The inside

The Motives, Values, Preferences Inventory (MVPI) measures the “inside” of personality – the motives and values that are fundamental to an individual’s sense of identity. Based on over 80 years of motivation research literature, the MVPI offers an all-encompassing taxonomy of the ten guiding motives that affect one’s priorities in life. The MVPI identifies what a person would like to do (rather than what they are likely to do) in workplace situations, and can be used to assess the degree of fit between an individual’s predominant values, and the values of the team, organisational role, or corporate culture.

MVPI Applications

Vocational guidance, team development, culture audits, organisational analysis, merger management

The MVPI scale structure

• Recognition: responsiveness to attention and praise, and the need for approval.
• Power: desire for success, status, competition and control
• Hedonism: orientation towards fun, pleasure and enjoyment
• Altruism: concern about the welfare of others, and for a better society
• Affiliation: desire for, and enjoyment of social interaction
• Tradition: dedication to ritual, history, and old-fashioned values
• Security: desire for certainty, predictability, order and control
• Business: Interest in business and financial matters
• Culture preference for cultural pursuits, good taste, and attractive surroundings
• Rationality: Enthusiasm for new and advanced technology, curiosity, and a desire for knowledge

The 5 MVPI themes

Each of the ten motivational scales on the MVPI assesses value orientations across five different life themes, examining individual motivators in the following areas:

• Lifestyle: the activities an individual pursues as part of his/her hobbies and pastimes
• Beliefs: the ultimate goals of life according to one’s personal ideology
• Occupational preferences: The type of job an individual would like to do
• Aversions: negative attitudes or opinions directed towards those who don’t share personally preferred motives
• Preferred associates: The friendship groups an individual prefers to join, the colleagues one prefers to work alongside