Management Principles and Practice II Although it is possible to adopt a fairly atheoritical, empirical approach to assessing personality, even psychologists make assumptions or have some preconceptions with regard to the expected outcome and nature of their research. Unfortunately, theories are often based on a minimum of actual observations of the objects of their efforts. At the very least, it should be recognised that some frame of reference, some conceptual guidelines can be helpful in assessing and explaining personality. It is obviously very important to have some explanation as to why people do the things they do and expectations of what they may do under certain circumstances. This becomes imperative when managing a business. Personality theories and personality-based assessment tools have a wide range of significant roles to play in the effective management of modern organisations. Not only do they enable and encourage employee self-assessment and self-awareness; they are also used as a selection tool in many organisations, and act as a guide for directing and interacting with employees. By knowing the employees personality type, it is easier for management to identify whether employees will be suited to a certain type of job, enabling management to identify how employees will react to different situations and how they will go about solving problems.MYERS-BRIGGS PERSONALITY TYPE INDICATOR (MBTI)The MBTI is based upon Carl Jungs theories about the nature of the psyche. Jung, one of the founders of psychoanalytical theory and practice, was an early colleague of Freud, and for a time was his designated successor. The two men, at first, had many ideas in common, but entirely dissimilar personalities. The friendship was gradually eroded when Jungs ideas differed more and more from Freuds. Jung suffered a breakdown, and during his recovery he attempted to understand the nature of his friendship he devised his theory of psyc...
