bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
HONESTY TESTING FOR PERSONNEL SELECTION: A REVIEW AND CRITIQUE
Authors: SACKETT PAUL R. , HARRIS MICHAEL M.
Published: December 2006

Paper and pencil predictors of employee theft are described and studies of validity, reliability, and adverse impact of these tests are examined. Validity studies for 10 tests were grouped into 5 categories: comparisons with polygraph examination results, correlations with admissions of past theft, predictive studies using future job behaviors as criteria, comparisons of shrinkage rates before and after the introduction of a testing program, and comparisons of test scores of groups known to be dishonest with groups representing the general population. While positive correlations were consistently found, a variety of methodological differences between studies were identified which make the direct comparison of test validities suspect. High reliabilities are consistently reported, and test score comparisons by race and sex generally report no differences. Ethical issues in honesty test usage are considered and future research needs are identified.
JOB CLASSIFICATION APPROACHES AND THE IMPLEMENTATION OF VALIDITY GENERALIZATION RESULTS
Authors: CORNELIUS EDWIN T. , SCHMIDT FRANK L. , CARRON THEODORE J.
Published: December 2006

This paper compares two job classification methods for showing the appropriateness of cognitive tests in settings that were not involved in supplying data for a validity generalization analysis. One approach was an elaborate quantitative procedure that involved a lengthy job inventory and a multivariate item analysis. This approach was shown to be highly successful when applied to the responses from 1179 job inventories collected in 54 petroleum‐petrochemical plants from 30 different companies. The other procedure involved simple job classification judgments by supervisors and incumbents. This latter approach was shown to be as effective, but was much less time consuming and costly. Professional and legal implications of these findings are discussed.
THE EFFECTS OF EMPLOYER‐SPONSORED CHILD CARE ON EMPLOYEE ABSENTEEISM, TURNOVER, PRODUCTIVITY, RECRUITMENT OR JOB SATISFACTION: WHAT IS CLAIMED AND WHAT IS KNOWN
Authors: MILLER THOMAS I.
Published: December 2006

An evaluation is made of the evidence supporting claims that employer‐sponsored child care programs improve employee work behaviors and attitudes. Explanation of the logic behind expectations for success, description of testimony for employer‐sponsored child care and critiques of empirical studies are presented. Well planned evaluations with proper controls appear to be absent. Documentation was equivocal on whether women workers of child‐bearing age were absent from work more than men or quit more often than men. Even if greater absences among women was assumed, it was suggested that this could be due to factors other than child care ‐ such as lower attachment to work or need for wages in two‐income households, or poorly paid and low prestige jobs. Despite enthusiasm by some chief executive officers, public relations officials and child care advocates, assertions that employer‐sponsored child care reduces workers' absenteeism or tardiness, or that it increases workers' productivity or job satisfaction are not supported by credible research.
A WITHIN SETTING EMPIRICAL TEST OF THE SITUATIONAL SPECIFICITY HYPOTHESIS IN PERSONNEL SELECTION
Authors: SCHMIDT FRANK L. , HUNTER JOHN E.
Published: December 2006

The situational specificity hypothesis of selection procedure validity makes two predictions. The first is that variation in observed validities across settings is caused by real differences in what constitutes job performance. Validity generalization studies to date have provided disconfirming evidence for this prediction by showing that the observed variation is due to statistical and measurement artifacts. The second prediction is that if the situation (i.e., the organization, the setting, the job, the test and the criterion) is held constant, then validity findings will not vary from study to study. This article tests this prediction empirically using data from a unique series of studies reported by Bender and Loveless (1958). The results are contrary to the situational specificity hypothesis and consistent with the hypothesis that variation in observed validities is due to statistical and measurement artifacts that are unrelated to situations and settings. It is concluded that both major predictions of the situational specificity hypothesis have now been empirically disconfirmed.
AGE DISCRIMINATION AND PERSONNEL PSYCHOLOGY: A REVIEW AND SYNTHESIS OF THE LEGAL LITERATURE WITH IMPLICATIONS FOR FUTURE RESEARCH
Authors: FALEY ROBERT H. , KLEIMAN LAWRENCE S. , LENGNICK‐HALL MARK L.
Published: December 2006

One hundred and fifty‐two court cases were reviewed to determine the standards set by the courts for establishing a claim of age discrimination under the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, as amended. Fifty‐three are discussed. Two major issues were examined in Part 1 of the review: (1) the type and extent of the evidence sufficient to establish a complaint of age discrimination and (2) available defenses against age discrimination complaints. Part 2 discussed employer strategies for averting and/or dealing with discrimination complaints. Also discussed were the research‐related implications of the age discrimination case law, as well as the role of professionals in future research.
AN EXPLORATORY STUDY OF MANAGERS' REACTIONS TO PROPERTIES OF VERBAL COMMUNICATION1
Authors: WHITELY WILLIAM
Published: December 2006

