Showing papers in "International Journal of Selection and Assessment in 2001"

Personality and Performance at the Beginning of the New Millennium: What Do We Know and Where Do We Go Next?

Abstract: As we begin the new millennium, it is an appropriate time to examine what we have learned about personality-performance relationships over the past century and to embark on new directions for research. In this study we quantitatively summarize the results of 15 prior meta-analytic studies that have investigated the relationship between the Five Factor Model (FFM) personality traits and job performance. Results support the previous findings that conscientiousness is a valid predictor across performance measures in all occupations studied. Emotional stability was also found to be a generalizable predictor when overall work performance was the criterion, but its relationship to specific performance criteria and occupations was less consistent than was conscientiousness. Though the other three Big Five traits (extraversion, openness and agreeableness) did not predict overall work performance, they did predict success in specific occupations or relate to specific criteria. The studies upon which these results are based comprise most of the research that has been conducted on this topic in the past century. Consequently, we call for a moratorium on meta-analytic studies of the type reviewed in our study and recommend that researchers embark on a new research agenda designed to further our understanding of personalityperformance linkages.

Personality predictors of citizenship performance

Abstract: This article briefly introduces the criterion construct, citizenship performance, describes how this construct is different from task performance and presents a recently derived 3-dimension model of the domain. Evidence is then reviewed for links between personality constructs and citizenship performance. An update of the Organ and Ryan (1995) meta-analysis of personality-organizational citizenship behavior relationships suggests slightly higher correlations than those found in the meta-analysis and also indicates that personality, at least the conscientiousness and dependability constructs, correlates more highly with citizenship performance than with task performance. These results are discussed in the broader context of building models of job performance and studying linkages between individual differences and relatively specific criterion constructs.

Assessing Leadership: A View from the Dark Side

Abstract: This article concerns leadership effectiveness studied from the reverse angle. We review the literature on managerial derailment and propose a taxonomy of derailment factors. We then describe an inventory designed to assess these factors, provide some evidence regarding the psychometric features of the inventory, and some evidence regarding its validity. We suggest that the base rate for managerial incompetence in any organization is quite high, and we propose our inventory is a useful device for management development – because it focuses on dysfunctional dispositions known to be associated with failure as a manager.

Determinants, Detection and Amelioration of Adverse Impact in Personnel Selection Procedures: Issues, Evidence and Lessons Learned

Abstract: Mean subgroup (gender, ethnic/cultural, and age) differences are summarized across studies for several predictor domains – cognitive ability, personality and physical ability – at both broadly and more narrowly defined construct levels, with some surprising results. Research clearly indicates that the setting, the sample, the construct and the level of construct specificity can all, either individually or in combination, moderate the magnitude of differences between groups. Employers using tests in employment settings need to assess accurately the requirements of work. When the exact nature of the work is specified, the appropriate predictors may or may not have adverse impact against some groups. The possible causes and remedies for adverse impact (measurement method, culture, test coaching, test-taker perceptions, stereotype threat and criterion conceptualization) are also summarized. Each of these factors can contribute to subgroup differences, and some appear to contribute significantly to subgroup differences on cognitive ability tests, where Black–White mean differences are most pronounced. Statistical methods for detecting differential prediction, test fairness and construct equivalence are described and evaluated, as are statistical/mathematical strategies for reducing adverse impact (test-score banding and predictor/criterion weighting strategies).

Situational Judgment Tests: A Review of Practice and Constructs Assessed

Abstract: In this article, we seek to summarize current practice concerning situational judgment tests in personnel selection. We begin by describing the manner in which situational judgment tests are developed and examining the diverse ways in which situational items are presented and scored. We then offer speculation concerning constructs assessed by situational judgment tests as well as discuss the legal aspect of situational judgment measures. We also review meta-analytic evidence concerning the construct validity of situational judgment tests and offer several new meta-analytic findings. Situational judgment tests are shown to be typically correlated moderately with general mental ability. Their primary personality correlates are emotional stability, conscientiousness, and agreeableness. Situational test scores also tend to increase with increasing years of job experience. The article concludes with a list of areas that need addressed in future research.

