Myers-Briggs Type Indicator in Translating Theory into Practice - Essay Example

? Reflection of psychology Part Views on the relationship between theory and application or practice, how theory canguide or inform practice, and issues involved in translating theory into practice  Theory refers to the systematic organization of knowledge that can be applied in solving complexities or the abstract generalization that offers a systematic explanation of the interrelationships between occurrences. Theory gives direction to human action especially because humans are continuously engrossed with the search for meaning, thus, theory attempts to provide logical explanations as to why certain things happen or do not happen. Theory ranges from simple vague hypotheses concerning what might result from acting in certain ways in certain situations, and what to expect from others, to complex ideas that express universal understanding of phenomenon such as how organizations work or how people become offenders. In that case, a theory is a generalization of what exists in the world, and how the different components of the world join to make a complete whole, and an abstraction too. In other words, theory entails a system or pattern of ideas or proposals, which is perceived to explain or a give a commentary about certain facts or events (Martin, 2004). This is a proposition or hypothesis whose validity has been ascertained by means of an experiment or through actual studies, and is therefore taken to be applicable to the said facts or phenomena. Whereas researchers use theory to organize their work to conduct studies, practitioners on the other hand apply theory to respond to certain observations and to formulate a problem under practical frameworks. Theory has application in various fields of learning and Psychology in particular focuses on the practical use and outcomes of the use of theory in addressing significant practical situations and explaining complex phenomenon. Practice on the other hand, refers to the action of doing, performing or executing something, including the discernible purposeful activities and mannerisms of individuals, groups, and organizations in a society. In addition, practice can be conceptualized as the endeavors that are aimed at changing the prevailing world status or the execution of a set of ideas in quest for anticipated results in a practical world. Theory and practice are two very distinct but complementary and mutually interdependent components; whereas practice requires theory for it to be shaped, conversely, it is only possible to test and develop theory by means of practice. In as much as theory has the capacity of enhancing practice, theory is also inevitably derived from practice as in the form of the best practice at operational, managerial, or strategic levels in businesses. There are certain tensions or disharmonies in the relationship between theory and practice (Price, 2011), which point to a legitimate gap between the two; for instance, theory and practice take divergent paths. In this case, theories tend to be more conjectural to such a degree of lessening relevance to the actual event or circumstance that researchers may be interested to examine and practitioners may want to influence. Undeniably, practice is guided or informed by theory as theory provides the course of action and the basis for decision-making. Similarly, theory can be informed by practice as the consequences or effects of an individual’s actions can be a pointer to the success or failure of a model. In that respect, theory and practice exist in a reciprocal relationship because one continuously tests their hypotheses and infers new meanings from specific experiences, thus, the practitioner is also playing the role of the researcher concurrently. Nevertheless, it has been observed that no entity is more practical than a good theory, that the two need to be at par in theory, yet in practice they need not be; this indicates that ideally, theory and practice should be consistent. Several issues contribute to the lack of congruence between theory and practice, including problems related to accessibility for practitioners due to technicalities in interpreting the theoretic language used and the abstractness of the theoretical arguments (Smith, n.d). Additionally, the process of translating theory into practice is constrained by challenges of relevance and applicability to policy and practice especially due to the structure and purpose of theories and the environmental constraints to theory and its application. Another key issue worth consideration is the difficulty of converting philosophical actions from theoretical generalization to policy and practice given that specific recommendations for implementation are often not reflected in the generalized abstract principles. Part II: MBTI and its current view The MBTI is a psychometric feedback form that is used to assess the psychological favorites in the way people understand or relate to the world around them and make decisions (Lueder, 1983); this self-inventory test that is meant to identify personality types, strengths and preferences. Formulation of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, done by Isabel Myers formulated in collaboration with Katherine Briggs, was majorly influenced by the theory of personality types by psychoanalyst Carl Jung (Jessup 2002), and the MBTI inventory has gained prominence the most frequently usedpsychological instrument (Brown and Reilly 2009). The two were motivated by the need to apply Jung’s theory of psychological types in real world scenarios. Myers and Briggs supposed that in order to assist people in choosing professions that were in sync with their personal traits, there was need to develop an indicator that was able to be applied in understanding individual differences. Personality tests are often utilized by behavioral scientists as an indicator of the