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Management - Organizational Behavior Ch. 3, Exercises of Organization Behaviour

MTI CollegeOrganization Behaviour

Mike went to his friend Abe’s house with Nick. When the pair returned to Mike’s house, Nick said, “Mike, isn’t Abe’s cat the brightest orange cat you’ve ever seen?” Mike replied, “Nick to be honest, I didn’t notice anything but Abe’s dog. I’m afraid of dogs and wasn’t sure if he would bother me or not.” Mike exhibited

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Management - Organizational Behavior Ch. 3
Organizational Behavior, Version 1.1
Bauer & Erdogan
FWK Test Item File
Chapter 3
TRUE/FALSE
1.Applicant-matching software reduces the time required to hire candidates.
(True)
2.A risk-averse individual is generally a poor fit for a high-tech firm in a dynamic environment.
(True)
3.Behavior is a function of the person and the situation interacting with each other.
(True)
4.Person/job fit is related to job satisfaction.
(True)
5.When people fit their jobs, they experience higher levels of stress.
(False)
6.There is usually a strong relationship between good person/organization fit and high job
performance.
(False)
7.Value orientations change dramatically as individuals age and mature.
(False)
8.Instrumental values are end states people desire in life.
(False)
9.Family security is a terminal value.
(True)
10.Behavior may be affected as much by what is expected of us as how we want to behave.
(True)
11.Conscientiousness, more than any other personality trait, predicts how successfully a person
performs a variety of jobs.
(True)
12.People high in openness are more likely to start their own business than those low in openness.
(True)
13.Extraverts are happier in their work situations and perform much more effectively than introverts.
(False)
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Download Management - Organizational Behavior Ch. 3 and more Exercises Organization Behaviour in PDF only on Docsity!

Management - Organizational Behavior Ch. 3

Organizational Behavior, Version 1.

Bauer & Erdogan

FWK Test Item File

Chapter 3

TRUE/FALSE

  1. Applicant-matching software reduces the time required to hire candidates. (True)
  2. A risk-averse individual is generally a poor fit for a high-tech firm in a dynamic environment. (True)
  3. Behavior is a function of the person and the situation interacting with each other. (True)
  4. Person/job fit is related to job satisfaction. (True)
  5. When people fit their jobs, they experience higher levels of stress. (False)
  6. There is usually a strong relationship between good person/organization fit and high job performance. (False)
  7. Value orientations change dramatically as individuals age and mature. (False)
  8. Instrumental values are end states people desire in life. (False)
  9. Family security is a terminal value. (True)
  10. Behavior may be affected as much by what is expected of us as how we want to behave. (True)
  11. Conscientiousness, more than any other personality trait, predicts how successfully a person performs a variety of jobs. (True)
  12. People high in openness are more likely to start their own business than those low in openness. (True)
  13. Extraverts are happier in their work situations and perform much more effectively than introverts. (False)
  1. Extraverts are always model employees. (False)
  2. High agreeableness is always a personality trait sought in job candidates. (False)
  3. The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator is a very effective employee selection tool. (False)
  4. The MBTI classifies individuals on the basis of types, not traits. (True)
  5. Positive affective people are absent from work less often. (True)
  6. One tip to remember in working with people with negative affectivity is that you can change someone’s personality with relative ease. (False)
  7. People who are labeled as high social monitors can experience high levels of stress. (True)
  8. Social monitors are especially good at evaluating the performance of other employees. (False)
  9. Proactive people understand the political environment in organizations, so they adjust quickly to new jobs. (True)
  10. Mary said, “I am quite confident in the plan I developed, as I worked quite diligently on it and I have implemented similar programs in similar settings.” Mary seems to have high self- efficacy. (True)
  11. Self-efficacy is the degree to which people have overall positive feelings about themselves. (False)
  12. “It was really nothing. These things happen to me because I happen to be in the right place at the right time.” This statement suggests an external locus of control. (True)
  13. Research indicates that personality tests are an excellent predictor of performance. (False)
  14. One of the challenges of using personality tests in employee selection is that the rankings of the candidates who take the test may be affected by their ability to fake. (True)
  15. Our visual perception is biased because we do not perceive objects in isolation. (True)

