The Impact of the Personality Traits of an Actor on Their Position in the Social Network: A Study on Public Employees
The Impact of the Personality Traits of an Actor on Their Position in the Social Network: A Study on Public Employees

Summary/Abstract: Purpose – The aim of this research is examining whether the personality traits of the actors within a given social network have an impact on their partaking as central actors in the network and maintaining their brokerage role between the actors who do not have a connection. Design/methodology/approach – The network sample of the research consists of 73 individuals that worked in the same unit of a public institution located in Ankara. In order to make social network analysis, the answers obtained from the questions asked to the actors were transferred to the UCINET program by creating a 73*73 matrix, and betweenness, centrality and network diagram analyzes were made. Then, the values obtained from the questionnaires made in order to determine the personality traits of the actors were entered into the SPSS 20 package program. Finally, within the scope of the analysis of the study, correlation and regression analyzes were carried out to determine whether there is a relationship between the data obtained from social network and personality traits. Findings – As a result of the analyses, the actors who has a high level of Machiavellian and neurotic personality traits fill the gaps within the social network and assume the role of a bridge / a broker. It is also founded that there is a negative relationship between the actor's neurotic personality traits and their centrality positions within the network. On the other hand, the actor's with high agreeableness personality trait are observed to be positioned at the center within the network. Discassion – The absence of a study in the literature that deals with social network connections and personality traits together reveals the originality of the study.

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