Organizational behavior and Organizational Psychology are hot topics for researchers today. Due to globalization it has become extremely difficult for the teams to analyze the personality traits of their team mates who are located all over the world and who work virtually in teams. Several companies use different kinds of tests to analyze the personality type of the employees whom they are hiring during the interview process in form of online assessments which is a part of hiring process. Some companies use this type of tests to analyze if their employees are stressed, unmotivated, happy with what they are doing, need change, to know if they like their team mates, to assess the need for training in certain topics, which maybe leadership for Managers and technical training for Software Developers etc. Most of these tests are online, user-friendly and simple.
One such famous test which is used world-wide is Keirsey Temperament Sorter Test. Keirsey Temperament Sorter is a popular tool which is accessible online and is used by 170 countries by many organizations for managing, improving, maintaining, developing their workforce and to analyze the personality type of their employees. This tool was invented 40 years back. The book "Please Understand Me" was written by David Keirsey which introduced Keirsey Temperament Sorter in 1970's. His second book "Please Understand Me II" was published in 1998. Both the books were best sellers and sold over 4 million copies. The Keirsey Temperament Sorter II helps individual to know his/her personality type and also helps him/her understand others. This test mainly focuses on the behavior and psychology of the individual in the workplace. This test has been further modified and has been used as assessments for various other reasons (reasons specified earlier in the first paragraph) in the Organizations. Some of the organizations who currently use this tool are, Bank of America, Allstate, U.S. Air force, IBM, 7-Eleven, Safeco, AT&T and Coco-Cola.
Temperament can be defined as a personality of a person which encompasses of various entities such as the way he communicates, his deeds, his ideas, his behavior and attitude towards himself, his work and others. There are four temperament types introduced by David Keirsey. The four temperaments are further divided into four more character types each,
- Guardians: Are obedient, follow rules and regulations, respect people and are dedicated towards their work and duties. Guardians are sub-divided into, Supervisor, Inspector, Provider and Protector. Some of the famous Guardians: President George Washington, Mother Teresa, Queen Elizabeth I, Queen Victoria etc.
- Idealists: Are imaginative, honest, do good deeds and do not compromise with their ethics. Idealists are sub-divided into, Promoter, Crafter, Performer and Composer. Some of the famous Idealists: Oprah Winfrey, Mahatma Gandhi, Princess Diana etc.
- Artisans: Are practical people and look for quick solutions and do not hesitate if they have to bend the rules to achieve the expected results. Artisans are sub-divided into, Teacher, Counselor, Champion and Healer. Some of the famous Artisans: Elvis Presley, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Winston Churchill, Michael Jordan, Elizabeth Taylor etc.
- Rationals: Are focused, practical, active, problem solvers and work towards achieving the target and do not hesitate to over-rule the laws if necessary. Rationals are sub-divided into, Fieldmarshal, Mastermind, Inventor and Architect. Some of the famous Rationals: Albert Einstein, Issac Newton, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, Bill Gates, Hilary Clinton etc.
This is a fun exercise. No answer is a wrong answer. Want to know your personality type? Take the test by clicking on or accessing the link below through the web!
http://www.keirsey.com/sorter/instruments2.aspx
References
Keirsey.com. (2008). Well-known Rationals (NT). Retrieved from http://www.keirsey.com/4temps/famous_rationals.asp
Keirsey.com. (2008). The Keirsey temperament sorter (KTS-II). Retrieved from http://www.keirsey.com/aboutkts2.aspx