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Learning Objectives
After studying this chapter you should be able to:
1. Establish the basic scientific properties of selection methods— reliability, validity, and
generalizability.
2. Discuss how the particular characteristics of a job, organization, or applicant affect the
utility of any test.
3. Describe the government’s role in personnel selection decisions, particularly in the
areas of constitutional law, federal laws, executive orders, and judicial precedent.
4. List the common methods used in selecting human resources.
5. Describe the degree to which each of the common methods used in selecting human
resources meets the demands of reliability, validity, generalizability, utility, and legality.
I. Introduction
The chapter will familiarize students with ways to minimize errors in employee selection
and placement and by doing so, to improve the organization’s competitive position. Five
selection method standards will be discussed: reliability, validity, generalizability, utility
and legality.
2. Standards for Reliability—Clearly, the more reliable the measure, the more likely
decisions can be made on score differences. However, the actual score and the
standard error of the measure have an impact on the ability to make a decision on
the meaning of scores.
3. Content validation is the use of expert judgment to determine whether test items
are a representative sample of the kinds of items, situations, or problems that
occur on the job. One means to quantify the degree of content validity is to use a
content-validation ratio (CVR), in which multiple judges determine whether
items are essential or nonessential. The results are placed in a formula and rested
for statistical significance. Limitations of content validation are that it is not used
in situations when the person learns to do the job after he or she is hired and
judges’ ratings are made in reference to concrete behaviors; therefore, content
validation is not appropriate when more abstract traits of individuals are being
measured. (Table 6.2 shows the level of CVR needed to achieve statistical
significance.)
1. It was believed that validity coefficients were situationally specific—that is, the
correlation between test and job performance would vary across organizations.
Research results suggest this is not the case and that tests such as cognitive
ability show similar levels of correlation across jobs that are somewhat similar.
The more complex the job, typically the higher the validity.
2. It was also believed that tests showed differential subgroup validity, which meant
that validity coefficients were different for people of different races or sex.
Research suggests that there are very similar levels of correlations across
different groups of people.
E. Legality—All selection methods must conform to existing laws and legal precedents
(Chapter 4 discusses these issues). The text provides an example of an angry person
who feels discriminated against and how the person could attempt to rectify the
situation.
1. Federal Legislation—The Civil Rights Act of 1991 (an extension of the Civil
Rights Act of 1964) protects individuals from discrimination based on race, color,
sex, religion, and national origin. The 1991 act differs from the 1964 act in three
different areas:
b. It allows the individual filing the complaint to have a jury decide whether he
or she may recover punitive damages in addition to lost wages and benefits
for emotional injuries caused by the discrimination.
2. The Age Discrimination Act or 1967 covers individuals who are between the ages
of 40 and 69. Litigation related to this act has surged because of the general aging
of the work force and downsizing. A 200 percent increase in litigation took place
between 1991 and 1995. There is no protection for younger workers, and
therefore there is no case for reverse discrimination. There are provisions for jury
trials and punitive damages.
3. The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1991 protects individuals with physical or
mental disabilities:
4. Executive orders relate to businesses that have government contracts with the
federal government. Executive Order 11246 parallels the Civil Rights Act of
1964 but goes beyond it by (a) requiring affirmative action to hire qualified
protected group applicants and (b) allowing the government to suspend all busi-
ness with a contractor while an investigation is going on. The Office of Federal
Contract Compliance (OFCC) issues guidelines and monitors compliance.
C. Physical ability tests may be relevant for predicting not only job performance but
occupational injuries and disabilities as well. Criterion-related validities tend to be
quite strong, although adverse impact on the disabled and women is highly possible.
The test, if demonstrably valid, can be used when evidence exists for physical ability
being necessary for job performance and that failure to possess physical abilities
could lead to risk of safety and health to the applicant, co-workers, or clients.
1. Verbal comprehension refers to the ability to understand and use written and
spoken language.
F. Work samples, such as typing rests, simulate the job. Work samples are job-specific
and tend to be high in criterion-related and content validity and low in adverse
impact. The disadvantages are that generalizability tends to be low, and they are
relatively expensive to develop. The technique used in managerial selection is the
assessment center, which uses a wide variety of multiple selection methods to rate
applicants or job incumbents on their managerial potential. Validity tends to be quite
high.
G. Honesty tests and drug tests—The Polygraph Act of 1988 banned the use of
polygraph tests for private companies except pharmaceutical and security guard
suppliers. Paper-and-pencil honesty testing attempts to assess the likelihood that
employees will steal. Since these tests are new, there is little evidence on their
effectiveness. Table 6.5 contains some sample items.
1. The major controversies are whether drug tests represent an invasion of privacy,
an unreasonable search and seizure. or a violation of due process. At this point,
there has not been much legislation or litigation.
(Table 6.6 in the text provides a summary of personnel selection methods and
their reliability, validity, generalizability, utility, and legality.)
Chapter Vocabulary
Reliability, Reliability of Measurement, Validity, Criterion-related Validity, Predictive
Validation, Concurrent Validation, Content Validation, Content-Validation Ratio,
Generalizability, Utility, Selection Ratio, Selection Interviews, Watson v. Fort Worth Bank and
Trust, References and Biographical Data, Physical Ability Tests, Cognitive Ability Tests,
Verbal Comprehension, Quantitative Ability, Reasoning Ability, Personality Inventories, Work
Samples, Honesty Tests and Drug Tests, Assessment Center
Discussion Questions
1. We examined nine different types of selection methods in this chapter. Assume that
you were just rejected for a job based on one of these nine methods. Obviously, you might
be disappointed and angry regardless of what method was used to make this decision, but
can you think of two or three methods that might leave you most distressed? In general,
why might the acceptability of the test to applicants be an important standard to add to the
five we discussed in this chapter?
2. Some have speculated that in addition to increasing the validity of decisions,
employing rigorous selection methods has symbolic value for organizations. What message
is sent to applicants about the organization through hiring practices, and how might this
message be reinforced by recruitment programs that occur before selection and training
programs that occur after selection?