Holland’s Theory of Vocational

Personalities and Work

Environments (RIASEC)

Lecture 7
 John Lewis Holland
(October 21, 1919 – November 27, 2008)

Professor Emeritus of Sociology

at Johns Hopkins University and
an American psychologist.
Holland is best known as the
creator of the career
development model, Holland
Occupational Themes (Holland
Codes).
 Academic Background
• Holland studied psychology, French, and math
at the Municipal University of Omaha (now
the University of Nebraska at Omaha) and
graduated in 1942.
• Entered a doctoral program in Counseling
Psychology at the University of
Minnesota where he graduated in the late
1950s
 Holland’s Career
• After graduation, Holland served in the army
for 4 years where as a private he "worked as a
classification interviewer, test proctor,
paralegal clerk, laborer, squadron clerk,
psychological assistant, and Wechsler test
administrator [.... this experience] led to his
belief that many people exemplify common
psychological types
 Holland’s underlying premises:

• Career choice is an expression of one’s

personality
• In choosing a career, people prefer jobs
where they can be around others who are like
them.
Holland’s four working assumptions:
• Assumption 1 : Most individuals can be described
in terms of their resemblance to six personality
types:
 Holland’s four working assumptions:
• Assumption 1 (Continued):
– Each personality type has a characteristic set of
attitudes and skills to use in response to problems
encountered in the environment, and

– Each encompasses preferences for vocational and

leisure activities, life goals and values, beliefs
about oneself, and problem-solving style.
 Holland’s four working assumptions:
• Assumption 1 (Continued):
– Types develop as a “product of a characteristic
interaction among a variety of cultural and
personal forces including peers, biological
heredity, parents, social class, culture, and the
physical environment” (Holland, 1997, p. 2)
 Holland’s four working assumptions:
• Assumption 1 (Continued):
– These experiences lead to an individual’s preferring some
activities over others: the preferences then develop into
strong interests, which lead to related competencies.

– Individual’s competencies form a specific “disposition” that

allows the individual to “think, perceive, and act in special
ways. (Holland, 1997, p. 2)
Holland’s four working assumptions:

• Assumption 2:
– Environments
can be
categorized as
one of six model
types:
 Holland’s four working assumptions:
• Assumption 2:
– The environment’s type is determined by the
dominant type of the individuals who compose
that environment.

– “Where people congregate, they create an

environment that reflects the types they most
resemble” (Holland, 1997, p. 3).
 Holland’s four working assumptions:
• Assumption 3:
– “People search for environments that will
let them exercise their skills and abilities,
express their attitudes and values, and take
on agreeable problems and roles” (Holland,
1997, p. 4).
– In a reciprocal manner, environments also
search for people, through activities such as
social interactions and recruitment and
selection practices.
 Holland’s four working assumptions:
• Assumption 4:
– Personality and environment interact to produce
behavior.
– Knowing an individual’s personality type and the
type of their environment allows us to make
predictions about a range of possible outcomes,
such as vocational choice, job tenure and
turnover, achievement, and satisfaction.
 Summary of Assumptions
 Individuals can be classified by personality type.
An individual’s personality is the primary
consideration in their choice of vocation.
 Environments can be classified by personality
type
 We search for environments that are a good fit
 Behavior is an interaction of personality and
environments
Holland’s 6 Modal Personality Types
– Realistic
– Investigative
– Artistic
– Social
– Enterprising
– Conventional
 The Realistic Personality Type
• Conforming • "Independent, stable,
• Humble persistent, genuine,
• Frank
practical, and thrifty [...]
• Materialistic
• Persistent
tasks that are tactile,
• Genuine physical, athletic, or
• Practical mechanical [...] being
• Hardheaded outdoors, using tools,
• Shy operating machines,
• Honest interacting with animals, and
• Thrifty working with their hands."
 The Realistic Environment
• Requires explicit, ordered, or systematic
manipulation of objects, tools, machines, or
animals
• Encourages people to view themselves as
having mechanical ability
• Rewards people for displaying conventional
values and encourages them to see the world
in simple, tangible, and traditional terms
 Realistic (Doers)
Interest area: Key Skills Occupations with Subjects to
practical develop
components your skills:

