How to relate the Competing Values Framework to the MBTI

The Competing Values Framework (CVF) that is the basis of the OCAI tool, can be related to personality traits from the MBTI. Dyah Ayu Paramitha and four other graduate students from the University of Indonesia, writing their Master theses on Organizational Psychology, proved it again (next to the researchers Basen & Frank).

As we discussed before, Jung discerned some basic types of human personality, based on polarities:

• Introvert versus extravert: preference for attention to the inner or the outer world
• Thinking versus feeling: preference for decision making in a rational, detached, logical manner or in a more subjective, feeling, committed personal manner.
• Sensing or intuition: taking in information with separate senses or as a whole, with intuition.
• Judging or perceiving: working in an orderly way and judging things or working flexible and spontaneous, perceiving reality without immediate judgment.

This psychological typology froms the basis of the well-known personality traits assessment: the Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). The MBTI was adapted by Myers and Briggs from this Jung typology, but you can still see the similarity.

Looking at the Competing Values Framework, you can see that flexibility and stability relate to feeling versus thinking. Internal versus external focus corresponds with introvert versus extravert.

These connections exist between culture type and psychological type:

Clan Culture = introvert + feeling
Adhocracy Culture = extravert + feeling
Market Culture = extravert + thinking
Hierarchy Culture = introvert + thinking

Next tho this subdivision, all psychological types can prefer either sensing or intuition.

Logical, assertive bankers in a market culture

Dyah Ayu Paramitha did her thesis research in a large bank in Indonesia. This bank preferred to focus more on market culture. They conducted an MBTI Questionnaire with 43 employees.

The results aligned with the research by Basen and Frank. 32 people (74,4 %) had an extravert personality type. Individuals with this personality type are outgoing, get energy from communicating with other, get their ideas by talking about them, are expressive and like to take initiative.

Also, most respondents had a Thinking personality type: 26 employees (60,5 %). The thinking type likes to solve problems with logic, has an analytical mind set, using concepts of causality and is looking for objective truths.

Apart from this, the majority scored high on sensing and judging, their MBTI type being ESTJ.

The profile of the bankers that emerged was: outgoing people who like interaction, collecting information through the five senses, taking decisions based on logical arguments and information, working well planned and organized. They seem to be realistic and fact-based, assertive and quick decision makers and thorough in routine matters.

Further strenthening of the results-oriented, customer-focused market culture shouldn't be a problem with this bank, as far as their personality types are concerned.

Thanks for sharing your research, Dyah Ayu Paramitha, Aditya Mahendra, Dela Dwinanda, Prima Gresyedita and Sekarilalita!

Do you have an interesting thesis about organizational culture? Contact us to share it on this blog!