Personality Traits and Job Outcomes: The Mediating Role of Psychological Empowerment among Employees in Unilever Ghana

Abstract

This study investigates individual personality traits (openness, conscientiousness, agreeableness, extraversion and emotional stability) as a potential explanation for why some people feel a stronger sense of job outcome (commitment and turnover intention) than others when psychologically empowered. The hypotheses were tested on a sample of 220 full-time employees, using structural equation modelling (SEM) partial least square (PLS). The cross-sectional nature of this study restricts the clear pinpointing of temporal causal relationships within the psychological empowerment process because it considers a snapshot of the sample at a specific point in time. The analysis showed that when an individual who possesses some Big Five traits is a member of the organisation, there is the need to psychologically empower them as it will shape their commitment and turnover intention. Agreeableness did not show any relationship with all the job outcomes (organisational commitment and turnover intention) tested. Openness and Extraversion all showed a direct and statistically significant relationship with affective commitment. Openness showed a positive and significant relationship with affective commitment while Extraversion showed a negative and significant relationship with affective commitment. The study found a direct relationship and statistically significant relationship (positive) between conscientiousness and turnover intention. Emotional stability also showed a direct and positive significant relationship with continuance commitment. Psychological empowerment only mediated the relationship between openness and affective commitment as well as between emotional stability and continuance commitment. The practical implication of the study is that, it would provide organisations with personality attributes that should be emphasized especially during the recruitment and selection process as well as during promotions, in order to foster employee commitment, and reduce turnover intention in the organisation. The study focused on the manufacturing industry of Ghana. Future research should investigate other context for comparison.