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Organisational Behaviour Project

The document reports on a study that aimed to find a relationship between personality types (A and B) and decision-making styles. Data was collected through surveys of 101 students and analyzed quantitatively to test hypotheses about correlations. The most conclusive result was that personality type A students were least likely to be avoidant decision makers.

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0% found this document useful (0 votes)
74 views20 pages

Organisational Behaviour Project

The document reports on a study that aimed to find a relationship between personality types (A and B) and decision-making styles. Data was collected through surveys of 101 students and analyzed quantitatively to test hypotheses about correlations. The most conclusive result was that personality type A students were least likely to be avoidant decision makers.

Uploaded by

Aditi Mishra
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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ORGANISATIONAL BEHAVIOUR PROJECT REPORT

To find a relation between people’s personality types and their


decision-making styles

Course Faculty:

Prof. Kshamta Sharma

Submitted in partial fulfilment of the BBA (Honors) Programme at


TAPMI, Bengaluru, MAHE, -Bengaluru by:

Aditi Mishra 226213134


20th November 2023
Batch: 2022-2026
Abstract

This project aims to study the relation between personality types (A and B) and decision

making styles- systematic, intuitive, dependent, avoidant or spontaneous; of the students on

the MAHE Bengaluru campus and how it has implications in an institutional setting. For this

project, data was collected using surveys and a quantitative approach was used to analyze the

results. The most conclusive result given was that students were personality type A were

most likely to not be avoidant decision makers.

Introduction

Research question- Is there a relation between people’s personality types (A and B) and their

decision making styles (systematic, intuitive, dependent, avoidant or spontaneous)?

According to the American Psychology Association, decision making is the cognitive process

of choosing between two or more alternatives, ranging from the relatively clear to the

complex.

Decision making is a skill that everyone must use in their lives to succeed and even gain

motivation for their tasks which lie ahead. Decision making can range from what to eat for

breakfast in the hostel mess to choosing whether you want to pursue education abroad. The

type of personality you have may affect the type of decision making you’ll choose or if you

will prefer taking a decision in the first place. Research has been done on seeing how the big

5 personality traits affect your decision-making style to be avoidant, intuitive, dependent,

systematic, or spontaneous. However, decision making types of people who are type A or B

have not been studied.


This project aims to study the relation between personality types A and B and figure out the

possibility whether one personality type is more likely to be a decision maker of a certain

kind (systematic, intuitive, dependent, avoidant or spontaneous). Since this research is done

only on college students on the MAHE Bengaluru campus on a sample of just 100 students,

the findings of this research cannot be translated into conclusive or comprehensive results.

However, this can be used to study the decision making dynamics of and general thought

process of students when it comes to the specific institutional setting of MAHE Bengaluru.

The expected outcome is to see that people who are type B being more intuitive and

spontaneous in their decision making and just the opposite for type A. However, this can also

be the opposite for type A people, due to their sense of urgency and stressful behavior, can

also make ill-informed decisions which are hardly systematic or analytical and more intuitive.

This can be summarized as find a higher correlation between type B people and intuitive,

dependent and avoidant decision making styles, and a higher correlation between type A

people and systematic and spontaneous decision styles.


Preliminaries

The following section contains a list of the term and their meanings as used in this project.

1. Personality Type A- a personality pattern characterized by chronic competitiveness,

high levels of achievement motivation, impatience and a distorted sense of time

urgency, polyphasic activity1, and aggressiveness and hostility. ( APA Dictionary of

Psychology, n.d.)

2. Personality Type B- a personality pattern characterized by low levels of

competitiveness and frustration, an easygoing approach, and a lack of aggressiveness

and hostility. ( APA Dictionary of Psychology, n.d.)

3. Avoidant decision maker- One who does not like making important decision and tries

to avoid it. Such people feel uncomfortable, uneasy and pressured to make decisions.

