Team autonomy amplifies the positive effects of proactive personality on work engagement

From the perspective of the interaction of person and situation, we examined the effects of proactive personality on inrole performance investment and extrarole behavior of employees, and how these effects are amplified by situational conditions. Specifically, we investigated the effects of proactive personality on employees’ work engagement and altruism, and the moderating effect of team-level autonomy on these effects. Data were collected from 464 nurses and their supervisors in 75 teams at 4 hospitals in Shandong, China. Results suggest that proactive personality is positively related to work engagement and altruism of employees. The positive relationship between proactive personality and work engagement is stronger with a higher level of team autonomy, whereas the positive relationship between proactive personality and altruism is not significantly moderated by degree of team autonomy. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.