Big Five Traits and Creativity in a Multilingual Workforce: Evidence from Guwahati, Northeast India

Abstract

This paper has investigated the interrelationship between creativity and the Big Five personality dimensions among multilingual employees in the public and the private sector organizations in Guwahati, Northeast India. Based on the personality-creativity theory and studies on multilingual cognitive flexibility, the research places creativity as an ability that is influenced by both personal dispositions and the emerging-society organizational restrictions. The pilot test (n = 20) contributed to the clarity of items and online administration, and a cross-sectional survey was conducted in the main study (n = 180). The measurement of creativity was done through the Creativity Styles Questionnaire- Revised and personality traits through the Big Five Inventory. The analysis carried out in SPSS involved reliability checkups, descriptive statistics, Spearman correlations and regression models with demographic controls. It was found that Openness to Experience was positively correlated with creativity, Extraversion, and Conscientiousness, but Neuroticism had a negative correlation. Exploratory comparisons proposed more creativity scores in the private sector setting that agrees with discrepancies in autonomy, performance pressure, and innovation expectations. The results indicate the topicality of context-sensitive talent development in multilingual organizations and justify organizational practices that enhance psychological safety and job autonomy in institutions of the developing economy.