Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

In Search of Sustainable Behaviour: The Role of Core Values and Personality Traits

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Journal of Business Ethics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Understanding the individual-level factors associated with sustainable behaviour in the workplace is important to advance corporate ethics and sustainability efforts. In two studies, we simultaneously assess the role of core values and personality traits in relation to a broad set of sustainability actions, both beneficial and harmful. Results from a student sample (N = 411) and then a national sample (N = 639) confirm that values and personality are distinct constructs that incrementally and differentially predict economic, social, and environmental outcomes. We successfully replicate previous findings pertaining to values and find that, controlling for values, the personality dimension of Honesty–Humility is the strongest negative predictor of harmful actions. Our analyses highlight the unique characteristics of values and personality and their distinct implications for ethical and sustainable management practice. By assessing values and personality together, we also contribute to more general efforts within psychology to develop an integrative view of the person.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Notes

  1. We recognize that even our full models leave a sizeable amount of variance unexplained, though this is to be expected since values and personality are theoretically distal predictors of behaviour.

  2. Our final sample did not differ significantly from the full sample in regards to age, sex, province of residence, or education. The final sample did have a slightly higher average income than the full sample (0.20 points on a seven-point scale, p<0.05). However, we have no reason to assume that this small difference in income would have changed the overall conclusions drawn from the smaller sample retained following our assessment of the careless response questions.

Abbreviations

FFM:

Five-factor model

SSI:

Survey sampling international

References

  • Agyeman, J. (2003). Just sustainabilities: Development in an unequal world. Cambridge MA: MIT Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ashton, M. C., & Lee, K. (2001). A theoretical basis for the major dimensions of personality. European Journal of Personality, 15(5), 327–353.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ashton, M. C., & Lee, K. (2005). Honesty–humility, the big five, and the five-factor model. Journal of Personality, 73(5), 1321–1354.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ashton, M. C., & Lee, K. (2007). Empirical, theoretical, and practical advantages of the HEXACO model of personality structure. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 11(2), 150–166.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ashton, M. C., & Lee, K. (2008). The prediction of Honesty–humility-related criteria by the HEXACO and five-factor models of personality. Journal of Research in Personality, 42(5), 1216–1228.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ashton, M. C., & Lee, K. (2009). The HEXACO-60: A short measure of the major dimensions of personality. Journal of Personality Assessment, 91(4), 340–345.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ashton, M. C., Lee, K., & de Vries, R. E. (2014). The HEXACO honesty–humility, agreeableness, and emotionality factors: A review of research and theory. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 18(2), 139–152.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ashton, M. C., Lee, K., & Goldberg, L. R. (2004). A hierarchical analysis of 1,710 English personality-descriptive adjectives. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 87(5), 707–721.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Barrick, M. R., Mount, M. K., & Gupta, R. (2003). Meta-analysis of the relationship between the five-factor model of personality and Holland’s occupational types. Personnel Psychology, 56(1), 45–74.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Becker, T. E. (1998). Integrity in organizations: Beyond honesty and conscientiousness. Academy of Management Review, 23(1), 154–161.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bissing-Olson, M. J., Iyer, A., Fielding, K. S., & Zacher, H. (2013). Relationships between daily affect and pro-environmental behavior at work: The moderating role of pro-environmental attitude. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 34(2), 156–175.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bono, J. E., & Judge, T. A. (2004). Personality and transformational and transactional leadership: A meta-analysis. Journal of Applied Psychology, 89(5), 901–910.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brick, C., & Lewis, G. J. (2016). Unearthing the “green” personality: Core traits predict environmentally friendly behavior. Environment and Behavior, 48(5), 635–658.

