INFLUENCE OF PERSONALITY TRAITS ON LIFE SATISFACTION THROUGH WORK ENGAGEMENT AND JOB SATISFACTION AMONG ACADEMIC FACULTY MEMBERS

The aim of this study was to examine both direct and indirect associations of the personality traits of extraversion, neuroticism and conscientiousness with life satisfaction through work engagement and job satisfaction. The study population consisted of 2229 academics (57.1% men) throughout Czech public universities, who completed a questionnaire comprising measures of employee personality traits (BFI-10), work engagement (Utrecht Work Engagement Scale short form), job satisfaction (job satisfaction short scale from the COPSOQ-II) and general life satisfaction (Satisfaction With Life Scale). Structural equation modelling was used to analyse the relationships. The strongest predictor of life satisfaction was neuroticism, the effect of which manifested through both direct and indirect pathways. Extraversion and conscientiousness had positive indirect influences on job satisfaction through work engagement, but their direct influences on job satisfaction were negative. While extraversion also had a direct influence on life satisfaction, conscientiousness did not directly influence life satisfaction.