Integrity Tests and Other Criterion‐Focused Occupational Personality Scales (COPS) Used in Personnel Selection

Abstract: This article focuses on personality measures constructed for prediction of individual differences in particular work behaviors of interest (e.g., violence at work, employee theft, customer service). These scales can generically be referred to as criterion-focused occupational personality scales (COPS). Examples include integrity tests (which aim to predict dishonest behaviors at work), violence scales (which aim to predict violent behaviors at work), drug and alcohol avoidance scales (which aim to predict substance abuse at work), stress tolerance scales (which aim to predict handling work pressures well) and customer service scales (which aim to predict serving customers well). We first review the criterion-related validity, construct validity and incremental validity evidence for integrity tests, violence scales, stress tolerance scales, and customer service scales. Specifically, validities for counterproductive work behaviors and overall job performance are summarized as well as relations with the Big Five personality scales (conscientiousness, emotional stability, openness to experience, agreeableness and extraversion). Second, we compare the usefulness of COPS with traditional, general purpose, adult personality scales. We also highlight the theoretical and practical implications of these comparisons and suggest a research agenda in this area.

Procedural Justice in Personnel Selection: International and Cross‐Cultural Perspectives

Abstract: This article considers the relationships between culture and reactions to personnel selection procedures. The limited international research that has examined perceptions of procedural justice of different selection techniques is reviewed. The consistency in reactions and underlying procedural dimensions associated with those reactions is noteworthy across the countries that have been studied. We also propose a model of cross-cultural influences on procedural justice in personnel selection by identifying those cultural dimensions that are most likely to influence the salience of different distributive and procedural justice rules. The discussion addresses whether cultural dimensions can adequately capture the international dimensions that most centrally influence reactions to selection procedures and how knowledge of cultural influences on reactions can aid the implementation of selection procedures that are unfamiliar to a particular country.

Relationships Between Attitudes Toward Organizations and Performance Appraisal Systems and Rating Behavior

Abstract: Data collected in seven separate samples in three countries (the USA, Canada and Israel) were used to examine the relationships between perceptions of one’s organization (climate, commitment), beliefs about appraisal systems (self-efficacy, uses of appraisal) and raters’ orientations to appraisal systems (confidence and comfort) and specific rating behaviors We obtained good fits for structural models suggesting that attitudes and beliefs accounted for substantial variance in raters’ likelihood of giving high or low ratings, willingness to discriminate good from poor performers, and willingness to discriminate among various aspects of job performance when completing actual performance ratings Proximal attitudes and beliefs (ie, those directly related to the performance appraisal system) appear to have stronger links to rating behavior than do more distal attitudes (ie, attitudes toward the organization in general)

Do impression management scales in personality inventories predict managerial job performance ratings

Abstract: Theorists have argued that impression management scales should predict job performance in jobs where interpersonal interactions are important. This research examined the correlation between impression management scale scores and overall job performance as well as its component dimensions for managerial jobs (one type of job requiring considerable interpersonal interaction). First, a meta-analysis was conducted to determine the relationship between impression management scale scores and overall managerial performance. Results indicated that the correlation was .04 (k = 17, N = 20,069) for managers. Two additional studies were conducted to investigate the relationship between impression management and specific facets or dimensions of managerial performance. In one of these two studies, the relationships between impression management scores and supervisory ratings on 24 performance facets were investigated for 826 managers. Criterion-related validities ranged from -.06 to .07. In the second study, correlations of an impression management scale with ratings on 22 dimensions of performance were examined using a sample of 257 executives. The validities ranged from .01 to .11. There appears to be little evidence that impression management scales predict job performance in at least one job category where interpersonal interactions are important (management). Potential relevance of these results for understanding social desirability in personality measurement for personnel selection is discussed.

