What is unique about high performing students? Exploring personality, motivation and competitiveness

Abstract

The novel variable of competitiveness is explored to determine whether it has a role in differentiating high performing students from others. While the Big Five personality traits and motivation have been well-researched in relation to academic performance, the concept of competitiveness has yet to receive such attention. The competitiveness of business students (n = 226) was investigated in tandem with personality traits and motivation. Four academic performance tiers emerged from the analysis. These results unambiguously reveal that the Tier one cohort, which was comprised of a homogenous subset – i.e. the students attaining a high distinction grade – was statistically unique. The distinct point of differentiation is that these students were competitive as well as conscientious and intrinsically motivated. The implications of this finding open opportunities for future research, and potentially for learning and teaching strategies that acknowledge competitiveness in student learning.

Keywords:

• Academic performance
• Big Five
• competitiveness
• motivation
• personality traits

Acknowledgements

Sincere thanks are extended to this journal’s editor and reviewers for their constructive feedback as it has helped to strengthen the paper.

Disclosure statement

No conflict of interest to be declared.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by a Macquarie University Learning and Teaching Competitive Grant and by a Macquarie University Faculty of Business and Economics Learning and Teaching Fund Grant.

Notes on contributors

Chris Baumann

Chris Baumann is Associate Professor at Macquarie University, Sydney, Visiting Professor at Seoul National University (SNU) in Korea, and Visiting Associate Professor at Osaka University in Japan. His research is on competitiveness where he introduced Competitive Productivity (CP), Brand Competitiveness and Inter-Ocular Testing. Analysing data from the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) and World Economic Forum (WEF), Baumann and colleagues published a Routledge book titled: Confucianism, Discipline, and Competitiveness (CDC). His research explores modelling micro, meso, and macro levels such as for Competitive Productivity (CP), customer loyalty and services marketing.

Marina Harvey

Marina Harvey is Director, Academic Development, UNSW and President of CAULLT (Council of Australasian University Leaders of Learning and Teaching). She is a Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, an Australian National Teaching Fellow and has also received national and university citations for outstanding contributions to student learning. Her scholarship in learning and teaching in Higher Education extend to over 80 learning and teaching publications. The research publications have a focus on Reflection for Learning, Distributed Leadership, and Sessional Staff.