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) | |
| Coach | Team Worker | Team Worker |
| Crusader | No equivalent | No equivalent |
| Explorer | Resource Investigator | Resource Investigator |
| Innovator | No equivalent | Plant |
| Sculptor | No equivalent | Shaper |
| Curator | Monitor Evaluator Implementor |
Monitor Evaluator |
| Conductor | Co-ordinator Completer Finisher Implementor Shaper |
Co-ordinator Completer Finisher Implementor |
| Scientist | No equivalent | No equivalent |
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, |
Reports contribution to the team Changes in different situations Tries to measure use of 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 | Coach |
| ISFP/INFP | Fi | Crusader |
| ENTP/ENFP | Ne | Explorer |
| INTJ/INFJ | Ni | Innovator |
| ESFP/ESTP | Se | Sculptor |
| ISTJ/ISFJ | Si | Curator |
| ESTJ/ENTJ | Te | Conductor |
| ISTP/INTP | Ti | Scientist |
The linkages between the two models are reflected in the colours of the MTR-i team wheel:
- Yellow team roles correspond to the Sensing function
- Green team roles correspond to the Intuition function
- Red team roles correspond to the Thinking function
- Blue 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 MTR-i can be purchased by appropriately qualified individuals from various distributors. The diferences 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
"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)