The relationship between career path and personality traits
A systematic literature review
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.14267/VEZTUD.2023.04.02Keywords:
career, career path, career success, course of life, personality, personality traitsAbstract
Work – and, with it, careers – plays a key role in an individual’s life; a successful career path and a positive career trajectory are key elements of a fulfilling and happy existence. A central question in the literature on career paths is whether there are specific personality traits that predict and affect successful careers. In this article, using a systematic literature review method, the author identifies and groups personality traits that strongly influence career paths and career success. A noteworthy and novel value of this study is that it provides evidence that not only personality traits that were previously thought to be positive, but also personality traits that were previously thought to be negative, can be beneficial in building a successful career path. In summarising this systematic literature review, the author discusses how the personality traits included in the groupings may have other implications for the employee–employer relationship and career development interventions.
Downloads
References
Allen, T. (2020, August 31). A definition of career success and why so few people ever experience it. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/terinaallen/2020/08/31/a-definition-of-career-success-and-why-so-fewpeople-ever-experience-it/
American Psychological Association. (n.d.). Personality trait. https://dictionary.apa.org/personality-trait
Basak, R., & Ghosh, A. (2014). Personality traits and different career stages – a study on Indian school teachers. Procedia – Social and Behavioral Sciences, 140, 506-510. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2014.04.461
Cai, Z., Guan, Y., Li, H., Shi, W., Guo, K., Liu, Y., Li, Q., Han, X., Jiang, P., Fang, Z., & Hua, H. (2015). Selfesteem and proactive personality as predictors of future work self and career adaptability: an examination of mediating and moderating processes. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 86, 86-94. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2014.10.004
Cambridge Dictionary. (n.d.). Attitude. https://dictionary.cambridge.org/de/worterbuch/englisch/attitude
Chamorro-Premuzic, T. (2017). Could your personality derail your career? Don’t take these traits to the extreme. Harvard Business Review, 95(5), 138-141. https://hbr.org/2017/09/could-your-personality-derailyour-career
Chan, S. H. J., & Chan, K. T. (2021). The indirect effects of self-esteem and future work self on career adaptability factors: a study of Chinese undergraduate students. Journal of Employment Counseling, 58(2), 50-73. https://doi.org/10.1002/joec.12157
Chao, G. T., O’Leary-Kelly, A. M., Wolf, S., Klein, H. J., & Gardner, P. D. (1994). Organizational socialization: its content and consequences. Journal of Applied Psychology, 79(5), 730-743. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.79.5.730
Çöp, S., Alola, U. V., & Lasis, T. T. (2022). does my personality affect my competency? The role of gender identification and career adaptability among hotel employees. Journal of Public Affairs, 22(2), e2407. https://doi.org/10.1002/pa.2407
Dobos, E. (2013). Személyes kompetenciák, személyes márka, karrier (Szerkesztői bevezető). Magyar Coachszemle, 2(2), 3-4. https://epa.oszk.hu/02300/02303/00005/pdf/EPA02303_MC_2013_2_03-04.pdf
Erdogan, B., & Bauer, T. N. (2005). Enhancing career benefits of employee proactive personality: the role of fit with jobs and organizations. Personnel Psychology, 58(4), 859-891. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1744-6570.2005.00772.x
EuroHealthNet (2022). Társadalmi-gazdasági státusz. https://health-inequalities.eu/hu/glossary/socioeconomic-status/
Ferris, G. R., Blickle, G., Schneider, P. B., Kramer, J., Zettler, I., Solga, J., Noethen, D., & Meurs. J. A. (2008). Political skill construct and criterion-related validation: a two-study investigation. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 23(7), 744-771. https://doi.org/10.1108/02683940810896321
Ganske, K. H., & Ashby, J. S. (2007). Perfectionism and career decision-making self-efficacy. Journal of Employment Counseling, 44(1), 17-28. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.2161-1920.2007.tb00021.x
Gattiker, U. E., & Larwood, L. (1988). Predictors for Managers’ Career Mobility, Success, and Satisfaction. Human Relations, 41(8), 569-591. https://doi.org/10.1177/001872678804100801
Gough, D., & Thomas, J. (2012). Commonality and diversity in reviews. In D. Gough, S. Oliver & J. Thomas (Eds.), An Introduction to Systematic Reviews (pp. 35-65). London, UK: Sage Publications.
Hajdu, G., & Sik, E. (2016). A munkával kapcsolatos értékek a világban (1990–2014) és a mai Magyarországon.
