Explaining the Pathways Between Approach-Avoidance Personality Traits and Employees’ Job Search Behavior

• Published in: Journal of management Vol. 38; no. 5; pp. 1450 - 1475
• Main Authors: Zimmerman, Ryan D., Boswell, Wendy R., Shipp, Abbie J., Dunford, Benjamin B., Boudreau, John W.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Los Angeles, CA SAGE Publications 01.09.2012; Sage Publications Ltd
• Subjects: Behavior; Conflict resolution; Employees; Employment; Job hunting; Job satisfaction; Job search; Personality; Personality development; Personality traits; Studies; extraversion; job search; personality; job satisfaction; neuroticism
• ISSN: 0149-2063; 1557-1211
• DOI: 10.1177/0149206310396376

Research suggests that certain personality characteristics lead to greater (or lesser) withdrawal from work, yet little research has examined exactly how personality translates into withdrawal behavior. To address this question, the present study demonstrated that the approach-avoidance personality traits of extraversion and neuroticism each showed simultaneous positive and negative effects on job search behaviors of employed individuals depending on the mediating mechanism involved (i.e., ambition values, job search self-efficacy, perceived job challenge, work burnout, perceived financial inadequacy, and job satisfaction). The authors’ findings extend theoretical insights on the pathways linking dispositional traits and employee withdrawal behaviors and suggest how employers can more precisely anticipate and mitigate employees’ search for new employment.