EXPLORING THE CONCEPTUAL RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE AND THE EXTRAVERSION/INTROVERSION DIMENSION OF THE MBTI: THE ROLE OF THE DOMINANT AND AUXILIARY FUNCTIONS1

This paper examines the theory underlying EI and MBTI. Overlap between EI and extraversion is evident. The MBTI dominant and auxiliary functions play a key role in understanding the relationship between personality type and EI. Eight propositions are presented regarding this relationship. Managers are increasingly aware that human resources are their most valuable, yet elusive, assets (Weatherly, 2003). Accordingly, organizations must understand, engage and develop employees, tap into their enthusiasm and talent, and ensure a good person/job fit, not only by focusing on mental and technical abilities, but also by focusing on less easily defined and measured attributes. Two constructs which have received widespread use in organizations in order to achieve this goal are Emotional Intelligence (EI) and personality type, as measured by the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). The MBTI is the most widely used psychological assessment instrument in Nort