The relationship between self-efficacy for participating in self-managed work groups and the big five personality dimensions

Little research has been done on characteristics of successful self-managed work group members, despite the fact that almost every major U.S. corporation is considering implementing such teams. This study examined the relationship between the Big Five personality dimensions and self-efficacy for participating in self-managed work groups. A questionnaire was administered to 126 workers in a manufacturing organization that is planning the implementation of self-managed work groups. Results indicated that Neuroticism, Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Conscientiousness were significantly related to self-efficacy for participating in self-managed work groups. Due to the relationship between self-efficacy and performance, one implication of these findings is that organizations should consider personality when deciding whether or not to implement self-managed work groups or who should be selected to work in this type of structure. Future research should include measures of individual and group performance and withdrawal behaviors to extend these findings.