Firo -B Test

Personality Test for Organization

1. Name of the test: FIRO-B





Definition of Test:

The Fundamental Interpersonal Relations Orientation–Behavior™ (FIRO-B®) instrument was
created in the late 1950s by William Schutz, PhD. Schutz who developed the FIRO-B theory
to aid in the understanding and predicting of how high-performance military teams would work
together. In developing the FIRO-B theory, Schutz began with the premise that "people need
people." He used the term interpersonal to indicate any interaction, real or imagined, occurring
between people. He used the term need to describe a psychological condition that, if not
satisfied, leads to a state of discomfort or anxiety. The theory presented three dimensions of
interpersonal relations posited to be necessary and sufficient to explain most human interaction.
On the behavioral level, these dimensions were called Inclusion, Control and Affection. Schutz
created the FIRO-B in 1958 where Element B ‘fills in’ the gaps left by the original instrument,
provides a single response scale rather than switching back and forth between two, has
simplified wording and greater scale integrity and identifies not just what a person does /gets,
but what they want in each of these areas. It also measures their satisfaction with their
behaviors.

Introduction of Test:

2. No human wants to live in isolation as their instincts are driven or triggered by socialization
and they want to interact and share their social craving among the people may be at workplace,
personal or social settings. Consequently, people do face some
subtle challenges in maintaining the healthy or cordial relationships in the long-run.
Sometimes, the relationships may be impaired or injured due to some petty annoyances or
misunderstandings. As a result, the bi-products of strained workplace relationships like; stress,
anxiety, jealousy, unfair competitions and frustrations contribute to decrease the work
efficiency of the employees. The Social Exchange Theory of George Homans (1958)
propounds that the social relationships are based on cost-benefit analysis wherein the
individuals involved in social exchanges have subtle intentions of getting psychological or
monetary rewards. Besides, the basic assumptions of this theory are:
• Humans always aspire for returns out of a relationship and discard negative outcomes.
• Humans are logical and social animals
• The usage of gauging system to measure outcomes out of a relationship that varies from
individual to individual. In order to understand better the workplace relationships, the
researcher must treat the employees as emotional beings not as the humanoids. Besides, the
interpersonal relationship at workplace is a complex nexus which is made up of emotional
filaments that influence the social or cultural or behavioral exchanges that take place. it was
inferred that the behavioral competency posited by FIRO theory is just an inner reflection of
one’s self-concept. It is inferred that the self-concept is based on iceberg model wherein 10%
of self is visible outside and 90% is hidden from the general view. As per the FIRO theory,
whatever an
individual wanting for himself, the same would be expressed toward others. Further, the human
mind evaluates the external behaviors of other in relations to the self-concept developed by the
particular individual and based on that the behaviors of each individual is manifested into
actions and finally affecting the relations positively or negatively.


Objective of Test:

HR Professionals, Coaches, Trainers and consultants use this highly validated instrument to
identify behavioral patterns, help people better understand others and other’s behavior and
create action plans. It helps in reducing conflict by understanding the differences in 3 areas.
When people understand the basics of how they are different from each other and their strengths
and weakness, they can steps to reduce conflict and become more accepting. It provides
information for the coaching process by providing information in areas that determine in part
how a leader interacts with his/her team. A ‘multiple-lens’ approach to more accurately
determine an individual leader’s specific behaviors and preferences. It provides key
information in making a compatible team design and team building. There are two useful levels
to view team member compatibility: The person-to-team view looks at what a particular team
member wants relative to what the team as a whole provides, based on the results of team
members’ Element B scores. A deeper level of analysis is the person-to person level. In this
case, each person is paired with every other person on the team. This allows for examination
of each pair’s compatibility. Design more effective problem-solving groups. Individual
employees, as well as leaders and entire teams can benefit from using Element B to work on
their individual development by receiving feedback and developing individual action. Plans
based on the Element B results.

