Enhancing Student Team Effectiveness: Application of Myers-Briggs Personality Assessment in Business Courses

Abstract

This article examines the relationship between student perceptions of team learning experience and communication style. Student group learning perceptions were evaluated and team communication style was measured using dyads derived from Myers-Briggs personality profiles. Groups containing similar personalities were classified as compatible, whereas groups that blend individuals with different talents and preferences were deemed complementary. Our sample included two sections of Marketing Strategy and one Principles of Macroeconomics section. Macroeconomics students reported greater satisfaction when the group is compatible, whereas Marketing Strategy students preferred complementary groups. The number of group learning experiences and differences in group homogeneity provides likely explanations. Principles of Macroeconomics students, with little or no prior group experience, preferred the comfort of a compatible group. Alternatively, drawing on their considerable group experience, Marketing Strategy students preferred to blend the diverse talents available in a complementary group.

Building a More Complete Design Experience: Philosophies and Reflections From a Second Year Mechanical Engineering Design Project Course

“…Students were distributed in an attempt to match different personalities. While teams created with similar personality types tend to have better communication and reduced conflicts, teams with diverse personalities can have enhanced problem-solving skills as the weaknesses of one member can be complemented by the strengths of others [22]. Other criteria which were taken into consideration at a lower weighting during team formation were overall GPA, available free time, and previous skills.…”

Students' Attitudes toward a Group Coursework Protocol and Peer Assessment System

“…There has been an increased attempt by marketing educators to make their modules more resonant with the business world (Barr et al, 2005;Amato and Amato, 2005). This is because firms often believe that graduates lack essential employability skills (Hassall et al, 2005;Verzat et al, 2009).…”

“…Group conflicts and student dissatisfaction may also arise due to various levels of motivational and moral maturity (Taylor et al, 2011), and incompatibility in personalities and communication styles (Amato and Amato, 2005). Workload management and diverse goals in relation to process, output quality and marks can also contribute to group conflicts (Conway et al, 1993;Walker, 2002).…”

“…Thus, Amato and Amato (2005) suggest that sensitising module leaders to students' personalities and level of experience of teamwork is likely to enable educators to provide better guidance for students when choosing their teams for assessed group coursework. However, one of the weaknesses in Amato and Amato's (2005) recommendations is that it may not be possible for educators to access their students' personality profiles and such group formation strategy may well depend on the educator's objectives for a particular coursework.…”

Self-Chosen Student Groups - What Is the Student Impact if One Is Not Part of His/Her Ideal Team?

“…Although the benefit of having cross discipline teams is known, managing these teams can be more difficult based on personal barriers or stereotypes (Lüthje & Prügl, 2006). A second reason many colleges and universities are increasing the group activity within the curriculum is due to the fact American Assembly of Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) believes that one of the relevant support skills needed by today's university graduates is teamwork (Amato& Amato, 2005). The AACSB requires colleges and universities to define learning goals that are consistent with the overall mission and vison of the institution and be able to articulate and measure the student outcomes that are a result of the learning goals and activities (Loughry, Ohland, & Woehr, 2014).…”