The Q-Sort

The Q-Sort is a research tool designed to evaluate culture within organizations. The Q-Sort evaluation starts with a 100-item survey that combines the richness of a qualitative assessment with the rigor of a quantitative approach. Q-sort results can be used to assess a variety of cultural traits that impact the way management decisions are made within organizations, such as:

• cohesion
• tolerance for dissent
• behavioral norms

The Q-Sort was developed in the middle of the last century by social scientists and further refined over succeeding years. It has been used in social and political analysis; for example, by the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in evaluating foreign governments. However, the InvestmentQ ™ project is believed to be the first time the Q-sort has been applied to the investment management industry.