Impact of Personality Characteristics on Innovative Work Behavior through Emotional Labor in Education Sector of Pakistan

The aim of this study is to examine the role of big five personality characteristics (Extraversion, Openness to change, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, Neuroticism) in predicting the innovative work behavior of teachers, with mediation of emotional labor. Self administered questionnaires were distributed to 350 teachers at public and private sector universities in Lahore. The study uses the spss 24 and structural equation modeling 24 to test the hypotheses among 350 respondents. The results specify that big five personality characteristics showed positive relationship with innovative work behavior while two characteristics of big five personality i.e. Extraversion and openness to change showed insignificant relationship with innovative work behavior through mediated effect of emotional labor. The other personality characteristics i.e. agreeableness, conscientiousness, neuroticism were significantly related to innovative work behavior through mediated effect of emotional labor. Prior studies have recognized teachers as vital sources of innovation, thus managers can develop new emotional strategies to make their teachers free from psychological problems and to boost innovative work behavior among teachers in universities, a personality characteristics without a suspicion a critical contributor in making innovative teachers.