Specifying personality and self-monitoring effects on overall, task, and contextual job performance

This study examined the main effects of conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism on (a) overall job performance, (b) task performance, and (c) contextual job performance in a sample of automobile salespersons (N = 150). Specifically, it was hypothesized that these personality factors would best predict contextual job performance. Correlation analyses were conducted to test those hypotheses. Self-monitoring was hypothesized to moderate the relationships with contextual job performance for the extraversion and agreeableness factors. Moderated multiple regression (MMR) was employed as the moderator detection technique. To better address the study's questions, a contextual performance measure, based on Borman and Motowidlo's (1997) taxonomy, was empirically-derived. The resultant measure's veracity was ascertained through principal components factor analyses. This study also tested whether the survey responses were influenced by socially desirable responding. In addition, efforts to identify other biasing influences on the study's integrity were made.; Main effects were found for the conscientiousness predictor only. No moderating effects were detected for either of the two predictor-contextual job performance relationships theorized to be so susceptible. Quantitative fit statistics for the factor analyses revealed that the study's data did not fit the proposed contextual job performance models well. Significant socially desirable response bias was not found in this study. Bias from specific error variance due to the single-rater format on the job performance measures was acknowledged.; Advice for those who wish to build upon this study's design and operational premises is offered.