Verbal communication (VC) is a major work activity of managers, but managers' reactions to the properties of this activity are rarely investigated and are poorly understood. A description and explanation of managers' reactions to VC is needed to further present understanding of managerial behavior. This exploratory study draws on past research to include seven properties of VC that potentially are related to managers' reactions. A procedure was used whereby managers recorded the properties of their VC activities and their reactions to these activities as they occurred during the workday. Results indicate that the VC properties included are related to some reactions. Explanations are provided for managers' reactions and the results are linked to other research on managerial behavior.
WHAT WE SHOULD STUDY, PROBLEMS WE SHOULD SOLVE: PERSPECTIVES OF TWO CONSTITUENCIES
Authors: STRASSER STEPHEN , BATEMAN THOMAS S.
Published: December 2006

Qualitative data from management and non‐management employees were content analyzed to assess their perceptions of what organizational problems they would most like academic researchers to study. These data are then compared to the publications that have appeared in empirical journals over ten journal years (Campbell, Daft, and Hulin, 1982). Results indicate: (1) specific problem areas health care practitioners want studied: (2) strong congruence between the interests of the management and non‐management subsamples; and (3) areas where academicians are not meeting the research needs of this sample.
RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN ABSENTEEISM AND TURNOVER: A FUNCTION OF THE MEASURES?
Authors: WOLPIN JACOB , BURKE RONALD J.
Published: December 2006

Several investigations have examined the relationship between absenteeism and turnover. These behaviors have been variously found to be correlated positively, negatively, or not at all. The present investigation studied this relationship using multiple measures of both absenteeism and turnover. The findings showed that different types of relationships were present depending on the measures used. A search for invariant relationships, using mutually exclusive models, does not seem useful. The absenteeism‐turnover relationship appears to be a variable process over time, people, situations, and measures.
A QUANTITATIVE APPROACH TO EVALUATING TRAINING CURRICULUM CONTENT SAMPLING ADEQUACY
Authors: BOWNAS DAVID A. , BOSSHARDT MICHAEL J. , DONNELLY LAURA F.
Published: December 2006

A technique was developed which provided a quantitative index of the fit between training curriculum content and job task performance requirements. The procedure also generates a listing of tasks which receive undue emphasis in the training curriculum, those which are not being trained, and those which instructors intend to train, but which course graduates report being unable to perform. The procedure is illustrated for three training programs in the U.S. Coast Guard Class ‘A’ schools.
THE PERCEIVED VALUE OF FRINGE BENEFITS
Authors: WILSON MARIE , NORTHCRAFT GREGORY B. , NEALE MARGARET A.
Published: December 2006

One hundred eighty‐two University of Arizona employees each participated in one of two field studies of the valuation of fringe benefits. Findings included: (a) a lack of employee knowledge regarding employer cost and market value of the studied benefit, and (b) significant undervaluation of the benefit by employees. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that employee benefit valuations anchor on employee contributions. Implications for practitioners and suggestions for further research are discussed.
EFFECTS OF APPLICANT RACE, SEX, SUITABILITY, AND ANSWERS ON INTERVIEWER'S QUESTIONING STRATEGY AND RATINGS
Authors: McDONALD TRACY , HAKEL MILTON D.
Published: December 2006

Impression formation research (Snyder & Swann, 1978) suggests that people engage in information seeking strategies designed to confirm their impressions of others. In an extension of this work to the selection interview, Sackett (1982) found, however, that subjects did not consistently adopt a confirmatory information seeking strategy. This study is a further examination of Snyder and Swann's theory. In simulated interviews 170 subjects (1) read resumes of hypothetical applicants, (2) selected ten questions to ask each applicant, (3) received written responses to each question immediately on its selection, and (4) rated each applicant's suitability. An interaction accounting for 73% of variance indicated that applicant ratings were based primarily on the content of applicants' responses, but initial impressions also played a part. No clear‐cut, confirmatory information seeking strategy was observed.
LOGIC‐BASED MEASUREMENT OF VERBAL REASONING: A KEY TO INCREASED VALIDITY AND ECONOMY
Authors: COLBERG MAGDA
Published: December 2006

The purpose of this paper is to define logic‐based measurement as a method of measurement in which all measures (test items) are constructed according to the applicable inferential formulae of logic. Such a method of test construction brings into verbal reasoning tests the inferential objectivity of numerical reasoning tests. The availability of such a technology has powerful implications in personnel selection regarding real‐life prediction of inferential performance, the legal defensibility of personnel selection tests, the design of economical, inferentially nonredundant tests, and the design of test taxonomies in which basic inferential processes can be thoroughly sampled. These implications are discussed in this paper. Also the paper includes a discussion of the linkage of logic‐based measurement with other recently developed technologies such as validity generalization and computer‐tailored testing.
MOTIVATION TO MANAGE AT THE TOP EXECUTIVE LEVEL: A TEST OF THE HIERARCHIC ROLE‐MOTIVATION THEORY
Authors: BERMAN FREDERIC E. , MINER JOHN B.
Published: December 2006

