Personality Traits as Indicators of Burnout and Engagement: Insights from the Indian Automotive Industry
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Abstract
Purpose: Our study focuses on the effect of Big Five personality traits (openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism) on the burnout and engagement of employees in Indian automobile industry. It also focuses on the nature of burnout and engagement as opposite ends of a single continuum or as separate but related constructs. Design/methodology/approach: Data collection was carried out from supervisory and non-supervisory employees of automotive firms that are situated in the Delhi-NCR region. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) method has been used in order to investigate the direct and mediating effects of personality trait variables on employee burnout and engagement. Findings: Our results show that extraversion, conscientiousness, agreeableness, and openness are significant predictors of lower levels of burnout and higher levels of engagement, while neuroticism has no direct effect. Burnout emerged as a partial mediator in the relationship between some personality traits and engagement, thereby highlighting its role in mediating the link between personality and work-place outcomes. Research limitations/implications: Our research is confined to the Indian automobile sector, so the venerability of the research may not extend to other industries and cultural settings. Future studies may use cross-industry and longitudinal study designs to improve the robustness and applicability of results. Practical implications: Our study findings can provide useful insights for managers and HR practitioners interested in developing personality-based interventions (for recruitment, job design and engagement) to mitigate burnout and boost employee well-being. Originality/value: Our paper contributes to the literature on the simultaneous role of personality types regarding positive and negative work outcomes. It also offers empirical evidence of the mediating role of burnout in personality and engagement relationship in an emerging market context.
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