Outside-in and Inside-out Global Mindsets: Unpacking Personality Drivers and Improvised Behaviors in International Marketing

This paper investigates the Big Five personality traits as antecedents of managers’ outside-in and inside-out global mindsets, which are associated with improvisational behaviors. The study extends Upper Echelons Theory by demonstrating how one set of senior managerial attributes (personality traits) influences another (improvisational behaviors). Understanding these relationships clarifies how a manager’s personality shapes strategic choices in global marketing. Employing a multi-method approach, the authors analyzed primary data from senior managers using structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) and necessary condition analysis (NCA). The findings identify the most critical personality traits for both global mindsets - distinguishing between traits managers should have (revealed by PLS-SEM) and those they must have (indicated by NCA). Moreover, the results show that while an outside-in global mindset fosters improvisation in the form of action-oriented behavior, an inside-out mindset encourages creativity and spontaneity. These findings have direct implications for talent acquisition. Firms should exercise caution when recruiting for global marketing roles and consider incorporating personality assessments into the hiring process to better evaluate a candidate’s fit with the company’s global marketing operations.