Project Management Approaches: The Impact of Personality Traits

This essay explores the crucial relationship between a project manager's personality and their approach to project management, ultimately impacting project success. It highlights that certain personality traits, such as conscientiousness, emotional stability, and openness, are positively correlated with success, while extraversion and agreeableness may not be as directly linked. The essay references the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator as a tool to assess personality impact and emphasizes the importance of aligning a manager's personality with the project type for optimal outcomes. The 'P-O fit theory' further supports this, suggesting that managers are drawn to projects that align with their personality. The analysis concludes that matching a project manager's personality profile to the project's demands can significantly enhance decision-making and overall project success, with Desklib offering further resources for students.

Running head: PERSONALITY AND PROECT MANAGEMENT APPROACHES
Relationship between Personality and Project Management Approaches
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Table of Contents
Introduction..........................................................................................................................2
Managers Personality and Success in Project Management................................................2
Conclusion...........................................................................................................................3
References............................................................................................................................4

2PERSONALITY AND PROECT MANAGEMENT APPROACHES
Introduction
Project managers are turning out to be vital part of an organization’s leadership capability
and within the project management process (Bredin and Söderlund 2013). The objective of this
paper is to analyze the relationship between the personality and the project management
approaches along with the ways in which an individual’s personality impacts their success within
the project management process.
Managers Personality and Success in Project Management
The discipline within the project management is observed to be evolving and such
personality trait indicated by the project managers determines the success of these managers.
Cohen, Ornoy and Keren (2013) revealed that certain personality traits of managers such as
conscientiousness, emotional stability and openness is positively associated with the success of
the project managers. In addition, personality traits such as extraversion and agreeableness are
not observed to be positively correlated with success of these managers. Dvir, Sadeh and
Malach-Pines (2006) evidenced that through carrying Myers-Briggs Indicator evaluation
indicates the impact of project manager’s personality on the project success. Moreover, a
relationship has also been revealed among the personality type and the competencies of project
managers. Personality dimensions of the managers are associated with several models relate with
project dimensions and it is also revealed that the project managers those linked their personality
type with the project type are observed to be highly successful.
Thal Jr and Bedingfield (2010) explained that nominating a project manager having a
personality profile that is associated with the project can facilitate them to take influencing

3PERSONALITY AND PROECT MANAGEMENT APPROACHES
decisions regarding a project success. “Myers-Briggs Type Indicator” test considers that the
project managers require being more suited in dealing with uncertain environments and non-
routine activities. A survey conducted by Bredin and Söderlund (2013) indicated that in contrast
with other managers, the project managers attains personality types that is characterized by
willingness to make risk taking decisions with partial data. These managers indicate personality
of less readiness to conduct through evaluation of available scant data. These personality types
characterize managers those are able to logically speculate regarding future and feel highly
comfortable conducting the same than other managers.
Eleven aspects which indicate Type “A” behavior pattern indicated that the project
managers has an attraction towards the selected high paced projects and gives punctuality an
increased importance. Cohen, Ornoy and Keren (2013) evidenced that the value of a truly
interdisciplinary association among the project managers along with personality psychology
offers additional support to the “P-O fit theory”. This theory anticipates that the project managers
are attracted to highly successful managing projects which are linked with their personality type.
Moreover, this is also manifested in relationship between personality characteristics of project
managers, project pro-files and success of a project (Dvir, Sadeh and Malach-Pines 2006).
Conclusion
In analyzing the relationship between the personality and project management approaches
it was gathered that nominating a project manager having a personality profile that is associated
with the project can facilitate them to take influencing decisions regarding a project success. It is
also concluded that the project managers those linked their personality type with the project type
are observed to be highly successful.

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References
Bredin, K. and Söderlund, J., 2013. Project managers and career models: An exploratory
comparative study. International journal of project management, 31(6), pp.889-902.
Cohen, Y., Ornoy, H. and Keren, B., 2013. MBTI personality types of project managers and their
success: A field survey. Project Management Journal, 44(3), pp.78-87.
Dvir, D., Sadeh, A. and Malach-Pines, A., 2006. Projects and Project Managers: The
Relationship between Project Managers' Personality, Project Types, and Project Success. Project
Management Journal, 37(5), pp.36-48.
Thal Jr, A.E. and Bedingfield, J.D., 2010. Successful project managers: an exploratory study into
the impact of personality. Technology analysis & strategic management, 22(2), pp.243-259.