The Big Five Model proposes that five basic dimensions encompass the significant variation in personality. Test scores of these traits do a very good job of predicting how people behave in a variety of real-life situations and remain relatively stable for an individual over time, with some daily variations. These are the Big Five factors.

The conscientiousness dimension is a measure of personal consistency and reliability. A highly conscientious person is responsible, organized, dependable, and persistent. The emotional stability dimension taps a person’s ability to withstand stress. People with emotional stability tend to be calm, self-confident, and secure. The extraversion dimension captures our relational approach toward the social world. Extraverts tend to be gregarious, assertive, and sociable. Introverts tend to be more thoughtful, reserved, timid, and quiet.

The openness to experience dimension addresses the range of interests and fascination with novelty. Open people are creative, curious, and artistically sensitive. The agreeableness dimension refers to an individual’s propensity to defer to others. Agreeable people are cooperative, warm, and trusting. People who score low on agreeableness are cold and antagonistic. There are many relationships between the Big Five personality dimensions and job performance, and we are learning more about them every day.

Research indicates that the Big Five traits have the most verifiable links to important organizational outcomes. But they are not the only traits a person exhibits, nor are they the only ones with OB implications.