BOX 2-1 A Note on Personality Assessments

Self-assessments traditionally have been an important cornerstone of managerial development. The use of self-assessments is based on the reasonable assumptions that (1) different people have different ways of seeing and acting in the world, (2) these different ways of seeing and acting have consequences on our effectiveness and well-being, (3) these differences can be identified through self-assessment instruments, and (4) personal change is possible and desirable. There are hundreds of instruments designed to assess a variety of personality characteristics, including learning style, problem-solving style, interpersonal style, self-monitoring tendencies, locus of control, moral development, creativity, multicultural competence, and stress management, to name just a few. Some assessments, including one similar to the popular Myers-Briggs Assessment (Box 2-4) are included at the end of this chapter. There are other self-assessments throughout this book as well. Many self-assessments are also available through the Internet.

Developing self-awareness through personality instruments has several advantages, including encouraging personal and professional growth, increasing our self awareness and our understanding of how we are perceived by others, helping us make career choices, enhancing our decision-making, and helping us improve our interpersonal relationships through better communication, conflict management, and increased acceptance of people who differ from us in thinking and behavioral styles.

Although personality assessments can enhance individual and organizational performance, they have limitations as well. Although many personality assessments are often (though not always) based on well-developed theories of human behavior and are often (though not always) well researched, they are often (some would argue always) biased. Assessments are often presented as universally applicable, yet many tend to reflect the cultural biases of the researcher(s) who created the assessments and the segments of the population that the researcher studied. In addition to these limitations, people who put too much emphasis on personality assessments may compartmentalize people into rigid categories, may underestimate the degree to which people's “styles” change over time and place, and may over-emphasize the impact of personality charac-teristics and underemphasize the impact of situational variables on our behavior.

Despite these limitations, self-assessments can significantly contribute to individual and organizational effectiveness when used wisely. To enhance the usefulness of assessments, take a variety of self-assessments and look for patterns across them. When interpreting results, carefully consider how the assessment may reflect cultural biases. This is especially important when the assessment claims universal applicability or when certain “styles” are claimed to be generally more normal, moral, or effective than others. Finally, remember that personality assessments can give you pieces of data about yourself, and only you can make sense of these pieces of data based on your knowledge of your life history, cultural group memberships, and future career and life goals.

BOX 2-2 Self-Monitoring Assessment

The statements on this page concern your personal reactions to a number of different situations. If a statement is TRUE or MOSTLY TRUE as applied to you, circle “T”. If a statement is FALSE or NOT USUALLY TRUE as applied to you, circle “F”. Answer honestly.

BOX 2-2 Self Monitoring: Interpretation of Responses

Circled responses indicate high self-monitoring responses. If you have 11 or higher “correct” matched responses this indicates a high self-monitoring orientation.

T		1. I find it hard to imitate the behavior of other people.
T		2. At parties and social gatherings, I do not attempt to do or say things that others will like.
T		3. I can only argue for ideas which I already believe.
	F	4. I can make impromptu speeches even on topics about which I have almost no information.
	F	5. I guess I put on a show to impress or entertain others.
	F	6. I would probably make a good actor.
T		7. In a group of people, I am rarely the center of attention.
	F	8. In different situations and with different people, I often act like very different persons.
T		9. I am not particularly good at making other people like me.
	F	10. I am not always the person I appear to be.
T		11. I would not change my opinions (or the way I do things) in order to please someone.
	F	12. I have considered being an entertainer.
T		13. I have never been good at games like charades or improvisational acting.
T		14. I have trouble changing my behavior to suit different people and different situations.
T		15. At a party, I let others keep the jokes and stories going.
T		16. I feel a bit awkward in public and do not show up quite as well as I should.
	F	17. I can look anyone in the eye and tell a lie with a straight face (if for a right end).
	F	18. I may deceive people by being friendly when I really dislike them.

BOX 2-3 Self-Assessment 20 QUESTIONS: “I AM”

Complete the following sentences, all of which begin with “I am...,” to describe yourself. You do not have to show your answers or discuss your results with anyone. This is for your use only. Do not turn the page until you have completed the sentences.

