The Human Resource Quadrant Behaviour Model (Hr-Qbm): A Pilot Study on Cognitive-Emotional Thinking Styles and Workplace Satisfaction

Abstract

The Human Resource Quadrant Behaviour Model (Hr-Qbm): A Pilot Study on Cognitive-Emotional Thinking Styles and Workplace Satisfaction

The Quadrant Behaviour Model (QBM) was originally developed as a psychological framework describing individual differences across two orthogonal axes: binary-complex thinking and emotional–rational orientation. While the original Psychological QBM demonstrated conceptual coherence and empirical promise, its potential application within organizational contexts has remained unexplored. This pilot study introduces the HR-QBM, an applied adaptation of the model designed to map employee thinking patterns, workplace behaviour, and satisfaction indicators in human resource management settings.

Using a mixed-methods triangulation approach, seven service-sector employees completed a 16-item cognitive orientation questionnaire, a 10-item satisfaction scale, and a semi-structured interview. Quadrant coordinates were computed through transformed Likert-score aggregation, and satisfaction scores were clustered into five theoretically grounded dimensions: pay/recognition, growth, environment, purpose, and job–fit remedying.

Results show clear and interpretable quadrant profiles, with most participants exhibiting complex–rational tendencies, consistent with the sample’s demographic composition (young, educated, early-career workers).

Two participants displayed emotional orientations, suggesting potential relevance for understanding frontline stress, burnout vulnerability, and interpersonal dynamics. The pilot provides preliminary support for the HR-QBM’s conceptual clarity, interpretive usefulness, and operational feasibility.

Limitations include sample size, convenience sampling, and partial questionnaire standardization for early interviews. Future research should incorporate larger and more diverse samples, integrate the Elasticity of Integrative Thought (EIT) coefficient, and explore predictive modelling of quadrant shifts in organizational environments.

The HR-QBM offers a promising, behaviourally interpretable lens for studying cognition, satisfaction, and workplace outcomes.

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