Grit and Work Engagement: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Grit, defined as perseverance of effort and consistency of interest, has attracted attention as a predictor of success in various fields beyond IQ and the Big Five personality dimension of Conscientiousness. The purpose of the current study was to examine previously uninvestigated questions regarding grit using a cross-sectional design among a large number of working adults in Japan. First, we tested geographical generalizability of associations between grit and orientations towards happiness by comparing previous studies in the U.S. and the current study in Japan. It was confirmed that orientation towards meaning rather than orientation towards engagement had a stronger positive correlation with grit in our sample of Japanese people. This result is inconsistent with previous studies in the U.S. Furthermore, the Big Five dimension of Openness to Experience was newly confirmed as having a positive association with grit. Second, we examined the association between grit and work engagement, which is considered as an outcome indicator for work performance. In this analysis, grit was a strong predictor for work performance as well as academic performance.

Is grit relevant to well‐being and strengths? Evidence across the globe for separating perseverance of effort and consistency of interests

“…Perhaps individuals from collectivistic cultures are motivated to persevere as a way to contribute to their families and communities, regardless of their level of personal interest or investment. For example, in a study of Japanese participants, grit was positively correlated with an orientation toward altruistic meaning, but not individual engagement (Suzuki, Tamesue, Asahi, & Ishikawa, ). Surprisingly, the total score reliability for Southeastern Asia was equivalent to the total sample value, with an observed subscale correlation of .19.…”

Neuroanatomical correlates of grit: Growth mindset mediates the association between gray matter structure and trait grit in late adolescence

“…In addition, personality factors are found to be critical for student achievement (Poropat, ). For the past few years, a growing body of studies has indicated that grit, a newly explored personality trait, plays a crucial role in personal achievement (Duckworth, Peterson, Matthews, & Kelly, ; Duckworth and Quinn, ; Duckworth, Quinn, & Seligman, ; Duckworth, Kirby, Tsukayama, Berstein, & Ericsson, ; Eskreis‐Winkler, Shulman, Beal, & Duckworth, ; Kelly, Matthews, & Bartone, ; Maddi, Matthews, Kelly, Villarreal, & White, ; Reed, Pritschet, & Cutton, ; Suzuki, Tamesue, Asahi, & Ishikawa, ). The concept of grit was first introduced by Duckworth and her colleagues, who defined it as a person's tendency to sustain continual perseverance and passion for achieving long‐term goals (Duckworth et al, ).…”

Examining the relationship between grit and academic achievement within K‐12 and higher education: A systematic review

“…In recent years, grit received increasing attention from both researchers and practitioners. As an important noncognitive indicator, grit has been used to understand individual success and performance in various fields, such as engagement and performance in the workplace (Suzuki, Tamesue, Asahi, & Ishikawa, ), academic performance and student retention in school (Ivcevic & Brackett, ; Maddi, Matthews, Kelly, Villarreal, & White, ), as well as the effectiveness and performance of teachers (Duckworth, Quinn, & Seligman, ).…”