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Linking personality to interpersonal citizenship behaviour: The moderating effect of empathy
Author(s) -
Taylor Shan G.,
Kluemper Donald H.,
Mossholder Kevin W.
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
journal of occupational and organizational psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.257
H-Index - 114
eISSN - 2044-8325
pISSN - 0963-1798
DOI - 10.1348/096317909x475794
Subject(s) - empathy , psychology , big five personality traits , moderation , trait , personality , interpersonal communication , social psychology , facet (psychology) , big five personality traits and culture , interpersonal relationship , multilevel model , computer science , programming language , machine learning
To account for generally low direct relationships between Big‐Five personality traits and interpersonal citizenship behaviour (ICB), researchers have suggested that Big‐Five traits are associated with such helping‐related behaviour in interactive rather than direct fashion. This study investigated empathy as a potential moderator of Big‐Five trait – ICB relations. Hypotheses were tested with data obtained from employees of a youth treatment facility and their supervisors. Results provided evidence that empathy interacts with three Big‐Five personality traits, suggesting traits functioning at conceptually different hierarchical levels may jointly explain specific behaviours. Empathy could play an important role in understanding connections between these Big‐Five traits and ICB.