Work ethic and grit: An examination of empirical redundancy

• In this study, relationships between work ethic and grit were examined.
• Results indicated that work ethic and grit were moderately related.
• Work ethic and grit explained unique variance in different work outcomes.
• Although related, work ethic and grit are empirically distinct constructs.

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between work ethic and grit. Several direct relationships were examined at the dimension and broader construct-level, as well as each variable's relationships with external variables. Work ethic and grit were moderately correlated at the broader construct-level, both related to conscientiousness, and several dimensions of the constructs were related. Work ethic explained significant incremental variance in job satisfaction and turnover intentions above and beyond grit. However, grit explained incremental variance in stress above and beyond work ethic. Study implications, limitations, and future directions are discussed.