Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2012. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The purpose of this research is to gain insight into the personalities of marketers and to identify a
benchmark personality profile for a marketer in professional service industries. In order to
accomplish this, the personality traits required when performing the general marketing role, as well
as the personality tests to measure the identified traits, were investigated. A best-fit profile was
then selected by matching these traits. The variations in the marketing role between the
professional services and the goods industry were then investigated in order to adapt the profile for
the specific traits required by professional service industries.
The Myers Briggs Type Indicator and 16 Personality Factor scales were identified as the main tests
and selected to measure the desired traits for the profile. Additional tests were identified to test for
high levels of creativity, high levels of tolerance for ambiguity, strong internal locus of control, high
need for achievement, high levels of emotional intelligence and entrepreneurial spirit. When
comparing the traits required by the boundary spanning, entrepreneurial role of marketers inside
organisations, with the descriptions of each of the 16 Myers Briggs types, the Extrovert, Instinctive,
Thinking, Perceiving (ENTP) type was identified as the best-fit profile. A corresponding 16PF
profile was constructed and compared using correlations between the two scales. No clashing
personality traits could be identified when investigating the mainly relational marketing role
requirements of the professional services industries. Replacement of the ENTP type was therefore
not justified. Additional traits related to ‘loyalty’ and ‘trust’ were added as further advantages and
an investigation into the Myers Briggs type theory identified ways of evaluating it.
The subsequent theoretical profile and descriptions were then sent to experienced and practised
marketers in the professional services industry, asking them to provide feedback regarding the
personality traits of the theoretical profile and the methods followed. Feedback was provided by
means of a Likert scale multiple-choice survey that was hosted online as well as private email
conversations. The feedback was mostly positive and responses corresponded with the theoretical
model with the exception of two specific personality traits of the 16PF in question that opposed the
model.
Personality tests can serve as a starting point for constructive discussions of individual behaviour
and performance of current employees. These tests can be used for coaching, career counselling,
conflict resolution, team and organisational development and to predict employee-role "fit". The
tests and results can help provide a framework for assessing the ways that different individual
personalities contribute to the behaviours that impact performance in the workplace.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/21384 |
| Date | 03 1900 |
| Creators | Bosch, Willem Benjamin |
| Contributors | Herbst, F. J., Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences. Graduate School of Business. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | en_ZA |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Rights | Stellenbosch University |
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