Investigating the uniqueness and usefulness of proactive personality in organizational research: A meta-analytic review

• Main Authors: SPITZMULLER, Matthias, SIN, Hock-Peng, HOWE, Michael, FATIMAH, Shereen
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Institutional Knowledge at Singapore Management University 2015
• Subjects: Organizational Behavior and Theory; Organizational Communication; Organization Development
• Online Access: https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/lkcsb_research/5451; https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/context/lkcsb_research/article/6450/viewcontent/HP_Proactive_Personality_Meta_Analysis.pdf
• Institution: Singapore Management University

Using meta-analysis (283 effect sizes from 122 studies), we extend prior qualitative and quantitativereviews of research on proactive personality in a number of meaningful ways. First, we examine thediscriminant and incremental validity of proactive personality using meta-analytic regression analyses.Our results reveal that more than 50% of variance in proactive personality is unrelated to the BigFive personality traits collectively. Also, proactive personality accounts for unique variance in overalljob performance, task performance, and organizational citizenship behaviors, even after controllingfor the Big Five personality traits and general mental ability (for overall job performance and taskperformance). Moreover, we find no subgroup differences in proactive personality, highlighting itspotential use in selection contexts. In conclusion, we discuss implications of our findings for researchand practice.