A psychological assessment of the differential personality characteristics of MBA students: A multidimensional model

Lawrence John Cardassi, Marquette University

Abstract

Despite the supposed expertise and ability of students graduating with a Master's of Business Administration degree, there has been increasing controversy and widespread criticism of MBA holders in terms of their qualifications and personality characteristics. The main objective of this research was to analyze and evaluate through employment of psychometric assessment the personality characteristics of a sample of MBA students from Marquette University, and to examine the possible existence of association between personality factors relevant to the study and specified demographic variables indigenous to the sample assessed. This was accomplished by use of the Comrey Personality Scales (CPS) psychological inventory, and statistical methodology which included regression and correlation analysis, and the chi-square method. Results suggest that despite some significant differences between male and female subjects, the sample of MBA students assessed did not differ significantly on the personality variables employed from the standardization sample of the CPS. Analysis of the data did result in several findings that suggested significant degrees of association between some of the personality scales and demographic variables. Implications for the study's conclusions were discussed, as were recommendations for future research.

This paper has been withdrawn.