  • Campbell, J. L. (2007). Why would corporations behave in socially responsible ways? An institutional theory of corporate social responsibility. Academy of Management Review, 32(3), 946–967.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Caprara, G. V., Alessandri, G., & Eisenberg, N. (2012). Prosociality: The contribution of traits, values, and self-efficacy beliefs. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 102(6), 1289–1303.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Carroll, A., & Buchholtz, A. (2014). Business and society: Ethics, sustainability, and stakeholder management. Scarborough: Nelson Education.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chen, Y.-J., & Tang, T. L.-P. (2006). Attitude toward and propensity to engage in unethical behavior: Measurement invariance across major among university students. Journal of Business Ethics, 69(1), 77–93.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chiaburu, D. S., Oh, I.-S., Berry, C. M., Li, N., & Gardner, R. G. (2011). The five-factor model of personality traits and organizational citizenship behaviors: A meta-analysis. Journal of Applied Psychology, 96(6), 1140–1166.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Crane, A., & Matten, D. (2016). Business ethics: Managing corporate citizenship and sustainability in the age of globalization. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dattner, B. (2013). How to use psychometric testing in hiring. Retrieved December 10, 2016 from https://hbr.org/2013/09/how-to-use-psychometric-testin.

  • de Vries, R. E. (2013). The 24-item brief HEXACO inventory (BHI). Journal of Research in Personality, 47(6), 871–880.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Diekmann, J., & Knig, C. J. (2015). Personality testing in personnel selection: Love it? Leave it? Understand it. In Employee recruitment, selection, and assessment: Contemporary issues for theory and practice. Hove, UK: Psychology Press.

  • Elkington, J. (1998). Cannibals with forks: The triple bottom line of 21st century business. Gabriola Island: New Society Publishers.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ewing, J. (2017). Faster, higher, farther: The Volkswagen scandal. New York: W. W. Norton & Company.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fritzsche, D. J., & Oz, E. (2007). Personal values’ influence on the ethical dimension of decision making. Journal of Business Ethics, 75(4), 335.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fryxell, G. E., & Lo, C. W. H. (2003). The influence of environmental knowledge and values on managerial behaviours on behalf of the environment: An empirical examination of managers in China. Journal of Business Ethics, 46(1), 45–69.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gladwin, T. N., Kennelly, J. J., & Krause, T.-S. (1995). Shifting paradigms for sustainable development: Implications for management theory and research. Academy of Management Review, 20(4), 874–907.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gonzalez-Mulé, E., DeGeest, D. S., McCormick, B. W., Seong, J. Y., & Brown, K. G. (2014). Can we get some cooperation around here? The mediating role of group norms on the relationship between team personality and individual helping behaviors. Journal of Applied Psychology, 99(5), 988.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Grojean, M. W., Resick, C. J., Dickson, M. W., & Smith, D. B. (2004). Leaders, values, and organizational climate: Examining leadership strategies for establishing an organizational climate regarding ethics. Journal of Business Ethics, 55(3), 223–241.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hilbig, B. E., & Zettler, I. (2009). Pillars of cooperation: Honesty–humility, social value orientations, and economic behavior. Journal of Research in Personality, 43(3), 516–519.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hilbig, B. E., Zettler, I., Moshagen, M., & Heydasch, T. (2013). Tracing the path from personality—via cooperativeness—to conservation. European Journal of Personality, 27(4), 319–327.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hirsh, J. B. (2010). Personality and environmental concern. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 30(2), 245–248.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jang, K. L., Livesley, W. J., & Vemon, P. A. (1996). Heritability of the big five personality dimensions and their facets: A twin study. Journal of Personality, 64(3), 577–592.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Judge, 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.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kalshoven, K., Den Hartog, D. N., & De Hoogh, A. H. B. (2011). Ethical leader behavior and big five factors of personality. Journal of Business Ethics, 100(2), 349–366.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Karren, R. J., & Barringer, M. W. (2002). A review and analysis of the policy-capturing methodology in organizational research: Guidelines for research and practice. Organizational Research Methods, 5(4), 337–361.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lee, K., & Ashton, M. C. (2004). Psychometric properties of the HEXACO personality inventory. Multivariate Behavioral Research, 39(2), 329–358.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lee, K., & Ashton, M. C. (2013). Prediction of self- and observer report scores on HEXACO-60 and NEO-FFI scales. Journal of Research in Personality, 47(5), 668–675.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lee, K., Ashton, M. C., Choi, J., & Zachariassen, K. (2015). Connectedness to nature and to humanity: Their association and personality correlates. Frontiers in Psychology, 6, 1–11.

