-related’ interests (factor III). Psychoticism was negatively correlated with interest in commercial and administrative jobs (both loaded on the ‘task related’ factor). Ss characterized as dissimulants (L+) showed a greater affinity towards nutritional trades and administrative organisations.     

Predicting social behavior from personality traits

The classic view of traits as dispositions was examined and a number of ambiguities noted. When clarified, implications for predicting social behaviors from personality variables were derived. Two types of behavioral criterion were delineated, and it was argued that personality measures should be systematically related to multiple act criteria, but not necessarily to single act criteria. It was suggested that behaviors could be treated as items on a behavioral measure of personality and that standard scaling criteria be applied in identifying behaviors that should be related to a given trait dimension. In attempting to identify behaviors which are linearly related to a personality trait, the application of Bayes theorem was shown to be of theoretical interest. Two indices, a validity index and a linearity index, were derived from Bayes theorem and it was shown that validity is a necessary but not sufficient condition for linearity.     

Predicting workplace victim status from personality

This study examined the extent that workplace victim status can be predicted from personality traits. The sample comprised 60 victims and a control group of 60 non-bullied work colleagues, matched on a number of organizational and personal criteria, from two large organizations (one public, one private) in Eire. Both groups completed a semi-structured interview and the ICES Personality Inventory (Bartram, 1994, 1998). Significant differences emerged between victims and nonvictims on all major ICES scales. Victims tended to be less independent and extroverted, less stable, and more conscientious than non-victims. From the development of a weighted composite personality profile, results illustrated that ICES personality traits strongly predicted victim status. The findings suggest that, using a five-factor framework, personality traits may give an indication of those in an organization most likely to be bullied and an indication as to why these individuals become victims.     

More Than Peaks and Valleys: Introduction to the Special Issue on Typical and Maximum Performance

Studies on the effect of enforced waiting periods in human-computer interac- tion caused by system response times (SRTs) have shown that work style and psychophysiological stress level are markedly influenced by the mean SRT length but hardly by SRT variability, although the latter is supposed to induce temporal uncertainty which is well known as a potent stressor. Hence, this study tests the hypothesis that temporal uncertainty can be induced by SRTs without any variability when their duration is so large that the user cannot ac- curately anticipate the next work step because of his or her limited temporal sensitivity. Reaction time (RT) measures on simulated system breakdowns show that accuracy of temporal anticipation of the next work step under SRTs between 2 and 8 sec is much worse than results of psychophysical stud- ies on time perception would predict, and deteriorates deviating from Weber's Law when SRT length exceeds 6 sec. Completion time of work steps, varied as a second factor, shows no significant main effects on predictability. The result suggests that predictability of work flow is markedly affected by long SRTs leading to changes in work style as shown by performance measures.     

Schizotypal and dependent personality characteristics and managerial performance

The study of negatively connotated personality characteristics as predictors of work‐related performance is gaining momentum. While findings have generally suggested such characteristics to be negatively or curvilinearly related to performance, the current study was concerned with investigating any positive relationships that may exist between negatively connotated personality characteristics (as measured by the Hogan Development Survey) and work‐related performance in a sample of 103 Australasian financial services managers. The most notable findings from the study were that: (a) schizotypal personality characteristics positively predicted performance on a creativity competency; and (b) dependent personality characteristics positively predicted performance on a customer focus competency. Findings and limitations are discussed.     

Five-factor model of personality and transformational leadership

This study linked traits from the 5-factor model of personality (the Big 5) to transformational leadership behavior. Neuroticism, Extraversion, Openness to Experience, and Agreeableness were hypothesized to predict transformational leadership. Results based on 14 samples of leaders from over 200 organizations revealed that Extraversion and Agreeableness positively predicted transformational leadership; Openness to Experience was positively correlated with transformational leadership, but its effect disappeared once the influence of the other traits was controlled. Neuroticism and Conscientiousness were unrelated to transformational leadership. Results further indicated that specific facets of the Big 5 traits predicted transformational leadership less well than the general constructs. Finally, transformational leadership behavior predicted a number of outcomes reflecting leader effectiveness, controlling for the effect of transactional leadership.     

Phenotypic and genetic relationships between vocational interests and personality

Relationships between personality and vocational interest factors were examined at the phenotypic and genetic levels. Twins and siblings (N = 516) completed self-report personality and vocational interest scales. Following factor analyses of each scale, five personality and six vocational interest factors were extracted. At the phenotypic level, correlations between personality and vocational interests ranged from zero to .33. Heritability estimates of the scales showed that genetic components accounted for 0–56% of the variance for the vocational interest factors and 44–65% for the personality factors. Genetic correlations between the two areas ranged from zero to .50. The results suggest that personality is related to some vocational interest dimensions and that some of these observed relationships have a common genetic basis.     

Workers' central life interests and personality characteristics

Industrial workers who perceive work as their central life interest (CLI) also describe themselves as having a higher level of decisiveness, initiative, and supervisory ability than workers with other CLI orientations. Workers with CLI orientations in nonwork institutions have the lowest scores on decisiveness, need for occupational achievement, and initiative, and the highest need for job security, of the groups studied. Workers with no anchored CLI had the highest need for self-actualization and need for occupational achievement, of all groups. These personality characteristics are seen as consistent with the CLI orientations of individual workers, suggesting that the personality does “fit” some institutional setting, but not necessarily all those in which the individual functions.     

