Does Core Self Evaluations predict career success? A reanalysis of Judge and Hurst (2008)

•Judge and Hurst (2008) found positive effect of Core Self Evaluations on career success.•We find that this relationship is, if anything, negative.•One reason for the difference is lack of control for GMA in Judge and Hurst (2008).•Another reason is inappropriate timing of the measurement of Core Self Evaluations.

We conducted a replication of Judge and Hurst’s (2008) study that suggest that Core Self Evaluations (CSE) have a significant positive effect on growth in career success (as well as on mediators of growth in career success). We found that, if anything, CSE has a significant negative relationship with growth in career success (as well as its mediators). We attribute the difference in findings to the timing of measurement of CSE in Judge and Hurst’s (2008) study and to the lack of control for General Mental Ability (GMA), arguing that when GMA is controlled for, CSE does not affect career success. Reasons for the observed negative relationship between CSE and career success are discussed.