Positive Traits of the Light Triad as Predictors of Job Satisfaction and Performance. The Mediating Role of Engagement
Abstract
The present study aimed to analyze the relationship between the positive traits of the Light Triad, work engagement, and work-related outcomes (i.e., job satisfaction and performance). Additionally, it sought to determine whether work engagement adds explained variance to the prediction of job satisfaction and performance beyond the positive traits. Lastly, the study aimed to examine the mediating role of work engagement in this relationship. The study included 360 Argentine employees with an average age of 44.6 years (SD = 11.4), 59.4% of whom were women and 40.6% men. The instruments used were: Light Triad Scale (LTS), Argentine Work Engagement Scale (EACT), Job Resources Satisfaction Questionnaire (CSRL-16), and Organizational and Individual Performance Survey. The analyses showed that work engagement adds explained variance to the prediction of job satisfaction and performance beyond positive personality traits. Moreover, a partial mediating effect of work engagement in this relationship was found. According to the results obtained, the importance of work engagement in the workplace is highlighted, as it enhances the effect of positive personality traits such as those analyzed by the Light Triad. Therefore, it is crucial to encourage the development of work engagement.
Downloads
References
Albrecht, S. L., Green, C. R., & Marty, A. (2021). Meaningful work, job resources, and employee engagement. Sustainability, 13(7), 4045. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13074045
American Psychiatric Association (2013). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edn. Arlington, VA: American Psyquiatric Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.books.9780890425596
Bailey, C., Madden, A., Alfes, K., Shantz, A., & Soane, E. (2017). The mismanaged soul: Existential labor and the erosion of meaningful work. Human Resource Management Review, 27(3), 416–430. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hrmr.2016.11.001
Barrick, M. R., Mount, M. K., & Judge, T. A. (2001). Personality and Performance at the Beginning of the New Millennium: What Do We Know and Where Do We Go Next? International Journal of Selection and Assessment, 9, 9–30. https://doi.org/10.1111/1468-2389.00160
Bouckenooghe, D., De Clercq, D., Naseer, S., & Syed, F. (2021). A curvilinear relationship between work engagement and job performance: The roles of feedback-seeking behavior and personal resources. Journal of Business and Psychology, 37(2), 353–368. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10869-021-09750-7
Cameron, K. S., Brigth, D., & Caza, A. (2004). Exploring the relationship between organizational virtuosness and performance. American Behavioral Scientist, 47(6), 1-24. https://doi.org/10.1177/0002764203260209
Cameron, K.S., & Spreitzer, G.M. (2012). What is positive about Positive Organizational Scholarship? In: K. S. Cameron & G. M. Spreitzer (Eds.), The Oxford Handbook of Positive Organizational Scholarship (pp. 1-14). New York: Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199734610.001.0001
Christian, M. S., Garza, A. S., & Slaughter, J. E. (2011). Work Engagement: A Quantitative Review and Test of its Relations with Task and Contextual Performance. Personnel Psychology, 64, 89-136. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1744-6570.2010.01203.x
Christiansen, N. D., & Tett, R. P. (2008). Toward a better understanding of the role of situations in linking personality, work behavior, and job performance. Industrial and Organizational Psychology, 1, 312–316. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1754-9434.2008.00054.x
Constantin, R.M., & Florin, S.D. (2023). An explorative study regarding the relationship between the Light Triad of personality, counterproductive work behavior and organizational citizenship behavior. Review of Socio-Economic Perspectives, 8(2), 19-28. https://doi.org/10.19275/RSEP153
Costa, P. T., & McCrae, R. R. (1985). The NEO Personality Inventory Manual. Odessa, FL: Psychological Assessment Resources. https://doi.org/10.1037/t07564-000
de la Iglesia, G., & Castro Solano, A. (2018). The Positive Personality Model (PPM): Exploring a New Conceptual Framework for Personality Assessment. Frontiers in Psychology, 9:2027. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.02027
de la Iglesia, G., & Castro Solano, A. (2020). Inventario de los Cinco Continuos de la Personalidad –ICCP-. Evaluación de Rasgos Positivos y Patológicos de la Personalidad. Paidós Informatizados.
