Abstract:
Employers seek university graduates who possess interpersonal skills. Many instructors make group assignments but some students dislike them. Understanding the strengths and weaknesses of each team member could enhance the group project experience. Many major corporations and organizations use Hartman's Color Code Personality Profile to build stronger interpersonal relationships and enhance team projects. Although little has been published regarding its validity, Hartman's commercially successful program could have useful classroom applications. In one agricultural policy course students completed the Hartman personality profile questionnaire, and then received instruction from a certified Hartman trainer. Groups were formed for a class role-playing project based primarily on student personality profiles. At the end of the semester the 48 students completed a survey regarding their opinions of personality profiles. Results showed there was a "good balance of personalities in the group" (Likert score 4.43, with 5 = Strongly Agree) and that their "group worked well together because of different personalities" (Likert 4.43). Results also showed students did not think "all members having the same personality color would work better together" (Likert 1.83) or there was "too many individuals wanted to be in control of the group" (Likert 1.90). Students in one large group of nine students were less satisfied with group dynamics than those in the smaller groups of four to five students.
Keywords:
Hartman's, personality profiling, group projects, interpersonal skills
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