Measures of managerial motivation (the Miner Sentence Completion Scale ‐ Form H) were obtained from a sample composed of 75 chief executive and operating officers, executive vice presidents, and group vice presidents. Within this sample, 49 individuals had clearly worked their way up a bureaucratic hierarchy, and thus were congruent with managerial role motivation theory, while 26 were either the original entrepreneur or relatives of the entrepreneur. Comparisons were made with a sample of 65 managers in the same companies who, although of similar ages, had not reached the same high levels. The theory congruent top executives proved to have higher managerial motivation than either of the other two groups. These results support the hierarchic role‐motivation theory and reinforce one of its most central propositions; they also support the use of the MSCS‐Form H in the selection of managerial talent and in executive assessment.
COMPLAINANT CHARACTERISTICS AND REPORTED BEHAVIORS AND CONSEQUENCES ASSOCIATED WITH FORMAL SEXUAL HARASSMENT CHARGES
Authors: TERPSTRA DAVID E. , COOK SUSAN E.
Published: December 2006

Eighty‐one formal sexual harassment charges were examined in an attempt to identify the characteristics of individuals who file formal sexual harassment charges and describe the behaviors and employment‐related consequences associated with such charges. The sex, age, marital status, educational level, occupation, and salary distributions of complainants differed significantly from the expected distributions based upon labor force statistics. As regards reported behaviors and consequences, the most compelling finding was that over 65% of the charges involved job discharge.
ORGANIZATIONAL PERFORMANCE AND ORGANIZATIONAL LEVEL TRAINING AND SUPPORT
Authors: RUSSELL JAMES S. , TERBORG JAMES R. , POWERS MARY L.
Published: December 2006

The present study uses both objective and survey data to examine relations among retail sales training, organizational support, and store performance and to examine whether training interacts with organizational support to predict store performance. The study is unique in that it presents an example of the analysis of the relationship between organizational level measures of training and performance, as opposed to more traditional individual level measures. Archival data in a correlational design were analyzed for 62 stores belonging to the same international merchandising firm. Two measures of training and two measures of support were used to predict two measures of store performance. Results indicated that training and organizational support were significantly correlated with both measures of store performance, although the relationship between training and organizational performance was stronger. In contrast to predictions, there were no significant interactions between the training and support variables.
THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF JOB SELECTION METHODS ON SIZE, PRODUCTIVITY, AND PAYROLL COSTS OF THE FEDERAL WORK FORCE: AN EMPIRICALLY BASED DEMONSTRATION
Authors: SCHMIDT FRANK L. , HUNTER JOHN E. , OUTERBRIDGE ALICE N. , TRATTNER MARVIN H.
Published: December 2006

In this study, job performance increases resulting from improved selection validity were measured empirically rather than estimated from the standard linear regression utility equations. Selection utility analyses based on these empirical measurements were carried out for most white‐collar jobs in the federal government. Results indicate that selection of a one‐year cohort based on valid measures of cognitive ability, rather than on non‐test procedures (mostly evaluations of education and experience), produces increases in output worth up to $600 million for each year that the new employees remain employed by the government. Newly hired federal employees remain with the government an average of approximately 13 years, resulting in a total gain in output of almost $8 billion over this period. This gain represents a 9.7% increase in output among new hires. If total output is held constant rather than increased, new hiring can be reduced by up to 20,044 per year (a 9% decrease), resulting in payroll savings of $272 million for every year the new cohort of employees remains on the job. The percentage of new hires in the bottom decile of the non‐test‐selected job performance distribution
OPERATIONALIZING THE “BEHAVIORAL CONSISTENCY” APPROACH: SELECTION TEST DEVELOPMENT BASED ON A CONTENT‐ORIENTED STRATEGY
Authors: SCHMITT NEAL , OSTROFF CHERI
Published: December 2006

This paper delineates a systematic procedure for operationalizing the “behavioral consistency” notion, proposed by Wernimont and Campbell (1968), for a Civil Service job. The steps used in developing selection tests from a content‐oriented strategy are illustrated, and the transformation of specific job behaviors into tests related to job content but modified so that inexperienced applicants can complete them is demonstrated. Test reliability and judged content validity of the examinations are presented.
QUANTITATIVE APPROACHES TO JOB CLASSIFICATION: A REVIEW AND CRITIQUE
Authors: HARVEY ROBERT J.
Published: December 2006

Job classification decisions underlie nearly all personnel functions (e.g., grouping for test validity generalization, compensation, performance appraisal, training needs analysis, career path and succession planning). Pearlman (1980) performed a comprehensive review of the job‐family literature, paying special attention to the problem of forming job families when generalizing aptitude test validities. This review addresses a more specific topic: selecting among and using the numerous quantitative job‐classification procedures, with a focus on the decision‐making tasks and practical difficulties that confront users of each.
THE APPLICATION OF EXPLORATORY FACTOR ANALYSIS IN APPLIED PSYCHOLOGY: A CRITICAL REVIEW AND ANALYSIS
Authors: FORD J. KEVIN , MacCALLUM ROBERT C. , TAIT MARIANNE
Published: December 2006