(Scott & Bruce ,1995)

4. Spontaneous decision maker- One who makes decisions quickly and easily. Such

people are often impulsive and don’t spend much time thinking about or worrying

about their decisions. (Scott & Bruce ,1995)

5. Dependent decision maker- Such people find it hard to make decisions without others’

support and you ask for advice and direction and are uncomfortable making decisions

alone. (Scott & Bruce ,1995)

6. Intuitive decision maker- Such people rely on their feelings and make decisions based

on their hunches or instinct. (Scott & Bruce ,1995)

7. Systematic decision maker- Such people make decisions slowly and carefully. They

make sure that they have all the facts before they proceed and consider all their

options in order to make the best choice. (Scott & Bruce ,1995)

1
For example- eating hurriedly or shaving while reading a newspaper.
Hypotheses

1. Relation between personality Type A and decision makers of spontaneous type.

2. Relation between personality Type A and decision makers of intuitive type.

3. Relation between personality Type A and decision makers of avoidant type.

4. Relation between personality Type A and decision makers of dependent type.

5. Relation between personality Type A and decision makers of systematic type.

6. Relation between personality Type B and decision makers of spontaneous type.

7. Relation between personality Type B and decision makers of intuitive type.

8. Relation between personality Type B and decision makers of avoidant type.

9. Relation between personality Type B and decision makers of dependent type.

10. Relation between personality Type B and decision makers of systematic type.

Research methodology

Data Collection Method


For this project, a sample of 101 students in the MAHE Bengaluru campus (the population

for which was considered to be all the students on the MAHE Bengaluru campus) who were

in their second year or above were asked to fill a survey containing two forms- one on

decision making types (adaptation of the General Decision making style Questionnaire

developed by Scott and Bruce, 1995) and the other on their personality type (for personality

types A and B, scales attached in appendix). Data was collected from these college students to

find out their individual decision making styles and their personality types.

Analysis Method

This research is a broadly quantitative study and hence multiple choice surveys were used for

which the scores (these scores classified each participant into a type A or B personality type

or a decision maker of a certain type as stated) were then analysed using correlation on excel

to find out patterns. The mid point of the Personality type scale was used to differentiate

between the types. A score of 29 and below indicates that the person has personality type A

and a score of 30 and above indicates that the person has a personality type B. For the

decision making type survey, the decision making type was indicated by the highest score in

each category and for quantitative analysis, sum of the individual scores were used for

correlating after classifying the person into one of the 5 decision making types.

The correlation coefficients (found out using MS Excel “=CORREL” function) for each

hypothesis was further tested for significance using the critical value table and whether this

hypothesis can be applied to a larger population beyond this sample to the considered

population. The 97% confidence level was used for this, and a two tailed T Test was done in

MS Excel using the “=T.TEST” function.


The sample was divided into categories which they fit into according to hypotheses to be

tested. For example- to test the relation between personality Type A and decision makers of

spontaneous type, people who were of both types (32 of the sample of 101) were taken to run

a correlation between their scores on the personality type test and also their decision making

type score. Further, the significance of the correlation coefficient was found out. The same

was repeated for all the nine remaining hypotheses to be tested.

Sample information and participant demographic details

The sample considered for this project was 101 randomly selected students on the MAHE

Bengaluru campus with the population being all students on the MAHE Bengaluru campus.

Initially the participants only included students from SMI and MIT and were to be divided

equally among them and then further studied on the basis of gender. However, due to

inclusivity factors and number of limited number of participants, the sample participants for

the research were extended to all the schools of MAHE Bengaluru campus. The age range of

the participants was 18-22 years.

The information from this sample was collected in three ways:

1. Collection of data through collective mailing. The students were sent a mail to them

and expected to fill the questionnaire but this process took too long. The respondents

on mail had to be given atleast 4 reminders to fill the questionnaire. However, the

accuracy and genuineness of their responses was masked in this way.

2. Reaching out to friends in the campus through text messages to urge them to fill in the

form. This included sending messages both in groups and individual texts.

3. Going person to person and ask them to fill the form. By this method, I was able to

gather 8-10 responses of students of SMI.

The gender breakup of the 100 participants is as follows:


Figure 1: Gender Breakup

The breakup of different students from different colleges are as follows:

Figure 2: Participants from different colleges

Out of these participants:

1. 32 people were personality type A and systematic decision makers.

2. 13 people were personality type A and intuitive decision makers.

3. 9 people were personality type A and dependent decision makers.

4. 5 people were personality type A and avoidant decision makers.

5. 4 people were personality type A and spontaneous decision makers.

6. 18 people were personality type B and systematic decision makers.

7. 10 people were personality type B and intuitive decision makers.

8. 6 people were personality type B and dependent decision makers.

9. 3 people were personality type B and avoidant decision makers.


10. 0 people were personality type B and spontaneous decision makers.