3. Attributes of Test:

FIRO-B - Fundamental Interpersonal Relationship Orientation – Behavior is considered for
the purpose of data collection. The questionnaire has 54. There are 12 primary scales on which
one can receive a score ranging from 0-9. The differences between ‘what I do’ with ‘what I
want to do’ and ‘what I get’ with ‘what I want to get’ provide 6 additional scales.
The FIRO-B focuses on behavior (B) in 3 interpersonal content areas:
Inclusion- This need indicates how much you generally include other people in your life and
much attention, contact and recognition you want from others. Inclusion is about you in relation
to groups-small or large. Sometimes people like a great deal of inclusion; they are outgoing,
enjoy doing things with a group, and tend to start conversations with strangers. At other times,
people prefer to spend time alone .People differ as to how much they want to be with others
and how much they prefer to spend time alone. People differ as to how much they want to be
with others and how much they prefer to be alone.

Words associated with Inclusion:
Participation, joining, inviting, interaction, association, extraversion, introversion,
membership, togetherness, identity, individuality, popularity, meeting people, involving
others, belonging, being accepted, being rejected, status, prestige, fame, prominence,
acknowledgement, significance, insignificance, exclusion, loneliness, isolation, outsider,
privacy, detachment

Control- This need indicates how much influence and responsibility you want and how much
you want others to lead and influence you. Control is about both your one-to-one relationships
and your behavior as a part of a group. Some people are more comfortable when they are in
charge of people. They like to be in charge, to give orders and to make decisions for both
themselves and others. At other times, they prefer not to have control over people and may in
fact prefer to be controlled by others. At other times, they prefer to have no control over people
and may in fact prefer to be controlled by others. They may even seek out situations in which
others will clearly define their responsibilities for them. People differ as to how much they
have some desire to control other people and how much some desire to be controlled.

Words associated with Control:
Dominance, influence, persuasion, coercion, leadership, making decisions, taking charge,
power, authority, winner, ruler, competence, achievement, independence, rebellion, follower,
submission, chain-of-command, anarchy, superiority, bully, demanding, dependency, taking
directions


Openness- Some people enjoy relationships in which they talk about their feelings and inner-
most thoughts. They have one or more people in whom they confide. At other time, they prefer
not to share their personal feelings with other people. They like to keep things impersonal and
businesslike, and they prefer to have acquaintances rather than close friends. Everyone has
some desire for open relationships and some desire to keep their relationships open. People
differ as to how much they desire for open relationships and how much they desire to keep
their relationships more private.

Words associated with Openness :
Emotional warmth, personal closeness, rapport, fondness, love, depth, likeability, friendship,
confidante, intimacy, personal interest, encouragement, support, openness, confiding, sharing

4. feelings, care, concern, consideration, reassurance, hate, dislike, emotional distance, coolness,
hostility, rejection, impersonality


The FIRO-B instrument measure two dimensions for each need:
Expressed- This dimension indicates how much you prefer to initiate the behavior. It is about
what you actually do and can be easily observed by others.
Expressed Inclusion: I initiate interaction with others
Expressed Control: I try to control others
Expressed Openness: I try to be close and personal with others

Wanted- This dimension indicates how much you prefer others to initiate the behavior towards
you. It is about what you really want from others-whether or not you show it openly.
Wanted Inclusion: I want to be included by others
Wanted Control: I want to be controlled by others
Wanted Openness: I want others to be close and personal with me.


The numerous resulting combinations of Expressed Inclusion, Wanted Inclusion, Expressed
Control, Wanted Control, Expressed Openness and Wanted Openness scores contribute to the
richness of the FIRO-B instrument’s insights.





In FIRO-B, there are 2 sets of response categories used:
usually often sometimes
occasionally rarely never

most people many people some people
a few people 1 or 2 people never



Schutz came up with fifteen “Descriptive Schema and appropriate terminology for each
Interpersonal need area:



Score Inclusion Control Openness
Low e , Low w The Loner The Rebel The Pessimist
Moderate e, Low w “Now you see him,
now you don’t
tendencies”
Self-Confident “Image of
Intimacy” tendency
High e, Low w “Now you see him,
now you don’t
tendencies”
Mission Impossible Image/Mask of
intimacy

