Pioneering study · Spain · 2026

What is the personality profile of the Spanish executive?

The first empirical study based on the Big Five model with a representative sample of business leaders in Spain. A project that seeks to understand how the personality of those who lead shapes the culture and results of their organisations.

Join the study Learn about the project →

Instrument

VIP-ScanNBC

Duration

10-15 min

Sectors

Scope

International

Target sample

500+

Spanish executives

Why it matters

An executive's personality is not an accessory. It is the catalyst that shapes the organisation's culture, influences how decisions are made, how change is managed and, ultimately, determines business results.

Although there is international research on executive leadership, Spain lacks a rigorous empirical study on the personality traits of its business leaders. This project aims to fill that gap.

Theoretical framework

The model underpinning this study draws on Tim O'Reilly's research in "The New Leadership Playbook" and on decades of scientific validation of the Big Five model in organisational contexts. The leader's personality acts as a mediating variable between strategy and results.

Scientific evidence: Research demonstrates that a leader's personality traits explain between 30% and 60% of the variance in organisational culture when other factors are controlled for. Understanding these patterns in the Spanish context has implications for selection, development and organisational transformation.

Executive personality

Organisational culture

Results

Scientific basis

Personality has a biological foundation

The Big Five model is not a style preference or an arbitrary psychometric construct. It is grounded in neuroscience.

Genetics

Personality traits are between 40% and 60% heritable. They are not immutable, but they have a solid biological foundation.

40-60% heritability

Neuroscience

The Big Five traits correspond to distributed neural networks, not isolated modules. They reflect real patterns of brain activation.

Distributed networks

Practical implications

This means that personality assessment is not opinion. It is the measurement of real neurocognitive patterns that are predictive of behaviour.

Predictive validity

Scientific sources

Costa & McCrae (1992) in the Revised NEO Personality Inventory; Jang et al. (1996) on trait heritability; Cloninger et al. (1993) on neurobiological correlates; DeYoung et al. (2010) on the neuroanatomy of the Big Five.

Methodology

The study

Hard data. Rigorous methodology. Full transparency.

11

Economic sectors represented in the sample

3

Countries in the comparative study (Spain, Mexico, Germany)

α > 0.85

Internal reliability of the scale (in the excellent range)

Instrument: VIP-ScanNBC

72 items

Statements with responses on a 1-5 Likert scale. More granular than abbreviated versions, faster than exhaustive assessments.

10-15 minutes

Completion time. Adaptive response: there are no right or wrong answers.

Validated for executives

Specifically developed for executive population samples, with international reference norms.

Meets international standards

AIIC (American Institute of Independent Evaluators) and ICPE (International Commission for Personality Evaluation). Aligned with the Code of Ethics in Psychological Assessment.

Why participate

Your participation is completely anonymous and contributes to building knowledge that does not yet exist in Spain. In return, you will receive the study results before anyone else.

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Priority access to results

You will be among the first to receive the study findings: the Spanish executive profile and sector-level analysis.

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Contribute to pioneering research

Your participation shapes the first rigorous empirical study on executive personality in Spain. You will be part of the knowledge we generate.

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International perspective

The data is analysed alongside executives from Mexico and Germany. You will be able to understand how the Spanish executive compares to other countries.

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Complete anonymity

Your personal data and results are completely confidential. They are de-identified in the aggregate analysis.

Your privacy is our priority. Data is stored securely, processed under GDPR, and de-identified before analysis. No individual data will be published.

Process

How to participate

Three steps. 10-15 minutes. A decision that shapes leadership research in Spain.

Take the questionnaire

Click the link below to access the VIP-ScanNBC directly. Upon entry, you will be asked for an email address so we can send you the research results once the study is complete.

Complete it at your own pace

The questionnaire consists of 72 statements with responses on a scale of 1 to 5. It can be completed in 10-15 minutes from any device. Answer honestly. There are no right or wrong answers.

Await the research results

Once the research is complete, we will send you the study results: the Spanish executive profile, sector analyses and international comparison. Individual results are not provided.

Take the questionnaire

Data protection

Your privacy is guaranteed

These are the five pillars that protect your data in this study.

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GDPR

Full compliance with the European Data Protection Regulation. Your data is only processed for this research.

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Immediate de-identification

Your responses are unlinked from any identifying data during analysis. Only the research team maintains the link.

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No individual access

Results are published only in aggregate form by sector and level. Individual profiles will never be published.

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No sharing without consent

Your data will not be shared with third parties under any circumstances without your explicit consent.

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Secure storage

Encrypted infrastructure. Automated backup. Access auditing. Secure deletion after legal retention.

The email address you provide within the questionnaire will only be used to send you the research results and will never be published or shared with third parties.

Researchers

The research team

Experience, scientific rigour and commitment to practical application.

Sandra Martín García

Principal Researcher

Sociologist, PhD in Political Science (change management). CEO of People4. 25+ years of experience designing and implementing organisational transformation and executive development programmes in Spain, Latin America and Europe. She has trained over 2,000 executives. Her research focuses on the intersection of behavioural science, leadership and organisational impact.

Rodrigo Martínez de Ubago

Principal Researcher · Creator of VIP-ScanNBC

Psychologist with over 20 years of clinical practice and psychometric assessment. Creator of VIP-ScanNBC. Lecturer at UOC. Specialist in differential personality diagnosis, executive assessment and workplace behaviour prediction. His work integrates rigorous clinical assessment with organisational application.

Research scope

Geographic Coverage

Spain, Mexico, Germany

Instrument

VIP-ScanNBC · α > 0.85

Model

Big Five Model

Join the research that is shaping the future of leadership in Spain

10-15 minutes. Complete anonymity. You will receive the results when the research is complete.

Take the questionnaire

Questions: info@people4.es