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PERSONALITY MEASURES AS PREDICTORS OF JOB PERFORMANCE: A META‐ANALYTIC REVIEW
Author(s) -
TETT ROBERT P.,
JACKSON DOUGLAS N.,
ROTHSTEIN MITCHELL
Publication year - 1991
Publication title -
personnel psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 6.076
H-Index - 142
eISSN - 1744-6570
pISSN - 0031-5826
DOI - 10.1111/j.1744-6570.1991.tb00696.x
Subject(s) - psychology , agreeableness , personality , job performance , big five personality traits , personnel selection , extraversion and introversion , alternative five model of personality , social psychology , criterion validity , applied psychology , personality assessment inventory , scale (ratio) , clinical psychology , psychometrics , construct validity , job satisfaction , statistics , physics , mathematics , quantum mechanics
The purpose of this study was to investigate conflicting findings in previous research on personality and job performance. Meta‐analysis was used to (a) assess the overall validity of personality measures as predictors of job performance, (b) investigate the moderating effects of several study characteristics on personality scale validity, and (c) appraise the predictability of job performance as a function of eight distinct categories of personality content, including the “Big Five” personality factors. Based on review of 494 studies, usable results were identified for 97 independent samples (total N = 13,521). Consistent with predictions, studies using confirmatory research strategies produced a corrected mean personality scale validity (.29) that was more than twice as high as that based on studies adopting exploratory strategies (.12). An even higher mean validity (.38) was obtained based on studies using job analysis explicitly in the selection of personality measures. Validities were also found to be higher in longer tenured samples and in published articles versus dissertations. Corrected mean validities for the “Big Five” factors ranged from .16 for Extroversion to .33 for Agreeableness. Weaknesses in the reporting of validation study characteristics are noted, and recommendations for future research in this area are provided. Contrary to conclusions of certain past reviews, the present findings provide some grounds for optimism concerning the use of personality measures in employee selection.