The Role of HR Personality Traits in Enhancing Task Performance: Mediating Effect of Training And Development Practices and Moderating Effect of KSB in Pakistan

Abstract

Grounded in Social Exchange Theory (SET), this study examines how human resource (HR) professionals’ personality traits, introversion, and extraversion, influence employee performance through the mediating role of training and development (T&D) practices and the moderating role of knowledge-sharing behavior. Drawing on survey data collected from 312 employees working in public and private sector organizations in Pakistan, the study employs regression-based mediation and moderation analyses to test the proposed hypotheses. The findings reveal that HR personality traits have a significant positive effect on employee performance and significantly shape the design and effectiveness of training and development initiatives. Training and development practices are found to directly enhance employee performance and partially mediate the relationship between HR personality traits and performance. Moreover, knowledge-sharing behavior significantly strengthens the relationship between training and development and employee performance, indicating that collaborative learning environments amplify the benefits of HR-driven development initiatives. These results underscore the importance of HR professionals’ interpersonal characteristics in shaping positive social exchange relationships that foster learning, knowledge sharing, and performance. The study contributes to the HRM literature by extending SET to the domain of HR personality traits and highlighting the complementary roles of training and knowledge sharing in emerging economy contexts. Practical implications for HR selection, development, and organizational learning strategies are discussed