Personality Characteristics of Business Majors as Defined by the Big Five and Narrow Personality Traits

Using data from 347 I undergraduate business majors and 2,252 nonbusiness majors at a large Southeastern university, the authors drew on J. L. Holland's (1985) vocational theory and investigated whether the 2 groups differed on the Big Five model of personality (B. De Raad, 2000; agreeableness, conscientiousness, emotional stability, extraversion, openness) and 4 narrow personality traits. For business majors, the authors also examined the relations between personality traits and life satisfaction. Business majors scored higher for conscientiousness, emotional stability, extraversion, assertiveness, and tough-mindedness, but they scored lower on agreeableness and openness. All of the traits except for agreeableness and tough-mindedness correlated significantly and positively with life satisfaction. The authors discuss results in terms of similar relations in business occupations and support of vocational theory.