What is it about?
This study examines whether Type A behavior—characterized by competitiveness, time urgency, and high achievement striving—is associated with job performance among Kuwaiti employees. Using three different Type A measures and 14 supervisor-rated performance dimensions drawn from official personnel records, the study analyzes data from 103 employees working in a government organization. Contrary to popular assumptions, the results show that most aspects of job performance are not significantly related to Type A behavior, with only one dimension—following supervisors’ orders—showing modest correlations.
Featured Image
Photo by Rajesh Rajput on Unsplash
Why is it important?
Challenges a common myth: Questions the widespread belief that Type A individuals consistently outperform others at work. Conceptual refinement: Demonstrates that treating Type A behavior as a single global construct obscures important nuances. Methodological contribution: Shows how results vary depending on measurement choice and performance criteria. Cross-cultural value: Extends Type A research to a non-Western, Arab work context, highlighting cultural contingencies in personality–performance links.
Perspectives
Type A behavior has long been associated with ambition and productivity, yet this study suggests that being driven and time-pressured does not automatically translate into better job performance. Understanding which components of Type A behavior matter—and under what conditions—is more informative than relying on broad personality labels, particularly in applied organizational settings.
Prof. Othman H Alkhadher
Kuwait University
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Association of Type a Behavior and Job Performance in a Sample of Kuwaiti Workers, Psychological Reports, August 1999, SAGE Publications,
DOI: 10.2466/pr0.1999.85.1.189.
You can read the full text:
Contributors
The following have contributed to this page
