Pertanika J. Soc. Sci. & Hum. 21 (S): 193 - 204 (2013) ISSN: 0128-7702 © Universiti Putra Malaysia Press SOCIAL SCIENCES & HUMANITIES Journal homepage: http://www.pertanika.upm.edu.my/ Article history: Received: - Accepted: - ARTICLE INFO E-mail addresses: atisha@ukm.my (Fatimah Wati Halim), faas@ukm.my (Fatimah Omar), waheeda@ukm.my (Sarah Waheeda Muhammad Haidz), * Corresponding author Exploring the Mediating Mechanisms in the Personality-Job Performance Relationship Fatimah Wati Halim 1 *, Ariin Zainal 2 , Fatimah Omar 1 , Sarah Waheeda Muhammad Haidz 1 and Mas Ayu Othman 1 1 School of Psychology and Human Development, Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia 2 Faculty of Applied Social Sciences, Open University Malaysia, Jalan Tun Ismail, 50480 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia ABSTRACT Meta-analytic studies have consistently reported that job performance has a signiicant relationship with personality traits. However, only a limited number of researches have been conducted to ind the mechanisms that mediate this relationship. Thus, this study attempts to examine the direct role of personality traits as predictors of job performance and the indirect inluence of achievement motivation as a mediating variable. Personality measurement tools are adapted from Cattell and achievement motivation from Cassidy and Lynn. Job performance indicator is obtained from annual job performance evaluations. All three personality traits are integrated into a model that predicts job performance and achievement motivation. The model is tested using structural equation modelling (SEM) with a sample of 450 public administrative oficers. Results of the model show that it has goodness of it and achievement motivation is found to fully mediate the relationship between conscientiousness and agreeableness toward job performance. However, emotional stability directly inluences job performance. All the predictors contribute 24% of the variance in job performance. Implication of the inding is that emotional stability and achievement motivation can be the essential predictors in predicting job performance of future candidates followed by agreeableness and conscientiousness. Keywords: Personality, achievement motivation, job performance INTRODUCTION The individual difference model of job performance states that personality and motivation are the main factors that influence job performance (Campbell et