The relationship between Big Five personality traits (Openness & Neuroticism) and Resistance to innovation

Abstract

The present study aimed to understand the relation between big five personality traits (openness & neuroticism) and emotional, cognitive, and behavioural resistance to radical sustainable innovation. Collected survey data of 743 respondents were analysed via multiple regression analyses. Evidence was found that the higher a consumer’s neuroticism, the higher the experienced emotional and behavioural resistance to radical sustainable innovation. Besides, the research indicated that the higher a consumer’s openness to experience, the lower their behavioural resistance to radical sustainable innovation. Furthermore, it is important to see resistance as a multidimensional construct because not all hypothesized relations of the dimensions of resistance were found significant. Based on the findings, it is recommended that managers need to be aware that resistance differs among consumers, and they should try to find ways to predict and anticipate the resistance.