PERSONALITY-CORRELATES OF STRUCTURAL HOLES

We use survey network and personality profile data to explore the idea that personality varies systematically with structural holes. We draw two conclusions from the analysis: (1) Personality does vary with str uctural holes. The association is concentrated in a few items, but tho se few personality items describe three-fourths of the variance in net work constraint. (2) The association is consistent with the structural hole argument. People in the least constrained networks claim the per sonality of an entrepreneurial outsider (versus conforming and obedien t insider), in search of authority (versus security), thriving on advo cacy and change (versus stability). We summarize with a network entrep reneur personality index that defines a surprisingly accurate probabil ity of the respondent having an entrepreneurial network We conclude wi th cautionary evidence from a survey of corporate staff in a large fin ancial organization. Where the personality index is associated with en trepreneurial networks (lower ranks), neither the index nor the networ ks are associated with manager performance. Where manager performance is significantly linked with entrepreneurial networks (more senior ran ks), the personality index is not associated with network structure, a nd performance is not higher for managers with more entrepreneurial pe rsonalities. The personality data are an interesting correlate, but no substitute for sociometric data. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V.