Exploring the predictive validity of personality for job performance across occupations using a person-centered approach
Abstract
The goal of this study is to shed light upon the complex and long-debated relationship
between personality and job performance from a new angle. Using a person-centered approach to
examine personality, this study is the first to examine the criterion-related validity of personality
profiles in predicting job performance in a corporate sample while accounting for occupational
membership. More specifically, using an archival dataset from a Fortune 100 company, the current
study involves hypotheses and research questions related to the existence and distribution of
personality profiles across occupations, incremental validity of personality profiles in predicting
performance, differential predictive validity for personality profiles across occupations, and the
distribution of personality profiles among top performers within occupations. Four organization-based personality profiles were identified: adaptable, rigid, confident, and nervous. Occupation-based personality profiles were also identified for the occupations of sales, accounting and finance,
manufacturing engineering, and research and development. The identified occupation-based
personality profiles included some of the organization-based profiles as well as some distinctive profiles. Testing for the criterion-related validity of personality profiles showed somewhat lower
validities in comparison with personality traits. Examination of the incremental validity of
personality profiles above and beyond personality traits showed limited evidence of incremental
validity for organization-based profiles and mixed evidence for occupation-based profiles, with a
few cases of notable incremental validity for occupation-based profiles in predicting specific job
performance dimensions. In addition, an exploration of the distribution of personality profiles
among the top 10% of performers indicated that the confident profile was most common and the
rigid profile was least common. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed along with
potential future research directions.