Date of Award

9-1992

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science

First Advisor

Dennis E. Campbell, PhD

Second Advisor

William C. Pursch, PhD

Third Advisor

T. Scott Graham, PhD

Abstract

This research establishes a significant relationship between ethical sensitivity (the perception that a situation requires ethical consideration), and personality type, as characterized by the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). A simple random sampling from the membership of the National Contract Management Association yielded 466 responses. The sample was analyzed by segmentation into government (181) and industry (285) respondents. The average ethical sensitivity response of 5.28 out of seven is considered high. Differences in perceptions of ethical sensitivity were significant among government and industry, and among ten scenarios often faced by contracting professionals. In the majority of scenarios, the government segment reported higher ethical sensitivities than industry. Industry reported higher ethical sensitivities to one question involving an error causing a loss to the contractor. There was a significant difference in the MBTI distribution of this sample compared to that of the Center for the Application of Psychological Type. The research sample contained more introverted, sensing, and thinking types. Among the government segment, those favoring intuition, and the intuition- thinking cognitive set of preferences, exhibit higher degrees of ethical sensitivity than other personality types. Recommendations are provided.

AFIT Designator

AFIT-GCM-LSM-92S-9

DTIC Accession Number

ADA258421

Comments

The authors' Vita pages are omitted.

Presented to the Faculty of the School of Systems and Logistics

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