You like working •Using and Pilot, farmer, English, Maths,

mainly with your operating tools horticulturist, builder, Science, Workshop,
hands making, equipment and engineer, armed Technology,
fixing, machinery services personnel, Computing,
assembling or •designing, mechanic, Business
building things, building, repairing, upholsterer, Studies,
using and maintaining, electrician, computer Agriculture,
operating measuring, working technologist, park Horticulture,
equipment, in detail, driving, ranger, sportsperson Physical Education
tools or moving, caring for
machines. You animals, working
often like to work with plants
outdoors
 The Investigative Personality Type
• Analytical • "Intellectual, introspective, and
• Independent inquisitive. They are curious,
• Cautious methodical, rational, analytical,
• Intellectual and logical [...] scholarly,
• Pessimistic scientific, technical, or medical
• Introverted [...] avid readers. They like to
• Precise solve problems, perform
• Critical experiments, and conduct
• Rational research."
• Curious
• Reserved
 The Investigative Environment
• Requires the symbolic, systematic, and
creative investigation of physical, biological or
cultural phenomena
• Encourages scientific competencies and
achievements and seeing the world in
complex and unconventional ways
• Rewards people for displaying scientific values
 Investigative (Thinkers)
Interest area: Key Skills Occupations with Subjects to
practical develop
components your skills:

You like to •Thinking Science, research, English, Maths,

discover analytically medical and health Science,
and research and logically, occupations, chemist, Computing,
ideas, •computing, marine scientist, Technology
observe, •communicating by forestry technician,
investigate writing and medical or agricultural
and experiment, speaking, laboratory technician,
ask •designing, zoologist, dentist, GP
questions and formulating,
solve •calculating,
questions. diagnosing,
experimenting,
investigating
 The Artistic Personality Type
• Imaginative • "Creative, intuitive, sensitive,
• Original articulate, and expressive. They
• Disorderly are unstructured, original,
• Impractical nonconforming, and
• Intuitive innovative. They rely on
• Emotional feelings, imagination, and
inspiration. They like to work
• Impulsive
with ideas, abstractions, and
• Nonconforming concepts. They are
• Expressive spontaneous and open-minded
• Open
 The Artistic Environment
• Requires participation in ambiguous, free, and
unsystematized activities to create art forms
or products
• Encourages people to view themselves as
having artistic abilities and to see themselves
as expressive, nonconforming, independent,
and intuitive
• Rewards people for the display of artistic
values
 Artistic (Creators)
Interest area: Key Skills Occupations with Subjects to
practical develop
components your skills:

You like using •Expressing artist, illustrator, English, Social

words, artistically photographer, Studies,
art, music or •or physically, signwriter , composer, Music, Drama, Art,
drama to •communicating by singer, instrument Graphic Design,
express yourself, •speaking, writing player, dancer, actor, Computing,
communicate or and reporter, writer, Business
perform or you •singing, editor, hairdresser, Studies, Languages
like to performing, fashion designer
create or design •designing,
things presenting,
•planning,
composing,
•playing, dancing
 The Social Personality Type
• Idealistic • "Kind, generous,
• Helpful cooperative, patient, caring,
• Cooperative helpful, empathetic, tactful,
• Kind and friendly. They excel at
• Sympathetic socializing, helping others,
• Friendly and teaching. They like
• Patient tasks that involve
• Tactful teamwork, social
• Generous interaction, relationship
• Responsible building, and improvement
• Understanding of society."[
 The Social Environment
• Requires participation in activities that inform,
train, develop, cure, or enlighten
• Requires people to see themselves as liking to
help others, as being understanding of others,
and of seeing the world in flexible ways
• Rewards people for the display of social values
 Social (Helpers)
Interest area: Key Skills Occupations with Subjects to
practical develop
components your skills:

