A Dispositional Approach to Personality Development: Self-Development Trait (SDT) & Organizations

Abstract

Recent evidence in personality psychology reveals that people differ in their rate of personality (trait) development, while a general factor of personality (GFP) occupies the apex of both normal and abnormal hierarchy. Some individuals become generally more adaptive and functional in the situations they engage, while others just remain roughly stable-stagnant, or even regress. This evidence has face-valid implications for subjective well-being, motivation and performance and consequently is of utmost importance for management in general and especially for multi-level organizational behavior research. In light of this evidence and in an effort to expand personality development research into organizations and beyond various types of situational factors, while attempting to define the GFP, I propose the higher-order construct self-development trait (SDT). I propose that SDT defines the GFP and has causal precedence in the prediction of individual differences in the rate of personality development and the goals dominating person-environment fit perception. Additionally I put forward propositions and research questions concerning the structure of SDT. Finally I discuss the importance of SDT research for people selection and development and I suggest future directions.