Contingent Worker and the Entrepreneurial Orientation

The purpose of this dissertation study is to conduct empirical research and analysis and examine relationships between various personality traits and characteristics of contingent workers and entrepreneurs by using the Big Five personality traits (Openness to experience, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, Neuroticism, (O.C.E.A.N) and thirty underlying facets. This research is important because it is one of the first studies to analyze and apply the Big Five personality model in the combined area of contingent workers and entrepreneurs. The primary question explored and answered in this dissertation is, "What is the relationship between the personalities of contingent workers and entrepreneurs?";The research is constructed on the principals of Gordon Allport's trait theory of personality focusing on the differences between individuals. Trait theory is concentrated on identifying and measuring individual personality characteristic combinations and their interaction that are unique to an individual. The measurement tool used in the study is the NEO-PI-3 personality taxonomy. A total of 174 individuals located within the United States completed the online survey. Of the 174 participants 96 were male and 78 were female. Findings show hypotheses 1, 2, 4, and 5 were supported and hypothesis 3 was not supported by the data from the study. Determining whether or not contingent workers have an entrepreneurial orientation is important information for the contracting employer since entrepreneurs have the capacity to alter existing industries and the innovative contributions of these entrepreneurial initiatives have profound effects on employment and economic growth. As corporations are continually looking for ways to enhance their competitive advantage in a global environment, understanding the individual traits and characteristics of a workforce is important not only for leadership to aid in the management of the individuals but for the development of a modern comprehensive human resource strategy. With the short tenure of most employees quality knowledge workers are walking out the door every three years. Attracting and retaining talent is imperative to a competitive human resource strategy. By understanding the contingent workers personality a company can potentially identify these individuals early placing them on project based work assignments in hopes of meeting the needs of their unique personality.;Looking toward the future of work roles within the traditional organization, we find this contingent worker study is timey in its analysis and may help organizations better utilize the outside individuals and create a system or plan on how to foster a better fit between the capabilities and aspirations of the individual and the organizational strategy.