The purpose of this dissertation is to investigate the relationship between personality type and leadership focus. Personality type is studied from the perspective of Jungian Theory and the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator instrument, and leadership focus is explored through the development and application of a Leadership Focus Questionnaire. South African executives form the target population for this research. The overall research problem concerns how best to address the challenges of optimising focus and managing risk that is inherent in strategic leadership. Both functionalist and interpretive approaches were applied to produce a rounded understanding of what constitutes leadership focus. The application of a functionalist approach resulted in three primary theoretical hypotheses being derived from the literature, namely, that leadership focus is a function of (1) optimising the balance of focus between external and internal priorities, (2) the fit between the leadership personality type and the organisation type, and (3) the capacity to manage a multiple focus. The interpretation of the responses from the sample of executives participating in the research study yielded a related set of first and second order factors relating to leadership focus that revolve around the level of comfort experienced by executives in managing focus in the leadership role. The approach to this research was one of methodological triangulation. A survey-based methodology was employed, containing both quantitative and qualitative questions. The results of the quantitative analysis of the relationship between personality type and leadership focus were contrasted and extended by a qualitative content analysis of the qualitative survey responses. The propositions were tested on a sample of South African executives attending management development programmes run by Wits Business School, University of Witwatersrand, in both Johannesburg and Cape Town. The findings show that Extraverted personality types are more comfortable with the challenges of focus in the leadership role than are Introverted types. In addition, Extraverted, Sensing, Thinking and Judging types experience a greater degree of fit with their organisations than do Introverted, Intuitive, Feeling and Perceiving types. The implications are that in a business environment of ongoing change, market innovation and increasing stakeholder expectations, organisation leaders of all personality types need to develop a greater consciousness of their preferred and less preferred behaviours, and a greater ability to complement their preferred leadership behaviours with less preferred behaviours when necessary, to optimise their leadership focus over time. / Dr. Loius Carstens

M.A. / The divorce rate in South Africa has reached alarming proportions. In 1994 alone, 29 878 divorces were reported in South Africa, and a total of 38 367 children were traumatised by these divorces. Despite this, most people still marry, or want to marry. Marriage is one of the most important and meaningful relationships we can have as human beings. It enriches our lives and provides fulfillment and companionship. Many couples entering into the marital relationship are not aware of the demands of marriage, and especially of the demands of modern marriages where marital roles are new and different. Marriage enrichment is a movement to help couples.to respond to these demands. Enrichment programs teach partners interpersonal skills and build empathetic respect between individuals within the marital relationship. Although there are many marriage enrichment programs currently in use, there seems to be not one in South Africa that is based on the concepts of personality type differences. The aim of this study was to develop a marriage enrichment program based on the concepts of personality type, as indicated by the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). The focus was to educate couples in personality type differences, thereby creating self-awareness and awareness of others, and enabling them to better understand themselves and their spouses. The program was designed and developed and then trial-tested on two groups of volunteers consisting of two couples in each group. Feedback received yielded positive results, and the participants found the program to be useful and valuable in their own relationships.

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Whether or not Americans feel they have sufficient information or knowledge to make mutual fund investing decisions, more and more investors are forced to make these choices if they wish to invest for future goals like retirement. The problem for policymakers is deciding how to provide information on mutual funds that is both useful and used by potential investors. The purpose of this study was to test the relationship between an investor's personality and the effort exhibited by a potential investor in seeking information about a mutual fund investment, as well as the type of information the potential investor considers important. For this research, "personality" was the independent variable that was hypothesized to influence the dependent variable, investor "information-seeking effort" before an investment decision is made. Personality is composed of the four dichotomous Myers-Briggs' functions, including 1) Extraversion versus Introversion, 2) Sensing versus Intuition, 3) Thinking versus Feeling, and 4) Judging versus Perceiving. A survey was created to identify the mutual fund information considered important by potential investors, and their stated likelihood of seeking out said information before making a purchase decision. The Myers-Briggs' preference indicator and the information-seeking effort survey were administered to 101 college and university students. Eighty-one students met the selected criteria. Upon analysis, results indicated statistically significant differences in the basic-level information-seeking effort of participants based on the potential investor's attitude toward dealing with the outside world (judging vs. perceiving preference) with judgers labeling basic-level information as more important than did perceivers. In addition, results indicated that judger's initial satisfaction with their mutual fund choice was significantly higher, statistically. Lastly, based on a comparison of qualitative information items vs. quantitative information items provided, quantitative information was labeled as significantly more important (statistically) than qualitative information. Based on the findings, recommendations for educators, regulators, and policy-makers are provided, and include simplification of the terminology used in point-of-sale mutual fund information and increased financial literacy education for consumers. / Ph. D.