5. High e, Moderate w The Conversationalist Mission Impossible
with narcissistic
tendencies
Sanguine
Phlegmatic
High e, High w People Gatherer Dependent-
independent conflict
Sanguine
Moderate e, High w Hidden Inhibitions Let’s take a break Phlegmatic Supine
Low e, High w Inhibited individual Openly dependent
person
Supine
Low e, Moderate w Cautious expectation The Checker Melancholy
Phlegmatic
Moderate e, Moderate w Social Flexibility The Matcher Phlegmatic
















The BIG FIVE & FIRO-B Linkage



The ways in which personality and behavioral orientation influence the effectiveness of group
work have been studies using two well established frameworks. Big Five theory focuses on
intra-personal personality characteristics while FIRO theory offers insights into inter-personal
interactions. Both frameworks have been widely used in organization settings and are
recognized as valid and reliable indicators of how and why people behave as they do in the
context of small groups (Furnham 2008, Mahoney and Stasson 2005).
Big Five theory holds that the ways people think, feel, and interact with others are attributable
to individual differences in five personality dimensions; agreeableness, extraversion,
conscientiousness, neuroticism, openness to new experiences (Costa and McRae 1992).
According to the Big Five model, individuals high in agreeableness are likely to be cooperative,
warm, understanding, and sympathetic and unlikely to be rude, harsh, insincere or
unsympathetic. Those high in conscientiousness tend to be hard working, well organized,
dependable and firm and unlikely to be lazy, disorganized, unreliable, or indecisive. People
high in extraversion are gregarious, assertive, and sociable and not predisposed to be reserved,
timid or quiet. Similarly, emotionally stable individuals (those low in neuroticism) are calm,
self-confident, and patient unlike individuals high in neuroticism who are characteristically
more tense, insecure, and irritable. Those open to experience are reflective, creative, and
comfortable with abstract thinking while those closed to new experiences tend toward being
conservative in their opinions and resistant to change.

6. FIRO theory proposes that individuals are predisposed to behave in predictable ways in their
interactions with others. It argues that these tendencies are the result of differences in the extent
to which they value inclusion, control, and affection. One unique aspect of this theory is that it
represents each of these dimensions in both an ‘expressed’ and ‘wanted’ form. Thus a person
high in inclusion would have a need to maintain relationships as expressed by the tendency to
include others in their own activities and a strong desire to be included in the activities of
others. Persons high in control are especially mindful of maintaining a satisfactory balance of
influence and power in relationships. Those high in expressed control are active in controlling
others while those high in wanted control need to be influenced and directed by others.
According to the theory, affection represents the need to form close personal relationships with
others without being over-committed or smothered. Those high in expressed affection readily
become emotionally involved with others while those low in expressed affection are cautious
in developing close relationships (Shutz 1978, Waterman and Rogers 2004).
Sayeed (2010) found that inclusion and affection significantly influenced the impact of
extraversion and task orientation on middle manager responses to nurturing and participative
leadership styles. In a study of three levels of managers in a cross section of public and private
organizations in Great Britain, Furnham and Crump (2015) found that senior managers tended
to be less neurotic and Agreeable, but more Extraverted and Conscientious than other
managers, and that they had less Wanted Inclusion and more Expressed Control.







Parameters of Measuring the Test:

The Total Need score simply summarizes how strong your need is for general interpersonal
contact and interaction. The range of scores is 0-54.

Table 1 : Interpretation of your Total Need Score

Total Need
score
Regarded as Means that
0-15 Low Interaction with others in all areas is not likely to be a strongly felt need.
You prefer to concentrate on more impersonal and objective concerns
than on relationships with people. Your personal style may be rather cool,
and you may have a strong preference for your own company, for making
decisions independently and for being close to only a few people you have
known for a long time.
16-26 Medium-
Low
Interaction with others in all areas may appeal to you on a selective basis.
You are likely to be choosy about how, when, and where you associate
with others-and to be cautious about how you use/share authority. Some
close relationships are probably important to you, but there are likely to
be times when you prefer to concentrate on the more impersonal demands
of the task instead of the more personal ones.
27-38 Medium-
High
You generally find that interacting with other people in all areas is a
source of satisfaction and that your impersonal relationships help you

7. attain the goals you want to reach. You may consult others without
actually handing over authority to them. You are likely to enjoy a fair
amount of teamwork and to value forming warm one-to-one relationships.
You probably find that people’s company becomes overwhelming
occasionally and that you then need to get away for some time alone.
39-54 High You probably enjoy engaging frequently with others in all areas. You are
very likely to actively seek out, work on and enjoy your interpersonal
relationships. You tend to value very warm and friendly one-to-one
relationships. You may prefer to share decision-making and generally like
involving others in what you do. Being without other people’s company
may make you feel uncomfortable.


