Personality as Predictor of Occupational Choice: Empirical Evidence from Germany

Diskussionspapiere des Schwerpunktes Unternehmensführung am Fachbereich BWL, Vol. 2, No. 8, 2010

29 Pages Posted: 10 Jan 2011

See all articles by Petra Nieken

Petra Nieken

Karlsruhe Institute of Technology

Susi Störmer

University of Hamburg

Date Written: August 20, 2010

Abstract

This paper investigates the influence of personality traits on occupational choice using data of the German Socio‐Economic Panel. We conduct multinomial logit analyses to differentiate male managers, professionals, technicians, clerks, service workers, and manual workers with respect to their personality as measured by the Big Five. The data provide extensive information on the socioeconomic background of individuals as well as characteristics of the workplace which are included as controls. The findings indicate that manual workers are less extroverted, more conscientious as well as less agreeable and open than employees from most other occupational groups. Practical implications of the results are discussed.

Keywords: Five Factor Model, Personality Traits, Occupational Choice

JEL Classification: J24, J62, M59

Suggested Citation

Nieken, Petra and Störmer, Susi, Personality as Predictor of Occupational Choice: Empirical Evidence from Germany (August 20, 2010). Diskussionspapiere des Schwerpunktes Unternehmensführung am Fachbereich BWL, Vol. 2, No. 8, 2010, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1737770

Petra Nieken

Karlsruhe Institute of Technology ( email )

Kaiserstraße 12
Karlsruhe, Baden Württemberg 76131
Germany

Susi Störmer (Contact Author)

University of Hamburg ( email )

Von-Melle-Park 5
Hamburg, 20146
Germany

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