This paper reviews literature on traits and emotions focusing on both struc
ture and management, or 'having' and 'doing'. The cognitive perspective of
this paper implies that traits and emotions are viewed as provisions to fra
me people and their behaviours in situations in meaningful ways. The focus
on the structure of traits thus implies considering the now broadly acknowl
edged Big Five model as a dimensional framework by which traits of people c
an be meaningfully organized. A similar position is taken with respect to e
motions, given the recurrent finding of a two-dimensional model of emotions
with Positive Affect and Negative Affect (PA and NA). Maintaining relevant
distinctions between traits and emotions, the literature has demonstrated
a close link between the two emotion dimensions and two dimensions of the B
ig Five (Extraversion and Neuroticism). The commonality between those syste
ms becomes apparent by making use of circumplex representations. The focus
on management is another way to give meaning to cognition. Traits describe
how people are differentially equipped with characteristics that enable the
m to face a variety of situational demands and fortuitous circumstances. In
this paper the strategic meaning of traits and of emotions is put forward
using literature with different theoretical angles. Copyright (C) 2000 John
Wiley & Sons, Ltd.