The goals of the present study were to determine whether any or all scales of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) are susceptible to response distortion, and whether certain personality types are more proficient at distorting these scales. A 4 (temperament type) X 3 (level of information) X 3 (intelligence group) factorial design was used to examine the experimental hypotheses. Subjects were asked to respond to the MBTI twice, once reporting their honest preferences, and once faking a role polar opposite to their own preferences. Results indicated all MBTI scales’ are susceptible to response distortion to varying degrees. Subjects were able to create accurate faking profiles on the MBTI with relatively little information on the role to be faked. Certain temperaments, particularly NFs, are better at distorting their responses to these scales than others. Intelligence may also play a role in subjects’ ability to fake their responses. Level of information given on the MBTI scales did not affect subjects’ ability to distort their responses to the individual scales. Because of its susceptibility to response distortion, it was suggested that the MBTI not be used as part of the organizational selection process. Implications for these results on other organizational applications of the MBTI and suggestions for future research are also discussed. / Ph. D.

A number of studies have concluded that the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) measures four general dimensions of personality; however, their findings also suggest that the MBTI's scales could benefit from improvements in their measurement precision. The degree to which the addition of newly constructed items to the Form F item pool would improve the measurement precision of the four primary MBTI scales was assessed. Using item response theory (IRT) to quantify each scale's performance, findings indicate that the new items substantially increased the test information functions (TIFs) and decreased the standard errors of measurement (SEM), especially in the critical area around the type cutoff scores (e.g., SEMs for scales containing the original plus new items were approximately half the size produced by the original MBTI items). The potential benefits of this increased measurement precision were discussed with respect to a number of applied testing issues. / Master of Science

The field of guidance is changing from one of providing services for students needing help to results-based guidance programs which provide knowledge, attitudes, and skills for all students. This shift in focus has resulted in different expectations of counselors who are responsible for implementing guidance programs in the schools. Some counselors who were successful in providing counseling services have been less successful in guidance programs. This study looked at selected counselor characteristics that contribute to successful results-based guidance programs. The question is asked, “Are counselor characteristics related to the success of a results-based guidance program?” Data on student results were collected from high school seniors and eighth-graders at eighteen secondary schools. The counselors implementing the results-based guidance programs at these schools were assessed on selected personality characteristics using the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. In addition, data were collected on demographic factors including sex, race, age, and length of service for each counselor. Additional qualitative data were collected from administrators, teachers, counselors, and students from a successful and less-successful school using an interview format. Quantitative and qualitative methods were used to answer the research questions. Analysis of data included ranking schools based upon student mean scores in four guidance competency areas to differentiate successful from less-successful programs, a t-test was applied to four MBTI scores to determine significant differences between counselors implementing successful programs and those implementing less-successful programs, application of Kruskal-Wallis one-way anova test was used to analyze demographic factors and a stepwise, multiple regression was applied to personality factors to account for the amount of variance ascribed to each. Qualitative data were analyzed through the use of a cross-site, two variable descriptive matrix. Findings indicated that the Thinking-Feeling preference on the MBTI differentiates at the p < .01 level between counselors implementing successful results-based programs and those implementing less-successful programs at the high school level. Using a student self-report format, it was possible to differentiate between successful and less-successful results-based guidance programs at the high school level. In an interview situation, administrators, teachers, students, and counselors articulated personality characteristics that contribute to a successful results-based guidance program in terms that related closely to the findings of the MBTI. / Ed. D.

The possibility of a relationship between Adlerian life style, as measured by the Life Style Personality Inventory (LSPI), and the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) was examined by this research. The goal of this study was to clarify the relationship between these instruments to broaden the applicability of both instruments for both research and clinical endeavors. Life style is a concept which is vital to therapeutic intervention from an Adlerian frame of reference. Assessment of life style typically involves lengthy therapist interviews. Both the LSPI and the MBTI are questionnaires designed to measure personality variables. The 117 subjects for this study were solicited from individuals seeking counseling from an urban community counseling center. The individuals served by this agency are primarily those diagnosed with Adjustment Disorders. The LSPI and the MBTI were administered individually to each subject. Means and standard deviations were computed for the seven LSPI themes and the MBTI total. Due to a lack of research support for Theme 4 by the LSPI author, the data for this theme were disregarded. The same research indicated a strong bipolar relationship for Themes 7 and 8 (Displaying Inadequacy and Social Interest), which prompted the inclusion of Theme 8 in subsequent data analysis. A correlation analysis was developed. Using the correlation matrix, a factor analysis program was run using the SPSS-X statistical package. The principal components analysis extracted three factors which were refined by a factor rotation using the varimax rotation option. To clarify Factor 3, further analysis was performed with the MBTI data divided by continuum and a second factor analysis was run. Four factors emerged from the data with Factors 1 and 2 remaining unchanged. Factor 1 (Emotional Focusing) and Factor 2 (Confrontation) were loaded with the LSPI themes. Factor 3 (Temperament) and Factor 4 (External-Internal) were loaded with the MBTI scores. This study found that no apparent relationship exists between the variables measured by the LSPI and the MBTI. Questions were raised regarding the descriptive versus pathology-assessing nature of the themes on LSPI. Further research is suggested to define the focus of this instrument.