| The study investigates the impact of both personality and attitudes on willingness to relocate geographically. Using a Theory of Planned Behavior (Azjen, 1991) framework, the study examined the relationship of three of the Big Five personality traits (and one facet) on willingness to relocate. Data were collected from 937 professional employees of a US-based Fortune 1000 mining/manufacturing firm. Using hierarchical regression, the results the study suggest that Conscientiousness, Openness to Experience, and Excitement-Seeking were all significantly positively related to an employees' willingness to relocate, while Neuroticism was significantly negatively related. Both personal as well as referent attitudes (subjective norms) were also found to be positively related to willingness to relocate. Implications for the use of personality traits as early predictors of willingness to relocate, which is important for succession planning and workforce flexibility programs, are discussed. |
