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Self‐Monitoring at Work: A Motive‐Based Perspective
Author(s) -
Day David V.,
Schleicher Deidra J.
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
journal of personality
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.082
H-Index - 144
eISSN - 1467-6494
pISSN - 0022-3506
DOI - 10.1111/j.1467-6494.2006.00389.x
Subject(s) - psychology , personality , social psychology , perspective (graphical) , self monitoring , extant taxon , relevance (law) , empirical research , work (physics) , industrial and organizational psychology , applied psychology , epistemology , mechanical engineering , philosophy , evolutionary biology , artificial intelligence , computer science , political science , law , biology , engineering
It is argued that the recent study of personality in industrial and organizational (I‐O) psychology is characterized by two limitations: (a) almost complete reliance on the Big Five to the exclusion of other personality variables (most notably, self‐monitoring) and (b) insufficient theoretical attention paid to the criteria in work‐related personality research. In an attempt to overcome both of these limitations, we review theoretical and empirical evidence for the relevance of self‐monitoring in organizational life, with particular attention paid to the criteria grounded in socioanalytic theory of getting along , getting ahead , and making sense . Extant research indicates that high self‐monitors are particularly good at getting along (e.g., meeting others' social expectations) and getting ahead (e.g., job performance and leadership emergence), but the evidence is more mixed with regard to making sense. We conclude with a discussion of practical concerns in considering the use of self‐monitoring for managerial selection and a research agenda for the future to further elaborate a theory of self‐monitoring at work.