The Five-factor Model of Personality and Knowledge Transfer in the United Arab Emirates

Knowledge transfer has emerged as an important criterion in organizations for achieving a sustainable competitive advantage. While research has examined contextual determinants of knowledge transfer, very little research has considered the role of individual differences. In the present study, we addressed this issue by testing the relationship between the five-factor model of personality and supervisory ratings of knowledge transfer in a sample of employees from the United Arab Emirates (N=294). Our findings indicated that the extraversion (r=.22), conscientiousness (r=.18), and openness (r=.14) were significant predictors of knowledge transfer. Implications for knowledge management practices are discussed.