Consequences of employee personality in the hospitality context: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Purpose
Personality provides a critical perspective for human resource managers on differences between employees. This study aims to systematically and meta-analytically synthesize the consequences of employee personality in the hospitality context.

Design/methodology/approach
After an extensive literature search, 105 empirical studies on the consequences of the big five personality factors (BFF; agreeableness, conscientiousness, extraversion, neuroticism and openness) along with proactive personality (PP) in the hospitality context were included for a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Findings
The review highlighted a steady increase in the number of studies on hospitality employee personality. Job satisfaction and organizational citizenship behavior were identified as the most significant consequences for employee personality in the hospitality context. Five dimensions of personality traits varied in their consequences and differed from PP.

Research limitations/implications
This study provides insightful implications and suggestions for future studies in terms of methodological approaches, research topics and dimensions of employee personality that will extend the theoretical framework of individual differences.

Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study represents the first attempt to systematically investigate the consequences of employee personality in the hospitality context. The results reveal discrepancies in the relations between the dimensions of BFF and PP with a variety of consequences. These results offer research directions for hospitality scholars investigating employee personality.