Organisational Behaviour Project
Organisational Behaviour Project
Course Faculty:
This project aims to study the relation between personality types (A and B) and decision
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
Introduction
Research question- Is there a relation between people’s personality types (A and B) and their
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
systematic, or spontaneous. However, decision making types of people who are type A or B
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
The following section contains a list of the term and their meanings as used in this project.
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.
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
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
6. Intuitive decision maker- Such people rely on their feelings and make decisions based
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
10. Relation between personality Type B and decision makers of systematic type.
Research methodology
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
6. The correlation between type B personality and systematic decision makers was found
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
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
1982).
7. The correlation between personality type B and intuitive decision makers was found
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
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
personalities are less likely to be dependent on others to make their decisions. There is
1. A study published in the journal Personality and Individual Differences found that
2. Another study, published in the journal BMC Psychology, found that people with
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.
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
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
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
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
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
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
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.
have been applied to get the sample in the same proportions as the population of
6. The data collection process was not statistically robust as the actual sample size
References
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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
Scale and questions used for decision making type survey (Scott and Bruce, 1995)-
1. I make sure that I have all the facts before I make a decision.
10. I don’t think too much about the decisions that I make.
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.
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
2. Sometimes I feel that I should not be working so hard, but something drives me on.
6. It seems as if I need 30 hours a day to finish all the things I'm faced with.
8. I guess there are some people who can be nonchalant about their work, but I'm not
one of them.
know.