Investigating the Role of the Big Five on the Social Loafing of Information Technology Workers

The main purpose of the study was to investigate the role of Big Five personality dimensions (Extraversion, Conscientiousness, Openness to Experience, Neuroticism, and Agreeableness) on social loafing (SL) in a field setting. Data were gathered from both employees and their supervisors working in three leading software companies in Ankara, Turkey. The study was conducted in two phases. In the pilot study, SL and perceived coworker SL scales were developed. The task visibility scale was adapted to Turkish. The internal consistency reliabilities of the scales were tested using a pilot study with a sample of employees. In the main study, hypotheses were tested by gathering data from 156 participants and their 33 supervisors. Results supported only the two hypotheses proposing positive relations between extraversion and SL and between neuroticism and SL. The results are discussed along with practical implications, limitations of the study, and future directions.