TY - JOUR
T1 - Extraversion advantages at work
T2 - A quantitative review and synthesis of the meta-analytic evidence
AU - Wilmot, Michael P.
AU - Wanberg, Connie R.
AU - Kammeyer-Mueller, John D.
AU - Ones, Deniz S.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2019 American Psychological Association.
PY - 2019/12
Y1 - 2019/12
N2 - How and to what extent does extraversion relate to work relevant variables across the lifespan? In the most extensive quantitative review to date, we summarize results from 97 published meta-analyses reporting relations of extraversion to 165 distinct work relevant variables, as well as relations of extraversion's lower order traits to 58 variables. We first update all effects using a common set of statistical corrections and, when possible, combine independent estimates using second-order metaanalysis (Schmidt & Oh, 2013). We then organize effects within a framework of four career domains- education, job application, on the job, and career/lifespan-and five conceptual categories: motivations, values, and interests; attitudes and well-being; interpersonal; performance; and counterproductivity. Overall, extraversion shows effects in a desirable direction for 90% of variables (grand mean ρ =.14), indicative of a small, persistent advantage at work. Findings also show areas with more substantial effects (ρ ≥ .20), which we synthesize into four extraversion advantages. These motivational, emotional, interpersonal, and performance advantages offer a concise account of extraversion's relations and a new lens for understanding its effects at work. Our review of the lower order trait evidence reveals diverse relations (e.g., the positive emotions facet has consistently advantageous effects, the sociability facet confers few benefits, the sensation-seeking facet is largely disadvantageous), and extends knowledge about the functioning of extraversion and its advantages. We conclude by discussing potential boundary conditions of findings, contributions and limitations of our review, and new research directions for extraversion at work.
AB - How and to what extent does extraversion relate to work relevant variables across the lifespan? In the most extensive quantitative review to date, we summarize results from 97 published meta-analyses reporting relations of extraversion to 165 distinct work relevant variables, as well as relations of extraversion's lower order traits to 58 variables. We first update all effects using a common set of statistical corrections and, when possible, combine independent estimates using second-order metaanalysis (Schmidt & Oh, 2013). We then organize effects within a framework of four career domains- education, job application, on the job, and career/lifespan-and five conceptual categories: motivations, values, and interests; attitudes and well-being; interpersonal; performance; and counterproductivity. Overall, extraversion shows effects in a desirable direction for 90% of variables (grand mean ρ =.14), indicative of a small, persistent advantage at work. Findings also show areas with more substantial effects (ρ ≥ .20), which we synthesize into four extraversion advantages. These motivational, emotional, interpersonal, and performance advantages offer a concise account of extraversion's relations and a new lens for understanding its effects at work. Our review of the lower order trait evidence reveals diverse relations (e.g., the positive emotions facet has consistently advantageous effects, the sociability facet confers few benefits, the sensation-seeking facet is largely disadvantageous), and extends knowledge about the functioning of extraversion and its advantages. We conclude by discussing potential boundary conditions of findings, contributions and limitations of our review, and new research directions for extraversion at work.
KW - Careers
KW - Extraversion
KW - Meta-analysis
KW - Personality
KW - Second-order meta-analysis
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U2 - 10.1037/apl0000415
DO - 10.1037/apl0000415
M3 - Article
C2 - 31120263
AN - SCOPUS:85065986811
SN - 0021-9010
VL - 104
SP - 1447
EP - 1470
JO - Journal of Applied Psychology
JF - Journal of Applied Psychology
IS - 12
ER -