Psychological Diversity in the Workplace: Personality Types and Gender Differences within Ethnicities

Abstract

Introduction: In recent years, the process of hiring an employee has become an important part. New and innovative ways of assessing employees are continuously sought after, primarily to ensure the right person for the right job. Exploring under-studied psychological differences which may impact the workplace could shed light on this important topic. Methodology: In this research, personality test results from 119 participants from Egypt, India, Lebanon and Philippines, men and women working in the Food & Beverage industry in Kuwait were collected. Each participant was given the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) personality type questionnaire which identifies individuals into one of 16 personality types. Results: Each ethnicity cluster was tested individually for frequencies and correlations of specific personality types within their own groups, as well as an investigation on the possibility of gender correlations. It was found that the proportions of the personality types are the same among genders across both their ethnicity group as well as their personality type. Conclusion: The findings are significant in that they shed the light on hidden psychological elements which may have an impact on the workplace. They may also aid communication strategies amongst different ethnicities as well as give insight on motivational factors which may lead to more productivity.