The relationship between contextual work behaviours self-efficacy and work personality: an exploratory analysis.

Background: Work personality and contextual work behaviours have been identified as constructs that play critical roles in developing the foundation for effective vocational and career behaviour for persons with disabilities.

Method: For this study, we used a sample of 84 individuals with disabilities who were eligible to receive vocational rehabilitation services. Demographic variables and questions concerning work personality, contextual work behaviours self-efficacy, employment status and longest time employed were obtained and analysed to determine the relationship between contextual work behaviours self-efficacy, work personality and employment outcomes.

Results: The results indicate that work personality explained 24% (F = 2.73; p = 0.013) of the variance of contextual work behaviours self-efficacy with the subscale of Personal Presentation (β = 0.466) making a significant and unique contribution to CWB total score. Results of a correlation between the work personality profile scale and the contextual work behaviours self-efficacy scale revealed a significant and positive relationship. Levels of work personality and contextual work behaviours self-efficacy were unable to discriminate between employed and unemployed individuals. However, a post-hoc regression analysis did find that work personality and contextual work behaviours self-efficacy accounted for approximately 24% of the variance of longest time employed.

Conclusions: The results of this study provide initial support for the relationship between work personality and contextual work behaviours self-efficacy. Overall, work personality appears to be an important construct related to individual's confidence to meet the contextual demand of the work environment and length of employment tenure.