Although factor analysis has been a major contributing factor in advancing psychological research, a systematic assessment of how it has been applied is lacking. For this review we examined the Journal of Applied Psychology, Organizational Behavior and Human Performance, and Personnel Psychology over a ten‐year period (1975–1984) and located 152 studies that employed factor analysis. We then analyzed the choices made by the researchers concerning factor model, retention criteria, rotation, interpretation of factors and other issues relevant to factor analysis. The results indicate that choices made by researchers have generally been poor and that reporting practices have not allowed for informed review, cumulation of results, or replicability. A comparison of results by time interval (1975–1979; 1980–1984) revealed minimal differences in choices made or the quality of reporting practices. Suggestions for improving the use of factor analysis and the reporting of results are presented.
MONTE CARLO BASELINES FOR INTERRATER RELIABILITY CORRELATIONS USING THE POSITION ANALYSIS QUESTIONNAIRE
Authors: HARVEY ROBERT J. , HAYES THEODORE L.
Published: December 2006

The Position Analysis Questionnaire (PAQ; McCormick, Jeanneret, & Mecham, 1972) has usually demonstrated acceptable reliability: When measured as the average interrater correlation, reliabilities of .80 and above are common. In contrast, recent attempts to reduce the cost and intrusiveness of PAQ job analysis by providing raters with minimal job descriptive information have reported reliabilities under .50. Because many PAQ items are clearly irrelevant for any given job–even with only minimal job information–the fact that raters agree that these items receive a “Does Not Apply” (DNA) rating may mask disagreement on the remaining items and overestimate interrater reliability, making it difficult to interpret these reliabilities. To facilitate the interpretation of PAQ interrater reliabilities, we performed a Monte Carlo study that varied the number of raters as well as the number of DNA agreements. To estimate the worst possible reliability that could be expected for a given DNA agreement level, the remaining non‐DNA ratings were random numbers. Our results showed that reliabilities in the 50 range (such as were reported in recent nontraditional PAQ studies) can be obtained when raters rule out only 15–20% of the items as DNA and respond randomly to the remainder. Implications of these results for future job analysis research and practice are discussed.
PAY SYSTEMS AND WORK‐ROLE CENTRALITY OF INDUSTRIAL WORKERS
Authors: MANNHEIM BILHA , ANGEL ORLY
Published: December 2006

Controlling for three types of pay systems (individual incentives, group incentives, and fixed hourly wages), this study examines the nature of the relationships of technological organization and managerial and task features to the job attitude of work‐role centrality (WRC). It was found that technological organization was most closely related to WRC under incentive pay conditions, and WRC was lowest under group incentive pay conditions. Individual characteristics were similarly related to WRC in all three systems, but there were differential relationships between task autonomy, managerial orientations, and WRC for the three pay systems. The results are discussed in the framework of Lawler's congruity theory, and suggestions for future studies are proposed.
VALIDITY GENERALIZATION RESULTS FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT OCCUPATIONS
Authors: HIRSH HANNAH ROTHSTEIN , NORTHROP LOIS C. , SCHMIDT FRANK L.
Published: December 2006

The Schmidt‐Hunter interactive validity generalization procedure was applied to validity data for cognitive abilities tests for law enforcement occupations. Both assumed artifact distributions, and distributions of artifacts constructed from information contained in the current sample of studies were used to test the hypothesis of situational specificity and to estimate validity generalizability. Results for studies using a criterion of performance in training programs showed that validities ranged from .41 to .71, and for four test types the hypothesis of situational specificity could be rejected using the 75% decision rule. For the remaining test types, validity was generalizable, based on 90% credibility values ranging from .37 to .71. Results for studies using a criterion of performance on the job indicated that the hypothesis of situational specificity was not tenable for three test types, which had validities between .17 and .31. For the remaining test types, estimated mean true validities ranged from .10 to .26 and were generalizable to a majority of situations. Results for both groups of studies were essentially identical for the two types of artifact distribution. Possible reasons for the apparently lower validities and lesser generalizability for job performance criteria are discussed, including possible low validity of the criterion (due to lack of opportunity by supervisors to observe behavior) and the potential role of noncognitive factors in the determination of law enforcement job success. Suggestions for specifically targeted additional research are made.
CAN RATERS WITH REDUCED JOB DESCRIPTIVE INFORMATION PROVIDE ACCURATE POSITION ANALYSIS QUESTIONNAIRE (PAQ) RATINGS?
Authors: FRIEDMAN LEE , HARVEY ROBERT J.
Published: December 2006

Jones, Main, Butler, and Johnson (1982) stated that job‐naive raters provided with only narrative job descriptions can produce valid and reliable Position Analysis Questionnaire (PAQ) ratings. This implies that traditional time‐ and labor‐intensive methods of collecting job analysis information (e.g., interviews, direct observation) are not necessary in order to accurately complete the PAQ. However, PAQ ratings in the Jones et al. study were not validated against an external standard. Consequently, their conclusion is open to question. To determine the convergent validity of the Jones et al. approach, we provided job‐naive raters with varying amounts of job descriptive information and, in some cases, prior practice rating the job with another job analysis instrument; PAQ ratings were validated against those of job analysts who were also job content experts. None of the reduced job descriptive information conditions (or the practice) enabled job‐naive raters to obtain either acceptable levels of convergent validity with experts or high interrater reliability. Two areas of research that may make the PAQ more time‐ and labor‐efficient are discussed.
ADDITIONAL EVIDENCE FOR THE ACCURACY OF BIOGRAPHICAL DATA: LONG‐TERM RETEST AND OBSERVER RATINGS
Authors: SHAFFER GARNETT STOKES , SAUNDERS VICKIE , OWENS WILLIAM A.
Published: December 2006

