Utilizing Five Factor Model facets to conceptualize counterproductive, unethical, and organizational citizenship workplace behaviors

Running head: FIVE FACTOR MODEL OF PERSONALITY
Five factor model of personality
Name of student
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1FIVE FACTOR MODEL OF PERSONALITY
A large number of personality theories and models, along with examination of individual
behaviors, play a crucial role in determining the employee selection process at various firms. The
personality traits and behavior of the employees should be taken into account by the employers,
during recruitment. The article titled, “Utilizing Five Factor Model facets to conceptualize
counterproductive, unethical, and organizational citizenship workplace behaviors” attempts to
utilize the Five Factor Model of Personality (FFM) in order to examine and scrutinize negative
and unethical workplace behaviors from a psychological perspective (Helle et al., 2018).
The article claims that assessment of personality traits of the employees, before
recruitment, is instrumental in determining the overall productivity and company morale within
the workplace. Research has shown that there is a close association between the Five Factor
Model of Personality and the negative and positive behavioral patterns of employees working in
a firm. According to the Five Factor Model, there are five major aspects which determine the
personality traits of an individual. These are – openness, conscientiousness, extraversion,
agreeableness and neuroticism. In other words, the individual differences in personality can be
tracked using this personality theory (Judge, Rodell, Klinger, Simon & Crawford, 2013). The
article emphasizes that the five aspects of personality would determine the factors affecting
career satisfaction and employee engagement. For instance, high levels of agreeableness and
conscientiousness in a person would be counterproductive, as far as workplace behavior is
concerned.
It is interesting to note the argument that the article in question puts forth. The authors
claim that the research on the link between FFM and workplace behavior has mainly focused on
the five major domains of the model. On the other hand, it would be more beneficial to instead
focus on the facets of the FFM model. This is to say that the five domains of FFM are not all

2FIVE FACTOR MODEL OF PERSONALITY
encompassing, and border on a broad generalization. Instead, focusing on the more specific
facets of the FFM model would help an employer get a deeper and more meaningful insight into
the behavioral tendencies and personality traits of the employees. Some examples of the facets of
the FFM model would include competence, dutifulness, deliberation, self discipline,
vulnerability, anxiety, gregariousness, assertiveness, positive emotions, straightforwardness,
values, ideas, modesty, compliance and so on. All of these facets can be grouped into the five
major domains of the model. A study of these facets would enable employers to delve deep into
matters concerning occupational stress, career indecision, job performance, employee
motivation, job instability or vocational interests. The article mainly focuses on organizational
citizenship behavioral tendencies and unethical behaviors to identify how the FFM facets would
help in pinpointing the personality traits of employees.
The article is clearly structured into different segments, which identifies the links
between organization citizenship behavior (OCB) and FFM and that between FFM and unethical
workplace behaviors. For instance, OCB may be defined as the behavioral tendencies which
support the overall development of a favorable environment within an organization. The facets of
FFM related to openness, agreeableness and conscientiousness are associated with a positive
workplace experience. For instance, these domains would determine how a new employee reacts
and responds to the workplace and organization and how easily a person can settle in. It can thus
be deduced, based on the article that an employee’s devotion, dedication, commitment and
appreciation for his or her workplace would depend on these specific attributes of his
personality. Similarly, it may also be argued that negative or counterproductive workplace
behaviors may also be linked to the conscientiousness aspect of FFM. Workplace deviance or
behavioral tendencies that are detrimental to the development of a positive workplace