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Personality traits as performance enhancers? A comparative analysis of workers in Russia, Armenia and Kazakhstan

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  • Linz, Susan J.
  • Semykina, Anastasia

Abstract

What is the relative importance of cognitive and non-cognitive traits in accounting for differences in worker performance in former socialist economies? We use survey data collected in 2005 from over 4790 employees in Russia, Armenia and Kazakhstan to construct three different performance measures - self-reported quantity and quality of work in comparison to others doing similar work, earnings, and expected promotions - and two measures to capture two personality traits: locus of control (LOC) and preference for challenge versus affiliation (C-A). We begin our investigation with a descriptive analysis of the relationship between personality traits and work-related attitudes. We find LOC and C-A differences in work-related attitudes more often than not match results associated with studies conducted in developed market economies. To assess the influence of LOC and C-A personality traits on performance, in our regression analysis we control for worker characteristics (age, gender, experience, schooling, unemployment experience, and supervisory responsibilities) and firm characteristics (ownership, whether the workplace is a manufacturing plant). Our results indicate that personality has a positive effect on performance, but the magnitude of the effect varies by performance measure and by country. In some specifications, the effect of personality is similar in magnitude to the effect of education, and may in fact exceed the effect of education if the effects of the two personality traits are combined.

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  • Linz, Susan J. & Semykina, Anastasia, 2009. "Personality traits as performance enhancers? A comparative analysis of workers in Russia, Armenia and Kazakhstan," Journal of Economic Psychology, Elsevier, vol. 30(1), pages 71-91, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:joepsy:v:30:y:2009:i:1:p:71-91
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    5. Monowar Mahmood & Janet Humphrey, 2013. "Stakeholder Expectation of Corporate Social Responsibility Practices: A Study on Local and Multinational Corporations in Kazakhstan," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 20(3), pages 168-181, May.
    6. Yu-Wei Luke Chu & Susan Linz, 2017. "Gender gap in upward mobility: what is the role of non-cognitive traits?," International Journal of Manpower, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 38(6), pages 835-853, September.
    7. Ron Berger & Ram Herstein & Avi Silbiger & Bradley R. Barnes, 2017. "Developing International Business Relationships in a Russian Context," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 57(3), pages 441-471, June.
    8. Furnham, Adrian & Cheng, Helen, 2013. "Factors influencing adult earnings: Findings from a nationally representative sample," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 44(C), pages 120-125.
    9. Kathryn H. Anderson & Damir Esenaliev, 2019. "Gender Earnings Inequality and Wage Policy: Teachers, Health Care, and Social Workers in Central Asia," Comparative Economic Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Association for Comparative Economic Studies, vol. 61(4), pages 551-575, December.
    10. Claudia Roethlisberger & Franziska Gassmann & Wim Groot & Bruno Martorano, 2023. "The contribution of personality traits and social norms to the gender pay gap: A systematic literature review," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 37(2), pages 377-408, April.
    11. John V.C. Nye & Maria M. Yudkevich & Ekaterina A. Orel & Ekaterina V. Kochergina, 2014. "The Effects Of Prenatal Testosterone On Adult Wages: Evidence From Russian Rlms Data And Measured 2d:4d Digit Ratios," HSE Working papers WP BRP 71/EC/2014, National Research University Higher School of Economics.

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