Although the predictive validity of biographical information has been extensively documented in a variety of environments, the extent to which responses to a biodata questionnaire are accurate has not been adequately investigated. In particular, the accuracy of unverifi‐able biodata items has not been determined. Evidence of accuracy was obtained in the present study using a test‐retest design and informed external observers for verification. Responses were obtained from 237 study participants and 200 observers. Factor and item re‐test correlations were obtained for subject and observer data, and responses were compared using product‐moment correlations and t tests. Results provide evidence that many responses to a biodata questionnaire are accurate. Sources of inaccuracy were assessed, including the impact of social desirability, and applications of the findings to industrial uses of biodata were noted.
OUTCOME EXPECTANCIES OF PEOPLE WHO CONDUCT PERFORMANCE APPRAISALS
Authors: NAPIER NANCY K. , LATHAM GARY P.
Published: December 2006

Outcome expectancies of people who conduct performance appraisals were identified in two disparate industries, newsprint and banking, using two methodologies: interviewing and administering a questionnaire. The alternate hypothesis was that appraisers perceive the consequences to them of conducting a thorough appraisal (i.e., giving negative as well as positive feedback) as aversive. This hypothesis was rejected. Appraisers did not perceive any consequences to them for conducting appraisals. Moderate support for the alternate hypothesis was obtained in the second study.
INFLUENCE OF ASSESSMENT CENTER METHODS ON ASSESSORS’RATINGS
Authors: SILVERMAN WILLIAM H. , DALESSIO ANTHONY , WOODS STEVEN B. , JR RUDOLPH L. JOHNSON
Published: December 2006

Recently a number of authors have argued persuasively that performance ratings are influenced to a large extent by the way the rater selects, organizes, stores, and recalls information. Although the influence of the rater's cognitive processes on the obtained ratings has been considered in the job‐performance evaluation literature, this issue has not been considered in the assessment center literature. The purpose of the present study was to examine how assessment center methods affect the way assessors organize and process assessment center information and affect the ratings they make. Independent groups of assessors underwent one of two methods for evaluating candidates in an assessment center. Data indicated differences in the convergent and discriminant validities and differences in the factor structures of the ratings for the two methods. The pattern of results suggested that the two methods for evaluating assessment center candidates affected the way the assessors organized the assessment center information and affected the obtained ratings. Future research should consider assessment center methods and assessors as sources of variation in assessment center ratings.
THE PRACTICALITY OF BEHAVIORAL OBSERVATION SCALES, BEHAVIORAL EXPECTATION SCALES, AND TRAIT SCALES
Authors: WIERSMA UCO , LATHAM GARY P.
Published: December 2006

The practicality of three appraisal instruments were measured in terms of user preference, namely, behavioral observation scales (BOS), behavioral expectation scales (BES), and trait scales. A questionnaire containing items pertaining to differentiating good from poor performers, objectivity, providing feedback, suggesting training needs, and ease of use was administered to managers and their subordinates. In all instances, BOS were preferred to BES, and in all but two instances, BOS were viewed as superior to trait scales. Trait scales were felt to be as good if not better than BES. A second questionnaire administered to attorneys indicated that BOS would be easier to defend in the courtroom than either BES or trait scales.
CHANGING VIEWS FOR PERSONNEL SELECTION RESEARCH
Authors: GUION ROBERT M.
Published: December 2006

Changes in views of personnel selection research include changing opinions about choosing predictors and criteria, methods of data collection, and methods of evaluating selection procedures. In particular, distinctions are (or can be) made between job‐relatedness, inferred in part from validity coefficients based on job‐related criteria, and the valid measurement of a trait (attribute), inferred in part from research using construct‐related criteria. The major change identified is a reduction in the sanctity with which a single correlation is viewed for either purpose.
ALTERNATIVE WORK SCHEDULES: TWO FIELD QUASI‐EXPERIMENTS
Authors: DUNHAM RANDALL B. , PIERCE JON L. , CASTAÑEDA MARIA B.
Published: December 2006

In the first (N= 140) of two quasi‐experimental field studies, trial group employees were changed from a 5/40 to a 4/40 work schedule for four months then returned to a 5/40 schedule. In a second study (N= 102), trial group employees were changed from 5/40 to flextime. Reactions were evaluated using a model for understanding the impact of work schedules. The effects of schedule changes matched those anticipated by pre‐intervention surveys of employees. Factors related to organizational effectiveness were enhanced where specific organizational needs were met. Interference with personal activities was reduced where employees had experienced specific difficulties. The most powerful effect, however, was on worker attitudes toward specific work schedules. In addition, a mild positive (perhaps Hawthorne) effect was evident for a wide range of general worker reactions.
WHY DO ASSESSMENT CENTERS WORK? THE PUZZLE OF ASSESSMENT CENTER VALIDITY
Authors: KLIMOSKI RICHARD , BRICKNER MARY
Published: December 2006