You like working •Communicating by Teacher, nurse, English, Social

with •writing and counsellor, police Studies,
people to teach, speaking, officer, social worker, Maths, Science,
train, •caring and salesperson, customer Health, Physical
inform, help, supporting, service officer, waiter, Education, Art,
treat, •training, meeting, secretary Computing,
heal, cure, serve •greeting, assisting, Business
and •teaching, Studies, Languages
greet. You are informing,
concerned for •interviewing,
others’ coaching
well-being and
welfare
 The Enterprising Personality Type
• Domineering • "Adventurous, ambitious,
• Optimistic assertive, extroverted,
• Adventurous energetic, enthusiastic,
• Energetic
confident, and optimistic.
• Pleasure-seeking
They are dominant,
• Extroverted
• Ambitious persuasive, and motivational
• Impulsive [...] They like influencing
• Self-confident others, being in charge,
• Sociable taking risks, debating, and
• Popular competing."
 The Enterprising Environment
• Requires participation in activities that involve the
manipulation of others to attain organizational and
self-interest goals
• Requires people to view themselves as aggressive,
popular, self-confident, and sociable
• Encourages people to view the world in terms of
power and status
• Rewards people for displaying enterprising goals and
values
 Enterprising (Persuaders)
Interest area: Key Skills Occupations with Subjects to
practical develop
components your skills:

You like meeting •Selling, promoting Salesperson, lawyer, English, Maths,

people, leading, and politician, accountant, Business Studies,
talking •persuading, business owner, Accounting,
to and influencing developing executive or manager, Economics, Social
others, •ideas, public travel agent, music or Studies, Drama,
encouraging speaking, sports promoter Computing,
others, working in •managing, Languages
business organising,
•leading and
captaining,
•computing,
planning
 The Conventional Personality Type
• Conforming • "Conscientious and
• Inhibited conservative. They are logical,
• Persistent efficient, orderly, and
• Conscientious organized. They are thorough
• Obedient and detail-oriented. They
• Practical value precision and accuracy.
• Careful They are reliable. They enjoy
• Orderly
practical tasks, quantitative
measurements, and
• Thrifty structured environments.
• Efficient They follow the rules."
• Unimaginative
 The Conventional Environment
• Requires participation in activities that involve
the explicit, ordered, or systematic
manipulation of data
• Requires people to view themselves as
conforming, orderly, nonartistic, and as having
clerical competencies
• Rewards people for viewing the world in
stereotyped and conventional ways
 Conventional (Organizers)
Interest area: Key Skills Occupations with Subjects to
practical develop
components your skills:

You like working Computing and Secretary, English, Maths,

indoors and at keyboarding, receptionist, Business Studies,
tasks that involve recording office worker, Accounting,
organising and keeping librarian, bank clerk, Economics,
and being records, paying computer operator, Computing
accurate, attention to stores and dispatch
following detail, meeting and clerk
procedures, greeting, doing
working with data calculations,
or numbers, handling money,
planning organising,
work and events. arranging, working
independently
 Key Concepts
– Congruence
– Consistence
– Differentiation
– Identity
– Calculus
 Key Terms
• Congruence - the degree of fit between an
individual’s personality type and current or
prospective work environment
• Consistency - degree of relatedness between
types
 Key Terms, continued

• Differentiation - the degree of difference

between a person’s resemblance to one type
and to other types; the shape of a profile of
interests
• Vocational identity - possession of a clear and
stable picture of one’s goals, interests, and
talent
 Applying Holland’s Theory
• Relies on assessment instruments
used to measure congruence,
differentiation, consistency, and
vocational identity
Inventories Based on Holland’s Model
– Self Directed Search (SDS)
– The Vocational Preference Inventory (7th ed.)
– My Vocational Situation (MVS)
– Vocational Interest (VI)
– Position Classification Inventory (PCI)
– The Career Attitudes and Strategies Inventory
– Strong Interest Inventory (SII)
– Career Assessment Inventory (CAI)
 Applying Holland’s Theory

• Types can be used to organize curriculum,

career fairs, and information about
occupations, jobs, and majors
 Holland’s Theory of Personality
• Validating the constructs: Spokane, 1996; Osipow
and Fitzgerald, 1996; Holland, Fritzsche, and
Powell, 1994
• Hartung, Coh, and Gaylor (2001)
– Birth order and Holland personality type
• Smart, 1997; Smart & Feldman, 1998; Thompson
& Smart, 1999
– Faculty personality types and student personality types
• Fit between Holland code and work environment
• Hot Debate: are personality and interests the
same constructs?
 Holland’s Theory of Personality
• Spokane’s (1991) recommendations of
gathering occupational information
– Record both + and – reactions to occupations
– Gather occupations that match interests
– Focus on depth
– Career counseling is a behavioral and cognitive
process
 Limitation
• The theory leaves no room for variables such as:
gender, ethnicity, age etc. and the impact these
variables play in the career matching process