Conscious and unconscious
personality at work: an application
of the Enneagram typology
Dr Anna Sutton
PhD at Leeds University Business School
What is it?

“dynamic system of nine personality types
that empowers you to better understand
yourself and others”
Helen Palmer and David Daniels, MD
Enneagram teachers

“something to do with naked encounter groups in
California”
Prof Chris Allinson
My supervisor!
A quick intro to the Enneagram



Personality typology
9 types based on unconscious “worldview”
Diagram summarises theory:



Circle: “wings”
Arrows: Changes in stress and security
Also has 3 subtypes for each type
But is it real?

Wagner (1981)



reliability of type decisions
Significant differences between types on MBTI and MillonIllinois scales
Questionnaire studies show distinctive type profiles
on:




16PF (Warling 1995)
Adjective Checklist (Dameyer 2001)
NEO PI-R (Newgent 2001)
OPQ-32 (Brown and Bartram 2005)
Study 1
Investigating Conscious and
Unconscious Personality using the
Enneagram
Personality in the workplace

Personality is:


Conscious or Explicit personality


A “character description”
Unconscious or Implicit personality


Unique pattern of thoughts, feelings and
behaviours
“Hidden” motives or reasons for behaviour
Drawback of self-report

Need to include conscious + unconscious
Background



Personality psychology fragmented
Enneagram types combine descriptions of cs
and ucs aspects
Is the Enneagram Typology valid?


Benefit Enneagram community: solid evidence for
the types
Benefit Personality psychologists: bring together
fragmented field
Method


Rich descriptions of type  Specific
hypotheses
Questionnaire survey




Big Five traits (self-report)
Personal Values (self-report)
Implicit motives (semi-projective)
Job outcomes
Sample


N = 416
Min 30 of each
Enneagram Type
not in
employment
23%
self-employed
40%
employed
37%



75% female
46% UK & 37% USA
Good range of ages:

Mean age = 53.5, S.D. =
10.7
Master's degree
36%
Doctoral
14%
Other
16%
Bachelor’s degree
31%
GCSE or A-level
6%
Vocational
10%
Other
3%
Results

Individual hypotheses about each type:



69 made, 53 confirmed
Of non-significant relationships, all but one in right
direction
Good evidence for the validity of the types
Validation of Enneagram types – Big Five
traits
Extraversion - Confident, sociable and outgoing, with a
positive attitude and a focus on the outside world
Extraversion
1
0.8
0.6
0.4
0.2
0
-0.2
-0.4
-0.6
-0.8
-1
-1.2
Type 1
Type 2
Type 3
Type 4
Type 5
Type 6
Type 7
Type 8
Type 9
Validation of Enneagram types – Values
Achievement - Being successful by demonstrating one’s
ability in ways other people will recognise and acknowledge
Achievement
1
0.8
0.6
0.4
0.2
0
-0.2
-0.4
-0.6
-0.8
Type 1
Type 2
Type 3
Type 4
Type 5
Type 6
Type 7
Type 8
Type 9
Validation of Enneagram types – Implicit
Motives
nPow – implicit motivation to have impact, control or
influence over another person, group or the world
Need for Power
0.2
0.15
0.1
0.05
0
-0.05
-0.1
Type 1
Type 2
Type 3
Type 4
Hope of Power
Type 5
Type 6
Fear of Power
Type 7
Type 8
Power Motive
Type 9
Predictive ability of Enneagram – Job
Attitudes
Job-related Self-Efficacy – extent to which employees
consider they can do everything their job requires of them
Job Esteem
0.6
0.5
0.4
0.3
0.2
0.1
0
-0.1
-0.2
-0.3
-0.4
Type 1
Type 2
Type 3
Type 4
Type 5
Type 6
Type 7
Type 8
Type 9
Predictive ability of Enneagram – Job
Choices
Percentage
Occupational distribution by type (percentages)
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Type 1
Type 2
Type 3
Type 4
Type 5
Type 6
Type 7
Professional (teaching, health, legal, science)
Manager / Senior Official
Associate Professional and Technical
Other
Type 8
Type 9
Study 1 Conclusions



Enneagram valid model of personality
Unique relationships of E-Types to
established personality models
Impact of E-Type on job outcomes


Both short term (attitudes) and long term (choice
of occupation)
Combines both explicit and implicit
personality
Study 2
Self-awareness in the workplace:
An application of the Enneagram
Personality instruments in the workplace

Assumptions:



Self-awareness can be improved
Self-awareness is beneficial
The “Sadder but Wiser” paradox: Reflection
and Rumination
Background



Can self-awareness be improved?
What outcomes are associated with selfawareness in the workplace?
2 workshops designed to improve selfawareness:


Generic training
Enneagram-specific training
Method


80 participants in 3 workshops
“switching replications” design
Time
-5 weeks
Group 1
Group 2
Group 3
Q1
-2 weeks
Training
+1 week
+4 weeks
Q3
Q1
Enneagram
Q2
Q2
Enneagram
Q3
Q1
Self-awareness Q2
Q3
Control
Short-term effects
Long-term effects

Quantitative analysis – change in SA,
relationship with job-related affect and coping
strategies
Quantitative results


Control: no effect of questionnaire
Self-awareness:



Job-related affect:



General workshop: ST drop in Reflection
Enneagram workshop: LT drop in Rumination
Reflection associated with +ve affect
(Contentment and Enthusiasm)
Rumination associated with –ve affect
(Dissatisfaction and Depression)
Coping Strategies

Relationships strengthened in long term
Qualitative Analysis




Open-ended question in final questionnaire
63 responses
Used grounded theory to examine emergent
themes and develop categories
Then content analysis
Qualitative results
Category
Theme
Group 1
(E)
Group 2
(E)
Group 3
(SA)
Total
Overall effect
No noticeable effect
7
9
3
19
Short term negative effects
1
2
0
3
Generally beneficial
3
6
0
9
Continuing reflection
5
2
3
10
Understanding / acceptance of
self, reassurance
11
20
4
35
Understanding / acceptance of
others, diversity
7
15
4
26
Confidence
0
2
1
3
Made active changes
3
5
3
11
Improved relationships /
communication with others
3
0
2
5
Thoughts about career options /
current job
1
3
1
5
Self-development
2
7
0
9
Internal /
reflective
changes
Specific effects
Future
No noticeable effect

I think that the
workshop has
had very little
effect, if any, on
my work life

But majority went on to
describe the effects!
Why this discrepancy?

Changes not perceived
as dramatic enough?
Understanding / Acceptance of self
This helps me avoid
taking the reactions of
others personally and
will help me deal with
others better in the
future



Feel better knowing
that I am not the only
person who behaves
and thinks the way I
do

Most commonly
reported effect
New insights into self
Facing weaknesses
Interaction with others
Made active changes
I have also realised
that others in the team
have vulnerabilities
which has helped me to
respond in a more
effective / empathic
way
It has made me
more assertive in
making space for
me

Unusual as most
effects were “internal”
Self-development
I still have to take the
time out and really
develop further as
there are some parts
(as with any [type]) of
myself that do really
need looking at in
order for me to
become a better
person


Limited to Enneagram
workshop
Comments often
related to specific
Enneagram type
Study 2 conclusions



Self-awareness can be improved and is
associated with positive job outcomes
Effects of workshops mainly internal but did
include specific, active changes
Workshops had differential effects



Enneagram useful beyond workplace
Tools vs Framework
Future development
Overall Conclusions

Study 1


Enneagram useful for integrating models of
conscious and unconscious personality
Study 2


Self-awareness can be improved
Enneagram training has beneficial effects in
workplace