Personality Traits and Work Engagement: Does Team-Member Exchange Make a Difference?

Abstract

This study examines the impact of personality traits and team-member exchange on work engagement and the mediating effect of team-member exchange on personality traits and work engagement in a non-Western context in United Arab Emirates (UAE) public sectors. A self-administered questionnaire using a 5-item Likert scale of personality traits, team-member exchange, and work engagement was used, including some demographic variables, in order to collect data from 470 employees working in two public sectors, namely the Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority (ADFCA) and the Abu Dhabi Farmer Service Center (ADFSC), in the UAE, the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. The study used a number of analytical methods, such as descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and smartPLS version 3.0 for bootstrapping, in order to obtain accurate data analysis. After testing for reliability and validity, the proposed hypotheses were tested using SmartPLS. The mediation hypothesis was tested using the Baron and Kenny (1986) approach. Generally, employees’ characteristics were found to have an impact on work engagement as work engagement can increase or decrease levels of work performance. Thus, the study recommends that employers consider the traits of potential employees during recruitment and selection processes.