A study of personality and leadership in a technical environment

Abstract

l, This report presents the findings of a study of individual personalities of Naval Officers, Chief Petty Officers and Petty Officers serving in different
environments within the Ministry of Defence and the Fleet. This sample was used to establish norms for the Cattell 16 PF Questionnaire, and these are compared with other occupational norms discussed in the literature.
2. The results obtained on psychometric measures were related to other data collected about the work and the formal organisation. This was in its turn
related to problems facing the Navy because of changes in technology which have occurred or which are now taking place and are expected to make an impact in the future.
3. A need is recognised for a way of simulating the effects of proposed
changes within the manpower field of the Royal Navy and a simulation model is
put forward and discussed.
4. The use of psychometric measures in selection for entry and for special
tasks is examined, Particular reference is made to problems of group formation
in the context of leadership in a technical environment.
5. The control of the introduction of change is discussed in the recognition
that people represent an increasingly important resource which is critical to
the continuing life of the total organisation.
6. Conclusions are drawn from the various strands of the research and
recommendations are made both for line management and for subsequent research programmes.

Date of Award	Apr 1973
Original language	English
Supervisor	W.G. Brown (Supervisor) & Alastair Cochran (Supervisor)