Optimistic MBA graduates have better career prospects than their pessimistic peers

The study conducted by Ron Kaniel and David T. Robinson of Duke University's Fuqua School of Business, in collaboration with Cade Massey of Yale School of Management, focused on the effects of a positive disposition on job searches and promotions among MBA graduates.

The study, conducted from 2005 to 2007, surveyed 232 daytime MBA students about their relative dispositional optimism and their answers were correlated to their job-search outcomes. The researchers found that MBA graduates that are dispositional optimists experience significantly better job search outcomes and are more likely to be promoted than pessimists with similar skills.

According to the research report, optimists spend less effort searching and are offered jobs more quickly. They are also more flexible in the way they handle difficult situations. "Optimists are more willing to disengage from unrealistic courses of action, and re-engage in new ones; they are choosier and more willing to adapt which in part is the reason for their success," the researchers said.

Dispositional optimism is a personality trait associated with individuals who believe, either rightly or wrongly, that in general good things tend to happen to them more often than bad things. However, dispositional optimism cannot be determined on a resume and does not affect students' performance on standardised test scores such as GMAT.

The research findings have been published in a working paper issued by the National Bureau of Economic Research. A full copy of the report can be obtained from: http://www.nber.org. 

About Yale School of Management

The mission of the Yale School of Management is to educate leaders for business and society. Founded in 1974, it is the youngest of Yale University's professional schools. The school offers a two-year full-time MBA degree, an MBA for Executives program tailored for health care professionals, a PhD program, and executive education programs. For more information about the Yale School of Management, visit: http://mba.yale.edu.