Tárki Társadalmi Riport 2016. https://www.tarki.hu/hu/publications/SR/2016/19hajdu.pdf
Hsieh, H. H., & Huang, J. T. (2014). The effects of socioeconomic status and proactive personality on career decision self-efficacy. The Career Development Quarterly, 62(1), 29-43. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.2161-0045.2014.00068.x
Hu, X., He, Y., Ma, D., Zhao, S., Xiong, H., & Wan, G. (2021). Mediating model of college students’ proactive personality and career adaptability. The Career Development Quarterly, 69(3), 216-230. https://doi.org/10.1002/cdq.12269
Jaensch, V. K., Hirschi, A., & Freund, P. A. (2015). Persistent career indecision over time: links with personality, barriers, self-efficacy, and life satisfaction. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 91, 122-133. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2015.09.010
Jaskolka, G., Beyer, J. M., & Trice, H. M. (1985). Measuring and predicting managerial success. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 26(2), 189-205. https://doi.org/10.1016/0001-8791(85)90018-1
Jiang, Z. (2017). Proactive personality and career adaptability: the role of thriving at work. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 98, 85-97. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2016.10.003
Jin, L., Watkins, D., & Yuen, M. (2009). Personality, career decision self-efficacy and commitment to the career choices process among Chinese graduate students. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 74(1), 47-52. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2008.10.002
Jonason, P. K., Wee, S., Li, N. P., & Jackson, C. (2014). Occupational niches and the dark triad traits. Personality and Individual Differences, 69, 119-123. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2014.05.024
Judge, T. A., Cable, D. M., Boudreau, J. W., &, Bretz, R. D. (1995). An empirical investigation of the predictors of executive career success. Personnel Psychology, 48(3), 485-519. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1744-6570.1995.tb01767.x
Judge, T. A., Higgins, C. A., Thoresen, C. J., & Barrick, M. R. (1999). The big five personality traits, general mental ability, and career success across the life span. Personnel Psychology, 52(3), 621-652. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1744-6570.1999.tb00174.x
Kamarási, V., & Mogyorósy, G. (2015). Szisztematikus irodalmi áttekintések módszertana és jelentősége. Orvosi Hetilap, 156(38), 1523-1531. https://doi.org/10.1556/650.2015.30255
Kazdin, A. E. (Ed.). (2000). Encyclopedia of Psychology, Vol. 3. Oxford University Press.
Kholin, M., Kückelhaus, B., & Blickle, G. (2020). Why dark personalities can get ahead: extending the toxic career model. Personality and Individual Differences, 156, 109792. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2019.109792
Kim, H. S., & Park, I. J. (2017). Influence of proactive personality on career self-efficacy. Journal of Employment Counseling, 54(4), 168-182. https://doi.org/10.1002/joec.12065
Koncz, K. (2013). A sikeres szervezeti karrierfejlesztés feltételei. Munkaügyi Szemle, 57(4), 32-43. https://www.munkaugyiszemle.hu/sikeres-szervezetikarrierfejlesztes-feltetelei
Kowalski, C. M., Vernon, P. A., & Schermer, J. A. (2017). Vocational interests and dark personality: are there dark career choices? Personality and Individual Differences, 104, 43-47. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2016.07.029
Kristof, A. L. (1996). Person-organization fit: an integrative review of its conceptualizations, measurement, and implications. Personnel Psychology, 49(1), 1-49. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1744-6570.1996.tb01790.x
Lee, P. C., Xu, S., & Yang, W. (2021). Is career adaptability a double-edged sword? The impact of work social support and career adaptability on turnover intentions during the COVID-19 pandemic. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 94, 102875. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2021.102875
Li, Y., Guan, Y., Wang, F., Zhou, X., Guo, K., Jiang, P., Mo, Z., Li, Y., & Fang, Z. (2015). Big-five personality and BIS/BAS traits as predictors of career exploration: the mediation role of career adaptability. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 89, 39-45. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2015.04.006
Lyons, S., & Kuron, L. (2014). Generational differences in the workplace: a review of the evidence and directions for future research. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 35(S1), S139-S157. https://doi.org/10.1002/job.1913
Merriam-Webster (n.d.). Mentality. https://www.merriamwebster.com/dictionary/mentality
Mischel, W. (1999). Personality coherence and dispositions in a cognitive-affective personality (CAPS) approach. In D. Cervone & Y. Shoda (Eds.), The coherence of personality: Social-cognitive bases of consistency, variability, and organization (pp. 37-60). Guilford Press.
