Research about personality and collaboration

What can personality profiles tell us about how people work together? This archive brings together personality research, explanations of the Big Five and analyses of differences within teams. We examine how preferences for structure, social contact, new ideas and calm appear in the data. Each article explains which profiles were studied, how the analysis was carried out and which conclusions the data support. That context helps you discuss a finding with a colleague, team leader or coach.

The articles cover five personality dimensions: openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness and emotional sensitivity. You can learn how to interpret a score and how different preferences might appear at work. You will also find a comparison of the Big Five, MBTI and DISC, research into common combinations of traits and analyses of team diversity. Examples connect the figures to situations such as meetings, planning, giving feedback and managing workload. They give concepts from personality psychology a practical meaning in everyday collaboration.

Use the research articles to prepare for a team discussion or to explore the background to your personal user manual. For example, choose a trait on which two colleagues differ and consider the questions raised by the article. Then discuss what you recognise from a recent assignment. A team coach can use the same information to prepare a conversation about communication or the division of tasks. The explanations and examples help you move carefully from reading a personality profile to agreeing how you will work together.