Results and Discussion

1. The correlation between personality types A and systematic decision makers was

found to be just 0.289 which shows no correlation between the two variables. Also

upon testing the significance of the coefficient of correlation by using the table of

critical values, it is found to be insignificant and hence the first hypothesis is rejected.

However, there is research which suggests that there is actually a strong positive

correlation between the two and since people with type A personalities are more likely

to gather information from a variety of sources and weight the pros and cons before

taking a decision. However, the research which found this also conducted the study on

only 120 college students so the inference might not be conclusive. (Kassinove &

Sukhodolsky, 1995)

2. The correlation between Personality types A and intuitive decision makers was found

to be -0.22 which is negative as expected however, upon testing the significance of the

coefficient of correlation by using the table of critical values, it is found to be

insignificant and hence the hypothesis is rejected. On the contrary, there is research

which suggests that people who score highly on neuroticism (a trait often associated

with Type A personalities) on the Big Five scale are more likely to be intuitive

decision makers owing to their leaning towards urgency (Bayram & Aydemir, 2019).

However, other studies have found mixed and opposite results as well so there is no

conclusiveness.

3. The correlation between personality types A and dependent decision makers was

found to be -0.09 which is very insignificant and negative implying that there is a

generally not a great relationship between the two and the hypothesis stands rejected.
However, there is some evidence to suggest that people with Type A personalities may

be more likely to be dependent decision-makers. As they are often characterized by a

sense of urgency, competitiveness, and a need to achieve, they may also be more

likely to experience stress and anxiety. One study, published in the journal BMC

Psychology, found that people with Type A personalities were more likely to have a

dependent decision-making style. This means that they were more likely to seek out

advice and reassurance from others before making decisions. The study also found

that people with Type A personalities were more likely to have a fear of failure. This

may be one reason why they are more likely to rely on others when making decisions.

Another study, published in the journal Personality and Individual Differences, found

that people with Type A personalities were more likely to have a higher need for

approval from others. This may also lead them to be more dependent decision-makers.

4. The correlation between personality type A and avoidant decision makers was found

to be -0.95, also upon testing the significance of the coefficient of correlation by using

the table of critical values, it is found to be significant and hence this hypothesis is

accepted. Since the correlation is negative, it implies that people personality type A

are very less likely to be avoidant in their decision making. Type A personalities are

characterized by a competitive, ambitious, and driven nature. They often have a strong

sense of urgency and a need to control their environment. Avoidant decision makers,

on the other hand, are characterized by a fear of making the wrong decision and a

tendency to procrastinate and overthink. One study, published in the Journal of

Personality and Social Psychology in 2006, found that people with high type A scores

were more likely to use a rational decision-making style, while people with low type

A scores were more likely to use an avoidant decision-making style. Another study,

published in the Journal of Applied Psychology in 2011, found that people with high
type A scores were more likely to make decisions quickly and confidently, while

people with low type A scores were more likely to hesitate and ruminate over

decisions.

5. The correlation between personality type A and spontaneous decision making was

found to be 0.617 which is strong but upon testing the significance of the coefficient

of correlation by using the table of critical values, it is found to be insignificant (due

to inconsistent data and a small sample size) and hence the hypothesis is rejected.

However, study published in the journal BMC Psychology found that people with

Type A personalities were more likely to have a spontaneous decision-making style.

This style is characterized by making rapid, quick, impulsive, and snap decisions.

Another study, published in the journal Personality and Individual Differences, found

that people with Type A personalities were more likely to make risky decisions. This

is because they are more likely to act on their instincts and less likely to weigh the

pros and cons of different options carefully.

6. The correlation between type B personality and systematic decision makers was found

to be -0.289 which, however insignificant, is in line with the expected outcome of

people like that being less likely to be systematic decision makers. There is some

evidence to suggest that people with Type B personalities may be less likely to be

systematic decision-makers. For example, a study found that people with Type B

personalities were more likely to use a heuristic decision-making style, which is a

type of decision-making that relies on shortcuts and rules of thumb rather than a

systematic analysis of all available information (Haley & Stumpf, 1989). Another

study found that people with Type B personalities were more likely to use a

behavioral decision-making style, which is a type of decision-making that is based on


feelings and emotions rather than a systematic analysis of the facts (Rowe & Mason,

1982).