Your Total Expressed score shows how much you usually like to initiate action in relating to
others, while your Total Wanted score shows how much you prefer that others take the
initiative. Scores range from 0-27 .











Table 2: Interpretation of your Total Expressed and Total Wanted score

Scores
of
Regarded as Means that
0-7 Low Expressed You usually don’t initiate activities with others.
Wanted You usually don’t want others to initiate activities.
8-19 Medium Expressed Sometimes you initiate activities with others, sometimes you don’t
Wanted Sometimes you want others to initiate activities with you,
sometimes you do not.
20-27 High Expressed You usually initiate activities with others.

Wanted You usually like others to initiate activities with you.

8. Table 3: Comparing your Total Expressed and Total Wanted scores

Total Expressed and Total Wanted scores in the
following relationship:
May mean that:
When your Total Expressed score is higher than
your Total Wanted score
You probably like taking the initiative more than having
others to do so.
When your Total Wanted score is higher than your
Total Expressed score
You probably prefer that others take the initiative more
than doing so yourself.
When your Total Expressed score and your Total
Wanted score are equal
You probably prefer to take the initiative part of the
time, but at other times you prefer that someone else
does so. You may also adopt a wait-and-see attitude
towards others, e.g. What do they want? What seems
appropriate at the time? What do you feel like doing at
the moment?











Table 4: Difference between Expressed and Wanted scores

DIFFERENCE
TYPE
DIFFERENCE DESCRIPTION
Positive Expresses Needs > Wanted Needs Keep others at a distance to
avoid unwanted behaviors,
only accept behaviors from
particular people, and reflect
overall self-satisfaction/self-
esteem.
Negative Expressed Needs < Wanted Needs May feel inhibited, may be
dissatisfied that you are not
getting what you want , could
grow attached to people who
give you what you want
No difference Expressed =Wanted May be cautious

9. Application in Organizational Context:

Although the FIRO-B instrument is often used within organizational contexts, it was not
developed specifically for business applications. Building on the history and reliability of the
FIRO model, CPP Inc, has now developed the FIRO-B business assessment-an extension and
updated version of the original FIRO-B assessment- to address the specific requirements of
organization.
It is particularly valuable to businesses because it quickly gathers key insights for relating to
co-workers, managers influencing and negotiating, making decisions, setting priorities.
And to support development professionals using the instrument, the FIRO Business assessment
also features a complement of reports and support materials like:

FIRO Business Profile
FIRO Business Leadership Report
FIRO Business Technical Guide
FIRO Business Leadership Report User’s Guide
FIRO Business Instrument


One recent study looked at assessed leadership capability, managerial level and the FIRO-B.
Ahmetoglu, Chamorro-Premuzic and Furnham (2010) found Ex-pressed Control was the only
significant correlate of managerial level but that Expressed Inclusion, Control and Affection
were all significantly correlated with assessment centre ratings of Leadership. The limited
extant literature seems to imply that leadership would be correlated with high Expressed
Inclusion and Control. Hence it was predicted that compared to middle and non-managers,
business leaders would score higher on Ex-pressed Inclusion and Control but lower on Wanted
Inclusion and Control.

This suite of products makes the FIRO Business assessment ideal for use in key business
applications, including leadership development, executive coaching, team building, and
conflict management initiatives.

