Using the occupational personality questionnaire (OPQ) for measuring broad traits

Abstract

The widespread acceptance of the Big Five model implies that personality consists of relatively independent dimensions that form a taxonomy whereby individual differences may be explained. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether the subscales of an established personality inventory that measures narrow traits of personality, the Occupational Personality Questionnaire (OPQ), could be reduced meaningfully to fit a broad factor model within a South African context. The OPQ 5.2 concept model was administered to 453 job applicants in the telecommunications sector. An exploratory factor analysis yielded a six-factor structure that included five factors corresponding to the Big Five model of personality. The sixth factor, labeled Interpersonal Relationship Harmony, resembled the description of the Chinese tradition factor, extracted in a non-Western society. Opsomming Die wye aanvaarding van die Groot-Vyfmodel impliseer dat persoonlikheid uit relatief onafhanklike dimensies bestaan wat ’n taksonomie vorm waarmee individuele verskille verklaar kan word. Die doel van die ondersoek was om vas te stel of die subskale van ’n gevestigde persoonlikheidsvraelys wat gedetailleerde persoonlikheidstrekke meet, die Occupational Personality Questionnaire (OPQ), op sinvolle wyse gereduseer kon word tot ’n breë faktormodel in ’n Suid-Afrikaanse konteks. Die OPQ 5.2 konsepmodel is toegepas op 453 werkapplikante in die telekommunikasiesektor. ’n Ondersoekende faktorontleding het ’n sesfaktorstruktuur gelewer, insluitende vyf faktore wat met die Groot Vyf persoonlikheidsmodel ooreenstem. Die sesde faktor wat as Interpersoonlike Verhoudingsharmonie benoem is, toon ooreenstemming met die Chinese tradisiefaktor wat in ’n nie-Westerse samelewing onttrek is.

Keywords

• Occupational personality questionnaire (OPQ)
• Broad traits