Abstract

The ability of operational teams to operate effectively in times of high levels of uncertainty, physical risk and time pressure is at the core of the emergency response capability of emergency response organizations. In these settings, the nature of the personality of the firefighting team and administrative team could have a major impact on group cohesion, coordination, and team performance. The purpose of this article is to discuss the link between personality traits and group performance in Ghana National Fire Service (Eastern Region office). The article uses a conceptual and empirical literature review approach to draw on the fields of personality psychology, group dynamics theory, and public sector emergency service management literature to create an integration that elucidates how individual personality dispositions combine to form a team's performance in fire and rescue operations. The article is grounded in the Five-Factor Model of personality, Input-Process-Output (IPO) Team Effectiveness Theory, and Social Identity Theory, all of which shed light on the dispositional, procedural, and identity-related processes and mechanisms through which personality composition relates to team collective performance. From the literature reviewed so far, it seems that positive outcomes of group performance are consistently linked to the personality traits of conscientiousness, emotional stability and agreeableness in high-stakes operational contexts, whereas team diversity has a double-edged effect: it can foster team decision making and role complementarities, or it can cause interpersonal conflict and coordination costs. The study highlights the following: in the specific institutional context of Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) Eastern Regional Office, the following personality-related considerations in the recruitment, team formation and leadership practice are identified: structured personality assessment during recruitment process, deliberate consideration of team composition during the formation of fire-fighting teams and leadership that takes into account personality-based differences in response to stress and team interaction. The article ends with theoretical, practical, and policy implications for the fire service management, human resource practitioners within the emergency services, and future researchers.