Applications for Leadership Development :

If we examine what drives leadership-related behaviors, we can trace it to needs and the
satisfaction of those needs. Opportunities for work excellence flourish when leader’s
interpersonal needs are satisfied. However, when those needs are unmet, challenges arise that
can reduce their ability to lead effectively and to optimize the performance of the people and
organizations they lead. The FIRO Business Leadership Report help leaders and potential
leaders understand their behavior and provide an excellent foundation for moving development
forward.
Leader’s level of self-awareness provides the platform from which they make decisions, yet
their performance depends largely on their ability and willingness to connect with others. At
it’s core , leadership involves how individuals interact with their direct reports, peers and
managers. The FIRO Business profile can be used in combination with the Leadership Report
in instances where the presentation of FIRO Business normative or comparison data is used
with regard to an individual employee’s strengths, preferences, challenges and developmental
stretches.

Applications for Executive Coaching:

10. Often we see executives who display significant technical proficiency in their field lack the
ability to connect with and relate to other people. This is where a coach can come in and partner
with them to help increase their self-awareness and level of effectiveness. The FIRO Business
Assessment adds valuable information to the conversation between coaches and clients because
it can uncover possible behaviors that can cause executives to get in their own way on the road
to success. Coaches can use their understanding of the needs for involvement, influence and
connection to examine growth and opportunities for developing or enhancing these valuable
EQ competencies. One key aspect of the FIRO Business Profile is that it indicates what
individuals are expressing to others and what they want, what they are asking for, and what
they are putting out for others to perceive , the’ light bulb’ inevitably comes on and an
opportunity for growth begins.

The useful questions for coaches to ask their clients based on results from the instrument:
When engaged in relationships with others, are you likely to take the initiative in developing a
relationship and direct the course your relationship takes?
How important is it for you to be recognized by others, and how do you feel when you are
working for a manger who does not consistently acknowledge your contributions?
How comfortable are you with taking the lead and making decisions for others? Is this
something you enjoy, and if so, do you allow space for others to collaborate with you in this
process?
Can you take the direction from others when contributing to a team project? Or is ti important
for you to be in the driver’s seat when it comes to decision making?
How important is it for you to feel liked and appreciated by your teammates? How is your work
affected when this is not the case on your team?


Applications for Team Building :

The FIRO B instrument was created to aid in the formation of productive and effective teams.
With the FIRO Business instrument, the FIRO model’s original utility can be expanded by
looking at what an individual needs to be successful team coordinator. Most of people’s
interactions with others are influenced and informed by whether they think the other person is
an ally or is presenting a hurdle. If clients understand work relationships as being transactional,
they can use their results from the FIRO Business instrument to examine what they are giving
to, as well as what they are receiving from others. When these elements are in balance, and
clients feel that what they are giving is being appropriately recognized and what they are
receiving is sufficiently rewarding, then a behavior within that need category is deem to be
consistent with one that will meet their needs.

The FIRO business Profile contains informations about an individual’s needs as they relate to
the needs of others and provides insight into professional relationships. This information can
motivate employees to ask themselves the following kinds of questions regarding their
expresses needs when interacting with others of the team:
Ami I likely to be seen as a team player, or as an independent contributor?
How much time alone do I need v/s time with the team to feel balanced on the job?
Do I share similar information with everyone, or do I pick and choose what confidential
information to share?
Am I clear about what I expect from team members and what they expect from me?

11. Also this information motivate the employees to ask themselves the following questions
regarding their wanted needs:
Do I have the appropriate information to perform well in my role?
Do teammates share their appreciation of my contribution to overall team performance?
Am I comfortable with how much influence I have on the team?
Do team mates provide encouragement and support during difficult times when I need it/
Do I enjoy getting to know others in the office, or do I prefer more businesslike relationships?

