Are Type As better performers?

Lee, Cynthia; Earley, P. Christopher; Hanson, L. Alice

The purpose of this paper is to examine the moderating role of task variety on the relation of Type A behavior to individual performance. Of the research findings which support the relation of Type A behavior to individual performance, most studies reporting a positive relation between Type A behavior and individual performance were conducted in the laboratory or in academic setting for which the performance criteria were within the respondents' control. Type A behavior pattern is an epidemiological construct originated from observations of a research of the behavior of cardiac patients in their private practice during the l950's. Researchers in 1974 described Type A individuals as aggressively involved in a chronic, incessant struggle to achieve more and more in less and less time. Moreover, Type A's are characterized as being extremely hard driving and competitive, highly achievement oriented and work involved, impatient and have explosive speech which accents key words. Early research on Type A behavior by researchers have demonstrated that Type A behavior is an independent risk factor in coronary heart disease. More recently, Type A behavior has also been found to intensify health complaints such as loss of appetite, depression and headaches.

TYPE A behavior; PSYCHOLOGICAL stress; CORONARY disease; RESEARCH; PERSONS; MENTAL depression; APPETITE loss

Journal of Organizational Behavior, 1988, Vol 9, Issue 3, p263

0894-3796

Academic Journal

10.1002/job.4030090306