Beyond personality: the impact of GMA on performance for entry‐level service employees

Purpose – While personality is often deemed important, few studies have examined the relationship between general mental ability (GMA) and job performance for entry‐level service employees. As such, the present study aims to examine the impact of GMA, along with the Big Five personality dimensions, on performance in this context. Design/methodology/approach – Data were collected on servers from multiple units of two large restaurant chains. The employees completed GMA and personality assessments. Managers in Sample 1 provided ratings of service performance and two dimensions of contextual performance – interpersonal facilitation and job dedication. In Sample 2, sales performance data were obtained from company records. Findings – Unlike the Big Five taxonomy, GMA was the only variable to significantly predict all performance criteria. Research limitations/implications – Successful job performance requires more than habits and motivation rooted in personality; it also requires knowledge acquisition and ongoing problem solving facilitated by GMA. Practical implications – Managers should consider GMA along with personality in hiring decisions to maximize the prediction of employee performance. Originality/value – The paper demonstrates that GMA impacts multiple dimensions of server performance, including task and contextual performance.