Please turn the page for a discussion of your responses.

BOX 2-3 “I AM” INTERPRETATION OF RESPONSES: THE PRIVATE, PUBLIC, AND COLLECTIVE SELF-CONCEPT

How you completed these sentences gives you some insights into your self-concept. Your responses reflect your tendencies to emphasize a private, public, or collective self-concept.

• Private self-concept. Responses that emphasize your personal traits, states, or behaviors (e.g., I am creative, I am a big thinker, I am introverted, I am kind, I am competitive, I am conscientious) and do not make reference to connections to others or your membership in specific groups. These responses are more aligned with an independent self-concept than with an interdependent self-concept.

• Public. Responses that emphasize your relationships with or connection to others (e.g., I am respected by others, I am trusted, I am loved). These are associated with a tendency to emphasize your public self and a concern with how others view and experience their relationship with you. These responses are more associated with an interdependent self-concept than with an independent self-concept.

• Collective. Responses that mention specific social groups or cultural institutions (e.g., I am Asian-American, I am an MBA) or your role in the group (I am a parent, I am a manager). These are associated with a tendency to emphasize group memberships that have value and emotional significance to you. These responses are more associated with an interdependent self-concept than with an independent self-concept.

Analysis: Count your responses for each of the categories. Your responses will probably include private, public, and collective responses, but you may have emphasized some over others. Do your responses suggest that you emphasize a private, public, or collective self? Do you agree? Why or why not? What implications does this have for your effectiveness in different types of situations?

Source: Adapted from Triandis, H. C. “The Self and Social Behavior in Different Cultural Contexts,” Psychological Review (1989): 96, pp. 506–520. Copyright © 1989 by the American Psychological Association. Reprinted with permission.

BOX 2-4 SELF-ASSESSMENT PERSONALITY INVENTORY

WHAT IS MY PERSONALITY TYPE?

For each item, select either a or b. If you feel both a and b are true, decide which one is more like you, even if it is only slightly more true.

In the following, choose the word in each pair that appeals to you more:

Source: D. Marcic and P. Nutt, “Personality Inventory,” in D. Marcic, ed., Organizational Behavior: Experiences and Cases (St. Paul, MN: West, 1989).

SCORING KEY AND ANALYSIS

The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) is a very popular personality framework. It classifies people as extroverted or introverted (E or I), sensing or intuitive (S or N), thinking or feeling (T or F), and perceiving or judging (P or J). These classifications can then be combined into sixteen personality types (for example, INTJ, ENTP).

This questionnaire is an abbreviated version of the MBTI. Score it as follows: Count one point for each item listed below that you have marked in the inventory.

ANALYSIS

This assessment is similar to the very popular Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. It classifies people as extroverted or introverted (E or I), sensing or intuitive (S or N), thinking or feeling (T or F), and perceiving or judging (P or J). These classifications can then be combined into sixteen personality types (for example, INTJ, ENTP).

The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator is based on the assumption that different people have different ways of seeing the world and solving problems. It is designed to assess your tendencies toward:

• Introversion or extroversion. The tendency to get energized by focusing inward (introversion) or to the outer world (extroversion)

• Sensing or intuition. The tendency to see the world and acquire information by focusing on details (sensing) or by focusing on the big picture (intuition)

• Thinking or feeling. The tendency to make decisions based on systematic logic (thinking) versus values (feeling)

• Judging or perceiving. The tendency to take a planned, orderly approach to the world (judging) or a flexible, spontaneous approach (perceiving)

Katherine Biggs and Isabele Myers, the originators of the assessment, point out that no one preference is better than the others. Rather, your effectiveness depends on your ability to be aware of the impact of your preferences on your behavior and being able to use the most appropriate way of thinking and acting for each particular situation.

Knowing your preferred ways of interacting with the world and solving problems is useful for several reasons. It helps you be aware of the different ways that people make sense of and interact with their environment. This awareness can make you more accepting, even encouraging, of these differences. Being able to understand and respect differences in styles can also help you become a more effective communicator, negotiator, conflict manager, and team leader.