Multiple Dimensions of Procedural Justice: Longitudinal Effects on Selection System Fairness and Test‐Taking Self‐Efficacy

Abstract: To demonstrate the multidimensionality of test fairness, we examined the reactions of 246 police applicants to two consecutive selection tests (written and video-based) in terms of eight dimensions of fairness. As hypothesized, each test was seen as more fair in terms of certain dimensions. Furthermore, test fairness measured immediately after each test predicted perceptions of overall selection system fairness measured after candidates received their test results and after controlling for applicants’ selection outcomes (i.e., whether they were eligible for further consideration in the selection process). Job-relatedness/content for the video-based test interacted with test score to affect test-taking self-efficacy. Our discussion focuses on the multidimensionality of test fairness, the contribution of these dimensions to overall selection system fairness, and the consideration of these dimensions in selection system design.

On the Construct Validity of Integrity Tests: Individual and Situational Factors as Predictors of Test Performance

Abstract: Although integrity tests are widely applied in screening job applicants, there is a need for research for examining the construct validity of these tests. In the present study, a theoretical model examining the causes of destructive behavior in organizational settings was used to develop background data measures of individual and situational variables that might be related to integrity test scores. Subsequently, 692 undergraduates were asked to complete these background data scales along with (a) two overt integrity tests – the Reid Report and the Personnel Selection Inventory, and (b) two personality-based measures – the delinquency and socialization scales of the California Psychological Inventory. When scores of these measures were correlated with and regressed on the background data scales, it was found that relevant individual variables, such as narcissism and power motives, and relevant situational variables, such as alienation and exposure to negative peer groups, were related to scores on both types of integrity tests. However, a stronger pattern of validity evidence was obtained for the personality-based measures and, in all cases, situational variables were found to be better predictors than individual variables. The implications of these findings for the validity of inferences drawn from overt and personality-based integrity tests are discussed.

Openness to Experience and Growth Need Strength as Moderators between Job Characteristics and Satisfaction

Abstract: This study examines a specific personality variable Growth Need Strength (GNS) and a general Big Five Personality Factor Openness to Experience as moderators between job characteristics and job satisfaction. Respondents were 95 graduate students working in part-time jobs. They filled out Goldberg’s (1992) bi-polar rating scale measuring the Big Five factors and Hackman and Oldham’s (1976) Job Diagnostic Survey. Results show that GNS and openness to experience are substantially related. Further, from hierarchical regression analyses, it appeared that the moderating effect of GNS on the relation between skill variety and job satisfaction was explained by the moderating effect of openness to experience. Practical implications for the use of openness to experience and other Big Five personality factors versus specific characteristics in selection and career counselling are discussed.

Towards a theory of socialization impact: Selection as pre-entry socialization.

Abstract: A theory and model of the ‘socialization impact’ of selection methods is proposed. Developing and extending an earlier model proposed by Anderson and Ostroff (1997), this article proposes an empirically testable theory comprising four fundamental postulates and six corollary hypotheses. The fundamental postulates of socialization impact, varying degree of impact, individual differences between candidates, and sub-group differences between gender and racial/ethnic origin are put forward as essential cornerstones of this theoretical approach. Socialization impact is articulated across five constituent domains: information provision (IP), preference impact (PI), expectational impact (EI), attitudinal impact (AI), and behavioural impact (BI). Contrasting this theory against the predictivist paradigm which has dominated selection theory, research and practice over the last fifty years, this article sets out an alternative but complementary perspective capable of being tested through subsequent empirical research. The implications of conceiving of selection methods not as ‘neutral predictors’ but as ‘interventive affectors’ are discussed in conclusion.

Virtual Reality Technology: A New Tool for Personnel Selection

Abstract: The purpose of this article is to introduce virtual reality technology as a potential tool for personnel selection in organizations. We describe virtual reality technology, its hardware and software requirements, and some current applications. Then we propose specific types of job knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics (KSAOs) particularly suitable to being assessed using virtual reality technology. We emphasize KSAOs that hold the greatest promise in terms of yielding greater validity than more commonly used selection techniques. We hope the present article will stimulate and guide future empirical research on the potential of virtual reality technology as a personnel selection tool.

