Applications to Practice
The
theory of environmental types and the SETA were designed to be used
in the same areas of practice
as psychological type constructs and the MBTI®. Grouped most
broadly, these areas of application include:
Educational Environments
The
MBTI has been traditionally
used as an indication of the learning styles of students to help
them adapt to the climates of various academic environments, which
are
amalgams of the students' and teacher's personalities, the nature
of the subject matter, the layout of the classroom, and so forth.
Besides helping students utilize their psychological type preferences
effectively, changing the learning environment can be another strategy
to assure student success. The SETA provides a way for educators
to
gauge the perceptions of students and faculty about the natures of
particular academic environments, before and after any changes.
Work Settings and Teams
People
are often called upon to interact with one another to achieve the
goals of a work setting or a team.
To enhance effectiveness, the MBTI provides a wonderful tool
to help people understand themselves and other members of the group.
The characteristics of a team or work setting are more than just the
personalities of the people who comprise it, however. Often, the task
and goals of setting influence the type of behavioral environment
that evolves, which can have different implications for different
people. The SETA provides a strategy to "type" the team or work setting,
which is independent of the aggregated personalities of the people
in it. Such information can be used to enhance the performance of
employees and team members, as well as leaders.
Companies and Organizations
Even
something as large and complex as an organization can have its
own "personality" that guides its
overall functioning. Noted writer and organizational consultant, Tom
Peters (1992), has suggested that successful organizations are ones
that incorporate the unique characteristics of employees (psychological
types) as well as the natures of the various units within the organization
(environmental types). In this way, the SETA can provide insight into
an organization's culture and a means to "map" the interactions of
units and the people in them.
Counselors and Coaches
The
MBTI has long served as
a tool to support adjustment and success in particular settings (e.g.,
family, work, small groups), and the SETA provides a way to obtain
clients' perceptions of those environments. Jung (1965) once observed
that: "A collective problem, if not recognized as such, always as
a personal problem, and in individual cases may give the impression
that something is out of order in the personal psyche." (pp. 233-234).
Because some clients are quick to attribute the source of problems
to themselves, a counselor or adviser now has another tool to help
them see what may lie in the environment.
Other Applications
Fifty years ago, when the MBTI was being
created, Myers and Briggs had no concept of the myriad of ways that
the Indicator would be used. These four examples are ones where the
SETA has been used, thus far. Hopefully, more applications will emerge
in the coming years.
Reference
Jung, C. G. (1965). Memories,
dreams and reflections. (A. Jaffé, Ed., R. Winston & C.
Winston, Trans.). New York: Vintage Books.
Peters, T. (1992). Liberation
management: Necessary disorganization for the nanosecond nineties.
New York: Knopf.
