Description
Previous research has shown that personality dimensions predict work outcomes such as organizational citizenship behaviors (extra-role behaviors not related to formal job requirements that have been shown to predict job performance) and organizational commitment (a psychological state linking an employee's relationship with the organization and is predictive of retention and emotional attachment towards the organization). For example, the personality traits of Conscientiousness and Extraversion have both been shown to be robust predictors of job performance and as partially contributing to both organizational citizenship behaviors (OCB) and organizational commitment (OC). In addition, a limited amount of research has investigated how work engagement (a psychological state of mind characterized by vigor, dedication, and absorption in one's work) can impact personality and its relationships with OCBs and OC. The current study utilized work engagement as a moderator between personality characteristics (Conscientiousness, Extraversion) and both OCBs and OC. The present study's sample included 204 respondents from the Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk) service who completed an online survey. Respondents were required to be employed at least part-time (20 or more hours per week), 18 years of age or older, and live in the United States. The results indicated that engagement significantly moderated the relationship between Conscientiousness and affective commitment, such that the positive relationship between Conscientiousness and affective commitment was significantly stronger for those high in engagement compared to those low in engagement. However, engagement was not found to significantly moderate any other relationships hypothesized in the study. The present study extends the application of engagement and how it can moderate the relationship between personality and the work outcomes of OCB and OC. The findings suggest that engagement may help increase levels of the work-related outcomes of OCB and OC depending on the individual's personality traits. Future research could explore how engagement may moderate the relationship between personality and other work-related constructs, such as job satisfaction. Finally, personnel departments, company executives, and managers should all ensure their organizational processes and culture are supportive of measuring and maximizing engagement in their employees, as engagement can significantly impact employee well being, productivity, and overall organizational effectiveness.
