David J. Hughes is Professor of Personality and Organisational Psychology. He is Programme Director of M.Sc. Organisational Psychology and M.Sc. Business Psychology. He is a multi award-winning educator, with over 20 awards, including an Excellence in Practice Gold Award for executive education, University-wide awards for best research-led teacher, best research supervisor, and the prestigious Distinguished Teacher Award in 2022.

David joined Manchester Business School in January 2015 having previously developed and directed the MSc. Business Psychology at Coventry University.  His PhD research, conducted at the University of Manchester, identified personality traits that influence consumers’ use of credit (loans, credit cards) and insurance (genuine and fraudulent claims).

His current research interests centre on individual differences (e.g., personality, emotions, motives) and can be broken down into three main areas: (i) theoretical nature and measurement of individual differences, (ii) the role of individual differences at work, and (iii) individual differences in unethical, impulsive, and deviant behaviour. 

David's research is often published in pre-eminent journals in the fields of personality (e.g., Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, European Journal of Personality), organisational psychology (e.g., The Leadership Quarterly, Journal of Occupational and Organisational Psychology), and psychometrics (e.g., Assessment). His work has been recognised with numerous international awards and ranks him within the prestigious Stanford-Elsevier top 2% most impactful scientists.

David is also expert in the development and evaluation of psychometric tools. He has created numerous research tools, developed the Accuracy and Appropriateness model of validation, co-edited the two-volume Wiley Handbook of Psychometric Testing, and developed psychometrics for the high-stakes nuclear and legal sectors.

My research covers the ‘three Cs’ of personality, that is the content, causes, and consequences of personality traits:

• Content: The number and nature of personality traits. For example, my work on the Personality Facet MAP, the most comprehensive model and measure of personality traits to-date
• Consequences: The effects of personality traits, especially in education and work. For example, my work on workplace creativity, student performance, and leader behaviour.
• Causes: The things that shape our personality, whether they be genetic or environmental. For example, my work on jobs and workplace bullying as drivers of personality.

I study the three Cs in the hopes of advancing holistic, cross-disciplinary, understanding of human functioning. 

Some specific current interests include:

• Expanding and refining the Facet MAP
• Regulation of behaviour:
  • Adaptive personality regulation: the processes by which people shift their behaviour to meet ever-changing situational pressures.
  • Affect-regulation including the relationship between personality traits and the regulation of ones own and others’ emotions.
• Personality and employee wellbeing and success.
• The measurement, prevalence, and effects of ‘dark traits’ (i.e., different combinations of antagonistic and selfish traits, e.g., narcissism).
• Workplace creativity, which in addition to kindness (the opposite of dark traits) is arguably the most wonderful manifestation of human behaviour.

I welcome PhD applications that align closely with my research interests regarding the content, causes and consequences of personality.

I have supervised 11 PhD students to completion:

• Abigail Phillips: Adaptive Personality Regulation: Individual differences in the ability to express the 'right' personality
• Tom Evans: Examining the theoretical foundations of 'Emotional Intelligence'
• Matthew Wilcockson: Efficacy of High Intensity CBT when delivered by practioners from three different backgrounds
• Ioannis Kratsiotis: Development of a model and measure of innovative work behaviour
• Brandon Keung: Development of a model and measure of the team creative process
• Alexander Tokarev: Extending the 11+ factor model of personality: Identifying a comprehensive collection of personality facets
• Maximilliano Schwarz: Developing and testing an episodic model of work breaks
• Michail Michailow: Leader-Member Exchange Differentiation: Why and how do leaders differentiate amongst their team members?
• John-Paul Martindale: Development and validation of the Faceted Dark Triad Scale
• Artjom Rushanov: Are there job-specific personality profiles?
• Robin Wickett: Personality traits and interpersonal emotion regulation