measure of performance or effectiveness, to understand individual differences in terms of strengths and weak; individual differences and personality is an essential research topic in organizational behavior today. The usage of MBIT for personality analysis especially in the workplaces as a tool for decision-making, problem solving, conflict management, recruitment, in addition to, understanding work-related stress, among other things at the workplace has become customary. The MBTI is considered an essential tool in the process of career planning and development because it provides self-assuring insights and helps create patterns of human behavior that are universal. Personality types entail a set of stable personality traits that help in explaining individual behaviors; the MBTI types are oppositions such as extraversion/introversion, thinking/feeling among others. A four-letter contraction such as ESTJ or INTP is used to indicate a personality type’s preference in each dichotomy, and there are 16 types of personality traits altogether when the personality are combined in all possible combinations using the four-letter type formula (Pittenger, 2005), which shows the four preferences and their dynamic interaction. For instance, whereas a person with an ENFP type will be attracted to occupations that require knowledge about people, a person with ISTJ will most likely be found in occupations requiring organization of people and objects. The major strength of MBTI lies in the type descriptions for each type because they all begin with the characteristic of the type at its best (McCaulley, 2000), thus providing a roadmap to the gifts of each type; thus, the positive tone of type descriptions makes the MBTI more effective than personality traits that focus on problems. Current view of MBTI The current view of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator is that it is designed to help people understand their gifts because people have different gifts which they bring into the world (Lewis, Spears, and Lafferty, 2004); the most profound aspect of this typology, therefore, is to help people recognize the gifts in them, and in other people. In that case, the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator is perceived not as a way to classify people, but rather a tool of helping people to understand both themselves and others better; rather than classifying people, Myers and Briggs ostensibly sought to serve others by helping them understand themselves and others. In this understanding, different people will be gifted in certain areas more than others will and they will often attempt to strike balance between their deficiencies and strengths throughout their life though they may or may not achieve the same. However, the key lies in complementarity of gifts, as individuals who are gifted in certain areas but not others can achieve balance through other people who can complement their deficiencies in the practical sense. People should seek to serve others by utilizing their natural tendencies in the form of their different gifts rather than striving to achieve balance in life as that is the essence of true servant leadership, as conceptualized in the modernist perspective of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. Attempts at development of the reverse side of the four dichotomies only results into frustrations as individuals are born with specific preferences that define who they really are and those preferences are their true talents, which they should exploit in serving others subsequently. Servant leadership offers each personality type a positive way of applying the gifts each one of them have to offer in service to others; for instance, the sensing-thinking type prefer facts and analysis, thus, they are practical and like structures. For these types, structure is actually service for their servant leadership will entail setting up structures, rules and regulations; in that case, structure as a gift ensures fair treatment to others because it establishes rules that apply to everyone. Additionally, the sensing- thinking types are the ones who establish schedules, limits, and deadlines; in that case, servant leadership for these types is demonstrated through their use of the organization and practicality gift to enable others to do their jobs efficiently. MBTI has also been considered for a number of applications for conducting a number of psychological tests within different organizations. Some of the current views on this tool arises from its benefits as a unique method of testing intuition on the uniqueness of different individuals (Llyod, 2008). It is however appreciated as a method that cannot be used to judge all individuals based on the results posted by one. It is today considered as a very popular method applied in different areas of career counseling in the workplace. However, a number of concerns have also been raised over the current use of the test and the biases that they creates in organizations. One of the most common misuses of the tool in rampant coagulation of people into group or one common behavior pattern based on the response derived from the other. The test is also viewed as too general which creates a room for the over generalization of the results from specific groups (Lloyd, 2008). Part III MBTI Application and appropriateness Application Literature review of the existing knowledge concerning the MBTIshows numerous instances of application of the test in a number of studies whose outcomes have been presented in many scholarly articles, especially given the importance of personality traits and their relationship to organizational performance today. For instance, Rajagopal (2008) analyzes the personality dimensions of middle-level executives in the IT based on the Myers-Briggs Type Indicators by using a sample of 200 middle level executives; the basic inference emerging from this study reveals that the