Belbin®, MTR-i™ and MBTI®

This page explores the relationships between Belbin Team Roles, MTR-i Team Roles and MBTI personalities.

The MTR-i team roles do not correspond with the Belbin team roles - they are a new set of roles, having been produced on a different theoretical basis. A study undertaken by Henley Management College (Higgs, 1996) showed that, although there may be some loose correlations, there is not a clear relationship between Belbin and the MBTI (based on the same underlying theory as the MTR-i).

The table below shows the implied correlations there might be between the two team role models:

MTR-i team role	Belbin comparison
	(Henley Report)	(author's hypothesis)
Harmonising	Team Worker	Team Worker
Campaigning	No equivalent	No equivalent
Exploring	Resource Investigator	Resource Investigator
Innovating	No equivalent	Plant
Activating	No equivalent	Shaper Implementer Completer Finisher
Clarifying	Monitor Evaluator Implementer	Monitor Evaluator
Conducting	Co-ordinator Completer Finisher Implementer	Co-ordinator
Analysing	No equivalent	Technical specialist

Comparison with the MBTI

The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator is a model of personality preferences. It identifies characteristics and traits that are associated with the person.  The MTR-i is a team roles model. It identifies what kind of contribution is being made to the team. Whereas MBTI type is inborn, MTR-i team roles change from situation to situation, in accord with the demands of the environment.

The MTR-i complements the MBTI by enabling a comparison between preferences and roles being performed. The MTR-i does not measure the same things as the MBTI.

MBTI	MTR-i
Reports personality preferences Consistent over time Tries to measure personality type Reports 4 pairs of preferences, resulting in 16 personality types	Reports contribution to the team Changes in different situations Tries to measure use of Jungian function-attitudes Reports 8 distinct team roles

Any personality type can undertake any team role. However, there is a strong link between the two models, based on the theory of Carl Jung. Both models and questionnaires are concerned with the Jungian functions or function-attitudes. The differences are:

• The MBTI indicates which Jungian function-attitudes are preferred. (Everyone uses all the Jungian-functions, no matter what their preferences.)
• The MTR-i indicates which Jungian function-attitudes are primarily being used at present. (Irrespective of which function-attitudes are currently being used, one's underlying preference may be different.)

The table below identifies the theoretical correspondence between personality type and team role, and the Jungian function attitudes that provide the link.

MBTI types	Function-attitude preferred / used	MTR-i team role
ESFJ/ENFJ	Fe	Harmonising
ISFP/INFP	Fi	Campaigning
ENTP/ENFP	Ne	Exploring
INTJ/INFJ	Ni	Innovating
ESFP/ESTP	Se	Activating
ISTJ/ISFJ	Si	Curating
ESTJ/ENTJ	Te	Conducting
ISTP/INTP	Ti	Analysing

The linkages between the two models are reflected in the colours of the (new) MTR-i team wheel:

• Green team roles correspond to the Sensing function
• Yellow team roles correspond to the Intuition function
• Blue team roles correspond to the Thinking function
• Red team roles correspond to the Feeling function
• Team roles on the outside of the wheel correspond to functions oriented towards the outer world of people/things
• Team roles on the inside of the wheel correspond to functions oriented towards the inner world of ideas/information

Pricing

The differences in pricing between Belbin and MTR-i in 2001 are:

	MTR-i	Belbin
Paper version	$10See note 1	$25.56See note 2
On-line version	$10See note 3	$35.50See note 4

Notes

1. The price for the paper version of the MTR-i are as quoted at www.hpsys.com, and includes the answer sheet and report form/360 feedback, but not the reusable question cards (one off cost, at approximately $8 per card)
2. The cost of the paper version of Belbin's Self Perception Inventory is based on purchasing the book "Management Teams - Why They Succeed or Fail" for each completion. A note at the Belbin website states:

   "The Self-Perception Inventory within this book... should not be used commercially, photocopied or reproduced in any format electronically, as this infringes intellectual copyright."

   The price of the book is as quoted at Belbin's website as £18 (sterling) (2001 prices)
3. The price for the on-line MTR-i is that quoted by Pan Testing
4. The price for the on-line Belbin is based on the Sterling priced quoted by the Belbin website - £25.
5. The amounts quoted in the table above are all US dollars, using an exchange rate of 1.42 with Sterling (source: Ceefax). Shipping costs are excluded from all costs.

References

Higgs, Malcom (1996), A comparison of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator and Belbin Team Roles, Henley Management College