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Effects of Supervisor “Big Five” Personality on Subordinate Attitudes

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Abstract

Leadership theory has long sought to find traits associated with effective leadership. This study uses the five-factor model of personality to investigate the relationship between the personality of supervisors and aggregated attitudes of subordinates. Results from 131 supervisors and 467 subordinates support the notion that supervisor personality is related to subordinate attitudes. Overall, high levels of supervisor Agreeableness, Emotional Stability and Extraversion, plus low levels of Conscientiousness are related to subordinate ratings of satisfaction with supervisor, overall satisfaction, affective commitment and turnover intentions. However, the relationships are somewhat weak and differ across specific criteria. Implications for these findings are discussed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Hudson HR Consulting and University of South Florida, USA

    Mark Alan Smith

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  1. Mark Alan Smith
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  2. Jonathan M. Canger
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Correspondence to Mark Alan Smith.

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Smith, M.A., Canger, J.M. Effects of Supervisor “Big Five” Personality on Subordinate Attitudes. Journal of Business and Psychology 18, 465–481 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1023/B:JOBU.0000028447.00089.12

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/B:JOBU.0000028447.00089.12

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