5.3

JPT Research Digest

MBTI personality types of Korean cabin crew in Middle Eastern Airlines, and their associations with cross-cultural adjustment competency, occupational competency, coping competency, Mental Health, and turnover intention.


Song, M., Choi, H., & Hyun, S. S. (2021). MBTI personality types of Korean cabin crew in Middle Eastern Airlines, and their associations with cross-cultural adjustment competency, occupational competency, coping competency, Mental Health, and turnover intention. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(7), 3419. doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18073419

This study analyzed the impact of airline crew members' MBTI® type preferences with assessments of cross-cultural, occupational, and coping competency, among other variables, in Korean crew members who worked for a foreign airline company. At face value, this may seem too specific a topic to have broader appeal to a Western, type-based community. Yet, our worlds are more and more global—even living in rural America cultural diversity is an increasing factor in work life and social relationships.

The MBTI instrument was delivered to 172 Korean crew members who worked for a Middle Eastern airline. Analyses revealed that cabin crew members had significantly different levels of cross-cultural, occupational, and coping competency based on personality type preferences. Further, analyses found that cross-cultural competency was a mediator for mental health and turnover intentions. That is, higher cross-cultural competency increased mental health and decreased turnover intentions.

The preferences with highest cross-cultural competency were Extraversion, Intuition, and Perceiving; there was no difference between Thinking and Feeling. These preferences make sense: a preference for Extraversion moves into the world with interest; a preference for Intuition is imaginatively open, and not frightened by, new experiences; and a preference for Perceiving imparts an ability to flow with the unknown.

The authors reported that cabin service crew members had Extraversion, Intuition, and Feeling as the most represented preferences; galley operating crew had predominant preferences for Sensing, Thinking, and Judging; and employees in duty free sales also predominantly had preferences for Extraversion, Intuition, and Feeling.

These results demonstrate a fit between type preferences and professional role, and that it is not necessary to use type before job selection. Often, people naturally find their way into roles that best suit their type preferences. The best action from employers is to provide appropriate training and allow for movement of employees into roles that better serve their natural talents.


ARTICLE PERMALINK: https://www.myersbriggs.org/research-and-library/journal-psychological-type/mbti-korean-crew-middle-eastern-airlines/

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Journal of Psychological Type® Research Digest (JPT-RD) is made available through Myers & Briggs Foundation, worldwide publisher. The editorial team includes Kesstan Blandin, PhD, Yvonne Nelson-Reid, PhD, Logan Abbitt, MLIS, and Purnima Sims.

For inquiries about accessing original articles, contact library@myersbriggs.org.

Myers & Briggs Foundation carries the legacy of Isabel Briggs Myers and the MBTI® instrument through our mission to educate the public about psychological type—including its ethical, meaningful, and practical applications—and to conduct research on psychological type and the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® (MBTI) instrument. The JPT-RD, published annually, is a publication that highlights research and ideas in the field of psychological type, the MBTI Instrument, and Jungian thought.

©2022 Center for Applications of Psychological Type, Inc., publisher.

Contact the JPT-RD Editorial Team at research@myersbriggs.org.