Linking proactive personality and the Big Five to motivation to learn and development activity.

Abstract

The authors investigated links between the Big Five, proactive personality, and motivation to learn. Web-based survey data were collected at 2 points in time from 183 employees of a financial services firm. Results showed that proactive personality was, only in part, a composite of Big Five facets, which accounted for 26% of its variance. Structural equation modeling results demonstrated that proactive personality, openness, extraversion, and conscientiousness predicted motivation to learn. In addition, motivation to learn was positively related to objectively assessed development activity. Proactive personality, extraversion, and openness had significant indirect links to development activity. Hierarchical regression results suggested that proactive personality had significant incremental validity in the prediction of motivation to learn over all relevant Big Five facets.Keywords: proactive personality, motivation to learn, five factor model of personality, development activityOngoing changes in the nature of employment relationships and improvements in the use of technology for training have led to two emerging trends in today's work organizations, both of which point to an increasing emphasis on individual responsibility for learning and development. First, changes in the nature of the psychological contract along with increasing emphasis on protean careers, boundaryless careers, and career self-management characterize individual employees as free agents who must be proactive in seeking out and participating in training and development opportunities in order to maintain internal and external market-

Proactive and politically skilled professionals: What is the relationship with affective occupational commitment?

“…Career initiative involves a variety of activities including career planning, skill development, and consultation with others (Seibert et al, 2001). Proactive people are thought to possess a greater need for achievement (Thompson, 2005) and a higher motivation to learn (Major, Turner, & Fletcher, 2006) and thus are expected to be engaged in activities that promote their career prospect. Evidence shows that individuals who reflect more actively about their career goals and who have a stronger insight in what they want to attain during their career, report a higher level of career satisfaction (De Vos, & Soens, 2008).…”

A Longitudinal Study of Proactivity During Socialization

“…For example, in a study looking at antecedents for motivation to learn, Major, Turner, and Fletcher (2006) found the following correlations between proactive personality and four of the Big Five personality characteristics: neuroticism (r = -.15), extraversion (r = .20), openness (r = .37), and conscientiousness (r = .15). However, when they regressed proactive personality on each of the factors, they found that the overall set of Big Five factors only explained 26% of the variance of proactive personality, concluding that proactive personality is an independent individual characteristic (Major et al, 2006). Additionally, similar findings were reported by Thomas, Whitman, and Viswesvaran (2010).…”

“…Additionally, while much research has shown the link between proactive personality and proactive behaviors, some research has found no relationship between conscientiousness and proactive behaviors (Wanberg & Kammeyer-Mueller, 2000). For example, in a study looking at antecedents for motivation to learn, Major, Turner, and Fletcher (2006) found the following correlations between proactive personality and four of the Big Five personality characteristics: neuroticism (r = -.15), extraversion (r = .20), openness (r = .37), and conscientiousness (r = .15). However, when they regressed proactive personality on each of the factors, they found that the overall set of Big Five factors only explained 26% of the variance of proactive personality, concluding that proactive personality is an independent individual characteristic (Major et al, 2006).…”

One Step Ahead: Examining New Predictors of Affective Organizational and Occupational Commitment

“…Career initiative involves a variety of activities including career planning, skill development, and consultation with others (Seibert et al, 2001). Proactive people are thought to possess greater need for achievement (Thompson, 2005) and higher motivation to learn (Major, Turner & Fletcher, 2006) Although not much studies could be found studying the relationship between occupational satisfaction and OCC we expect that just as job satisfaction is related to ORC; occupational satisfaction would be related to OCC and would thus provide a mediating mechanism in the linkage between PP and OCC.…”