Abstract
Recent evidence suggests that personality could play just as important a role in the prediction
of important work-related outcomes as cognitive ability. However, it might be meaningful to
adjust the level at which personality is measured and reported, depending on the narrowness
of the scope of the criteria of interest. This study firstly explored the inter-factor correlations of
the 10 personality aspects of the Work Personality Index (WPI) from an archival dataset of 4759
South African employees. An oblique lower-order model was specified to investigate the interfactor
correlations between personality aspects. Secondly, a dominance analysis was performed
using a sequentially collected cross-sectional sample of 197 South African employees, to
determine the relative weight that each of the 10 aspects carries when predicting five narrower
dimensions of performance. The 10 aspects exhibited unique patterns in predicting narrower
performance dimensions. Scientists and practitioners might, therefore, benefit from modelling
relationships between personality aspects and narrower performance areas. In accordance,
more nuanced selection decisions or development recommendations can be made that are
specific to the work behaviours of interest.
Contribution: The present study is the first to explore the criterion validity of the 10 personality
aspects against five performance areas in the South African context. The study underscores the
importance of a more nuanced understanding of the work-related implications of narrower
personality characteristics, which have practical implications for both selection decisions and
developmental recommendations within organisational settings.