de la Iglesia, G., Lupano Perugini, M. L., & Castro Solano, A. (2019). Modelo de Personalidad Positiva: su asociación al funcionamiento óptimo en trabajadores activos. Revista de Psicología, 37(2), 425-449. https://doi.org/10.18800/psico.201902.003
Gignac, G. E., & Szodorai, E. T. (2016). Effect size guidelines for individual differences researchers. Personality and Individual Differences, 102, 74–78. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2016.06.069
Hayes, F. A. (2018). Introduction to Mediation, Moderation and Conditional Process Analysis: A Regression-Based Approach. (Ed.; 2nd. Ed). Guilford Press.
Hemphill, J. F. (2003). Interpreting the magnitudes of correlation coefficients. American Psychologist, 58(1), 78–80. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.58.1.78
Hernández Rincón, S. P., Aguilar Bustamante, M. C., & Peña-Sarmiento, M. R. (2022). Aportes de la psicología positiva a la creación y soporte de organizaciones saludables: revisión de alcance. Estudios Gerenciales, 38(163), 250-260. https://doi.org/10.18046/j.estger.2022.163.4967
Hough, L. M. (1992). The ’Big Five’ personality variables—Construct confusion: Description versus prediction. Human Performance, 5, 139–155. https://doi.org/10.1080/08959285.1992.9667929
Hu, X., Zhao, R., Gao, J., Li, J., Yan, P., Yan, X., Shao, S., Su, J., & Li, X. (2021). Relationship Between Proactive Personality and Job Performance of Chinese Nurses: The Mediating Role of Competency and Work Engagement. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 533293. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.533293
Jiménez Rodríguez, V., Alvarado Izquierdo, J. M., & Puente Ferreras, A. (2013). Una aproximación al trabajo social desde la óptica de la psicología positiva (virtudes y fortalezas). https://doi.org/10.5209/rev_CUTS.2013.v26.n2.40915
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., Thorensen, C. J., Bono, J. E., & Patton, G. K. (2001). The job satisfaction-job performance relationship: A qualitative and quantitative review. Psychological Bulletin, 127(3), 376-407. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.127.3.376
Jugde, T. A., Heller, D., & Mount, M. K. (2002). Five-Factor Model of Personality and Job Satisfaction: A Meta-Analysis. Journal of Applied Psychology, 87(3), 530–541. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.87.3.530
Kahn, W. A. (1990). Psychological conditions of personal engagement and disengagement at work. Academy of Management Journal, 33, 692–724. https://doi.org/10.2307/256287
Karatepe, O. M., & Karadas, G. (2015). Do psychological capital and work engagement foster frontline employees’ satisfaction? A study in the hotel industry. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 27 (6),1254-1278. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJCHM-01-2014-0028
Kaufman, S. B., Yaden, D. B., Hyde, E., & Tsukayama, E. (2019). The Light vs. Dark Triad of Personality: Contrasting two very different profiles of human nature. Frontiers in Psychology, 10, 467. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00467
Lai, F.-Y., Tang, H.-C., Lu, S.-C., Lee, Y.-C., & Lin, C.-C. (2020). Transformational Leadership and Job Performance: The Mediating Role of Work Engagement. Sage Open, 10(1). https://doi.org/10.1177/2158244019899085
Lupano Perugini, M. L. (2014). Organizaciones Positivas: un marco de referencia para su abordaje en Latinoamérica. Acta Psiquiátrica y Psicológica de América Latina, 60(4), 277-284.
Lupano Perugini, M. L. (2017). Virtudes organizacionales, Performance y Satisfacción Laboral. Psicodebate, 17 (1), 35-50. https://doi.org/10.18682/pd.v17i1.637
Lupano Perugini, M. L., & de la Iglesia, G. (2022). Empleados Saludables vs. No Saludables: variables asociadas con satisfacción y performance laboral. Perspectivas en Psicología, 19(1), 147-167.
Lupano Perugini, M. L., & de la Iglesia, G. (2024). Psychometric Properties of the Light Triad Scale for the Argentine Population: The Role of Light Traits in the Prediction of Psychological Well-Being. Psychological Thought. En revisión.
