Trait-factor theories: traditional cornerstone of career theory

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Abstract
INTRODUCTION Researchers interested in career development must begin by addressing the fact that occupational and organizational choice, adjustment, and success are products of two distinct but interactive forces: the individual and the environment in which that individual functions. That they are distinct is evident in the vast amount of research amassed relevant to the dimensions separately – individual characteristics on the one hand (the domain of traditional psychology) and the organization on the other hand [the domain of the organizational behaviorist, individual–organization (I/O) psychologist, and human resource specialist]. That they are interactive is the focus of this book. This chapter will review theory and research based on the assumption that optimal career outcomes for both the individual and the organization can best be facilitated through a congruence between the individual's characteristics and the demands, requirements, and rewards of the organizational environment. This body of theory and research stems historically from two areas of psychology – first, the study and measurement of individual differences and, second, Parsons's (1909) “matching men and jobs” approach to career choice and guidance. The joining of the concepts and technology of individual differences with matching models of career choice led to “trait-factor” approaches to career development and adjustment. These approaches range from a general emphasis on the use of tests of individual differences variables in selection, placement, and counseling to theories that focus specifically on ways in which the correspondence between individuals and environments leads to outcomes such as successful job performance and job satisfaction.

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