Applications for Conflict Management

An executive can be an intelligent, hardworking team player but if she lacks the ability to
successfully address, manage and resolve conflict situations , his/her development will be at
stake. Most employees enter into a conflict with another co-worker because they do not feel
heard, feel frustrated, are in a power struggle or are not getting what they need from that person.
The FIRO Business Profile provides individual employees with an understanding of their
approach to managing conflict and the strategies they can use in working through conflict with
others. When they think about their results on their profile, they can use them to determine how
they might answer the following questions:

Inclusion- Are there times when I feel left out of the loop and my feelings are hurt making me
feel frustrated? Do I know who needs to be included in projects to cover all my bases? Do I
feel defensive at times when I am denied information shared by others in the office?
Control- Do I ever take the stance of ‘My way or the highway’? Are people afraid to share
their ideas with me for fear of what my reaction will be? Do I state what I am thinking or feeling
even if it opposes the general consensus?
Opnennes- Do I need to feel that others agree with me or enjoy working with me? Is it difficult
to collaborate with someone who I know does not enjoy working with me? When I disagree
with other people’s ideas, am I reluctant to share this with them at the risk of losing their
friendship?


Here’s how the employees can use FIRO Business Profile results to understand their conflict
approach:

For individuals whose highest-scoring need is Inclusion – You will want to be in the know
about news, projects, and processes. If people neglect to share such information with you, you
will tend to find it off-putting and upsetting. In order to feel satisfied with your level of
involvement during a conflict, tell the other parties the kind of information you need to know
and how much contact you will be expecting from them. Be clear and specific about your
intentions to communicate with them as well as the amount and kind of communications you
are expecting from them.
For individuals whose highest-scoring need is Control- Think about the hierarchies that may
exist in your relationships with other people involved in the conflict. The way you understand
your position of power in relation to them will determine your level of comfort in bring
diplomatic or agreeable. Keep in mind your end goal and try to listen to the goals of others
what they may need from you.
For individuals whose highest-scoring need is Openness- Think about the importance of
your relationships with those people involved in the conflict. If you trust them and have a solid
appreciation for how they perceive you, you may feel more comfortable asserting what you
need for yourself during a conflict.

12. Recommendations:

1. Ask your client to write down 5 qualities she appreciates /respects about their mentor
or other person in a leadership or management role. Then look at her FIRO Business
percentile scores and interpretive categories (high, medium or low known as categorical
scores) and talk about whether or not her behaviors interact with and affect her ability
to demonstrate these qualities to others. For e.g. if your client feels her mentor/ leader
is generous in giving positive feedback to others and she has a low percentile score on
Expressed Openness, ask her why she chose to behave differently when she felt good
about this behavior directed toward herself. Get your client to provide examples and
then write down 3 things she will try to begin doing differently based on emulating her
mentor or leader.
2. Ask your client to look at his percentile scores from FIRO Business Profile and
hypothesize his level of effectiveness might be raised if he were to alter behaviors
related to his wanted needs. What if he were to accept help from others on projects
instead of going it alone? What if he were to accept opportunities for more informal
networking in the office (e.g. eating with others in the lunchroom)?
3. Ask your client whether any of the Need scores she received were surprising to her, and
why. If she can name a score that surprised her, talk more about how she could more
effectively demonstrate her need for this behavior from others or accept it when it is
directed toward het. It is possible that she may not even be aware of what she is putting
out to others in this area; the insight derived from this conversation could prove to be
inevitable in her interpersonal relationships.
4. Ask your client to examine the percentile scores and interpretive categories of members
of his team before meeting with them collectively. Are they similar across the board, or
different? If they are similar, ask the client what sorts of things tend to cause team
members to become irritated with each other to the point that it becomes a distraction.
Often times when the majority of people on the team desire the same behavior, that is,
score high on the same wanted need( say, Wanted Inclusion) , that leaves only a few
team members to do most of the work to fulfil this need. This is especially pronounced
when, of those, only one or two score high on the corresponding expressed need ( in
case of Expressed Inclusion). In such cases, the client should ask his fellow team
members for ideas on how to share the load of meeting each other’s needs more equally.
On the other hand, if the percentile scores are generally in the low range, he should
explore whether this is an unsatisfied need or an area on which the team does not need
to pay a great deal of attention.
5. If you are working with a team or other group, have individual members identify their
highest scoring need on their FIRO business profile and then talk about how that might
inform or influence their willingness to compromise or arrive at an agreeable solution
in a conflict situation .They should also review their lowest –scoring need on their
profile and think about how they would approach conflict different if that were their
highest and most important need to satisfy first. How would that change their
perspective? How would their approach and behavior change?