Influence of the Big Five Personality Traits of IT
Workers on Job Satisfaction
Hyo Jung Kim
1Dept. Liberal Education University, Keimyung University
Daegu-dong 1095, Dalgubul Street, Dalseo-gu, South Korea
Abstract: This study analyzed personal traits of IT workers to examine how
these traits affect their Job Commitment. Moreover, it further extends its
analysis on the effects of job satisfaction on job satisfaction. A survey
questionnaire was distributed to IT workers working in Seoul and Daegu in
South Korea from September 15 to October 15, 2015. This questionnaire was
distributed by e-mail by the Korean Social Science Data Center (KSDC,
http://www.ksdcdb.kr/main.do) to computer programmers, IT consultants, and
other IT practitioners. First, hypotheses 1, 3, 4, and 5 were supported by the
results showing that extraversion, openness to experience, agreeableness, and
conscientiousness had a significant effect on job commitment. Second,
Hypothesis 2 was not supported by the result as it showed that neuroticism did
not have a significant effect on job commitment. Finally, Hypothesis 6 was
supported by the result as it showed that job commitment by IT workers has a
positive effect on job satisfaction.
Keywords: Extraversion, Neuroticism, Openness to Experience,
Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, Job Commitment, Job satisfaction
1 Introduction
The IT industry provides a key support function that improves the productivity of
functional-activity fields such as production, logistics, and marketing, as well as the
general service industry. Productivity improvement and value-added creation depend
entirely on human resources. However, according to the Ministry of Employment and
Labor, human resources shortages in the IT industry are worsening. As of 2012, small
and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) were not able to hire one-third of new software
developers, and 30 percent of new database experts. Reportedly, the security industry
has recently been struggling with contracted projects due to labor shortage. [1]
This study analyzed personal traits of IT workers to examine how these traits affect
their Job Commitment. Moreover, it further extends its analysis on the effects of job
satisfaction on job satisfaction.
Advanced Science and Technology Letters Vol.142 (SIT 2016), pp.126-131
http://dx.doi.org/10.14257/astl.2016.142.23
ISSN: 2287-1233 ASTL Copyright © 2016 SERSC
2 Theoretical Background
2.1 The Big Five Personality Traits
Personality, as defined by many personality psychologists, typically includes five
factors such as neuroticism, extraversion, openness to experience, agreeableness, and
conscientiousness. Personality is a psychological characteristic that determines an
individual’s behavioral pattern in the long term without being significantly influenced
by the environment. It influences individual behavior in various situations. [2]
After conducting various personality tests, Costa and McCrae (1992) revealed that
people sometimes tend to display emotional instability, extraversion, openness to
experience, agreeableness, and conscientiousness. [3] Moreover, estimated that the
big five personality traits model is the most comprehensive and frequently used
model.
2.2 Studies on Job Commitment
Mowday, Porter & Steers (1982) defined job commitment as “the relative strength of
an individual's identification with and commitment in a particular organization.”
According to social exchange theory, when employees receive a good deal of support
from their supervisor, they tend to feel a sense of duty to pay the organization back,
and eventually these committed workers eagerly take on extra work in order to
achieve goals set by the supervisor. [4]
In this study, job commitment of IT workers functions as an important parameter
in studying the job satisfaction of IT workers.
2.3 Studies on Job Satisfaction
“Job” in job satisfaction indicates the same hierarchical level that shares important or
specific tasks. Satisfaction is an emotional response from an epistemological
perspective. An emotional response here is an internal response that can be inferred
only through the theoretical identification process regarding mental process and
content in the human brain. [5]
According to the definition by Locke (1976), job satisfaction denotes “a
pleasurable or positive emotional state resulting from the appraisal of one’s job or job
experience.” Furthermore, according to his study, job satisfaction factors can be
divided into nine categories of work, pay, promotion, recognition, benefits, working
conditions, supervision, co-workers, and company and management. [6]
In this study, the job satisfaction of IT workers functions as one important
parameter.
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3 Research Model and Hypothesis
3.1 Research Model
Figure 1 shows the study model of this study
Fig. 1
3. Research Hypothesis
This study suggests the following hypothesis.
Hypothesis 1 (H1): Extroversion will have a positive effect on job commitment.
Hypothesis 2 (H2): Nervousness will have a positive effect on job commitment.
Hypothesis 3 (H3): Openness to Experience will have a positive effect on job
commitment.
Hypothesis 4 (H4): Agreeableness will have a positive effect on job commitment.
Hypothesis 5 (H5): Conscientiousness will have a positive impact on job
commitment.
Hypothesis 6 (H6): Job Commitment when IT workers work affects positively on
job satisfaction.
