The role of developmental work personality in the employment of individuals with psychiatric disabilities

Due to the current demands of today's competitive and team-oriented workplaces, organizations are becoming increasingly dependent on assessing potential and current employee traits that go beyond skills and education. Contextual work behaviors, such as getting along with others, accepting supervision, and ability to adapt to changes, are proving to be salient factors in predicting overall successful employment outcomes. These contextual behaviors are often learned in childhood during the school years and by watching parents and role models demonstrate behaviors related to work. Individuals with psychiatric disabilities often have a harder time than individuals who do not experience symptoms of psychiatric disabilities demonstrating positive contextual work behaviors. This paper will outline the importance of evaluating work personality using the Developmental Work Personality Scale for individuals with psychiatric disabilities.