The finding that assessment centers are successful in making valid predictions of managerial success is well established in the literature. Unfortunately, it is not clearly understood why assessment centers work. For example, construct validity of assessment center dimensions is rarely obtained. In this paper we affirm the evidence for predictive validity of assessment centers and conclude that assessment centers can work for a variety of purposes and in numerous contexts. But we also assert that we do not know why they work. The bulk of the paper goes on to raise possible explanations for the predictive validity observed in assessment centers and raises implications for practice and guidance of future research.
THE VALIDITY OF THE JOB CHARACTERISTICS MODEL: A REVIEW AND META‐ANALYSIS
Authors: FRIED YITZHAK , FERRIS GERALD R.
Published: December 2006

The validity of Hackman and Oldham's Job Characteristics Model was assessed by conducting a comprehensive review of nearly 200 relevant studies on the model as well as by applying meta‐analytic procedures to a large portion of the data. The evidence indicated that the available correlational results are reasonably valid in light of the issues examined. Results tended to support the multidimensionality of job characteristics, but there was less agreement on the exact number of dimensions. The corrected correlational results of the meta‐analysis indicated that job characteristics related both to psychological and behavioral outcomes. Concerning psychological states, the results tended to support their mediating (e.g., intervening) role between job characteristics and personal outcomes. The pattern of correlations between the job characteristics and psychological states was less supportive of the model. Meta‐analytic results demonstrated that most of the cross‐study variance was due to statistical artifacts. True variance across studies was found for the job characteristics‐performance relationship, however, and subsequent analyses suggested that growth‐need strength moderates this relationship. Implications for potential revisions of the model and for practice are discussed.
PREDICTING JOB PERFORMANCE OF YOUTH TRAINEES UNDER A JOB TRAINING PARTNERSHIP ACT PROGRAM (JTPA): CRITERION VALIDATION OF A BEHAVIOR‐BASED MEASURE OF WORK MATURITY
Authors: LOVE KEVIN G. , O'HARA KIRK
Published: December 2006

Current concepts of the construct of work maturity have focused on a cognitive developmental perspective. This study demonstrates the criterion‐related validity of a behavior‐based measure of work maturity. The work‐maturity levels of 142 youth enrollees in a job training program sponsored by the Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) were measured using a locally relevant, behavior‐based instrument. Through factor and linear regression analyses, the construct of work maturity was defined and related to later job performance. Two work‐maturity factors (Time Consciousness and Sociability) were found to predict a weighted composite criterion composed of ten job performance dimensions. In addition, the ability of individual dimensions to predict job performance was also examined. Future studies of work maturity that combine cognitive and behavioral measures are suggested.
WRITING UNDER THE INFLUENCE: SCIENCE VERSUS FICTION IN THE ANALYSIS OF CORPORATE ALCOHOLISM PROGRAMS
Authors: WEISS RICHARD M.
Published: December 2006

This paper examines the development and reporting of knowledge about employee alcoholism programs. It argues that specialists in this field frequently have overstated both the severity of the problem and the effectiveness of rehabilitative measures. Their claims are compared with evidence from the limited body of systematic research on this topic.
THE PEOPLE MAKE THE PLACE
Authors: SCHNEIDER BENJAMIN
Published: December 2006

A framework for understanding the etiology of organizational behavior is presented. The framework is based on theory and research from interactional psychology, vocational psychology, I/O psychology, and organizational theory. The framework proposes that organizations are functions of the kinds of people they contain and, further, that the people there are functions of an attraction‐selection‐attrition (ASA) cycle. The ASA cycle is proposed as an alternative model for understanding organizations and the causes of the structures, processes, and technology of organizations. First, the ASA framework is developed through a series of propositions. Then some implications of the model are outlined, including (1) the difficulty of bringing about change in organizations, (2) the utility of personality and interest measures for understanding organizational behavior, (3) the genesis of organizational climate and culture, (4) the importance of recruitment, and (5) the need for person‐based theories of leadership and job attitudes. It is concluded that contemporary I/O psychology is overly dominated by situationist theories of the behavior of organizations and the people in them.
PERSONNEL DEPARTMENT ACTIVITIES: CONSTITUENCY PERSPECTIVES AND PREFERENCES
Authors: TSUI ANNE S. , MILKOVICH GEORGE T.
Published: December 2006

The multiple constituency approach is proposed as a meaningful framework for analyzing the activities of the personnel department. A basic hypothesis on the differences in constituency preferences was empirically tested in 150 organizational units of three large organizations. Four constituencies were found to desire significantly different activities from the department. Minor contextual effects on the pattern of differences were also observed across the three organizations. Future research agendas and implications for practice based on the multiple constituency approach are discussed.
AN EXPLORATION OF CLIMATES FOR TECHNICAL UPDATING AND PERFORMANCE
Authors: KOZLOWSKI STEVE W. J. , HULTS BRIAN M.
Published: December 2006

