From introversion to introverting: insight gained from the processification of an established concept.

Abstract

This thesis started as an exploration of the experience of introversion at work but changed its focus to the study of a process and experience referred to as introverting and Moments of Introverting (MOIs) at work. Despite Jung’s (2017) original desire to create a route into individuation when coining the term, introversion is mainly described from the restrictive rigidity of personality psychology and testing; framing it as something one ‘is’, or a trait one ‘has’. This has limited our understanding of the act of introverting and of the how and why people are turning inwards.

Drawing on Wittgenstein (1972a) this study removed introversion from its language game of personality psychology to study a process and an experience as opposed to a type or trait. It asked the question how MOIs are experienced and it collated occurrences of introverting and MOIs using visual methods and unstructured interviews. The methods chosen allowed for free expression and representations of something previously undescribed. Visual methods in particular helped to engage with affect and emotion, which became important aspects of a new perspective. The use of a range of collection and analytical processes allowed for triangulation and sharpening of findings. Furthermore, the unexpected addition of MOIs in the lockdown to the study of MOIs at work, provided a unique opportunity to investigate the influence of context.

The findings show that the process of introverting is an individual’s turning inward that is situated, informed by context and the bodily and emotional experience of context, and characterised by a temporary exclusion of the outside in a Moment of Introverting (MOI). It is a process that is accessible to all and not restricted to so-called introverts. It has been found that MOIs are valuable and indispensable. Using Linstead’s (2018) categorisation of moments, four different values of MOIs were identified: MOIs have aesthetic, poetic, ethical and political value which can benefit both personal and organisational development. Highlighting this value has the potential to change our understanding of introversion from a type or trait that is underappreciated in a business and management environment to a desirable process and experience that shapes our relationships with the people and places around us. This conceptualisation seems closer to aspirations Jung had for his type theory (Myers, 2019).

Date of Award	25 Jun 2025
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	University of Bath
Supervisor	Juani Swart (Supervisor), Russ Vince (Supervisor) & Nancy Harding (Supervisor)