Career And Organisational Flashcards
Organisational psychology (I/O) is…
The application of psychological principles and research methods to improve the functioning and human benefits of businesses and organisations
Includes work environment, job performance, health and well-being, job satisfaction and safety
I/O aims to
1- improve productivity/performance
2- support work/life balance and work styles
3- reduce stress and burnout risk
4- support career paths and development
5- recruit, place and retain the best people
6- improve strengths
7- foster a flourishing workforce
Areas of I/O
Job analyst Personal recruitment Performance appraisal Individual assessment Occupational health Quality assurance Modernisation Organisational culture
Psych testing in organisations
Career decision making
Recruitment and selection
Types of recruitment psych testing
Person-job fit- compatibility between persons needs and supplies that job provides (what person needs and job can give)
Person-organisation fit- compatibility between jobs demands and persons ability to meet demands
The scientific method in recruitment psych testing is used to…
- Measure a persons KSAOs (knowledge, skills, abilities)
- determine persons suitability for job or task
- Foster assertive and effective communication
- understand individual differences, strengths and potential talents
What tests are used in recruitment psych testing
- Personality and interest tests
- aptitude and ability tests
- structured interviews
Recruitment psych testing key evaluation criteria
1-objectivity: free of subjective judgement
2-reliabity: consistent results
3-validity: measures whatit intends to
4-norm; standardised score comparison
5-practicability: eg length and level of ability
Steps of recruitment psych testing
1- biographical data, cognitive ability, personality, character, interests
2- rating scales, inventories, projective techniques, behavioural scales
3- aptitude and ability tests, interests (personality) tests, structured interviews
Cognitive ability and aptitude tests
Measures cognitive abilities (math) under time pressure in standardised conditions and compare to representative sample
Measure aptitude relevant to job so good predictor of job performance (best for jobs that require specific cognitive skills)
Measures what someone’s already learnt (achievement)
50% companies use
Examples of cognitive skills measured
Memory Processing Logic and reasoning Mobility Perception Attention
Example cognitive and aptitude tests
Wanderlic personnel test (WTP-R) Otis-lennon mental ability test General aptitude test battery (GATB) Employee aptitude survey (EAS) Mental mechanical ability test Clerical ability test Physical ability test
Advantages of cog and aptitude tests
- No observer bias
- quantitative and objective
- indirect measure of intelligence/mental ability
- efficient and useful across all jobs
- more complex job= higher validity
- high criterion related validity
- good job performance and training predictor
- administered via paper or online
Disadvantages of cog and aptitude tests
- Adverse impact (employment practices that seem neutral but are discrmitory) eg age/gender
- may predict short not long term performance
- measures can do not will do
- not good measure of ability to plan or carry out specific task
- high administration cost
Personality tests are helpful how
Personality traits have been identified as effective predictors of job performance.
Conciencsiouness is most useful predictor
Aid in staff selection
Most suitable personality and interest tests
Hogan personnel selection series BFI DiSC personality types Occupational personality questionnaire 16 personality factors
BFI
Moderate validity for selection with measures of job performance
High e= sales success
High C and O = success in job training
Low A, C and low adjustment = more likely to be counterproductive (abuse sick leave)
Hogan Personality inventory
206 item measure
7 primary scales measure positive personality traits
6 occupational scales predict specific role performance (service orientation, stress tolerance, reliability, clerical, sales, managerial potential)
Validated by over 200 occupations
Commonly administered online
DiSC assessment
4 specific traits
1- dominance: direct, strong willed
2- influence: sociable, talkative, lively
3- steadiness: gentle, accomodating, soft-hearted
4- conscientoustress: private, analytical, logic
Good-to-excellent internal consistency (average .87 reliability)
Easy administration and concise results for hiring, training and resolving interpersonal conflict
Occupational personality questionnaire
32 dimensions to determine preferred work style behaviour
3 domains: relationships with people, thinking styles, feelings and emotions
16 personality factor questionnaire
Predict behaviour in contexts
185 MCQ
Scores can be interpreted using different systems
Advantages of personality tests
1- identify personalities that fit team and work effectively
2- identify those who adapt easily
3- identify dark personality traits that hinder work culture and safety
4- high potential identification, leadership potential, promotions
Disadvantages of personality tests
- Not all are scientifically sound or applicable to work settings
- shouldn’t be standalone recruitment selection
- time consuming
- not every job profile requires similar traits
- could cause lack of diversity
- high admistrasive cost (interpretation,analysis)
Integrity tests
Assesses honesty, dependability, trustworthiness, reliability, pro-social behaviour
Overt integrity test ask about dangerous and counterproductive behaviours
Covert integrity test is personality type test drawing conclusions about likely integrity issues
Situational judgement tests
Scenarios with several likely response options
All options might be viable but some more effective
Work sample tests
Measures performance on technically orientated tasks eg-operating equipment, troubleshooting
Observed by trained assessor while completing simulated work situation
Best for jobs needing specific knowledge day 1 not for entry level jobs
Job knowledge tests
Measures critical and technical knowledge areas
Not to predict aptitude
Problem solving task or case study related to job
Direct measures of work performance
Work samples
Management assessment centres
Video based situational testing
Miniature job training and evaluation
