When Will a Proactive Personality be Positive? The Moderating Role of Leader Trust

This study investigates the nonlinear relationship between proactive personality and job performance, proposing a potential 'too-much-of-a-good-thing' (TMGT) effect. While proactive personality has been shown to positively influence attitudes and behaviors, recent research highlights the need to explore its nonlinear effects. Highly proactive subordinates may exhibit dominant or independent behavior, potentially harming interpersonal relationships and performance. Therefore, this study examines the inverted U-shaped relationship between proactive personality and job performance, as well as the moderating role of leader trust. Trust in the leader fosters positive communication and social support, which may mitigate the negative effects of high proactive personality. Data from 207 organizational members revealed that proactive personality exhibits a nonlinear, inverted U-shaped effect on job performance. Moreover, leader trust moderates this relationship, with higher trust enhancing the positive effect of proactive personality and lower trust amplifying the nonlinear effect. The implications for management, study limitations, and directions for future research are discussed.