In some cases, research shows being single can help leaders like CEOs be less risk-averse. But can being married actually help you perform better at work?
The answer is yes — particularly if you have a specific personality trait, according to a study from researchers at Washington University in St. Louis.
The researchers analyzed Australian households, examining both the personality dimensions of husbands and wives as well as information regarding job satisfaction, income and promotions.
According to the study cited in the Harvard Business Review, there are five key personality dimensions: agreeableness, conscientiousness, extroversion, neuroticism and openness. They found conscientiousness played a key role in determining employees' job satisfaction, income and number of promotions.
Why does conscientiousness play such a big role? Andrew O'Connell, editor of the Harvard Business Review Group and author of the article, points out three primary reasons:
1. An employee with a spouse who exhibits conscientiousness is more free to concentrate on work because their spouse is likely to complete household chores.
2. Conscientious people help their spouses "feel more satisfied in their marriages."
3. When an employee has a conscientious spouse, he or she tends to imitate their meticulous habits.
Whether positive or negative, marriage can have an effect on work performance. But more often than not, the team mentality needed for workplace success also relates to a similar mentality for marital success, according to Brittany Solomon, PhD, one of the study's author's. "When you're in a relationship, you're no longer just two individuals; you're this entity," Dr. Solomon said, according to the Harvard Business Review.