(a) Easy/Knowledge

  1. Person/job fit is the a. degree to which a person’s skill, knowledge, abilities and other characteristics match the job demands. b. degree to which a person likes an organization. c. degree to which a person’s values, personality, goals and other characteristics match those of the organization. d. degree to which a person’s attitude matches the culture of the work group. (a) Easy/Knowledge
  2. Person/organization fit is the a. degree to which a person’s skill, knowledge, abilities and other characteristics match the job demands. b. degree to which a person likes an organization. c. degree to which a person’s values, personality, goals and other characteristics match those of the organization. d. degree to which a person’s attitude matches the culture of the work group. (c) Easy/Knowledge
  3. Sherri is creative, warm and caring. Person/job fit suggests one job she might be particularly effective at is a. elementary school teacher. b. accountant. c. researcher. d. pharmaceutical sales. (a) Medium/Application
  4. An applicant-matching software program would suggest which of the following personality traits would provide the best person/organization fit with a Wall Street firm? a. risk aversion b. risk-taking c. flexibility d. stability (b) Medium/Application
  5. Research on the interactionist perspective suggests a. there is a consistent positive relationship between person/organization fit and job performance. b. if there is a misfit between an individual and the organization, there are no extenuating circumstances that eliminate its impact. c. organization culture is equally important to all individuals. d. people who fit into their organization tend to be more satisfied with their jobs. (d) Difficult/Evaluation
  6. Findings of person/organization fit studies indicate a. when people fit their organization, they consistently perform better. b. when people fit their organization, they are less influential in the firm. c. when people fit their organization, they tend to leave an organization at about the same rate as those who are organization misfits. d. when people fit their organization, they are more committed to the organization. (d) Medium/Analysis Section II: Individual Differences: Values and Personality
  1. Values a. encompass the relatively stable feelings, thoughts, and behavioral patterns a person has. b. are initial thoughts and perceptions we form about people, which tend to be stable and resilient to contrary information. c. are generalizations based upon a perceived group characteristic. d. refer to stable life goals people have, reflecting what is most important to them. (d) Easy/Knowledge
  2. According to Rokeach, which of the following is not accurate about values? a. Values are grouped into terminal and instrumental categories. b. Values are hierarchically ordered. c. Values are shaped late in life. d. Values are relatively stable over time. (c) Easy/Comprehension
  3. __________ is a terminal value. a. Broad-minded. b. Inner harmony. c. Forgiving. d. Obedient. (b) Easy/Knowledge
  4. Which of the following is an instrumental value? a. clean b. self-respect c. family security d. a world of beauty (a) Easy/Knowledge
  5. Removing your hat during the playing of The National Anthem in the United States is an example of the value of ________________. a. benevolence. b. security. c. tradition. d. universalism. (c) Difficult/Application
  6. Choosing a job that offers health care as part of its benefit package over a position that pays more but has no such health care might reflect the job seeker’s concern about a. inner harmony. b. imaginative. c. family security. d. self-respect. (c) Medium/Application
  7. Which instrumental value might surveys find to be prevalent in Wall Street brokers? a. forgiveness b. ambition c. obedience d. imagination (b) Difficult/Application
  8. Values change over the generations, evolving in response to historical contexts. Which of the following statements is true regarding values of different generations?
  1. Jennifer complains to her friends every Friday night about her job. Each week she tells them she is going to leave her company even though she has been working there for five years. Jennifer is likely to be a. high in conscientiousness. b. high in neuroticism. c. low in agreeableness. d. high in extraversion. (b) Difficult/Evaluation
  2. __________ is the degree to which a person is anxious, irritable, aggressive and moody. a. Neuroticism b. Extraversion c. Conscientiousness d. Openness (a) Easy/Knowledge
  3. People who exhibit the Big 5 personality characteristic of openness would be most likely to work in which of the following firms? a. an entrepreneurial start-up in the high tech industry b. a large discount retailer like Wal-Mart c. a large fast food franchise d. a small business that makes cardboard boxes (a) Difficult/Synthesis
  4. Across a variety of occupations and jobs, what is the one personality trait that most uniformly predicts how high a person’s performance will be? a. conscientiousness b. extraversion c. agreeableness d. openness (a) Medium/Analysis
  5. Which personality characteristic tends to lead to effectiveness in jobs with a lot of opportunities to interact with others? a. openness b. conscientiousness. c. extraversion d. agreeableness (c) Medium/Analysis
