Personality correlates of key roles in informal advice networks

TL;DR

This study uses social network analysis and personality assessment to identify key players in informal advice networks among university students, revealing significant personality traits linked to strategic roles.

Contribution

It introduces a method to identify key advice network roles and links these roles to specific Big Five personality traits through a case study.

Findings

Key players are associated with Conscientiousness, Neuroticism, and Agreeableness.

Personality traits can predict strategic advice network roles.

No significant link found with Extraversion or Openness.

Abstract

Prior research has emphasised the importance of informal advice networks for knowledge sharing and peer learning. We use Social Network Analysis to detect individuals who play a strategic role in advice networks. Even if roles have been extensively described, how to identify people within them is still an open issue. Furthermore, we investigate whether an association between key players and the big five personality traits exists, by means of nonparametric statistics. To achieve this, we present a case study which involves roughly 180 university students. We found 21 of them playing a key role. Results give evidence of significant associations between key positions and Conscientiousness, Neuroticism and Agreeableness; whereas no evidence is found for a relationship with Extraversion or Openness to Experience. Consistently, personality emerges as a relevant indicator for predicting people who are more likely to play a strategic role, even when connection patterns are unknown.