Extraversion, openness and conscientiousness: The route to transformational leadership in the hotel industry

Abstract

Purpose: The primary purpose of the study was to investigate the relationship between leadership styles (Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ 5X-Short)) and the "Big Five" personality traits (NEO-FFI) of neuroticism, extraversion, openness to experience, conscientiousness and agreeableness among managers currently working in the hotel industry of Cyprus. Design/methodology/approach: Adopting a quantitative approach, the MLQ 5X-Short was utilized to allow research participants to describe their leadership style as they perceive it. In addition, the most widely acknowledged tool for measuring personality traits, NEO-FFI, was also incorporated in the questionnaire. Findings: Findings suggest that transformational leadership is positively associated with extraversion, openness and conscientiousness; while in contrast, passive/avoidance leadership style is negatively associated with conscientiousness and agreeableness. Research limitations/implications: The small sample size (n=131) and the homogeneity of the sample, limit the generalizability of the findings to other environments. Practical implications: Hospitality organizations should recruit, promote and invest in developing extrovert individuals who are both open to experience and conscientious, and who also exhibit transformational leadership behaviours. Originality/value: This paper contributes to the scientific literature by investigating the association between the "Big Five" personality traits and transformational leadership behaviours