This Technical Manual is intended to be read in conjunction with the OPQ32 User Manual. The content of the latter focus on administration, scoring, norming and interpretation issues, and is intended to cover all the matters one needs to refer to when using the OPQ32. The technical manual is intended for reference purposes and provides all the technical backup needed when evaluating the OPQ32 in terms of its suitability for use.

The following summaries provide outlines of the contents of each chapter.
Chapter 1 - Introduction
The OPQ32 model is an occupational model of personality, which describes 32 dimensions or scales of people’s preferred or typical style of behaviour at work.

The OPQ32 is designed to be an international model, reflecting the changing nature of work at the beginning of the twenty-first century. It is particularly appropriate for use with professional and managerial groups, although the content of the OPQ32 model deals with personality characteristics important to a wide variety of roles.

The OPQ32 model follows the general OPQ model of personality, which breaks personality down into three domains: Relationships with People, Thinking Styles and Feelings and Emotions. The three domains are joined by a potential fourth — the Dynamism domain — which is composed of scales such as Vigorous, Achieving and Competitive that relate to sources of energy. The OPQ model of personality provides OPQ users with a clear framework for interpreting complex patterns of personality.

Chapter 2 - Test Materials and Use
This chapter provides a brief outline of the range of OPQ32 materials that are available internationally. Further details of administration procedures are contained in the OPQ32 User Manual, and more information about specific products can be obtained from local SHL country offices and from the SHL website (www.shl.com).

Chapter 3 - Foundations and Development
The chapter describes the development of the original OPQ Concept Model and the subsequent development of OPQ32. Whereas the OPQ Concept Model was developed as a UK English instrument and subsequently translated and adapted into a variety of languages, OPQ32 was designed to build on the success of the earlier OPQ instruments and, in particular, as an instrument for application in a wide range of countries and cultures. The differences between concept-based and factor-based models are described, and the relationships of early models to the currently available models (OPQ32, OPQ Factor 16 and Images) are reviewed.

Chapter 4 - Standardisation, scaling and normative reference groups
This chapter discusses the nature of norms and their use and provides some illustrative examples of the range of norms available for the OPQ32 internationally. It does not attempt to provide an exhaustive listing of norms available locally. For that, the interested reader should contact their local SHL office for up-to-date information.

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