Leading from Within: Dominant Personalities and Their Impact on Individual and Group Performance

Abstract

The impact of personality traits on individual and group performance has been a significant study area within organizational behavior. Among the various personality frameworks, the DISC model—Dominance (D), Influence (I), Steadiness (S), and Compliance (C)—offers a valuable lens through which to examine how different personality types influence work dynamics. At SBM-ITB, the Buddy Group method has been implemented as part of the learning strategy to enhance students' academic and personal development. It is a collaborative learning approach involving small teams of three students with diverse academic and personal backgrounds. These groups are designed to foster cultural exchange, teamwork, critical thinking, emphasizing collaboration and mutual support. The research involved 340 first-year students of SBM–ITB distributed into 114 Buddy Group in 12 tutorial classes, focusing on their personality types and academic performance. The findings confirmed no significant relationship between personality type and group performance; however, student groups with a member exhibiting the Dominance personality type can help enhance the skills of other group members, leading to overall group performance improvement. The practical implication of this research underscores the need to train students to develop or exhibit Dominance traits early, thereby highlighting the importance of these findings in shaping educational strategies.

Keywords: DISC, Buddy Group, Undergraduate Student, Learning Method, Personality Type, Students Performance