  • Lee, K., Ashton, M. C., Morrison, D. L., Cordery, J., & Dunlop, P. D. (2008). Predicting integrity with the HEXACO personality model: Use of self- and observer reports. Journal of Occupational & Organizational Psychology, 81(1), 147–167.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Locke, E. A. (1991). The motivation sequence, the motivation hub, and the motivation core. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 50(2), 288–299.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Marcus, J. (2012). Human values and corporate actions propensity examining the behavioural roots of societal sustainability. Business & Society, 51(4), 677–689. doi:10.1177/0007650312448891.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Marcus, J., Kurucz, E. C., & Colbert, B. A. (2010). Conceptions of the business-society-nature interface: Implications for management scholarship. Business & Society, 49(3), 402–438. doi:10.1177/0007650310368827.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Marcus, J., MacDonald, H. A., & Sulsky, L. M. (2015). Do personal values influence the propensity for sustainability actions? A policy-capturing study. Journal of Business Ethics, 127(2), 459–478. doi:10.1007/s10551-013-2032-4.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Marjanovic, Z., Struthers, C. W., Cribbie, R., & Greenglass, E. R. (2014). The conscientious responders scale. SAGE Open, 4(3), 2158244014545964.

    Google Scholar 

  • Markowitz, E. M., Goldberg, L. R., Ashton, M. C., & Lee, K. (2012). Profiling the “pro-environmental individual”: A personality perspective. Journal of Personality, 80(1), 81–111.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McCrae, R. R., & Costa, P. (1994). The stability of personality: Observations and evaluations. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 3(6), 173–175.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McCrae, R. R., & John, O. P. (1992). An introduction to the five-factor model and its applications. Journal of Personality, 60(2), 175–215.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McCrae, R. R., Kurtz, J. E., Yamagata, S., & Terracciano, A. (2011). Internal consistency, retest reliability, and their implications for personality scale validity. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 15(1), 28–50.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Meade, A. W., & Craig, S. B. (2012). Identifying careless responses in survey data. Psychological Methods, 17(3), 437–455.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Meglino, B. M., & Ravlin, E. C. (1998). Individual values in organizations: Concepts, controversies, and research. Journal of Management, 24(3), 351–389.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Milfont, T. L., & Sibley, C. G. (2012). The big five personality traits and environmental engagement: Associations at the individual and societal level. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 32(2), 187–195.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Morgenson, F. P., Campion, M. A., Dipboye, R. L., Hollenbeck, J. R., Murphy, K., & Schmitt, N. (2007). Reconsidering the use of personality tests in personnel selection contexts. Personnel Psychology, 60(3), 683–729.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Morse, P. J., Sauerberger, K. S., Todd, E., & Funder, D. (2015). Relationships among personality, situational construal and social outcomes. European Journal of Personality, 29(2), 97–106.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nga, J. K. H., & Shamuganathan, G. (2010). The influence of personality traits and demographic factors on social entrepreneurship start up intentions. Journal of Business Ethics, 95(2), 259–282.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Olver, J. M., & Mooradian, T. A. (2003). Personality traits and personal values: A conceptual and empirical integration. Personality and Individual Differences, 35(1), 109–125.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ones, D. S., Viswesvaran, C., & Reiss, A. D. (1996). Role of social desirability in personality testing for personnel selection: The red herring. Journal of Applied Psychology, 81(6), 660–679.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Osberg, T. M., & Shrauger, J. S. (1986). Self-prediction: Exploring the parameters of accuracy. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 51(5), 1044–1057.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Parks, L., & Guay, R. P. (2009). Personality, values, and motivation. Personality and Individual Differences, 47(7), 675–684.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Parks-Leduc, L., Feldman, G., & Bardi, A. (2015). Personality traits and personal values. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 19(1), 3–29.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pfeffer, J. (2010). Building sustainable organizations: The human factor. Academy of Management Perspectives, 24(1), 34–45.