The common space of personality traits and vocational interests

Investigated relationships between personality traits and vocational interests. Cattell's (Research and Consultations Center of Educational Personnel, 1976) CAQ Part I and the Ramak interest inventory (Meir, 1975) based upon Roe's (1956) occupational classification system were administered to a sample of 397 university applicants. Canonical Correlation Analysis and Smallest Space Analysis were used to test two hypotheses (a) relationships exist between personality traits and vocational interests; and (b) personality traits which characterize occupational profiles are arranged in circular order corresponding to the configuration Of the vocational fields which represent those occupations. Both hypotheses were supported by the data.     

Predicting and accepting personality test scores

Three studies are reported concerned with people's perception of their own personality, their acceptance of bogus ‘personality’ feedback, and the relationship between their ‘actual’ personality scores and their willingness to accept bogus feedback. In the first study subjects attempted to predict their own and a well-known other person's personality scores. They were fairly good at predicting some of their own scores (extraversion, neuroticism) but less so others, suggesting that people can recognize their own ‘correct’ personality feedback. In the second study subjects were given either positive (Barnum Statements) or negative (reverse Barnum Statements) ‘bogus’ feedback after a personality test. They tended to accept the positive feedback as more accurate than the negative feedback though this was not related to their actual scores. In the third study subjects were given four types of feedback statements after a personality test: general positive, general negative, specific positive and specific negative. As predicted, people tend to accept general rather than specific, and positive rather than negative feedback as true. Furthermore, acceptance was closely related to neuroticism and extraversion in a predicted direction. These results are discussed in terms of the uses and abuses of validation of personality feedback.     

Runners and meditators: a comparison of personality profiles

Although both running and meditating have been considered as healthful and enlightening, no data have yet been published comparing the personality profiles of the two groups. A sample of 48 runners and 43 meditators, all males between the ages of 40 and 60, were given the Cattell 16 PF Test Profile and the results were compared. The meditators were significantly more assertive and enthusiastic than the runners. They also appear as Significantly less conscientious and controlled than the runners, as well as more experimenting and suspicious.     

Winning at work: Trait competitiveness,personality types,and occupational interests

This study examined the relationship between trait competitiveness and occupational interests of under-graduates prior to entering the work force. The findings indicate that competitiveness is related to Investigative and Realistic types within Holland’s model of vocational choice and that competitive individuals are attracted to jobs involving competition and competitive pressure based on O*NET job characteristic ratings. Implications for future research are discussed.     

Personality profiles of cultures: aggregate personality traits

Personality profiles of cultures can be operationalized as the mean trait levels of culture members. College students from 51 cultures rated an individual from their country whom they knew well (N=12,156). Aggregate scores on Revised NEO Personality Inventory (NEO-PI-R) scales generalized across age and sex groups, approximated the individual-level 5-factor model, and correlated with aggregate self-report personality scores and other culture-level variables. Results were not attributable to national differences in economic development or to acquiescence. Geographical differences in scale variances and mean levels were replicated, with Europeans and Americans generally scoring higher in Extraversion than Asians and Africans. Findings support the rough scalar equivalence of NEO-PI-R factors and facets across cultures and suggest that aggregate personality profiles provide insight into cultural differences.     

“大五”人格剖面：以个体为中心的研究路径

“大五”人格剖面是“大五”人格特质在个体上的高低组合, 充分考虑了人格特质之间的交互作用, 能够反映不同子群体在“大五”人格特质上的数量与质量差异, 是解释以往以变量为中心矛盾性结论的重要途径, 也更契合组织管理实践需要, 对实践有更强的指导意义。“大五”人格剖面数量受到研究情境、样本特征、研究方法等因素的影响, 基于自我适应-自我管理模型可以获取4剖面模型, 且常见的剖面包括灵活适应剖面、普通剖面与执拗剖面。“大五”人格剖面在研究中更多地扮演自变量角色, 探讨其在关键结果变量上是否存在差异。未来可以关注强化“大五”人格剖面研究的理论基础; 加强重复性研究, 识别普适性“大五”人格剖面; 识别“大五”人格剖面的影响因素; 纳入更多人格变量, 更完整刻画人格剖面。     

Predicting counterproductive work behavior from the interaction of personality traits

Much attention has been given to enhancing the prediction of counterproductive work behavior (CWB), with a particular focus on the relationship between the five factor model of personality and CWB. Several scholars have advocated for a more complex view of this relationship, and rather than focusing simply on main effects, to examine the interaction of personality traits in predicting employee behavior. In consideration of the traits most strongly related to CWB, we examined the interaction between: (1) conscientiousness and emotional stability, (2) agreeableness and emotional stability, and (3) conscientiousness and agreeableness on CWB directed at individuals (CWB-I) and the organization (CWB-O). Results from a multi-national sample illustrate the interaction of traits increases the prediction of CWB over and above a single trait approach. The interactions suggest employees perform the least CWB when they are high on both traits (in the respective trait pairings), but low levels on either trait relate to increased CWB, and at levels comparable to individuals low on both traits. We conclude research on personality and CWB would benefit from an interactive approach as it allows for greater prediction of CWB-O and CWB-I, which is important in light of the organizational and interpersonal consequences of employee misbehavior.