Voice and cooperative behavior as contrasting forms of contextual performance: Evidence of differential relationships with Big Five personality characteristics and cognitive ability.

Abstract

The results of a laboratory study of 276 individuals replicate past findings for cooperative behavior as a form of contextual performance and extend past research by providing evidence that voice (constructive change-oriented communication) may be another form of contextual performance. Conscientiousness, extraversion, and agreeableness related more strongly to voice behavior and cooperative behavior than to task performance. Cognitive ability related more strongly to task performance than to voice behavior or cooperative behavior. Results also demonstrate contrasting relationships for agreeableness (positive with cooperative behavior and negative with voice behavior). This supports recent research suggesting the possibility of bidirectional relationships with personality characteristics across different dimensions of job performance.

The joint effects of personality and workplace social exchange relationships in predicting task performance and citizenship performance.

“…When employees work in teams, those who are dispositionally cooperative will be aware of opportunities to help others and they will target citizenship behaviors at their coworkers. In support of this, Hough (1992) and Borman and Motowidlo (1993) demonstrated significant relationships between agreeableness and teamwork, while Johnson (2001) and LePine and Van Dyne (2001) demonstrated positive relationships between agreeableness and cooperative behavior directed at other group members (see also Hurtz & Donovan, 2000;Van Scotter & Motowidlo, 1996). Thus, H2b: Agreeableness will be positively related to helping coworkers.…”

“…Consistent with this, Borman, White, and Dorsey (1995) reported that likeability had little effect on task performance; LePine and Van Dyne (2001) showed no relationship between agreeableness and task performance on a laboratory task where performance was operationalized as decision making accuracy; and at least three meta-analyses have failed to show a consistent relationship between agreeableness and task performance (Hough et al, 1990;Hurtz & Donovan, 2002;Salgado, 1997). Commenting on these findings, Johnson (2003) noted that agreeableness may predict task performance in some jobs but not in others.…”

“…Several empirical studies provide indirect support for the prediction that conscientiousness should predict helping coworkers (Hough, 1992;Johnson, 2001). For example, past studies have shown that conscientiousness predicts cooperative behavior directed specifically at other group members in a team setting (LePine & Van Dyne, 2001) as well as helping and cooperation with other coworkers (Motowidlo & Van Scotter, 1994;Van Scotter & Motowidlo, 1996). Accordingly, we predicted To date, theory and research on agreeableness and task performance have been inconsistent.…”

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AbstractThis field study examines the joint effects of social exchange relationships at work (LMX:leader-member exchange and TMX: team-member exchange) and employee personality Existing research has demonstrated the importance of personality characteristics and social exchange relationships as predictors of task and citizenship performance (Barrick & Mount, 1991;Eisenberger, Fasolo, & Davis-LaMastro, 1990;Judge & Ilies, 2002;LePine & Van Dyne, 2001;Settoon, Bennett, & Liden, 1996). To date, however, consideration of personality characteristics and social exchange relationships as predictors of employee performance has been addressed in two predominantly separate literatures.

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The Importance of Job Autonomy, Cognitive Ability, and Job-Related Skill for Predicting Role Breadth and Job Performance.

“…A smaller body of research has investigated the importance of other predictors such as leadership (Hofmann et al, 2003;Smith, Organ, & Near, 1983) and various personality characteristics (Bateman & Crant, 1993;LePine & Van Dyne, 2001). Yet there are other potentially important factors that have received little attention.…”