Situation contingent units of personality at work

Conscientiousness and neuroticism were studied as situation contingencies in a sample of 124 managers. Experience sampling measures of situational characteristics, state conscientiousness and state neuroticism were collected before, during and after the performance of a range of tasks completed in an executive training program of five 3-day sessions, conducted over two years. Six months following training, supervisor ratings of participants’ job performance were also collected. For all variables the majority of variability was observed at the within-person level, justifying further analysis of within-person effects. Situation contingencies were operationalized as regression slopes calculated for each individual within an MLM analysis framework. The six situation contingencies considered in the current study varied between individuals. Three of the six situation contingencies were predictive of supervisor ratings of job performance providing first evidence of the predictive validity for situation contingencies. Combined with previous findings, the current study suggests that further research on situation contingencies and their effects is justified. Suggestions for the choice of situational properties and personality states, and practical applications of situation contingencies are discussed.