PERSONALITY AND JOB OUTCOMES: MEDIATION OF ETHICAL IDEOLOGY

Abstract

Purpose: This study aims to theorize new conceptual linkages between two popular paradigms of management research personality (Big Five Trait) and ethics (Ethical Ideology). Big Five personality traits and ethical ideology dimensions (idealism and relativism) relationship with job outcomes such as interpersonal conflict, workplace deviance, and Organizational Citizenship Behavior (OCB) were proposed. Methodology: This study adopted a longitudinal field survey design. Data analysis for descriptive, regression, and correlation techniques, was done using SPSS v 17 whereas conduct Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) of study variables was done using AMOS v 16. Main Findings: Results revealed significant association of i) extraversion, conscientiousness, and agreeableness with OCB, ii) Agreeableness and neuroticism with workplace deviance and iii) agreeableness, openness to experience, neuroticism with interpersonal conflict. Moreover, agreeableness was a significant predictor of idealism ethical ideology, neuroticism and openness to experience were significant predictors of relativism ethical ideology. Idealism significantly predicted interpersonal conflict and OCB and relativism significantly predicted workplace deviance and interpersonal conflict. Idealism ethical ideology mediated between extraversion and interpersonal conflict, agreeableness and interpersonal conflict as well as OCB. On the other hand, relativism ethical ideology mediated between openness to experience and interpersonal conflict. Similarly, relativism also mediated between neuroticism and two job outcomes (interpersonal conflict, workplace deviance). Limitations/ Applications: Future research directions and implications for theory and practice are suggested. Novelty/Originality of this study: This study explained the conceptual mechanism that individual outcomes of the Big Five traits are determined through the ethical ideology of the respective personality trait; moreover, this study also added empirical evidence in existing OB literature from a unique cultural context i.e., Pakistan.