Rapid technological innovation has made updating the knowledge and skills of technical professionals, such as engineers, a key concern for many organizations. The facilitation of performance and updating activities to prevent obsolescence is thought to require the development of a congruent organizational climate. To date, this issue has received some theoretical but little research attention. This study assessed the efficacy of the concept of updating climate. It was hypothesized that the technical updating climate construct would (1) be able to distinguish among organizations under different pressures for technological innovation, (2) evidence interobserver consensus within organizations, and (3) be associated with relevant organizational context features and affective, performance, and updating responses. Data gathered from 447 engineers and their 218 supervisors drawn from 10 diverse organizations provided support for the hypotheses. It was concluded that the concept of updating climate provides a useful framework for understanding factors that facilitate technical competence and performance.
EVALUATION OF AN INTERVIEWEE SKILLS TRAINING PROGRAM IN A NATURAL FIELD EXPERIMENT
Authors: CAMPION MICHAEL A. , CAMPION JAMES E.
Published: December 2006

The purpose of this study was to provide an evaluation of an interviewee skills training program in a field setting using a broad sample of interviewers, jobs, and candidates. The training program (n= 158) derived its content from previous literature and used multiple instructional techniques. An experimental design was employed with a self‐study (placebo control) group (n= 140), random assignment, and many levels of evaluation criteria. Measures exhibited acceptable reliability, and statistical power was high for all analyses. Results indicated that class members responded positively to the program and demonstrated substantial learning. Interviewer evaluations of behavior failed to distinguish between experimental groups, however, and no differences were observed in job offers. Furthermore, no differences were observed between study participants and nonparticipants (n= 174) in terms of interview behavior and job offers. This study illustrates the danger of relying solely on reaction or learning criteria in the evaluation of training programs. Several explanations are offered for the findings.
DIMENSIONS AND CHARACTERISTICS OF PERSONNEL MANAGER PERCEPTIONS OF EFFECTIVE DRUG‐TESTING PROGRAMS
Authors: GOMEZ‐MEJIA LUIS R. , BALKIN DAVID B.
Published: December 2006

This study examines several dimensions and characteristics of drug‐testing programs that are associated with personnel managers' judgments of the programs' effectiveness. The data gathered from 190 human resource management (HRM) executives indicate that firms with drug‐testing policies differ from non‐drug‐testing organizations. Drug‐testing programs considered to be effective are supported by ancillary activities such as employee assistance programs, supervisory training, and employee drug‐awareness communications. Organizations perceived to have effective drug‐testing policies engage in drug testing for targeted groups of employees and focus on the rehabilitation of those individuals who test positive.
THE EFFECT OF QUALITY CIRCLE INITIATION ON MOTIVATION TO ATTEND QUALITY CIRCLE MEETINGS AND ON TASK PERFORMANCE
Authors: TANG THOMAS LI‐PING , TOLLISON PEGGY SMITH , WHITESIDE HAROLD D.
Published: December 2006

The motivation to attend quality circle (QC) meetings and the task performance of 47 quality circles over a three‐year period were examined as a function of quality circle initiation (self‐ vs. management‐initiated) in a field study. Motivation to attend meetings was operationally defined as the number of members per QC (QC size) and the attendance rate at QC meetings. Task performance reflected the number of projects completed and the amount of time required to complete the project. The results of a MANOVA suggested that QC initiation had significant impacts on motivation to attend meetings in that self‐initiated QCs had more QC members than had management‐initiated QCs. Further, management‐initiated QCs solved more work‐related problems and solved their problems significantly faster than did self‐initiated QCs. The effect of QC initiation on the number of projects completed failed to reach significance, however, when QC size was controlled as a covariate. Further, a high attendance rate at QC meetings was associated with a low quantity of projects completed in self‐initiated QCs and a slow speed of problem solving in management‐initiated QCs. Some implications related to the effectiveness of QCs are discussed.
THE EFFECT OF QUALITY CONTROL REVISIONS ON MIXED STANDARD SCALE RATING ERRORS
Authors: PRIEN ERICH P. , HUGHES GARRY L.
Published: December 2006

Evaluations of performance evaluation ratings conventionally use various psychometric criteria, with reliability being the measure most commonly reported. Rating errors have been attributed to a variety of sources, including the statistical properties of the format or content, ratee performance variability, rater biases, and characteristics of the work setting. This article reports research on error statistics that can be generated using the Mixed Standard Scale (MSS) evaluation format. The reduction of system error rates following revision guided by statistical analysis is a clear indication that the quality control features of this format are useful in the management of performance evaluation systems.
INTERVIEW VALIDITY FOR SELECTING SALES CLERKS
Authors: ARVEY RICHARD D. , MILLER HOWARD E. , GOULD RICHARD , BURCH PHILLIP
Published: December 2006

Interviewer judgments, gender, and age data were collected for job applicants interviewing for seasonal retail sales clerk positions in two separate years. Job performance data were matched with interviewer judgments for 312 employees in Year One and for 205 employees in Year Two. The correlation between interview judgments and job performance was .34 in Year One; after correction for criterion attenuation and restriction of range, the correlation was estimated at .42. The second year results yielded a correlation of .51, which, after corrections, was estimated at .61. Analyses of the data for differential prediction as a function of sex and age for both years revealed that females and older applicants received higher average interview evaluations, but regression lines did not differ significantly among the age and gender subgroups.
INVESTIGATION OF BIAS IN JOB EVALUATION RATINGS OF COMPARABLE WORTH STUDY PARTICIPANTS
Authors: MOUNT MICHAEL K. , ELLIS REBECCA A.
Published: December 2006

