Professional characters: the personality of the future information workforce

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Goulding, Anne^a | Bromham, Beth^a | Hannabuss, Stuart^b | Cramer, Duncan^c

Affiliations: [a] Department of Information Science, Loughborough University, UK | [b] School of Information and Media, The Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen, UK | [c] Department of Social Sciences, Loughborough University, UK

Abstract: Reports selected findings from research funded by the Library and Information Commission, which compared the personal qualities demanded by employers with the actual attributes of Information and Library Studies (ILS) students. Reviews the literature on previous personality assessment of ILS students and the importance of personal factors in library and information recruitment. Describes the method of personality assessment of 239 ILS students from four universities across the UK. Identifies the personality profiles of the twelve different groups tested. Explores the differences between various subgroups in terms of suitability for information work as previously defined by employers. Discovers significant gender and graduate status differences in emotional stability, dominance, self-sufficiency and social awareness.

DOI: 10.3233/EFI-2000-18102

Journal: Education for Information, vol. 18, no. 1, pp. 7-31, 2000