Big Five
Personality
Extraversion
Neuroticism
Openness to
Experience
Agreeableness
Conscientiousness
Job
Commitment
Job
satisfaction
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128 Copyright © 2016 SERSC
4 Research Analysis
4.1. Research Methods and Characteristics of Specimens
A survey questionnaire was distributed to IT workers working in Seoul and Daegu in
South Korea from September 15 to October 15, 2015. This questionnaire was
distributed by e-mail by the Korean Social Science Data Center (KSDC,
http://www.ksdcdb.kr/main.do) to computer programmers, IT consultants, and other
IT practitioners. The characteristics of the research sample used in this study are
shown in [Table 1] below.
Table 1. Characteristics of the Study Sample
Variable name frequency,(%)
Sex
male 187(86.5)
male 29(13.4)
total 216(100)
career
1 year or less 22(10.2)
less than 1-3 years 54(25.0)
less than 3-5 years 46(21.3)
more than 5 years 94(43.5)
total 216(100)
salary
less than 2 million won 67(31.0)
2 million won -300 million won 80(37.0)
3 million won -400 million won 30(13.9)
4 million won -5 million won 24(11.1)
More than 5 million won 15(7.0)
total 216(100)
4.2. Verification of Validity and Reliability of Measurement Tools
According to Hair et al. (1998) that the measurement model can be assessed by
convergent validity and discriminant validity. Convergent validity was assessed by
Cronbach’s alpha, construct reliability and average variance extracted (AVE) and
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discriminant validity was assessed by comparing the correlation of the constructs with
the AVE. [7]
Furthermore, as shown in [Table 2], discriminant validity is satisfied because the
AVE index is larger than the square of the correlation coefficient of each factor
(decision coefficient). [7] [Table 2] below shows the AVE values and correlation
coefficients.
Table 2. Discriminant validity test results
concept 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Extraversion 0.829
Neuroticism -0.003 0.794
Openness to
Experience 0.441 -0.010 0.775
Agreeableness, 0.457 -0.040 0.350 0.812
Conscientiousness 0.302 -0.023 0.380 0.625 0.797
Job Commitment 0.158 0.194 0.432 0.518 0.538 0.814
Job satisfaction 0.224 -0.186 0.261 0.537 0.453 0.561 0.798
Note) Diagonal shading: Square root value of AVE
4.3. Hypothesis Verification Result
The hypothesis test results for the whole model proposed in this study are summarized
in [Table 3].
Table 3. Hypothesis testing results
Hypothesis path path
coefficient t-value acceptance
H 1 Extraversion -> Job
Commitment 0.186 2.240** Adoption
H 2 Neuroticism -> Job
Commitment -0.044 -0.617 Dismissal,
H 3
Openness to
Experience -> Job
Commitment
0.349 4.442*** Adoption
H 4 Agreeableness -> Job
Commitment 0.198 2.538** Adoption
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130 Copyright © 2016 SERSC
H 5 Conscientiousness ->
Job Commitment 0.175 2.014** Adoption
H 6 Job Commitment ->
Job satisfaction 0.362 4.669*** Adoption
***p<0.01, **p<0.05, *p<0.1
5 Conclusion
This study investigated the effect of personality traits of IT workers on job
satisfaction through job commitment. The study first examined the effect of
personality traits of IT workers on job commitment and further examined the effect of
job commitment on job satisfaction.
The results of the study can be summarized as follows: First, hypotheses 1, 3, 4,
and 5 were supported by the results showing that extraversion, openness to
experience, agreeableness, and conscientiousness had a significant effect on job
commitment. Second, Hypothesis 2 was not supported by the result as it showed that
neuroticism did not have a significant effect on job commitment. Finally, Hypothesis
6 was supported by the result as it showed that job commitment by IT workers has a
positive effect on job satisfaction.
References
1. Hoon, P. S.: SW is power, IT Chosun, (2014)
2. Davis-Blake, A., Pfeffer, J.: Just a mirage: The search for dispositional effects in
organizational research, Academy of Management Review, 14(3), 1989, pp. 385-400
(1989)
3. Costa, P. T., McCrae, R. R.: NEO-PI-R Professional manual, Odessa, FI: Psychological
Assessment Resources (1992)
4. Mowday, R. T., Porter, W. L., Steers, M. R.: Employee Organization Linkage-the
Psychology of Commitment Absenteeism and Turnover, Academic Press, New York
(1982).
5. Locke, E. A.: The Nature and Causes of Job Satisfaction, Rand-Mcnally, College Publish
CO. (1976)
6. Beaty, R. W., Schnier, C. E., Personnel Administrational: An Experiential Skill Building
Approach(2nd)", Addison Wesley (1981).
7. Hair, J. A., R. E. Anderson, R. L.: Tatham and W. C. Black, Multivariate Data Analysis
(5th edition),” New Jersey, Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall (1998)
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