Title: Fitting Millennials to business cultures using five-factor theory, personality clusters, and the theory of bureaucracy

Authors: Rae André

Addresses: D'Amore-McKim School of Business, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA

Abstract: Using personality profiles of Millennials, this research suggests a method for matching individuals to particular company cultures. It draws on the five-factor theory of personality along with the theory of bureaucracy to identify three business-relevant personality clusters - bureaucrats, enterprisers and independents (BEI) - and argues that individuals in different clusters are likely to identify with particular business cultures. To illustrate this point, it identifies the personality clusters of a sample of student Millennials and explores how an individual's BEI personality cluster predicts choice of business school major. Using this person-organisation fit approach, companies could choose individual Millennials that fit their existing company cultures rather than altering their company cultures to accommodate the diverse Millennial cohort. HR professionals should consider ways to train Millennials to acquire the behaviours and attitudes that will enable them to function optimally in their jobs despite their predominant personality as bureaucrat, enterpriser, or independent.

Keywords: Big Five; bureaucracy theory; organisational culture; five-factor theory; Millennials; personality clusters; person-organisation fit; employee selection; corporate culture; business culture; human resource management; HRM; Millennial generation.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMP.2015.071688

International Journal of Management Practice, 2015 Vol.8 No.2, pp.99 - 114

Received: 09 Mar 2015
Accepted: 04 Jun 2015
Published online: 14 Sep 2015 *

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