Abstract:

The findings of the literature on the predictive power of the Big Five personality model  on academic and training success, vary to a large extent, according to several researchers. One of the reasons for the diverging conclusions may be attributed to cultural factors. This study makes an attempt to close this research gap as far as Greece is concerned, where there appears to be no such published study, involving university students. The purpose of the study is to close this gap, and offer both academics and practitioners additional insight in their decisions concerning training and education issues such as admissions to college or graduate programs.

The methodology used in this study, involves the collection of the responses from about 950 university students from a population of about 3000, who completed a structured questionnaire, including the variables of the Big Five model and the Depended Variables of student performance measured by the student Grade Point Average (GPA), and the GPA the student believed she/he deserves. The results will be analyzed with the use of SPSS using confirmatory factor analysis, Regression analysis as well as Structural Equation Modeling. The Independent Variables include, extraversion, Neuroticism, Openness to experience, Agreeableness and Conscientiousness. Demographic data will also be included in the analysis.

Expected Findings: we expect that in accordance with prior studies on personality and performance ( academic and work) we expect academic success to correlate with neuroticism, ( in a negative manner), and with conscientiousness as well as openness to experience. Agreeableness and extraversion are not expected to impact on grades.

The Originality of the study consists in its being the first of its kind in Greece, addressing this issue at the university level. With the changes in the education and sociopolitical environment it is expected that the new knowledge produced by this study will be helpful to academic institutional recruitment policies.

Implications: There are serious implications for tertiary education administrations, who can select their prospective students based not only on their past ( high-school) performance, but also on the additional information provided by the personality tests of the candidates, increasing thus the chance of their completing their studies in a timely fashion. Similarly, in the field of training, HR administrators may be helped by selecting the people who will receive training so as to return the maximum value for that investment, based on the use of the Big Five Model and the findings of the study.