Belbin argued that the instruments were not intended for scholarly inquiry, but to inform management consulting practices. Additionally, Belbin maintains that the Belbin Team Inventory is not a psychometric instrument and hence applying tests for psychometric properties are irrelevant.
Belbin argued that the instruments were not intended for academic study, but rather for use in management consulting. He further stated that the Belbin Team Inventory is not a true psychological test and thus applying traditional psychometric tests to it is inappropriate.