Personality, Cognitive Ability, and Executive Career Success

The present study investigated the degree to which traits from the five-factor model of personality (often termed the "Big five") and cognitive ability were associated with several dimensions of extrinsic (salary, number of promotions, job level) and intrinsic (job satisfaction, life satisfaction, career satisfaction) career success. Data were collected from two large samples of American and European executives. For the American executives, results indicated that neuroticism was associated with lower degrees of extrinsic and intrinsic success, extraversion was associated with higher levels of intrinsic success, and agreeableness was associated with lower levels of extrinsic success. General cognitive ability was positively associated with one dimension of extrinsic success (salary), but not intrinsic success.