most prevalent personality indicators of executives in the IT sector are essentially extroverts. With the increasing competition in the IT sector, the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator is continually becoming a most valued tool for assessing the personality types of executives because they are inevitably associated with performance of individuals. This study analyzes the 16 combinations of the MBTI character aspects and identifies dominant personality indicators, then analyzes their correlation with implications for the executives; this theory has been applied effectively because the study has based its premises on the precise comprehension of the theory and its extent. Zardouz et al (2010) evaluate the different personality types of various applicants to a particular otolaryngology residency program through the use of the MBTI and draws comparisons of these personality types with the types of the overall population and the personality types of practitioners in different medical specialties. The results from this study are in support of a support an immensely planned, teaching preference mainly determined by data among the respondents; thus, the most prevalent indicator types among the pool of Otolaryngology applicants were ISTJ, ESTJ and ENTJ types. In particular, the thinking and judging personality types outdid the feeling and perceiving types concerning commonness, therefore, teaching methods that are structured and determined by data and facts would be more effective with these personality types. This study has equally applied the theory appropriately because its hypotheses are based on proper interpretation of theory and most importantly, the reasoning linking application and theory is sound enough to allow logical inferences to be drawn from the study. Atay (2012) adopts the most widely used form of the Myers Briggs Type Indicator, form M with 93 items, into Turkish and provides linguistic and cultural equivalence, in addition to reliability and validity of the test; in scope of the standardization, three bilingual academicians provided the linguistic and cultural equivalence through the translation-back translation method. The findings from this study indicate that the Turkish version of MBTI (M Form) and the main dichotomies are valid, in addition to the hypotheses; the correlation between the dichotomies were also analyzed and it was found that sensing preference correlates with judging, and thinking preferences, and judging correlates with thinking preference too. The use of the Myer Briggs Type Indicator is appropriate too because the research accurately interprets the theory based on the most widely used form, which is Form M, and it goes as further to prove the validity of its hypotheses too, besides investigating the reliability of the theory in application. Cano et al (2011) applies the MBTI in the teaching of entrepreneurial skills and examines the relationships between the different character traits of students and their willingness and inclination toward joining entrepreneurship after successful completion of a course in entrepreneurship. According to results of the findings, most students taking the entrepreneurship course were mainly ENTJ, ISTJ or ESTP, and that the respondents indicated a moderate level of willingness to start a new business. Students who were considered to be extroverts and having sensing personality types were more willing and inclined toward entrepreneurship than students who were considered introverts and having intuitive traits. These findings therefore present the implication that free enterprise educators ought to regress from the assumption that single approach in the classrooms because of the various personality types present in them especially in higher education. However, a multifaceted approach would be more appropriate; the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator has been applied appropriately in this study basing on the correct interpretation of the theory. MacLellan (2011) explores the differences in personality types that exist among high school band, string orchestra, and choir students in accordance with band association by applying the MBTI to establish the personality type for each individual. The outcome of this study shows a that there exists a great difference in regard to personality type between students who are members of the Orchestra and those of the choir on the dichotomy of extraversion and introversion; more specifically, choir students will most likely be extraverts unlike Orchestra students. This study has successfully applied the Myres-Briggs Type Indicator appropriately, as the interpretation adopted here accurately fits the theoretic generalizations of the theory to practice. Certain personality types are attracted to different ensembles and having a good understanding of personality traits of students can be useful in the prediction of persistence in bands and forms a guide to design activities that suit particular personality types. Overall, theory and practice are essentially distinct but interrelated components that are both complementary and mutually interdependent in that theory informs practice, and theory can only be tested and proven through practice. Whereas it is common knowledge that theory enhances practice because it provides the direction that practitioners may follow, theory may also be informed by practice because best practices in the real world situations may be adopted as models to guide the general principles of practice, thus theoretical constructs. Ideally, theory should be consistent with practice especially in view of the perspective that no entity outdoes a good theory in practicality, and the perspective that theory and practice need to be in sync in theory but not necessarily in practice. Nevertheless, despite the alleged reciprocal relationship between theory and practice, there still exists a massive gap between