    Google Scholar 

  • Poortinga, W., Steg, L., & Vlek, C. (2004). Values, environmental concern, and environmental behavior: A study into household energy use. Environment and Behavior, 36(1), 70–93.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rokeach, M. (1973). The nature of human values. New York: Free Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rokeach, M. (1979). Understanding human values: Individual and societal. New York: The Free Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rokeach, M. (1985). Inducing change and stability in belief systems and personality structures. Journal of Social Issues, 41, 153–171.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rothstein, M. G., & Goffin, R. D. (2006). The use of personality measures in personnel selection: What does current research support? Human Resource Management Review, 16(2), 155–180.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schneider, F., Kallis, G., & Martinez-Alier, J. (2010). Crisis or opportunity? Economic degrowth for social equity and ecological sustainability. Introduction to this special issue. Journal of Cleaner Production, 18(6), 511–518.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schwartz, M. S. (2005). Universal moral values for corporate codes of ethics. Journal of Business Ethics, 59(1–2), 27–44.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schwartz, S. H., & Bilsky, W. (1987). Toward a universal psychological structure of human values. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 53(3), 550–562.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Setó-Pamies, D., & Papaoikonomou, E. (2016). A multi-level perspective for the integration of ethics, corporate social responsibility and sustainability (ECSRS) in management education. Journal of Business Ethics, 136(3), 523–538.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sheldon, K. M., & Kennon, M. (2004). Optimal human being: An integrated multi-level perspective. Mahwah: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • SHRM. (2011). Personality tests for the hiring and promotion of employees SHRM Poll. Society for Human Resource Management. Retrieved from https://www.shrm.org/hr-today/trends-and-forecasting/research-and-surveys/pages/shrmpollpersonalitytestsforthehiringandpromotionofemployees.aspx.

  • Sijtsma, K. (2008). On the use, the misuse, and the very limited usefulness of Cronbach’s alpha. Psychometrika, 74(1), 107–120.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Strike, V. M., Gao, J., & Bansal, P. (2006). Being good while being bad: Social responsibility and the international diversification of US firms. Journal of International Business Studies, 37(6), 850–862.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sully de Luque, M., Washburn, N. T., Waldman, D. A., & House, R. J. (2008). Unrequited profit: How stakeholder and economic values relate to subordinates’ perceptions of leadership and firm performance. Administrative Science Quarterly, 53(4), 626–654.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Thøgersen, J., & Ölander, F. (2002). Human values and the emergence of a sustainable consumption pattern: A panel study. Journal of Economic Psychology, 23(5), 605–630.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • UNGA (2005). 2005 World summit outcome, resolution A/60/1, adopted by the general assembly on 15 September 2005 (p. 38). United Nations.

  • Warshaw, P. R., & Davis, F. D. (1985a). Disentangling behavioral intention and behavioral expectation. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 21(3), 213–228.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Warshaw, P. R., & Davis, F. D. (1985b). The accuracy of behavioral intention versus behavioral expectation for predicting behavioral goals. The Journal of Psychology, 119(6), 599–602.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wilkinson, R. G., & Pickett, K. (2009). The spirit level. New York: Bloomsbury Press.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Funding

This study was funded in part by a SSHRC Institutional Grant—York University (Project Number P2015-0361).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Administrative Studies, Faculty of Liberal Arts and Professional Studies, York University, 4700 Keele St., Toronto, M3J 1P3, Canada

    Joel Marcus

  2. Department of Political Science, Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, CA, 75 University Ave W, Waterloo, ON, N2L 3C5, Canada

    Jason Roy

Authors
  1. Joel Marcus
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Jason Roy
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Joel Marcus.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The author(s) declare no conflict of interest.

Ethical Approval

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki Declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

Informed Consent

Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Marcus, J., Roy, J. In Search of Sustainable Behaviour: The Role of Core Values and Personality Traits. J Bus Ethics 158, 63–79 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-017-3682-4

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-017-3682-4

Keywords

Search

Navigation