PERSONALITY TRAITS, JOB CHARACTERISTICS, CONFLICT MANAGEMENT STYLES AND EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE AMONG SMES IN MALAYSIA
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.35631/AIJBES.829122Keywords:
Conflict Management Styles, Employee Performance, Job Characteristics, Personality Traits, SMEsAbstract
Employee performance is particularly consequential in micro and small enterprises, where limited resources increase reliance on individual employees. This study examines the effects of personality traits, job characteristics, and conflict management styles on employee performance among Malaysian micro- and small-enterprise employees, including the mediating role of conflict management styles. A quantitative cross-sectional survey was conducted with 287 employees from service-sector micro and small enterprises in Perak, Selangor, Melaka, and Pahang using probability sampling. Covariance-based Structural Equation Modelling (CB-SEM) with maximum-likelihood estimation was performed in IBM SPSS AMOS Version 24. The measurement model was assessed through confirmatory factor analysis, composite reliability, average variance extracted, discriminant validity, and model-fit indices. The pooled CFA showed acceptable fit (χ²/df = 1.891, CFI = .901, TLI = .887, RMSEA = .065), while the structural model explained 72.3% of the variance in employee performance (R² = .723). At the dimension level, agreeableness and openness to experience positively predicted employee performance, extraversion showed a significant negative effect, and autonomy and skill variety were the significant job-characteristic predictors. Conflict management styles significantly mediated the relationships between the five job characteristics and employee performance, but did not mediate the personality-trait relationships. Rather than estimating separate structural effects for the five Rahim conflict styles, conflict management was modelled as an overall construct. The study contributes an integrated explanation of employee performance in resource-constrained Malaysian micro and small enterprises by linking individual dispositions and job design with conflict-handling processes.
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