Predicting managerial styles: Is the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator still useful?

Received Nov 13, 2019 Revised Aug 17, 2020 Accepted Oct 11, 2020 The managerial ability for leaders becomes a critical matter to achieve organizational effectiveness. This study aims to describe the profile of school principals in Yogyakarta. A total of 39 principals in elementary school and senior high school participated in this study. Data was collected using the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) and Management Style Diagnostic Test (MSDT). The results showed that the dominant personality character is the components of openness, relationships, confidence, persistence, and combined with opportunities for creative and macro thinking. The principal's management style is dominated by Bureaucrat's type, which signifies compliance with the organization's rules and regulations and, combined with the Developer that allows a harmonious relationship between subordinate superiors to make efforts to develop.


INTRODUCTION
Leadership plays a vital role in school organizations and is crucial in determining school outcomes [1]. The principal is responsible for transforming the school culture to stakeholders [2], and must have professional competence as a leader and manager [3]. Reliable resources are needed to achieve optimal organizational goals. The manager's competency, in this case, the principal, will encourage the creation of a more orderly system and has an impact on all members of the organization. Skills as indicators of successful work unit management are personality and managerial ability [4]. Leadership executive style will appear when individuals display some behaviors, and the leader's nature strongly influences this behavior. This study aims to determine the managerial style shown by the leader based on personality styles.
Personality measurements use various tests such as the Big Five, The Sixteen Personality Factors, DISC, Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), etc. MBTI is one assessment tools to investigate a person's personality based on Jung's theory [5]. Jung has a critique of Freud's Psychoanalysis, especially on unconsciousness in personality. According to Jung, the collective unconscious is the deepest layer, not personal, and shared with all humans. The same experience will settle in the human mind [6]. Myers  decisions, Judging and Perceiving shows how a person adopts the lifestyle or relates to the outside world [7]. The four pairs above combine dimensions into 16 individual personality types appear coded ISTJ, ISFJ,  INFJ, INTJ, ISTP, ISFP, INFP, INTP, ESTP, ESFP, ENFP, ENTP, ESTP, ESFJ, ENFJ, and ENTJ. The four letters indicate the dynamics of the four mental functions' interaction and use the first letter. The first letter is called the dominant function that most influences the individual. The second letter is called the auxiliary, which supports and balances the chief function. The third letter is called the tertiary role, and the fourth is called the inferior. The two letters in the middle are called function pairs. Each individual will indicate an option displayed to the outside world, and individuals can also display alternating types, which shows development [8].
MBTI is currently widely used in various organizations for several purposes, such as employee profiling or promotion. Individuals who are older and who have low Feeling characteristics get promoted more quickly [9]. The study also found that employees with the ENTP type were more likely to get promotion possibilities to become managers. This type refers to the kind of innovator who is very passionate, seeing the world is full of opportunities, engaging, and full of fun challenges [10]. They use the mind to analyze situations and ideas, likes competence, accuracy, intelligence, and efficiency. Others see this type as an independent, creative, enthusiastic, energetic, and assertive individual. The Explorer types are talented in building prototypes and carrying out tasks. This type is a lifelong learner and likes the creative process [11].
Various professions or communities use the MBTI, such as [12] research in graduate students. Among the teaching profession, teachers with masters prefer Thinking, whereas teachers who are not masters tend to have Sensing and Judging preferences [13]. This research found that medical students majoring in Psychiatry mostly had typical Introversion, Intuition, and Judging [14]. Related to the education area, MBTI can even predict student academic performance, such as the study of [15], which found that students with INFP, ENFJ, and ISFJ types had lower academic performance than ESFJ type. The ENFJ type has better understanding, and the ESFP type has lower performance than the ESFJ type. MBTI can also be used for coaching purposes because it can increase client self-awareness [16]. Intention to become an entrepreneur can also be detected through MBTI, such as the research of [17], who found that typical Introversion and Sensing are more to become entrepreneurs.
Beyond various benefits, MBTI is also not free from weaknesses and criticism. MBTI objects that a person cannot be separated into a dichotomy because the personality constraints must be seen in full [6]. Some studies also explain that the reliability of the MBTI test-retest is lower than desired. Behind this theory, which tends to be disjointed in explaining and potentially causing internal contradictions [18]. In particular, [19] also looks at MBTI's validity, which is quite adequate for students in Japan. However, research by [20] found that each dimension in the MBTI correlated with each other, even with personality types A/B and Locus of Control, and also provides support that MBTI is a valid and reliable tool [21].
In principle, personality is latent and will manifest in the form of behavior through specific patterns. A leader of a work unit carries out its functions based on its character. Individuals displayed character through a process of internal unconsciousness that is quite complicated. Maybe an effective managerial style leader, but perhaps also not sufficient. Many things determine this, but a measuring tool called MSDT (Management Style Diagnostic Test) can evaluate the managerial style. This test used the philosophy of leadership theory from one of the 1960s figures named Reddin. He was inspired and adopted Blake and Mouton's model of leader behavior patterns by adding one dimension, namely Effectiveness, because a leader would be useful or not carry out his leadership activities depending on the situation. This addition becomes three dimensions, so Reddin's theory is called a three-dimensional approach, and Blanchard then develops it [22]. This theory is part of the Situational-behavioral views, which is a combination of situational and behavioral approaches [23].
Individual management styles are obtained through a combination of the main styles in MSDT, namely Integrated, Related, Separated, and Dedicated [24]. The variety of these four basic styles [25] developed eight management styles, grouped into effective leadership styles and ineffective styles. The effective styles are Bureaucrat, Developer, Benevolent autocratic, and Executive styles. The less effective types are Deserter, Autocratic, Missionary, and Compromiser [26].