the two, especially because theories tend to be so abstract and general to the point that they are irrelevant in actual practice. The process of translating theory into practice is often constrained by several factors such as to do with interpretation of theoretic language, relevance of theory to practice and application of theory itself. The MBTI that was formulated on the basis of the theory of personality types is among the most widely used psychometric assessments that are used to analyze individual preferences; MBTI has found a vast application at the workplace as a tool for decision-making, problem solving, conflict management, recruitment, in addition to, understanding work-related stress. MBTI also have other numerous applications in the area of leadership with most the common psychological applications arising from self-assessment and growth. It is considered in leadership evaluation due to its ability to provide a better rational for understanding oneself. It is possible to gauge the thinking ability, rationale and weaknesses of an individual with MBTI analysis. The development of leadership tendencies influences the ability of a leader to effectively understand their weaknesses and develop ways of making necessary changes. Leaders work with different individuals in organizations who possess different skills, attitudes and perceptions on different life issues. To understand them determines the success indices of an organization. BMTI has been extensively applied in psychological analysis of different people in an organization. Understanding the factors that motivate different people within the organization helps in coming up with different motivational approaches within an organization. Despite the positive applications of MBTI, psychologist have pointed out a number of negative application of this tool, which negates its initial purpose and significance. Understanding a person’s personality and behavior within an organization and using the same trait as the basis for judging others negates the benefits of this tool. In an organization or institution, leaders must understand that the employees of the organization have different traits, behavior and desires. MBTI has also been used as a form of horoscope or oracle which implies that simply because you have a specific behavior, others must also possess that. Forming and ending relationships based on the MBTI analysis is a common occurrence in several organizations. This occurs, for example, in situation an INFP forms a successful relationship with an ESTJ, deductions cannot be made on this basis conclusively. In leadership development, there is need for leaders to be aware of their own personal strengths, the challenges they are likely to face in their positions and the development of proper approaches. MBTI can be used as an indicator to show the level of leadership especially in educational management as it aids in the development of leaders thus enabling them explore a number of leadership approaches. This tool has been used in educational programs for management audit but this section of the paper seeks to highlight how it can be employed in leadership indication in educational management (Michael, 2003). With the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) interviews a number of personality traits in leaders that can help assess their effectiveness. These include their ability to interact with colleagues, make independent and logical decisions and appropriately plan for various activities for the organization. Aspiring leaders together with serving leaders must be able to be labeled with specific qualities to highlight their capabilities and weaknesses in evaluating different educational leadership aspects. Participation in MBTI discussion session provides opportunities for aspiring leaders to develop insights on the activities expected of them and the how to interact with the people all around them. This enables such a leader to develop respecting, accepting and empathetic approaches to divergent views in a discussion (Micheal, 2003). Leadership abilities in different individuals can also be evaluated through their abilities to adopt different MBTI terminology preferences to reflect their feeling and thinking. Conclusion MBTI tool of understanding personality trait in an organization is categorized into two hierarchal classification, the theory free and the theory laden classification. These levels show variations based on the epistemic levels and application variance in organization counseling and career guidance (Bayne, 2005). MBTI assesses the benefits of a number of entities in a person that include the polarity and the determinative natures. MBTI continues to be an important tool in the evaluation of values and traits of different employees in the organization (Lawrence, 2008). References Pittenger, D. J. (2005). Cautionary comments regarding the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. Consulting Psychology Journal: Practice And Research, 57(3), 210-221. MacLellan, C. (2011). Differences in Myers-Briggs Personality Types among High School Band, Orchestra, and Choir Members. Journal of Research In Music Education, 59(1), 85-100. Zardouz S., et al. (2010). Personality Types of Otolaryngology Resident Applicants as Described by the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator.Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg.; 144 (5):714-8. Jessup Carol M. 2002. 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Available at: http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/search/recordDetails.jsp?ERICExtSearch_SearchValue_0=ED238171&searchtype=keyword&ERICExtSearch_SearchType_0=no&_pageLabel=RecordDetails&accno=ED238171&_nfls=false&source=ae[Accessed 24 July 2013] Brown W., Reilly M.D., (2009).The Myers-Briggs type indicator and transformational leadership.Journal of Management Development, Vol. 28 Iss: 10, pp.916 – 932. Read More