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Five-factor Model

Five-Factor Model assesses personality traits and their impact on technology adoption.

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Five-Factor Model Radar Chart

What is:

Five-factor Model

In simple words, imagine:

Picking a team sport based on your personality traits, like being outgoing or cautious.

The Five: Factor Model (FFM) explains how personality traits influence behaviour, including technology use. It includes: 

  • Openness: Willingness to try new things‍
  • Conscientiousness: Being organised and responsible‍
  • Extraversion: Being outgoing and social‍
  • Agreeableness: Being cooperative and kind‍
  • Neuroticism: Tendency to experience negative emotions

These traits affect how people interact with new technologies FFM helps companies understand user preferences.

Explain it to Grandma:

This is like knowing the personalities of all your plants in the garden. Some are tough and can handle the cold, while others need more care and attention. Understanding these traits helps you take better care of them. This model is about understanding different personality traits to help people thrive, just like knowing what each plant needs.

Business Cases:

Unilever
LinkedIn
Goldman Sachs
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Unilever
Leadership Development Programme
Human Resources

Unilever applied the Five-Factor Model (FFM) in its leadership development programme. The company assessed employees' personalities using the FFM to identify traits like openness, conscientiousness, and agreeableness. This helped tailor leadership training and assign roles that aligned with employees’ strengths.

Result
Successful
The use of FFM led to more effective leadership development and improved job satisfaction, contributing to better organisational performance.
LinkedIn
LinkedIn Talent Insights
Recruitment Platforms

LinkedIn used the Five-Factor Model to enhance its Talent Insights tool. By analysing the personality traits of candidates, recruiters could better match job seekers with roles that suited their personalities, improving job placement and retention rates.

Result
Successful
The tool has been well-received by recruiters, leading to more efficient hiring processes and better job matches.
Goldman Sachs
Leadership Assessment
Leadership Development

Goldman Sachs integrated the Five-Factor Model into its leadership assessment process to identify potential leaders within the organisation. By evaluating key personality traits, the company could better predict leadership success and tailor development programmes accordingly.

Result
Successful
The approach helped Goldman Sachs identify and develop effective leaders, contributing to the firm’s long-term success.

Academic Research:

Five-factor Model

Authors:

Paul T. Costa Jr. and Robert R. McCrae

Paper Link

https://psychology.iresearchnet.com

Year Researched

1987

Summary:

The Five-Factor Model, also known as the Big Five, identifies five broad dimensions of personality: Neuroticism, Extraversion, Openness, Agreeableness, and Conscientiousness. These traits are relatively stable over time and across different cultures. The model is widely used for understanding how these traits influence various aspects of life, including behavior, relationships, and career outcomes.

Some links

  • https://psycnet.apa.org/doiLanding?doi=10.1037/pspp0000263
  • https://www.jstor.org/stable/258960
  • https://link.springer.com/article/10.1057/ejis.2014.37
  • https://www.oxfordbibliographies.com/view/document/obo-9780199828340/obo-9780199828340-0003.xml
  • https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S019188691530071X