Grit in the workplace: Hype or ripe?

One of the recent developments in personality psychology is the emergence of a new construct, Grit. Its emergence led to a proliferation of studies advancing Grit as a significant predictor of various positive outcomes. So far, little attention has been paid to testing its relevance for various work-related outcomes. The present paper unraveled Grit's validity in predicting a series of work-relevant outcomes, namely, organizational citizenship behavior, in-role performance, counter-productive work behaviors and job satisfaction over the Five-Factor Model (FFM) of personality. These constructs were assessed on a sample including 170 working adults. Grit had limited predictive validity over the FFM dimensions in predicting the focal outcomes. Consequently, its relevance in the workplace should be treated with caution. More research should be conducted before using Grit as a basis for personnel selection or for interventions focusing on various aspects of performance or job satisfaction.