A PSYCHOMETRIC ASSESSMENT OF THE BELBIN TEAM-ROLE SELF-PERCEPTION INVENTORY

This paper set out to examine the psychometric properties of the extensively used, but little tested, Belbin (1981) Team-Role Self-Perception Inventory which examines how people behave in teams. The original 56-item inventory was given to over 100 people from a variety of backgrounds in a non-ipsative Likert scaling form. The alpha coefficients for the eight roles were not impressive and factor analysis did not provide clear evidence of the proposed structure. The second experiment attempted a similar non-ipsative analysis with the more recent 70-item version of the questionnaire which has nine team roles. Again the alpha coefficients were modest and the factor analysis suggested a more simple solution than suggested. Team-role scores did not correlate significantly with a large number of demographic factors any more than may be expected by chance. A third experiment used the original scale with the original ipsative scoring system using full-time managers as subjects. Again alpha levels were low, intercorrelations not as predicted and the factor structure unclear. Implications of these findings are discussed.