Need for Power, Personality Traits, and Organizational Work-Related Behaviors among Employees

Abstract

An individual’s desire to influence others is known as the need for power (nPower). In the available literature, the construct of the need for power has been conceptualized as two distinct desires for powers i.e., personalized and socialized. The personalized nPower defines as the desire of an individual to influence others for one’s ends, whereas, the socialized nPower is the desire for power to help other people. However, it is unclear how the power needs relate to employees’ personality traits and work-related behaviors in the workplace. Therefore, the existing research was intended (i) to confirm the factor structure of the Need for Power Scale and HEXACO Personality Inventory on the employees’ sample through confirmatory factor analysis, and (ii) to investigate the association, how the employees’ scores on the personalized-socialized need for power scale relate to their personality traits (HEXACO), impression management (self-promotion, intimidation, ingratiation), and counterproductive work behavior. Furthermore, the study also explores the gender difference among the employees in terms of the personalized and socialized need for power. The study used an organizational employee sample (N=225) collected from different cities in Pakistan through a purposive sampling strategy. The factor structure (through confirmatory factor analysis) of the Need for Power scale identified the 2-factors solution and the HEXACO Personality Inventory supported the 6-factors with well-fitted model fit indices. Furthermore, personalized and socialized need for power is differently associated with employees' personality traits and their work-related behaviors. The study provides researchers with established psychometric properties of the Need for Power scale and HEXACO Personality Inventory on the employees’ sample along with the established factor structure. It helps the researchers to expand their understanding of these important constructs (i.e., personality traits and organizational work-related behaviors) at the workplace. The research study seeks to help many employees/employers to comprehend the nature and the distinct sides of power in the workplace, further its association with unique personality traits, and work-related behaviors at the workplace.