The engageable personality: Personality and trait EI as predictors of work engagement. (January 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Akhtar, Reece; Boustani, Lara; Tsivrikos, Dimitrios; Chamorro-Premuzic, Tomas
• Is Part Of: Personality and individual differences. Volume 73(2015)
• Page Start: 44
• Page End: 49
• Publication Date: 2015-01
• Subjects: Engagement -- Personality -- Trait EI; Personality -- Periodicals; Individuality -- Periodicals; Individuality -- Periodicals; Personality Development -- Periodicals; Personnalité -- Périodiques; Individualité -- Périodiques; 155.205
• DOI: 10.1016/j.paid.2014.08.040
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0191-8869

Abstract

Highlights: The study investigates the relationship between trait emotional intelligence and employee engagement. Both broad and context-specific personality traits were found to hold incremental validity. Trait emotional intelligence and openness to experience are the strongest predictors of employee engagement. The study used a large sample of working adults ( N = 1050). Abstract: Work engagement is seen as a critical antecedent of various organizational outcomes such as citizenship behavior and employee productivity. Though defined as a state, recent research has hinted at potential individual differences in engagement, meaning that employees differ in their tendencies to engage at work. This study investigated the effects of the Big Five personality traits, work-specific personality, and trait emotional intelligence, on work engagement among a sample of 1050 working adults. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses identified trait EI, openness to experience, interpersonal sensitivity, ambition, extraversion, adjustment, and conscientiousness as predictors of engagement. Trait EI predicted work engagement over and above personality. Practical and theoretical implications are discussed.