1. Introduction

In today's society, the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) has garnered significant attention and widespread application as a personality type assessment tool. Its popularity primarily stems from the growing demand for understanding individual personality traits and enhancing team management. Researchers have been exploring ways to better comprehend and utilize MBTI [1-3]. In recent years, as awareness of individual differences and personality traits has increased, MBTI has become a favored tool for measuring and describing personality types. MBTI not only helps individuals better understand their behavioral preferences and communication styles but also provides valuable insights for team management, career planning, and interpersonal relationships. Against this backdrop, this study aims to investigate the reasons behind MBTI's popularity in modern society and further explore its applications and impacts in real-life contexts.

First, MBTI, as a straightforward and easily comprehensible personality type framework, has found extensive use across various industries. By categorizing behavioral preferences, MBTI simplifies personality traits into four fundamental dimensions. These dimensions divide personalities into 16 types, with each dimension having two opposing poles. The four dimensions are Extraversion (E) vs. Introversion (I), Sensing (S) vs. Intuition (N), Thinking (T) vs. Feeling (F), and Judging (J) vs. Perceiving (P). This framework provides individuals and teams with a structured approach to understanding and communication.

Second, with increasing workplace competition, personal career planning and development have become focal points for many. MBTI assists individuals in identifying their professional interests and strengths while guiding them in selecting suitable career paths and development directions. Consequently, many professionals actively participate in MBTI assessments and interpretations to enhance self-awareness and career planning capabilities [4-5].

Moreover, MBTI plays a significant role in team management and collaboration. By understanding team members’ personality types and behavioral styles, leaders can better allocate tasks, facilitate communication, and unlock individual potential. As a result, an increasing number of organizations and businesses incorporate MBTI into team building and leadership development to improve team performance and employee satisfaction.

This study seeks to provide a comprehensive understanding of the reasons behind MBTI's popularity and its implications across various fields.

2. Individual differences

MBTI describes individual personality types through preferences in four dimensions: Extraversion (E) vs. Introversion (I), Sensing (S) vs. Intuition (N), Thinking (T) vs. Feeling (F), and Judging (J) vs. Perceiving (P). These dimensions, when combined, form 16 distinct personality types, each with unique characteristics and tendencies. The results are represented by four letters corresponding to the dimensions. Extraversion (E) and Introversion (I) explain whether individuals draw energy from external interactions or internal reflection. Sensing (S) and Intuition (N) indicate a focus on concrete, tangible details versus abstract possibilities and concepts. Thinking (T) and Feeling (F) reflect a preference for logical, objective decision-making versus considering emotions and values. Judging (J) and Perceiving (P) describe a tendency toward structured organization versus flexibility and spontaneity.

These combinations create personality types such as ISTJ, INFJ, ENFP, and ENTJ, among others. MBTI helps individuals gain a clear understanding of their personality traits, which can guide them in choosing suitable career paths and improving interpersonal relationships. It also provides valuable tools for leaders in team management, enabling them to allocate tasks effectively and improve collaboration among members [6]. Each MBTI type's unique characteristics further aid individuals in identifying their strengths, simplifying career planning, and alleviating the pressure on leaders when assigning responsibilities within teams.

3. Organizational Culture

Organizational conflict behavior refers to actions of opposition, disagreement, or aggression arising within an organization due to inconsistencies in interests, attitudes, goals, or values among members, between members and the organization, or between different groups within the organization. Such conflicts may involve individuals, teams, or the entire organization and can impact organizational efficiency and atmosphere.

Organizational conflict behavior encompasses several types of conflicts. Goal conflict arises when the objectives of individuals or groups are incompatible. Cognitive conflict stems from differences in ideas and viewpoints. Affective conflict emerges due to irreconcilable emotions or feelings. Lastly, procedural conflict occurs when disagreements arise regarding the processes for resolving problems.

The factors leading to organizational conflict include communication issues, where poor or inaccurate communication is a common cause of conflict. Structural factors also play a role; for example, improper organizational design, such as unequal resource allocation, can trigger conflicts. Additionally, individual behavioral factors, such as differences in values or perceptions, are another source of organizational conflict.

3.1. Case of Melissa and Larry

Two employees, Melissa and Larry, experienced conflict within their organization. The issue began when Larry, who had been with the company longer than Melissa, questioned why she was promoted while he was not. At the same time, Melissa assigned Larry tasks he disliked the most, making him feel targeted.

The conflict between Melissa and Larry is a specific example of organizational conflict behavior. In this situation, Larry may feel a sense of unfairness, as Melissa was promoted despite his longer tenure. This perceived inequity likely stems from the unequal distribution of resources, such as promotion opportunities, as well as differences in values and expectations. Additionally, Melissa’s decision to assign Larry tasks he strongly dislikes may have intensified his feeling of being targeted, triggering both affective conflict and procedural conflict.