Lupano Perugini, M. L., & Waisman, S. (2018). Concepciones acerca del work engagement y su relación con la performance y la satisfacción laboral. Psicodebate, 18 (2), 77-89. https://doi.org/10.18682/pd.v18i2.808
Lupano Perugini, M. L., de la Iglesia, G., Castro Solano, A., & Fernández Liporace M. (2017). Validation of a Work Engagement Scale. Profiles associated with high Performance and Job Satisfaction. Ciencias Psicológicas, 11(2), 127-137. https://doi.org/10.22235/cp.v11i2.1482
Manuti, A., & Gianscapro, M. L. (2019). People Make the Difference: An Explorative Study on the Relationship between Organizational Practices, Employees’ Resources, and Organizational Behavior Enhancing the Psychology of Sustainability and Sustainable Development. Sustainability, 11, 1499. https://doi.org/10.3390/su11051499
Paulhus, D. L., & Williams, K. M. (2002). The Dark Triad of personality: Narcissism, Machavelliniasm, and psychopathy. J. Res. Pers. 36, 556–563. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0092-6566(02)00505-6
Riyanto, S., Endri E., & Herlisha, N. (2021). Effect of work motivation and job satisfaction on employee performance: Mediating role of employee engagement. Problems and Perspectives in Management, 19(3), 162-174. https://doi.org/10.21511/ppm.19(3).2021.14
Rothbard, N. P., & Patil, S. V. (2012). Being There: Work Engagement and Positive Organizational Psychology. In K. S. Cameron & G. M. Spreitzer (Eds.), The Oxford Handbook of Positive Organizational Scholarship (pp. 231-243). New York: Oxford University Press.
Salanova, M., Llorens, S., Cifre, E., & Martínez, I.M. (2012). We need a Hero! Toward a validation of the Healthy and Resilient Organization (HERO) model. Group and Organization Management, 37(6), 785-822. https://doi.org/10.1177/1059601112470405
Salgado, J. F. (2002). The Big Five Personality Dimensions and Counterproductive Behaviors. International Journal of Selection and Assessment, 10(1-2), 117-125. https://doi.org/10.1111/1468-2389.00198
Salgado, J. F. (2003). Predicting job performance using FFM and non-FFM personality measures. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 76, 323–346. https://doi.org/10.1348/096317903769647201
Schaufeli, W. B., & Bakker, A. B. (2004). Job demands, job resources, and their relationship with burnout and engagement: A multi-sample study. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 25, 293–315. https://doi.org/10.1002/job.248
Spector, P. E. (1997). Job satisfaction: Application, assessment, causes, and consequences. Sage Publications, Inc. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781452231549
Spector, P. E. (2022). Job Satisfaction: From Assessment to Intervention. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003250616
Spontón, C. L., & Trógolo, M. A. (2019). Desarrollo y validación de una escala para medir satisfacción con los recursos laborales. Suma Psicológica, 26(1), 64-74. https://doi.org/10.14349/sumapsi.2019.v26.n1.8
Tan, K. L., Cham, T. H., & Sim, A. K. S. (2023). What Makes Social Work Meaningful? Evidence for a Curvilinear Relationship of Meaningful Work on Work Engagement with Psychological Capital as the Moderator. Human Service Organizations: Management, Leadership & Governance, 47(3), 218–235. https://doi.org/10.1080/23303131.2023.2197020
Tisu, L., Lupșa, D., Vîrgă, D., & Rusu, A. (2020). Personality characteristics, job performance and mental health: The mediating role of work engagement. Personality and Individual Differences, 153, 109644. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2019.109644
Wang, C., Xu, J., Zhang, T., & Li, Q. M. (2020). Effects of professional identity on turnover intention in China's hotel employees: The mediating role of employee engagement and job satisfaction. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management, 45, 10-22. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhtm.2020.07.002
Zimmerman, R. (2008). Understanding the impact of personality traits on individuals’ turnover decisions: A meta-analytic path model. Personnel Psychology, 61, 309-348. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1744-6570.2008.00115.x
Copyright (c) 2024 Psicodebate
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish with this journal agree to grant Psicodebate copyright and right of publication and accept the work being licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the authors and Psicodebate.