  6. Which of the following statements about the personality trait agreeableness is FALSE? a. People high in agreeableness tend to exhibit strong helping behavior. b. All occupations look to hire people who are high in agreeableness. c. People high in agreeableness tend to be less effective at providing constructive criticism. d. People high in agreeableness are very likeable and get along well with others. (b) Medium/Analysis
  7. Empathy is to agreeableness as sociability is to ______________. a. neuroticism. b. conscientiousness. c. openness. d. extraversion. (d) Medium/Comprehension
  1. Which of the following statements regarding the Big 5 personality traits is NOT true? a. Individuals high in extraversion are model employees. b. Individuals high in openness seek feedback on what they are doing and thus adjust to their jobs more quickly. c. Conscientiousness is related to career success. d. Individuals high in neuroticism tend to create unfair work climates if they become managers. (a) Difficult/Synthesis
  2. Which of the following is NOT a dimension by which individuals are grouped in the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)? a. seeing/hearing b. thinking/feeling c. extraversion/intraversion d. judgment/perception (a) Easy/Knowledge
  3. In the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, what dimension describes those who derive their energy from inside? a. intuition b. perception c. introversion d. judgment (c) Easy/Knowledge
  4. According to the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, what dimension describes those who would like to have clarity and closure? a. thinking b. feeling c. intuition d. judgment (d) Easy/Knowledge
  5. Which of the following statements about the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator is INCORRECT? a. The original objective of the MBTI was to aid World War II veterans in identifying the occupation that would suit their personalities. b. The MBTI relies on types, not traits. c. The MBTI is a very effective tool to use in making selection decisions. d. The MBTI classifies people into one of sixteen types. (c) Medium/Analysis
  6. Which of the following statements is true with regard to research on individual differences? a. Teams dominated by positive affective people experience higher levels of absenteeism. b. People with a low openness trait are more likely to start their own business. c. Agreeable people are less likely to engage in change-oriented communication. d. Social monitors are rated as lower in performance. (c) Medium/Analysis
  7. Negative affective people a. see “the glass as half full.” b. experience anxiety. c. are tolerant of others’ opinions. d. help their teams have lower rates of absenteeism. (b) Medium/Comprehension
  1. John said, “If I just hadn’t had that argument with my girlfriend last night, I wouldn’t have been so upset and I would have done much better on my finance exam.” John exhibits a. high internal locus of control. b. high self-esteem. c. high self-monitoring. d. high external locus of control. (d) Medium/Synthesis
  2. Individuals with an internal locus of control a. have an inclination to change the status quo. b. believe that what happens to them is their own doing. c. understand what the situation demands and act accordingly. d. feel that things happen to them because of luck. (b) Medium/Synthesis
  3. Which of the following statements about self-efficacy is INCORRECT? a. Self-efficacy is job specific. b. People with high self-efficacy tend to procrastinate. c. Self-efficacy is related to job performance. d. Training people to increase their self-efficacy can be effective. (b) Difficult/Analysis
  4. Marissa always seems to know who to talk to in her organization to get things done. When her immediate supervisor seemed less than enthusiastic about her proposal, she made sure to mention it to the manager in another department who shared it with his boss. Marissa was just approached about implementing her proposal. Marissa seems to have a. low self-efficacy. b. a proactive personality. c. low self-esteem. d. an internal locus of control. (b) Medium/Synthesis
  5. Which of the following is NOT a sound piece of advice to help build your self-confidence? a. Set challenging, not impossible goals. b. Ignore negative advice, especially when it comes from a negative person. c. Take a self-inventory. d. Act confident only when you feel confident. (d) Medium/Evaluation
  6. All of the following statements regarding personality testing in employee selection are correct EXCEPT a. job interviewers are very adept at assessing conscientiousness in candidates, so the personality test is not really needed in employee selection. b. there are mixed feelings as to whether candidates’ faking responses on personality tests is a serious problem. c. self-reporting measures of personality may not be the best way to measure personality. d. personality is a better predictor of job satisfaction than job performance. (a) Difficult/Synthesis
  7. Among the limitations associated with using personality tests in employee selection is a. candidate inability to understand the purpose of the personality test. b. candidates faking their answers. c. candidates refusing to take personality tests.