7. The correlation between personality type B and intuitive decision makers was found

to be -0.238 which is insignificant and negatively correlated. However, research

suggests the opposite. A study found that Type B individuals were more likely to use

an intuitive decision-making style than Type A individuals. This study also found that

emotional intelligence was a significant predictor of intuitive decision-making style,

even after controlling for personality type (Bayram & Aydemir, 2017). Another study

found that Type B individuals were more likely to use an intuitive decision-making

style when they were under pressure. This suggests that Type B individuals may be

better at making quick decisions based on their gut feeling, even when they don't have

a lot of time to gather information or analyze the situation in detail (Curşeu &

Schruijer, 2012).

8. The correlation between personality type B and dependent decision makers was found

to be -0.29 which, however insignificant, suggests that people with type B

personalities are less likely to be dependent on others to make their decisions. There is

evidence of that as suggested in three studies:

1. A study published in the journal Personality and Individual Differences found that

people with higher levels of agreeableness, a trait associated with type B

personalities, were less likely to use a dependent decision-making style.

2. Another study, published in the journal BMC Psychology, found that people with

higher levels of conscientiousness, another trait associated with type B

personalities, were less likely to use a dependent decision-making style.

3. A third study, published in the journal International Journal of Recent Advances in

Organizational Behaviour and Decision Sciences, found that people with higher
levels of emotional intelligence were less likely to use a dependent decision-

making style.

9. The correlation between personally type B and avoidant decision makers was found to

be 0.5 which suggests a moderately strong correlation between the two. One study,

published in the journal BMC Psychology in 2020, found that people with type B

personalities were more likely to have an avoidant decision-making style. This means

that they were more likely to avoid making decisions or to postpone making decisions

for as long as possible. Another study, published in the journal Personality and

Individual Differences in 2011, found that people with type B personalities were more

likely to use a "satisficing" decision-making strategy. This means that they were more

likely to make the first decision that seemed good enough, rather than taking the time

to gather all of the necessary information and consider all of the possible options.

Implications in the organizational and institutional settings

Pros:

People with different personalities and decision-making types can bring a variety of

perspectives to the table, which can lead to better decision-making and problem-solving.

Enhanced creativity and innovation as people with different personalities and decision-

making styles may be more likely to come up with creative and innovative solutions to

problems. A study by Stanford University found that teams with a mix of different personality

types are more likely to be high performing.


Improved team dynamics as different decision-making styles can complement each other's

strengths and weaknesses, creating more effective teams. This is suggested in a study by the

University of Michigan found that teams with more diversity of thought are more likely to

make creative and innovative decisions.

Cons:

People with different personalities and decision-making styles may have difficulty

communicating and working together effectively. This can lead to conflict and decreased

productivity.

If there is too much diversity of thought and perspective, it can be difficult for teams to reach

a consensus on decisions. This can lead to delays and missed opportunities, termed as

decision- making paralysis as suggested by a study by the University of California.

Employees who belong to minority groups (e.g., based on personality type or decision-

making style) may feel isolated and marginalized. This can lead to decreased job satisfaction

and performance. A study by the University of Colorado, Boulder found that employees who

belong to minority groups are more likely to experience minority stress, which can lead to

decreased job satisfaction and performance.

Overall, the organizational and institutional implications of having people with different

personalities and decision-making types are both positive and negative. It is important to be

aware of the potential benefits and drawbacks, and to take steps to mitigate the risks.
Conclusion

For the given sample, 8 out of the 9 tested hypothesis were found to be insignificant because

of the reasons given below and cannot be applied to the considered population. However, this

gives us insight into how people with different decision making types and personalities shape

the environment of an educational institution. The one conclusive finding which came to be

was that for the given sample, type A people were less likely to be avoidant decision makers

and hence this suggests that type A students on the campus are rather decisive and don’t shy

away from taking hard decisions. These students also help their other counterparts take

decisions and have the one leadership skill of being highly decisive, even though after careful

consideration.

Limitations-

1. Only 100 participants were available for this study and there was not enough sample

to test each hypothesis. The responses because very small subsets and were

fragmented to not give any data of significance.

2. Barring one, none of the correlations were significant as the sample for each was too

small.

3. The data collected was too small and the responses collected were inconsistent and

insufficient to form any conclusions about the population which outside of the

campus, that is, other educational institutions and organisations.


4. There was no way to test whether the sample taken was a true representative of the

population of the MAHE Bengaluru Campus as correct sampling processes were not

applied due to the population being assumed as homogenous, which was not the case.