RESEARCH METHOD
This study employed a descriptive approach, and the tools used are the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator and the Management Style Diagnostic Test. The research subjects who participated were elementary and high school principals in the city of Yogyakarta. There were 39 people invited on campus to carry out the research process. Participants' informed consent was obtained orally at the time of data collection and carry out classically. The implementation time shall adjust to the applicable test standard. Data analysis uses all profiles of the instrument used.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Based on examining the test results, obtained data on the types of personality appear as shown in Figure 1. The figure shows the personality types that appear as many as eight types, from 16 types produced by MBTI. There are ESTJ, ESFP, ESFJ, ENTJ, ENFJ, ENFP, ISFJ, and ENTP. The majority of personality types appear ESFJ as many as 15 people (39%), consisting of 9 men and six women. The next is the ESTJ type, as many as nine people (24%), consisting of 2 men and seven women. Next is ESFP, as many as five people (13%) who are all male. Another percentage of 8% is ENTJ and ENFJ types, and the smallest rate (3%) is ENFP, ISFJ, and ENTP types. The dominant characterized in the first letter. It seems that the dominant preference of all respondents is Extroversion and Introversion. These results indicate that most principals, both male, and female, focus on the outside world, people, or something. Individuals are active, broad-based, interactive, and friendly. Besides, individuals are also good at socializing, enthusiastic, confident, stimulating communication and ideas, encouraging action, being open, and straightforward [27]. This style is very beneficial as a positive character of a leader. This character can encourage leaders to increase self-awareness, to define and achieve their goals [16]. From the perspective of transformational leadership, this character shows the focus of the leader on developing subordinates and caring about their needs [28]. One of the functions of the leaders is to carry out the management process in the organization. Leaders who are willing to follow the appropriate strategy will accelerate strategic activities [29]. The assessment results of the Management Style Diagnostic Test show the management style shown in Figure 2.  Figure 2 shows only four management styles, while the Management Style Diagnostic Test has eight styles. The management styles that emerged were Bureaucrat, Developer, Missionary, and Deserter. The majority of respondents' management style is the Bureaucrat style, which is as many as 14 people (37%), consisting of 10 men and four women. Next is the Developer style, which is as many as ten people (26%), consisting of 5 men and five women. Another almost balanced management style is Deserter, which is as many as nine people (24%), consisting of 5 men and four women. The least emergence of management style is the Missionary style, which is as many as five people (13%), consisting of 2 men and three women. These results indicate that male principals are predominant in the Bureaucrat style, which emphasizes procedures and rules. This style is seen as useful because it can follow the rules and manage interests, and is the type to be careful in acting. Female principals are more inclined towards the Developer management style to develop other people's talents and provide a conducive working atmosphere to maximize motivation and satisfaction. This type is useful because it allows for a conducive work environment for subordinates to foster a commitment to themselves and their work. Interaction with other people is one of the peculiarities of women doing their job, by giving more portions to work with other people than male leaders [30]. Leaders care more about others than men [31]. Two different, less effective styles, namely Deserter and Missionary styles, are such a large percentage. This style is a manifestation of the application of the Bureaucrat and Developer styles, but it is incorrect in its implementation so that it seems negative. This study found that the Deserter and Missionary groups were almost equal in number between men and women. Individuals with this type tend to ignore aspects of their duties and relationships at work. If they are related, the interest of preventing wrong impressions from others will be the reason. That is why these two types are considered less effective in the management process.
Personality type is related to the way a leader operates his activities. The following is a description of the relationship between personality types and the applied management style, as shown in Figure 3. As shown in the Figure 3, the ESFJ type is mostly owned by respondents with the Bureaucrat management style. This pattern indicates that with the accuracy possessed, the desire to cooperate to get results on time is in line with a passionate manner that follows the rules and is careful in acting. The highest ESFJ type is also owned by the Developer type, which shows a warm heart and concern for others to provide facilities and a conducive work environment. Together with ESFJ, this type of ESTJ belongs to the Missionary management style, with two slightly different points of view. When someone is willing to collaborate with other people, they carry a mission to protect their interests and self-esteem.
Meanwhile, ESTJ types tend to be practical, realistic, logic in their actions, invite others to work, but it is possible and, at the same time, used to protect themselves from wrong impressions of other people. The type of ESFJ with the character of warmth and willingness to work together contradicts Deserter's management style because this style tends to hinder others' performance. This dynamic needs further attention in future research. The description above shows that MBTI has power as a predictor of various organizational leadership behaviors as a personality assessment tool in Yogyakarta's teaching profession. Personality type can help workers understand individual personality to work effectively and efficiently. This understanding will encourage workers to make decisions, communicate well, helping the organization achieve productivity [32].
A lively management style, such as the transformational model, will also encourage maximum organizational performance [33][34][35], encourage increased work team motivation [36], and promotes commitment [37]. The leader, as an agent of change, is also responsible for these efforts. By harmonizing all organization members, leaders encourage the growth of beliefs and mindsets that will help develop habitual patterns for change [38]. It confirms that the leadership position as a person who has an essential role in the organization [39]. However, no single leadership approach is said to be the most significant [40].