Employee Behavioral Activation and Behavioral Inhibition Systems,Manager Ratings of Employee Job Performance,and Employee Withdrawal

Employee behavioral activation system (BAS) and behavioral inhibition system (BIS) sensitivities have potential to add value to understanding employee personality, job performance ratings, and withdrawal. After controlling for three Big Five personality trait dimensions (Conscientiousness, Neuroticism, and Extraversion), structural equations modeling results from 102 employees and their managers indicated that employee BAS sensitivity was negatively related to manager ratings of employee job performance and that employee self-defeating behavior partially accounted for the hypothesized negative relations. BAS sensitivity was also indirectly and positively related to employee turnover intentions by failure to delay gratification. BIS sensitivity was positively related to employee self-defeating behavior but was not related to manager ratings of job performance or withdrawal. Theoretical and practical implications of the findings and future research are discussed.