Personnel Psychology Flashcards
Adverse impact
Potential legal issue in personnel selection
When minority group members are hired at a lower rate than majority group members
Causes include:
Differential validity
Unfairness
Calculate using the 80 percent (4/5ths rule)
Needs analysis
The first step in developing a training program
4 components:
1) Organization analysis
2) Task analysis
3) Person analysis
4) demographic analysis
3 steps in developing a training program
- Needs analysis
- Program design
- Program evaluation
Advantage of Personnel Comparison Systems
Reduce the effects of certain rater biases:
Central tendency
Leniency
Strictness
Research on interview validity says…
Situational interviews > job-related interviews > psychologically-based interviews
Structured interviews have higher predictive validity than unstructured interviews
Biodata
Biographical information about an applicant’s work history, education, personal interests, skills
Highly predictive of job success when empirically validated (items included because correlate highly with job performance) - 2nd only to cognitive ability for predicting job performance
Particularly useful for predicting job turnover
Equally valid for members of different racial/ethnic groups (.77 for whites and .79 for blacks)
In-basket test
Example of work sample/simulation exercise
Involves seeing how a participant responds to the kinds of tasks (e.g. memos, reports, messages) they would encounter on the job
Criterion contamination
When a rater’s knowledge of a person’a performance on a selection instrument (e.g. performance in the assessment center) affects how the rater evaluates the person’s performance once they are on the job
Affects the validity of assessment centers
80 percent (4/5ths) rule
Adverse impact is when minority group is less than 80% selection rate of majority group
Eg. If 60% of male applicants are hired, then at least 48% of female applicants must be hired (.60 x .80 = .48). If rate is less than 48%, there is adverse impact of selection procedures.
Interest tests
E.g. Strong-Campbell Interest Inventory, Kuder Occupational Survey
Have low validity for predicting occupational success, but are useful for vocational counselling or predicting job satisfaction, job persistence, job choice
Integrity tests
Lower validity for predicting job performance
Useful for selecting employees with reduced probability for stealing, etc (counterproductive job behaviours)
Bona fide occupational qualification
Adverse impact is permitted when there is a valid reason for hiring a substantially larger portion of a subgroup
E.g. Hire more men bc job requires heavy lifting
Differential validity
When a selection procedure is a valid predictor of job performance for one group but not another
A cause of adverse impact
Unfairness
When one group consistently scores lower than another group on a selection test (so less likely to be hired) but both groups perform equally well on the job
Methods of score adjustment to compensate for bias
Separate cutoffs
Within group norming
Banding (treating all scores within a given band/range as equivalent)
ADA and drug use
ADA specifically excludes individuals who are currently engaging in the illegal use of drugs
Protects past substance abusers as long as they are participating in or have completed a supervised rehabilitation program
Drug testing is not prohibited by ADA
Incremental validity
How useful a selection test is in terms of decision-making accuracy
Incremental validity = positive hit rate - base rate
E.g. 70% - 50% = 20% (Use of the new selection test will increase the company’s decision making by 20%)
Can also use Taylor-Russell tables, which show that a measure’s incremental validity is maximized when it’s:
1) validity coefficient is large (highly predictive)
2) base rate is moderate (new predictor is likely to be helpful; if it’s high, then the current method is doing a good job)
3) selection ratio is low (many applicants to choose from)
Utility analysis
How cost effective a selection procedure is
Often, utility is defined as the dollar gained in job performance when using a certain selection procedure, as opposed to a prior or alternative procedure
Multicollinearity
When predictors are highly correlated
Combining predictors for personnel selection
Multiple predictors are preferred because they provide more info than a single predictor
Each predictor should correlate highly with the criterion, but not with each other (multicollinearity, redundant)
3 methods:
- Multiple regression
- Multiple cutoff
- Multiple hurdle
On-the-job training
Trainee performs job under guidance of experienced supervisor
Job rotation = rotate through several jobs to increase their range of skills, so they can perform other jobs in the company
Advantage: economical
Disadvantages: often poorly planned, poorly implemented, slowed production rates, increased accidents, and current workers may not be the best trainees
4 types of job training programs
- On-the-job training
- Vestibule training
- Classroom training
- Programmed instruction
3 dimensions of program evaluation
- Formative evaluation (e.g. trainees’ assessments, satisfaction, degree of learning) - occurs while program is in progress
- Summative evaluations - happen after program is complete
- Cost effectiveness
Kirkpatrick’s Four Levels of Criteria for Program Evaluation
- Reaction criteria
- Learning criteria
- Behaviour criteria
- Results criteria
Phillip expanded this model by proposing a 5th level: Return on Investment (evaluate for each of first four levels)
The Differential Aptitude Test (DAT)
One of the Multiple Aptitude Batteries
Includes measures of both job-related and general cognitive abilities
Can be used with students grades 8 - 12 or with adults to assist with career and educational counselling
Holland’s Personality and Environment Typology
All behaviours, including career choice, are a function of personality and the social environment
6 personality types (RIASEC):
- Realistic
- Investigative
- Artistic
- Social
- Enterprising
- Conventional
Measured using the Vocational Preference Inventory, the Self-Directed Search, or the Strong-Campbell Interest Inventory
Occupational environments are classified with the same 6 categories, and when they match, there is “congruence” - they will be satisfied, productive, and likely to stay in that environment
When a person scores high on one above all others, there is a high degree of differentiation, and the congruence match will be most accurate
Super’s Career and Life Developmental Theory
Career development is a predictable series of stages, each stage must be mastered to progress to the next
- Growth
- Exploration
- Establishment
- Maintenance
- Decline
People achieve job satisfaction when they are able to express themselves and develop their self-concept through work roles
Career maturity = extent a person has mastered skills related to that stage
Life space = various roles we adopt at different points during the life span
Life career rainbow = nine major roles that we adopt during the above 5 stages (child, student, worker, partner, parent, citizen, homemaker, leisurite, pensioner)
Job commitment has the highest correlation with:
Moderate to strong negative correlation with absenteeism and turnover
