`Personality in prison uniform': The influence of personality on building work engagement, applying job crafting strategies and well-being among prison officers

BACKGROUND Numerous studies have been devoted to analyzing the negative effects of occupational stress on the mental health of prison officers. Less attention is paid to positive mechanisms, as postulated by positive psychology. The aim of the study was to examine the relationship between personality traits and the strategies used by prison officers to build engagement, and professional well-being by adjusting the workplace to their strengths, skills and professional preferences. PARTICIPANTS AND PROCEDURE Two hundred eighty prison officers, aged 22 to 52, participated in the study (26% female). The following measurement tools were used: a personality scale (IPIP-BFM-20), the Job Crafting Questionnaire (PP), the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES-9) and the Workplace Well-being Questionnaire (KDMP). RESULTS Personality traits such as extraversion, conscientiousness and intellect determine the type of job crafting strategies used, specifically increasing structural resources and increasing challenges, while extraversion and conscientiousness were important for building work engagement, particularly dedication at work, and the levels of well-being at work. The influence of the variable intellect was also found to be significant. CONCLUSIONS The collected evidence indicates that there are organizational constraints to personality expression at work and its impact on key organizational behaviors and well-being at work. It also indicates the use of job crafting strategies to build work engagement.