d. finding that performance cannot be predicted by personality testing. (b) Difficult/Synthesis Section III: Perception

  1. When an incomplete figure appears on a sheet of paper, we are able to discern the entire figure because we a. have selective perception. b. extrapolate from the information available to us. c. visualize items in isolation. d. perceive our environment objectively. (b) Difficult/Synthesis
  2. Mike went to his friend Abe’s house with Nick. When the pair returned to Mike’s house, Nick said, “Mike, isn’t Abe’s cat the brightest orange cat you’ve ever seen?” Mike replied, “Nick to be honest, I didn’t notice anything but Abe’s dog. I’m afraid of dogs and wasn’t sure if he would bother me or not.” Mike exhibited a. selective visual perception at Abe’s house. b. visual extrapolation at Abe’s house. c. focal contrast at Abe’s house. d. visual objectivity at Abe’s house. (a) Difficult/Synthesis
  3. Beth, Ramon and Nandini just walked out of the office where they delivered a mock commercial for a proposed client’s cereal. Beth says to her co-presenters, “I’m so sorry I messed up during the presentation. I really did not mean to put up the slide with last year’s cereal box on it instead of the one for this year. I know we won’t get the account now, and it’s all my fault.” Beth is exhibiting a. self-enhancement bias. b. false consensus error. c. self-effacement bias. d. stereotypes. (c) Medium/Evaluation
  4. Self-enhancement bias is a. the tendency for people to underestimate their performance, undervalue capabilities, and see events in a way that puts them in a more negative light. b. the tendency to overestimate our performance and capabilities and see ourselves in a more positive light than others see us. c. the overestimation of how similar we are to other people. d. the process with which individuals detect and interpret environmental stimuli. (b) Easy/Knowledge
  5. The car was traveling very slowly on the highway in front of Ned. He turned to Sally and said, “This is ridiculous, we are never going to get there on time. That must be a woman driver in front of us!” Ned is engaging in a. false consensus error. b. self-fulfilling prophecy. c. stereotyping. d. first impressions. (c) Easy/Analysis
  6. The professor announced the first day of class: “Students are not good at meeting deadlines. I guarantee you that someone will email me the day after a due date and ask if I will accept a

c. high consistency d. high consensus. (d) Medium/Analysis

  1. The fact that Bill seldom complains about the referees suggests he has a. low distinctiveness. b. high distinctiveness. c. high consistency. d. low consensus. (b) Medium/Evaluation
  2. In this scenario, given what you know about the referee’s call, you could explain Bill’s behavior as a. internal attribution. b. external attribution. c. self-serving bias. d. self-fulfilling prophecy. (b) Difficult/Synthesis
  3. Which of the following statements about attribution is correct? a. Attributions depend only on consensus, distinctiveness and consistency. b. When faced with poor performance, one punishes the person more if we make an external attribution. c. If someone’s failure is due to internal causes, we feel empathy and offer help. d. If we make an external attribution to someone’s goal achievement, we are less likely to reward the individual. (d) Difficult/Synthesis
  4. Internal attribution occurs with a. low consensus, high distinctiveness, and high consistency. b. high consensus, high distinctiveness, and high consistency. c. low consensus, low distinctiveness, and high consistency. d. high consensus, low distinctiveness, and high consistency. (c) Medium/Analysis Section IV: The Role of Ethics and National Culture
  5. Which of the following statements regarding individual differences and ethics is true? a. People with an economic value orientation tend to make more ethical choices. b. Employees with internal locus of control make more unethical choices. c. We tend to underestimate how ethical we are. d. How we make attributions in a given situation will determine how we respond to others’ actions. (d) Medium/Analysis
  6. Hofstede found that countries differ on the equality or hierarchy among people or its a. uncertainty avoidance. b. power distance. c. masculinity. d. individualism (b) Easy/Knowledge
  7. People from Europe and the United States have higher levels of ___________ than that of Asia and Africa a. introversion

b. extraversion c. consensus d. agreeableness (b) Medium/Comprehension

  1. Which of the following statements regarding the universality of personality traits is correct? a. There is no difference in the dominant personality trait in countries the world over. b. In regions that suffered from infectious diseases, openness to experiences is less dominant. c. The five-factor model of personality traits is not universally useful. d. The presence of democratic values in a culture is associated with introversion. (b) Difficult/Evaluation