Mohácsi, M., & Fényes, H. (2020). A karriertudatosság és az arra ható tényezők a felsőoktatási hallgatók körében. Egy közép-kelet-európai régióban végzett kutatás eredményei. Tér-Gazdaság-Ember, 8(3), 47-61.
Paleczek, D., Bergner, S., & Rybnicek, R. (2018). Predicting career success: is the dark side of personality worth considering? Journal of Managerial Psychology, 33(6), 437-456. https://doi.org/10.1108/jmp-11-2017-0402
Petticrew, M., & Roberts, H. (2006). Systematic reviews in the social sciences: a practical guide. Malden, USA: Blackwell Publishing. https://doi.org/10.5860/choice.43-5664
Qamar-ul Hassan, M. (2021). What is the difference between personality type and traits? LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/what-difference-betweenpersonality-type-traits
Rothmann, S., & Coetzer, E. P. (2003). The big five personality dimensions and job performance. SA Journal of Industrial Psychology, 29(1), 68-74. https://doi.org/10.4102/sajip.v29i1.88
Rousseau, D. M., Manning, J., & Denyer, D. (2008). Evidence in management and organizational science: assembling the field’s full weight of scientific knowledge through syntheses. The Academy of Management Annals 2(1), 475-515. https://doi.org/10.5465/19416520802211651
Savickas, M. L., & Savickas, S. (2017). Vocational psychology, overview. In Reference Module in Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Psychology. Amsterdam: Elsevier. https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-12-809324-5.05746-1
Seibert, S. E., Kraimer, M. L., & Crant, J. M. (2001). What do proactive people do? A longitudinal model linking proactive personality and career success. Personnel Psychology, 54(4), 845-874. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1744-6570.2001.tb00234.x
Semeijn, J. H., Van Der Heijden, B. I. J. M., & De Beuckelaer, A. (2020). Personality traits and types in relation to career success: an empirical comparison using the big five. Applied Psychology, 69(2), 538-556. https://doi.org/10.1111/apps.12174
Spector, T. D., & Thompson, S. G. (1991). The potential and limitations of meta-analysis. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, 45(2), 89-92. https://doi.org/10.1136/jech.45.2.89
Stumpf, S. A., Colarelli, S. M., & Hartman, K. (1983). Development of the career exploration survey (CES). Journal of Vocational Behavior, 22(2), 191-226. https://doi.org/10.1016/0001-8791(83)90028-3
Super, D. E. (1990). A life-span, life-space approach to career development. In D. Brown & L. Brooks (Eds.), Career Choice and Development: Applying Contemporary Theories to Practice (2nd ed.) (pp. 197- 261). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Szabó-Bálint, B., & Sipos, N. (2021). A karriersikeresség vizsgálata a gazdálkodási területen frissen végzettek körében. Közgazdasági Szemle, 68(5), 515-539. https://doi.org/10.18414/ksz.2021.5.515
Taylor, K. M., & Betz, N. E. (1983). Applications of selfefficacy theory to the understanding and treatment of career indecision. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 22(1), 63-81. https://doi.org/10.1016/0001-8791(83)90006-4
Tranfield, D., Denyer, D., & Smart, P. (2003). Towards a methodology for developing evidence-informed management knowledge by means of systematic review. British Journal of Management, 14(3), 207- 222. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8551.00375
Valls, V., González-Romá, V., Hernández, A., & Rocabert, E. (2020). Proactive personality and early employment outcomes: the mediating role of career planning and the moderator role of core self-evaluations. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 119, 103424. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2020.103424
Vashisht, S., Kaushal, P., & Vashisht, R. (2021). Emotional intelligence, personality variables and career adaptability: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Vision, March. https://doi.org/10.1177/0972262921989877
Woods, S. A., Lievens, F., De Fruyt, F., & Wille, B. (2013). Personality across working life: the longitudinal and reciprocal influences of personality on work. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 34(S1), S7-S25. https://doi.org/10.1002/job.1863
Yu, X., Luo, N., Liu, X., Li, H., Li, L., & Mei, Y. (2021). Effect of proactive personality on career decidedness: the mediating role of career exploration and the moderating role of anticipated regret. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 763224. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.763224
Zampetakis, L. A. (2008). The role of creativity and proactivity on perceived entrepreneurial desirability. Thinking Skills and Creativity, 3(2), 154-162. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tsc.2008.07.002
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2023 Vezetéstudomány / Budapest Management Review
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Authors assign copyright to Vezetéstudomány / Budapest Management Review. Authors are responsible for permission to reproduce copyright material from other sources.