A validation of Belbin's team roles from 16PF and OPQ using bosses' ratings of competence

Abstract

This paper presents a summary of Belbin's original nine‐year study of team roles (TR) and a description of each of the roles. Data collected from 100 middle managers on their TRs, derived from two personality questionnaires (the 16PF and the OPQ) were used to investigate their reliability and validity. First, the intercorrelations between the TRs, both within and between each instrument, provide some support for their construct validity and inter‐method/equivalent form reliability, and for the factor structure of the TRs from both questionnaires. In addition, evidence of the concurrent validity of the TRs is also presented, based on job performance ratings by the managers' bosses on 12 independent dimensions (supra‐competences). Finally, correlations between the TRs and various measures of the managers' salary and responsibilities are presented. These results provide virtually no support for the proposition that some roles are associated with specific levels of status and responsibility.