The tone of the book is business-oriented, not academic—although its academic and scientific underpinnings are clear. The organization is clear and the layout conducive to finding information quickly. We are very pleased to add this book to our list of recommendations on personality testing.

This book is available from PPI for $75.00 plus shipping.

The Hogan Guide:
Interpretation and Use of Hogan Inventories

By Robert Hogan, Joyce Hogan, and Rodney Warrenfelz

This 334-page guide provides an in-depth look into Hogan’s comprehensive suite of personality assessments which help companies select employees, develop leaders, and identify talent. New users of Hogan assessments will find this a valuable reference to the core concepts for each of the inventories—Hogan Personality Inventory, Hogan Development Survey, and Motives, Values, Preferences Inventory. Advanced users will also appreciate its breadth, as every conceivable aspect of the tools is covered in one concise document.

The book is divided into three parts:

1. Understanding the inventories

2. Interpretation methods

3. Developmental feedback delivery, coaching and supporting

PPI associate Dr. Ed Piccolino, president of Piccolino Associates, had this to say: "Just a quick note to thank you for introducing me to Bob Hogan's latest book. It is simply the most provocative, well crafted and -- in my humble opinion -- most heuristic presentation on this subject I have ever experienced."

This book is written for anyone with an interest in the interaction between personality and organizational life. We see three immediate applications for Personality and the Fate of Organizations:

• If you have been to a Hogan Certification Workshop, the book is an excellent refresher on Hogan’s views and research on human personality.
• If you are a current user of Hogan materials, it will be excellent reinforcement for your work.
• If you are trying to persuade others of the value of personality measurement in organizations, you might offer them a copy of this book.

Personality and the Fate of Organizations

by Robert Hogan, Ph.D.

This is a small book with a big message: the personalities of leaders have a dramatic role in the course of human affairs. While the average person might find this an obvious conclusion, academics and researchers have debated the question contentiously. Are leaders more-or-less average people who "rise to the occasion" or is their personality a unique factor not only in the outcome of their leadership, but in the creation of their leadership careers? Hogan is the author of the Hogan Personality Inventory, one of the few personality tests written and validated for the workplace. He comes down firmly on the side of personality as a key factor in the outcome of an individual's leadership. In seven chapters, Hogan examines the nature of that talent, its antithesis, and the inescapable impact of a leader's personality on the organizations (or society) he or she leads. He goes through a definition of personality, gives a history of personality psychology, examines leadership, team performance, organizational theory, managerial incompetence, and how to fix the latter. Our favority chapters are "The Psychology of Managerial Incompetence" and "The Secret Life of Organizations."

Highly recommended. This book is available from PPI for only $24.95 plus shipping. See Table of Contents

Hogan Personality Inventory Technical Manual

This comprehensive guide to the Hogan Personality Inventory presents research background, construction, reliability, confirmation, validity, interpretation, administration, and compilation of norms. Excellent reference for users of Hogan materials. Written for a technical audience. Third edition, 2007. 186 pages. Available from PPI for $75 plus shipping.

Handbook of Personality Psychology by Robert Hogan, John Johnson, and Stephen Briggs is a must-have reference work for research and clinical psychologists in academic, applied, and technical settings with an interest in personality. Topics include the development and measurement of personality as well as biological and social determinants, dynamic personality processes, the personality's relation to the self, and personality in relation to applied psychology.

Big Five Assessment by Boele De Raad and Marco Perugini is a detailed guide to the various instruments that are used to evaluate the conventional Big Five personality factors. The topics include applying 10 psychometric criteria to the development of marker scales, inventories and questionnaires, adjective scales, and associated instruments. Robert Hogan, Ph.D. and Joyce Hogan, Ph.D., wrote the chapter on The Hogan Personality Inventory.

Personality: Theories and Applications by Robert Hogan and Robert Smither explores what theories have to say about the issues that concern normal people – competence and effectiveness, interpersonal relations, career and life success.

Personality Psychology in the Workplace (Decade of Behavior), edited by Brent Roberts and Robert Hogan, reveals new developments in the area of measurement and methodology, demonstrating the relevance of personality theory in the workplace. It is the first book to incorporate the interests of applied psychologists and industrial/organizational psychologists in one source. This volume reveals exciting new developments in the area of measurement and methodology, demonstrating the indisputable relevance of personality theory in the workplace, particularly in the areas of personnel selection, job performance, worker management, and the study of leadership. This volume will provide inspiration for a broad audience of researchers, practitioners, and graduate students.

Tests: A Comprehensive Reference for Assessments in Psychology, Education, and Business, edited by Taddy Maddox, references the Hogan Personality Inventory (HPI), the Hogan Development Survey (HDS), and the Hogan Motives, Values, and Preferences Inventory. It also describes validated 360 feedback from Clark Wilson Group.

Choosing to Lead (Report (Center for Creative Leadership), No. 327.) by Kenneth E. Clark and Miriam B. Clark references Robert Hogan’s study of charisma. The book also mentions Frank Shipper and Clark Wilson’s study of a hospital administered by a government agency and the managerial behaviors exhibited by the employees. It discusses the Leadership Task Cycle and the roles within the Task Cycle.

Why CEO's Fail: The 11 Behaviors That Can Derail Your Climb to the Top and How to Manage Them by David Dotlich and Peter Cairo covers the 11 mistakes CEOs make in an organization – arrogance, melodrama, volatility, excessive caution, habitual distrust, aloofness, mischievousness, eccentricity, passive resistance, perfectionism and an eagerness to please. The book covers signs and symptoms of these mistakes, and shows how to avoid these mistakes or effectively deal with them. Robert Hogan, Ph.D., provides the introduction.

The Owner's Manual for Personality at Work: How the Big Five Personality Traits Affect Your Performance, Communication, Teamwork, Leadership, and Sales by Pierce J. Howard, Ph.D. and Jane Mitchell Howard, MBA, references work by Joyce Hogan, Ph.D. and Robert Hogan, Ph.D. It describes their article, “What We Know About Leadership,” tying it into the definition of leadership.

Psychological Testing at Work by Edward Hoffman, Ph.D., explains personality, as well as personality testing, and how emotional intelligence and stress are measured. An important chapter of the book discusses personality testing and the law. This is a great primer on the different types of testing used in the workplace.

Ace the Corporate Personality Test by Edward Hoffman, Ph.D. is a guide for individuals faced with taking personality tests for employment or training purposes. The book explains why and how corporations use these tests with their employees. It explains the possibility of "faking" test results -- and how tests are designed to detect faking. It is easy to read and helpful in tone. It also helps to demystify this topic for job-seekers.