Openness to Experience
Openness to experience1: A dispositional variable that seems to be relevant for predicting performance differences among individuals. The reason might be the effects of the dimension on individuals’ intrinsic motivation. Although open individuals are not necessarily more capable than less open individuals, they are more likely to perform behaviors that facilitate long-term knowledge and skill acquisition (Rolfhus &
Ackerman, 1999). Compared to less open individuals, highly open individuals are more likely to explore their surroundings and to experiment with new ways of doing things (Costa & McCrae, 1992). Also highly open individuals are more likely to adopt a learning goal orientation, which is associated to setting challenging goals, the use of more effective learning strategies, higher levels of effort and planning and greater feedback seeking behavior (Payne, Youngcourt, & Beaubien, 2007). Consequently, although open individuals may not perform better than less open colleagues when first starting a job, over the long term their performance is likely to increase to a greater extent than less open individuals, because they obtain a greater amount of job knowledge and respond more adaptively to their work experiences.
Only two previous studies have examined the relationship between openness to experience and job performance trajectories. Thoresen et al. (2004) proposed that openness to experience would be positively related to linear performance increases for a sample of 48 sales representatives who had been reassigned to a new product launch and whose performance was tracked every 3 months over a year. The hypothesized effect was not statistically significant. The reason of the lack of support for the hypothesis might be the small sample size, which limited the statistical power of the tests.
Despite not finding a significant relationship between openness and linear component of performance growth2, they found that openness was significantly
Ackerman, 1999). Compared to less open individuals, highly open individuals are more likely to explore their surroundings and to experiment with new ways of doing things (Costa & McCrae, 1992). Also highly open individuals are more likely to adopt a learning goal orientation, which is associated to setting challenging goals, the use of more effective learning strategies, higher levels of effort and planning and greater feedback seeking behavior (Payne, Youngcourt, & Beaubien, 2007). Consequently, although open individuals may not perform better than less open colleagues when first starting a job, over the long term their performance is likely to increase to a greater extent than less open individuals, because they obtain a greater amount of job knowledge and respond more adaptively to their work experiences.
Only two previous studies have examined the relationship between openness to experience and job performance trajectories. Thoresen et al. (2004) proposed that openness to experience would be positively related to linear performance increases for a sample of 48 sales representatives who had been reassigned to a new product launch and whose performance was tracked every 3 months over a year. The hypothesized effect was not statistically significant. The reason of the lack of support for the hypothesis might be the small sample size, which limited the statistical power of the tests.
Despite not finding a significant relationship between openness and linear component of performance growth2, they found that openness was significantly