Modern Insights About Pearson’s Correlation and Least Squares Regression

Abstract: As is well known, Pearson’s correlation, ρ, can be used to characterize how well a least squares regression line fits data, and it provides a test of the hypothesis that two measures are independent. However, many articles in statistical journals indicate that the usual estimate of ρ, r, is sensitive to at least six features of data, and that least squares regression and ρ are not robust in the sense reviewed in this article. In practical terms, r can be a highly unsatisfactory measure of the strength of an association, no matter how large the sample size might be. One specific problem is that it can miss strong associations that are detected by more modern techniques. The practical problems with r reflect fundamental concerns about a strict reliance on least squares regression. A few of the many modern methods for dealing with these concerns are briefly indicated.

Pitfalls of Ability Research

Abstract: Ability research in psychology can be fraught with pitfalls that lead to inappropriate conclusions. We identify several issues that lead to potential misinterpretation of results and suggest corrective solutions. These issues include lack of construct validity of the measures, misinterpretation of correlations and regression weights, lack of statistical power, failure to estimate cross-validation effects, and misinterpretation of factor analytic results.

Utility Analysis: Current Trends and Future Directions

Abstract: Utility analysis procedures offer organizational decision-makers useful information regarding the relative values of different interventions. Years of research have resulted in a number of practically viable utility models and extensions. There is a continued need for research to examine the accuracy of utility estimates and to further compare the different models. A more recent research concern is that of low levels of acceptance of utility analysis results by practitioners. Many researchers are turning their attention to ways in which this acceptance may be increased. This article reviews different utility models as well as a number of important extensions. It then discusses current utility analysis issues, such as the aforementioned acceptance problem and the introduction of a multi-attribute utility model. The article concludes with suggestions for future utility analysis research.

Practice and Coaching on IQ Tests: Quite a Lot of g

Abstract: In the present research two studies are used to investigate the relation between g loading of tests and practice (test-retest) and coaching (active teaching) effects. The data on practice do not support the hypothesis that the higher a test’s g loading, the less susceptible it is to preparation, but the data on coaching support the hypothesis. There is evidence that practice and coaching reduce the g-loadedness of a collection of tests. The implications of these results for predictive validity, practical usability of the tests, the relevance of traditional intelligence taxonomies, and for future research are discussed.

Age and Assessments of Professional Expertise: The Relationship between Higher Level Employees'Age and Self-assessments or Supervisor Ratings of Professional Expertise

Abstract: In this article the relationship between higher level employees' age and assessments of professional expertise is described. Hypotheses have been tested with original survey data from 417 higher level employees and 224 direct supervisors. Concerning the analyses of the effects of age, our hypotheses have for the greater part been confirmed. In our study, we have found that age-related stereotyping is an important phenomenon where assessments concerning professional expertise are made by supervisors. As regards the self-ratings, there is no relationship between age and professional expertise. Further research is needed to understand the pattern of differences between the two types of ratings. Some speculations concerning improvements of the measurements are discussed.

Does the Learning Styles Questionnaire Measure Style or Process? A Reply to Swailes and Senior (1999)

Abstract: Swailes and Senior’s (1999) examination of the psychometric properties and factor structure of the Learning Styles Questionnaire (LSQ) raised a number of questions regarding the instrument’s construct validity and the relationship between learning style and learning process. Swailes and Senior argued that there may be three learning styles as opposed to the four posited by Honey and Mumford (1986), however, they did not include a three-factor model in their confirmatory factor analysis and hence it is unclear if a three-factor solution represents an improvement on a four-factor solution. Furthermore, the present study draws a distinction between style and process and an argument is presented which contends that the three-factor and four-factor solutions represent process models, as opposed to the style models embodied in Kolb’s theory. This reply attempts to examine two- three- and four-factor solutions for the LSQ. The evidence appears to favour the conventional four-factor model, which may indicate that the LSQ measures individuals’ preferences for each of four stages of an experiential learning process and raises the question of its relationship with style per se.

