Order, the second aspect of conscientiousness in the Big Five model, refers to a person's preference for organization, structure, and adherence to rules.
Orderly individuals are more sensitive to disgust than average, tend to be judgmental, and are more likely to adopt authoritarian political attitudes. Orderly people may be somewhat disturbed, even disgusted, by disorder and chaos. They prefer everything to be neat and organized. They tend to think in relatively black-and-white terms: things are either fundamentally good or bad, acceptable or unacceptable, with less room for gray areas. They are likely to follow and respect schedules. They like everything to be in its place and are happier if it stays that way. They care about details, but are not obsessed with them. They are generally aware of social rules and tend to follow them. They enjoy routine and prefer the predictable. They may excel at ensuring that complex and sensitive processes are managed correctly and carefully. However, order can limit creativity because creative efforts require disruptions and periods of chaos, so people who are orderly and highly open to experience may struggle to let go enough to engage in their creativity. Orderly people are more likely to have items in their immediate environment such as event calendars, drawer organizers, laundry baskets, irons, and ironing boards.
Less orderly people may struggle with organization and often describe themselves as lacking method. They typically live in a more disorganized environment and are less sensitive to disgust related to disorder. Their approach is often more flexible and less structured.
Those who are orderly are more likely to be political conservatives, especially when they are less open to experience. The latter is the best predictor of conservative belief, while the former plays an additional significant role. Women are more orderly than men. The average percentile for women in the general population (both women and men) is 54.5. For men, it is 45.5. This may explain part of the household labor issues between women and men. Since women are, on average, more orderly, disorder in the household will trigger disgust and discomfort more quickly for them. This may happen often enough that they end up doing a disproportionate amount of the work (even though, after waiting a little longer, their less orderly partner may eventually become just as disturbed and motivated to fix the issue).
An individual who follows a strict schedule, keeps their workspace tidy, and adheres to a strict plan for daily activities is an example of high Order.
A person who lives in a constantly disorganized environment, pays little attention to the organization of their belongings, and adopts a more relaxed attitude toward social rules is an example of low Order.
A manager who enforces strict processes and detailed procedures within their team and has little tolerance for deviations from these standards demonstrates a high level of Order.
A person who believes that social rules and behavior norms are relatively flexible and does not care much about organization in their daily life is an example of low Order.