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Article
Proactive Personality as a Double-Edged Sword: The Mediating Role of Work–Family Conflict on Employee Outcomes
Journal of Career Development
  • Thomas G. Altura, San Jose State University
  • Alaka N. Rao, San Jose State University
  • Meghna Virick, San Jose State University
Publication Date
12-1-2021
Document Type
Article
DOI
10.1177/0894845319899984
Abstract

In this study, we examine the effects of proactive personality on employees’ perceptions of conflict in the work and family domains and work-related outcomes. We test our hypotheses using survey data collected from 1,150 employees. Our results indicate that proactive personality is associated with increased work-interference-in-family (WIF) but decreased family-interference-in-work (FIW). These opposing, domain-specific effects have masked hitherto hidden relationships that we highlight in this study. Using structural equation modeling, we demonstrate that WIF and FIW function as simultaneous mediating variables between proactive personality and turnover intentions as well as between proactive personality and job performance. Through an investigation of underlying mechanisms, this study advances a more nuanced portrait of how individual differences shape individual and organizational outcomes.

Keywords
  • family-interference-in-work,
  • job performance,
  • proactive personality,
  • turnover intentions,
  • work-interference-in-family
Citation Information
Thomas G. Altura, Alaka N. Rao and Meghna Virick. "Proactive Personality as a Double-Edged Sword: The Mediating Role of Work–Family Conflict on Employee Outcomes" Journal of Career Development Vol. 48 Iss. 6 (2021) p. 849 - 862
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/meghna_virick/47/