The Conceptual Basis of Assessment Centre Ratings

Abstract: Although assessment centres exhibit good content- and satisfactory criterion-related validity results, poor outcome is derived from construct-oriented validity studies. Twenty years of research on this topic have not changed the basic results. Important for the relationship between different assessments is not whether they grasp the same managerial dimension but whether they were obtained through the same exercise. The discussion presented in this article emphasizes among other reasons the conceptual specialties of assessment centre rating dimensions. All too hastily they are given the same status as traditional personality traits. Two studies are extensively described to clarify this argument. The first study utilizes a structural equation approach to demonstrate that commonly utilized AC dimensions differ in the realized degree of trait-like consistency. The second study investigates the linkage between AC outcomes and traditional trait constructs utilizing a meta-analytical approach. The highest correlations result for intelligence scores, social competence, achievement motivation, self-confidence, and dominance measures. In the conclusion, the conceptual differences between trait (= sign-) and simulation (= sample-) oriented assessment approaches are highlighted.

The Stability of the Five‐Factor Model of Personality in Personnel Selection and Assessment in Greece

Abstract: The stability and replicability of the Five-Factor model of personality across samples and testing purposes remain a significant issue in personnel selection and assessment. The present study explores the stability of a new Greek Big Five personality measure (TPQue) across different samples in order to explore the suitability of the measure in personnel selection and assessment. The factor structure of the measure across three samples (students, employees, and job applicants) is examined. The results of exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses show that the five-factor structure remains intact for the students’, the applicants’ and the employees’ samples ‐ contrary to previous studies ‐ with all the sub-scales of the personality measure (TPQue) loading on the intended factors. Furthermore, congruence coefficients between the samples justify the stability of the model in the working settings.

Some Landmarks of 100 Years of Scientific Personnel Selection at the Beginning of the New Century

Abstract: Personnel selection as an applied domain of work and organizational psychology has over one century of scientific history. This paper presents a historical account of the last 100 years of personnel selection by presenting some of the more important landmarks of the discipline. This historical account includes events, theoretical contributions, and methodological advances that have consolidated the discipline as a scientific one. The paper also serves as an introduction to the second part of the special issue devoted to the presentation of the state-of-art of personnel selection at the beginning of the XXIst Century.

Dynamic Testing in Selection for an Educational Programme: Assessing South African Performance on the Raven Progressive Matrices

Abstract: This article describes the research results of an investigation into the use of dynamic testing for the selection of candidates for an educational programme. The selection of students from educationally disadvantaged backgrounds for mathematics-, science-, and technology-based programmes is a problem for which most South African higher education institutions still have to find adequate solutions. Dynamic testing procedures are often seen as more fair to use for selection than single-session tests in situations of unequal educational opportunity. The possibility that a selection instrument using a dynamic testing process could add significantly to the selection effectiveness already achieved in a South African mathematics and science foundation year using single-session tests was investigated. The performance of a group of educationally disadvantaged black South African students on the Raven Progressive Matrices is compared to that of other groups reported in research literature. Considering the disadvantaged nature of the South African group, the group performed well on the Raven test when compared with data from other countries.

Self‐ratings in Training Programs: An Examination of Level of Performance and the Effects of Feedback

Abstract: The level of agreement (mean differences and correlations) between self, peer and training staff ratings were examined in this study. The sample consisted of 545 participants who were undertaking a Royal Australian Airforce officer training program. Consistent with previous research there was strong agreement between training staff and peers and weak agreement between self-ratings and ratings by others (training staff and peers). Accuracy of ratings was examined by (a) comparing the mean ratings of outstanding, average and below-average performers; and (b) correlating difference scores with a measure of performance. The findings showed that below-average performers have a less accurate view of themselves compared to outstanding performers. Finally, we examined the effects of negative feedback on self-perceptions. The analyses indicated that after receiving negative feedback, average performers adjusted their self-ratings. Various explanations were proposed together with practical implications for training.

Content/Construct Approaches in Life History Form Development for Selection

Abstract: Life history, or biodata, inventories are attractive alternatives to cognitive ability tests for selection, but they have been frequently criticized for their low construct validity and the a-theoretical nature of their items. Little guidance in the literature is provided for developing good construct-valid biodata measures. Using a content/construct-oriented approach, a biodata form was developed and validated. The methods for developing and validating the form are thoroughly described so as to provide guidelines for future researchers, and evidence for the meaningfulness of the scales is presented.