Abstract:
Engagement is a positive, fulfilling, affective- motivational state of workrelated well-being that is characterized by physical, emotional, and cognitive.
Hence organizations may be better off improving on their employees with
certain personality traits if they want to create an engaged workforce. This
research investigates the impact of personality traits on cognitive engagement
in a context of selected financial institutions in Trincomalee District. In this
study, big five traits were used to measure various dimensions of personality
which are extroversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, neuroticism, and
openness to experience. To attain the objectives, the quantitative method was
used and data were collected through questionnaires. A total of 200
questionnaires were distributed to employees in financial institutions in
Trincomalee District and only 191 questionnaires were received from the
respondents. The data were analysed using Pearson correlation and multiple
regression analysis. The findings exhibited that, personality traits of financial
institutions in Trincomalee District is in high level because the mean value is
3.64 and also cognitive engagement of employees is in high level with the
mean value of 4.6. Lastly, the regression analysis between personality traits
and cognitive engagement indicated that 91% of total variance of cognitive
engagement was explained by personality traits. In conclusion, it is observed
that personality traits have influence on the employees’ cognitive engagement.
Results of this study suggest that the personality traits are useful for
examining the dispositional source of cognitive engagement.
