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Extroversion/Introversion Communication Patterns: A Determinant Of Successfull Business By Edward C. Brewer

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Peer Reviewed
Edward C. Brewer (ed.brewer@murraystate.edu ) is an Associate Professor
and Graduate Director in the Department of Organizational Communication at
Murray State University.
ABSTRACT
This study examines the role extroversion or introversion plays in
potential success, especially in terms of career achievement. Fortune 1000
Executives were surveyed, and the results indicate that extroverted
communication patterns are somewhat necessary for career success. This
extroverted expectation also has implications for classroom teaching and
corporate training.
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Recently, a student in the senior seminar course at Murray State
submitted his final paper that, in essence, concluded that one must be an
extrovert to be successfully socialized into an organization. My disagreement
with his conclusion that one must be extroverted to be successful in
organizational life sparked some interesting conversations, a revision of his
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paper, and a shift in both of our attitudes about the role introversion/extroversion
plays in career success. Because of that encounter, I decided to look further into
the relationship.
Personality assessments have been used for a number of decades,
but little has been done to make specific application of the findings to precise
communication patterns that either promote or hinder organizational success.
Recent research has examined personality and cognitive ability as predictors of
job search (Boudreau et al., 2001), but that is more in relation to exiting an
organization than developing success within an organization. It has been found
that introversion is more related to realistic and investigative occupations and
extroversion is more related to social and enterprising occupations (Broday and
Sedgwick, 1991), but specific communication patterns that might lead to success
or failure for each category are not addressed.
Personality plays a role in...