Strategic Planning and Personality Type: Toward Constructive and Contingent Use of Difference. Ed.D. dissertation, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education of the University of Toronto, 1995. 455 pp.
Copies on file at: OISE library, University of Toronto; Scott Library, York University; National Library, Ottawa; and Isabel Briggs Myers Memorial Library, Center for Applications of Psychological Type, Gainesville, Florida. Summary available from the author.
Strategic planning is undertaken by many organizations seeking to achieve their purposes, respond proactively to a complex and uncertain environment, and initiate strategic change. Among the contingent factors affecting the creation of situationally appropriate strategies are the habitual preferences individuals on planning teams have for the core planning activities of perception (taking in information) and judgement (evaluating information inputs to reach conclusions). These preferences can be identified using a self-report instrument, the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. To create successful strategic change, organizations and their planners require the full range of type preferences along with the ability to make constructive use of type difference. Indications are that this capacity is uncommon but can be developed. Qualitative research, using depth interviews of practitioners, revealed that information and knowledge of type can be effectively applied to prepare the organization for strategic change, design the planning process, build and operate the planning team, make and implement strategy, and improve interpersonal communication. Generating awareness, acceptance and appreciation of type difference prepares individuals for learning to be more type-flexible -- able to access and enact lesser preferences when called for in the situation. A grounded theory of type flexibility in strategic planning provides a framework for applying an array of "typeflexing" strategies, methods and guidelines. Attention is paid to personal/interpersonal limitations on typeflexing as well as the critical role of the organizational context.
These findings significantly challenge strategic planners and the paradigm underlying their field. At the same time, promising areas are opened up for increasing planners' behavioural repertoires, managing polarities, and making strategic planning more complete.
1: Introduction / 1-7
2: Strategic Planning / 8-61
Overview of strategic planning under three headings: planning process (the changing environment, common themes of strategic planning, a typical planning framework, deliberate and emergent strategy); conceptual underpinnings (the rational/synoptic model, the incrementalist challenge, a contingent approach, an adaptive-learning alternative); planning practice (evolution of strategic planning, its track record, new directions)
3: Type Difference / 62-151
Backgrounder on personality type: type theory (contribution of Jung, contribution of Briggs and Myers, central themes of type theory); identifying type (Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, its reliability and validity, critical assessment of the MBTI, recent advances in type technology, alternative methods); using type (decision style, temperament, adaptor/innovator alternative, ethical and appropriate use of type); type, organizations and strategic planning (relevance of type for organizations, type preference of/in organizations, relevance of type for strategic planning)
4: Research Questions and Research Method / 152-180
Three research questions, phenomenological qualitative research approach, grounded theory method, and research process (data sources, interactive inquiry, answering each question, ethical considerations)
5: Type in Strategic Change Processes / 181-235
Research findings for Questions 1 and 2 including: key concepts and categories; type applications in strategic planning (preparing for strategic planning, teambuilding and teamwork, formulating/forming strategy, implementing strategy, improving interpersonal communication); type preference (type preferences of strategic planners, preferences for alternative letter combinations, type dynamics, preference/behaviour and capacity, adapted types); type ladder (awareness, acceptance, appreciation, application, beyond the type ladder)
6: Using Type Flexibly / 236-321
Findings for Question 3 including: type flexibility (typeflexing, role of language, typeflexing between Sensing and iNtuition and between Thinking and Feeling, effects of Extraversion/Introversion and Judging/Perceiving); typeflexing repertoire (typeflexing strategies, methods and techniques, facilitator's role and skills, facilitator's reflexivity); personal and interpersonal limiting factors (individual type development, stage in life cycle, energy and fatigue, anxiety and stress, motivation, readiness and resistance, lack of continuity, type bias, self-imposed limits); organizational context (organizational culture and character, organizational change, leadership); Chapters 5-6 main findings and conclusions)
7: Toward Type-Enhanced Strategic Planning / 322-367
A grounded theory of type flexibility in strategic planning/change (including critical assessment); from theory to practice (matching and managing polarities; covering all the type bases, challenging the planning paradigm, completing strategic planning, implications); directions for further research and development)
Epilogue (learning journey), Bibliography (660 references) and Appendix / 367-428