An experimental study was conducted to investigate the effects of knowledge of current pay levels and perceived job gender on subsequent job evaluations. The sample consisted of 53 job evaluators in professional and scientific positions at the University of Iowa who had previously received 20 hours of training in job evaluation and participated in over 100 hours of job evaluations during the implementation of a comparable worth pay system. The hypothesis that jobs with high (manipulated) pay levels would receive higher evaluations than jobs with low (manipulated) pay levels was confirmed, although the effects were smaller than those reported in other studies. In addition, evidence of a pro‐female bias was found (p < .08) in the job evaluation ratings. Implications of these findings for job evaluation research and practice are discussed.
UNION INVOLVEMENT IN QUALITY‐OF‐WORKLIFE EFFORTS: A LONGITUDINAL INVESTIGATION
Authors: THACKER JAMES W. , FIELDS MITCHELL W.
Published: December 2006

The purpose of this study is to investigate potential outcomes for unions involved in joint union‐management QWL efforts. Subjects (rank‐and‐file union members) from three different QWL efforts within one organization were identified and measured at two points in time to determine what impact a joint QWL effort would have on their perceptions of the union. Results indicate that after QWL involvement, participants perceive a higher level of union influence in job areas where unions have not traditionally been involved (i.e., implementing technological changes, helping improve service to customers). In traditional job areas (i.e., scheduling shift changes and vacations) an interaction between the perception of QWL success and union influence was noted. The findings also indicated a desire by the “silent majority” of union members to become involved in QWL efforts. Finally, the present research suggests that after QWL involvement, a majority of the rank‐and‐file members who perceived QWL as successful gave equal credit for the success to both union and management. The rank‐and‐file members who perceived QWL as unsuccessful tended to blame management for the lack of success. Implications of these findings and the need for more research in this area are discussed.
REFERENT SELECTION IN DETERMINING EQUITY PERCEPTIONS: DIFFERENTIAL EFFECTS ON BEHAVIORAL AND ATTITUDINAL OUTCOMES
Authors: SCHOLL RICHARD W. , COOPER ELIZABETH A. , McKENNA JACK F.
Published: December 2006

The concept of differential equity allows individuals to have different perceptions of equity depending on the pay referent used. Different pay referents should result in different tactics to reduce inequities. To test this hypothesis, equity perceptions with respect to seven different referents were compared as to their relationship to pay satisfaction, intent to remain with a company, and frequency of extra‐role behavior. Findings suggest that the various types of inequity relate differentially to each of the three outcome variables.
A META‐ANALYSIS OF SELF‐SUPERVISOR, SELF‐PEER, AND PEER‐SUPERVISOR RATINGS
Authors: HARRIS MICHAEL M. , SCHAUBROECK JOHN
Published: December 2006

Reviews of self–supervisor, self–peer, and peer–supervisor ratings have generally concluded that there is at best a modest correlation between different rating sources. Nevertheless, there has been much inconsistency across studies. Accordingly, a meta‐analysis was conducted. The results indicated a relatively high correlation between peer and supervisor ratings (ρ= .62) but only a moderate correlation between self‐supervisor (ρ= .35) and self‐peer ratings (ρ= .36). While rating format (dimensional versus global) and rating scale (trait versus behavioral) had little impact as moderators, job type (managerial/professional versus blue‐collar/service) did seem to moderate self‐peer and self‐supervisor ratings.
PROPOSITIONS ABOUT GRIEVANCE SETTLEMENTS: FINALLY, CONSULTATION WITH GRIEVANTS
Authors: GORDON MICHAEL E. , BOWLBY ROGER L.
Published: December 2006

In the past, research on grievances generally has excluded the views of grievants about the process and its consequences. This study is an analysis of self‐reports of 324 grievants concerning the characteristics of a grievance‐filing incident and its perceived outcomes. The results raise questions about the veracity of the industrial relations dictum that grievances should be settled at the lowest step in the process. Instead, the nature of the settlement and the type of grievance were perceived to have significant effects on outcome and attitude measures.
WORK LOAD, TENSION, AND COPING: MODERATING EFFECTS OF SUPERVISOR SUPPORT
Authors: KIRMEYER SANDRA L. , DOUGHERTY THOMAS W.
Published: December 2006

This research investigated the buffering role of social support in the relationship of work load to both tension‐anxiety and coping for police radio dispatchers (N= 60). Each dispatcher was observed throughout an entire 8‐hour work shift by a trained observer. Objective load consisted of the hourly rate of incoming telephone calls, police radio transmissions, and face‐to‐face or written communications from superiors, co‐workers, and others. At the end of each shift, measures were taken of dispatchers' perceived load, felt tension‐anxiety, and coping actions. Hierarchical regression revealed that support from superiors moderated the effects of both objective and perceived loads; no main effects of support were found. Statistically significant interactions confirmed the hypothesized buffering role of support: under high perceived load, dispatchers with high social support engaged in more coping actions and felt less tension‐anxiety than did low‐support dispatchers. No differences were found when perceived load was low. Support also buffered effects of objective load on tension‐anxiety but not on coping.