The Human Aspect in Purchasing and Supply Management: Traits as a Proxy for Personal Skills Development

Personal skills are gaining importance in the Purchasing and Supply Management (PSM) discipline. A systematic literature review is performed to determine which personal skills are highly evaluated. Based on the PSM skills cross-sectional survey sample, ANOVA competencies are identified that do not develop over time. Three survey items are regarded as personal traits: willingness to learn, holistic thinking and empathy. Finally, a polynomial regression with response surface analysis is applied. The results identify these personal traits as predicting variables for developing personal PSM competency. These three personality traits serve as a proxy for further development of personal skills over time.