5. Convenience sampling was applied whereas random or stratified sampling should

have been applied to get the sample in the same proportions as the population of

students in the MAHE Bengaluru campus.

6. The data collection process was not statistically robust as the actual sample size

calculation process was not followed.

References

1. Page, S. E., & Van Laan, E. (2018). Diversity and inclusion: The new competitive

differentiator. Harvard Business Review, 96(6), 124-132.

2. Baumeister, R. F., Vohs, K. D., Tice, D. M., & Baumeister, R. F. (2006). Ego depletion

and rational decision making: Self-regulatory resources are essential for choosing the

best options among many. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 91(4), 886-

904.

3. Bayram, N., & Aydemir, M. (2019). Personality traits, emotional intelligence and

decision-making styles in Lebanese universities medical students. BMC Psychology,

7(1), 1-12.

4. Curşeu, P. L., & Schruijer, S. G. L. (2012, June 4). Decision Styles and

Rationality. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 72(6), 1053–1062.

https://doi.org/10.1177/0013164412448066
5. Haley, U. C. V., & Stumpf, S. A. (1989, September). Cognitive trails in strategic

decision-making: linking theories of personalities and cognitions. Journal of

Management Studies, 26(5), 477–497. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-

6486.1989.tb00740.x

6. Judge, T. A., & Ilies, R. (2011). Personality and decision making. Journal of Applied

Psychology, 96(1), 178-196.

7. Kassinove, H., & Sukhodolsky, D. G. (1995). Effects of personality type on decision-

making strategies: A comparison of Type A and Type B individuals. Journal of

Personality and Social Psychology, 68(5), 760-770.

8. Personality traits and decision-making styles: A systematic review (2013), Personality

and Individual Differences https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/personality-and-

individual-differences

9. Rowe, A. J., Mason, R. O., & Dickel, K. E. (1982, January 1). Strategic Management

and Business Policy. Addison Wesley Publishing Company.

10. Yıldırım, İ., & Öztürk, Ö. (2017). Decision-making styles and personality

traits. International Journal of Recent Advances in Organizational Behaviour and

Decision Sciences, 3(1), 906-914

11. Caplan, R. D. (1980). In Job demands and Worker Health: Main effects and

occupational differences (pp. 253–254). essay, Survey Research Center, Institute for

Social Research, University of Michigan.


Appendix 1

Scale and questions used for decision making type survey (Scott and Bruce, 1995)-

Rate each statement as a 1, 2, or 3:

1 = This statement is false.

2 = This statement is sometimes true. It depends on the situation.

3 = This statement is true.

1. I make sure that I have all the facts before I make a decision.

2. When I make a decision, I do what feels right.

3. I often ask other people to help me make important decisions.

4. I don’t like making decisions, so I try to avoid it.

5. I make decisions quickly.

6. I make decisions in a slow, logical way.

7. When I make a decision, I rely on my instincts.

8. I don’t make big decisions without talking to other people first.

9. I usually won’t make an important decision until I’m forced to do so.

10. I don’t think too much about the decisions that I make.

11. 1Making decisions requires careful thought.

12. A decision doesn’t need to make sense – it just needs to feel right.

13. When I need to make an important decision, I like to have someone point me in the

right direction.

14. I try to put off making important decisions because thinking about them makes me

feel uneasy.
15. When I need to make an important decision, I just do what seems natural at the

moment.

16. I consider all of my options before making a decision.

17. I rely on my inner feelings when making decisions.

18. When I make a decision, I rely on other people’s advice.

19. I usually make important decisions at the last minute.

20. I often make impulsive decisions.


Appendix 2

Scale and questions used for personality type survey (Caplan, 1980)-

Rate each statement as 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 with 5 being very true, 3 being not true or untrue and 1

bring not true at all.

1. I hate giving up before I'm absolutely sure that I'm liked

2. Sometimes I feel that I should not be working so hard, but something drives me on.

3. I thrive on challenging situations.

4. The more challenges I have, the better

5. In comparison to most people I know, I'm very involved in my work.

6. It seems as if I need 30 hours a day to finish all the things I'm faced with.

7. In general, I approach my work more seriously than most people I know.

8. I guess there are some people who can be nonchalant about their work, but I'm not

one of them.

9. My achievements are considered to be significantly higher than those of most people I

know.

10. I've often been asked to be an officer of some group or groups.

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