Both individuals remain in a state of ambiguity, lacking a thorough understanding of the actual circumstances behind the situation. At this point, MBTI could help their leader address the issue. By conducting MBTI analysis for the employees, the leader could use tailored approaches based on their personality types to resolve the conflict effectively.

3.2. Case of NASA, Boeing, and Lockheed Martin

A team composed of members from NASA, Boeing, and Lockheed Martin was assembled to conduct debris assessments. During the process, issues were detected and reported by the team. However, the central administration did not receive their feedback. The team suspected that their reports had been ignored or deliberately suppressed. Subsequently, MMT investigated the matter to determine the validity of these claims and concluded that the team had succumbed to "confirmation bias," leading decision-makers to unknowingly validate their intuitive assumptions.

This incident highlights the importance of leveraging collective wisdom in group dynamics, emphasizing that individuals should not dismiss the opinions of the group. It underscores the diversity in perspectives and the need for collaborative thinking. Furthermore, it clearly illustrates organizational conflict behavior, which arises within or between organizations due to differences in goals, resources, power, responsibilities, communication, or other factors. Such conflicts may manifest as direct confrontation, competition, or non-cooperation, or take subtler forms like misunderstandings, distrust, or communication barriers.

In this scenario, the small group formed by Boeing and Lockheed Martin encountered issues during the debris assessment process and suspected their reports had been suppressed or ignored. This situation likely involved communication issues, structural factors, and individual behavioral factors. MMT’s investigation concluded that the team’s actions were influenced by "confirmation bias," causing decision-makers to unconsciously validate their intuitive perceptions. This case demonstrates that cognitive biases among individuals and interactions in group decision-making processes are critical factors contributing to organizational conflict behavior.

4. Discussion

MBTI is a psychological test used to assess individual personality traits and preferences, representing different personality characteristics. Organizational conflict refers to contradictions and tensions within an organization caused by differing interests, needs, or viewpoints. Group dynamics, on the other hand, studies the internal relationships, communication, collaboration, and conflicts within a group.

First, MBTI can help organizations better understand and manage personality differences among employees. By understanding the personality types of employees, organizations can better arrange team members in a way that complements each other’s strengths, improving team efficiency and cohesion. If an organization fails to properly understand and address conflicts arising from personality differences, it may negatively impact the overall operation of the organization.

Second, in group dynamics, MBTI can promote effective communication and collaboration among team members. After understanding the personality traits of team members, leaders can tailor team activities according to the preferences and strengths of different personality types in decision-making, task distribution, and problem-solving, which can enhance the team's collaborative efficiency and outcomes.

However, MBTI can also lead to conflicts within teams, particularly in teams with markedly different personality types. Some personality types may be more prone to conflict and competition, while others may prioritize harmony and cooperation. Without proper communication and conflict resolution mechanisms, such differences can lead to internal disharmony and contradictions, affecting the team's overall efficiency and performance.

The relationship between MBTI, organizational conflict, and group dynamics requires more attention and discussion in organizational management. Correctly understanding and applying MBTI test results can help organizations better manage conflicts between team members, enhance team performance and cohesion, and ultimately achieve organizational goals. By clearly understanding the personality traits of both parties, collaboration within the organization can reduce conflicts and improve work efficiency. In group dynamics, understanding personality traits can help in the initial selection of suitable leaders.

5. Conclusion

Through a comprehensive analysis of a large body of literature, this paper explores the significance and impact of MBTI. During the exploration, some limitations were identified, such as MBTI's ability to categorize people's personalities but its inability to provide a more detailed and precise depiction of an individual's character. These limitations offer directions for future research. This paper provides an in-depth analysis of MBTI's applications across various fields, drawing several conclusions. First, as an authoritative tool for measuring personality types, MBTI has been widely applied in various areas such as daily life, work, and management. Second, MBTI has not only deepened its research in early application fields but has also been applied to new areas, providing a more comprehensive explanation of the relationship between personality and behavior. Furthermore, the analytical methods for MBTI results are continually updated, allowing for better career planning by combining it with other personality scales. Based on the limitations of this study, future research can be further developed in several ways. First, addressing real-world discrepancies, the sample size could be expanded to include a more diverse range of personality samples, improving accuracy. Second, combining qualitative research methods could allow for a deeper exploration of internal factors in corporate management decision-making. Additionally, future studies could investigate the integration of MBTI with other psychological theories and how to more effectively use MBTI results for personalized employee training and development.