Moderator Effects of the Employees’ Gender on the Correlation between Facets of Job Satisfaction and Personality Dimensions

Abstract

Research Question: The research is oriented towards determining the moderator effects of the employees’ gender (structure) on the correlation between other research constructs, i.e., personality dimensions and job satisfaction. Motivation: Previous research on the influence of employees’ personality dimensions and gender as potential predictors of job satisfaction was also conducted in Serbia. However, no studies could be found in the literature focusing on identifying the moderating effect of the employees’ gender on correlation between job satisfaction and personality dimensions. The results would be of practical importance and applicable in human resource management practice in different organizations, particularly in transitional societies. Idea: The main subject of this research is oriented towards the employees’ dimensions of personality, according to the Big Five personality dimensions, on the one hand, and job satisfaction, on the other. The research was conducted within the conditions of transition, i.e., in the organization that will be under the organizational changes (such as privatization) in the following period. As transition may produce uncertainty of the job positions for the employees (especially within the large public-owned monopolistic enterprises), it could be considered that organizational changes, such as privatization, could affect job dissatisfaction to a significant extent. Data and Tools: The survey research was conducted within the large public-owned monopolistic enterprises in Serbia on the sample of 116 employees. Findings: The research results pointed out that the employees’ gender significantly shaped the correlation between all of the personality dimensions, on the one hand, and different facets of job satisfaction, on the other. Namely, in case of male employees, statistical significance was shown between Extraversion and Pay, Extraversion and Operating Conditions, Conscientiousness and Pay, Conscientiousness and Rewards, Neuroticism and Benefits. In case of female employees, the statistical significance was shown between Agreeableness and Benefits, Conscientiousness and Benefits and finally between Neuroticism and Supervision. Contribution: The obtained results may have practical implications in the form of providing the database for further improvement of the human resource management within the transitional economies, such as Serbian.