Closing Section: Using Science to Match Candidates to Jobs: The Case

of Kronos

  1. Firms in the retail industry like Kronos have an incentive to find strong candidates for all of the following reasons EXCEPT a. replacing an employee is costly. b. high turnover endangers customer service. c. happy workers are productive workers. d. replacing employees is a time-consuming process. (c) Medium/Comprehension
  2. Which of the following statements about applicant-matching software is true? a. The software indicates that the best profile for salespeople includes personality traits like extraversion and sociability. b. Faking answers on the software program is fairly easy so the candidates must be closely monitored as they respond to questions. c. The software makes inquiries as to applicants’ backgrounds and salary histories. d. Companies using the software report increases in turnover rates, but substantially higher performance in the workplace. (c) Difficult/Analysis FILL IN THE BLANK
  3. Matching candidates to jobs is a key way of ensuring ________ performance and ____________ turnover in the workplace. (high, low)
  4. Experts suggest that ____________ answers to questions in applicant-matching software is difficult because the candidate can not predict the desired profile. (faking)
  5. The __________ perspective suggests behavior is a function of the person and the situation interacting with each other. (interactionist)
  6. When hiring individuals, companies are interested in two types of fit: __________________ and __________________. (person/job, person/organization)
  7. Maggie loves routine, repetitive tasks and is very risk averse. She loves working as a cashier. This is an example of person/_________ fit.
  1. The __________________ is an instrument that groups individuals by type, not trait, and is useful for team-building and training purposes. (Myers-Briggs Type Indicator)
  2. Stanley always sees “the glass as half empty.” Stanley is a ___________ person. (negative affective)
  3. Gabrielle is a high _________ _________. She can walk into a meeting and quickly identify the mood and the key interactions between attendees and adapt her behavior accordingly. (self-monitor)
  4. Raul is highly respected by his colleagues. When there is a problem, he quickly takes the initiative to find a solution and tries to remove all barriers to success. Raul has a _____________ personality. (proactive)
  5. “I won’t get this job either. I’ve been on twenty interviews already and I haven’t received one callback. I don’t think I’ll ever get a job. I’m such a failure,” says the graduating college senior. The student is exhibiting low ______ ________. (self-esteem)
  6. People with high ____________set higher goals for themselves. (self-efficacy)
  7. The basketball coach says, “This team has to control its own destiny. You cannot be looking to other teams to lose so you can get into the play-offs. Only we can get ourselves into the tournament. We have to take care of our own house.” The coach likely has ______________________. (internal locus of control)
  8. When people believe that things that happen to them happen because of luck, other people or a higher being, they are classified as high in _________ ___________ ____ ___________. (external locus of control)
  9. _______________ could be a serious problem when using personality tests in employee selection because it can change the rank ordering of candidates. (Faking)
  10. Harrison was glancing over the list of runners who finished the Boston Marathon and the names of the two runners from his hometown of Richmond, Virginia “jumped” out at him. The phenomenon is an example of the process of ______________. (selective perception)
  11. You are asked to predict how quickly you will run a mile track. You run on a regular basis to stay in shape. You say you will run the track in five minutes. It takes you eight minutes. Your prediction was an example of ___________ __________ bias. (self-enhancement)
  12. The assumption that whatever quirks we have are shared by many other people is ____________ __________ ___________. (false consensus error)
  13. You are a manager who believes that all young employees “goof off at work.” You therefore limit the number of assignments you give to your young employees. Lately you have noticed

that the young employees in your department are texting on their cell phones, playing computer games and just talking to each other quite a bit. This situation is an example of a __________ ____________. (self-fulfilling prophecy)

  1. The dramatic drop in sales was discussed at the weekly company meeting. The manufacturing manager kept looking at the production-related aspects of the problem while the marketing manager concentrated on the promotional aspects. __________ ___________ explains why these two managers were focusing on their specific areas and ignoring others. (Selective perception)
  2. Since ____________ _____________ are lasting, make sure your résumé is neat in appearance and error free. When interviewing, dress appropriately and greet the interviewer with a firm handshake. (first impressions)
  3. Three key factors in understanding attribution are ___________, _____________, and ______________. (consensus, distinctiveness, consistency)
  4. Agnes failed her accounting exam and complains that the exam was too difficult. Marta just ignores her because Agnes did not study at all in the three weeks prior to the exam. Marta is making an __________ for Agnes’s failure. (internal attribution) SHORT ANSWERS
  5. Name and describe the two types of fit companies are interested in assessing when hiring employees, and describe the relationship between each type of fit and work behaviors. The first type of fit is person/job fit. This is the degree to which a person’s skills, knowledge, abilities and other characteristics match the job demands. Person/organization, the second type of fit, is the degree to which a person’s values, personality, goals and other characteristics match those of the organization. When a person fits his job, there is greater satisfaction with the work environment and better job performance. Further, when there is fit between a person and the organization where he works, he tends to be more committed to his organization and remains at the firm longer. Clearly turnover is costly, so anything that helps avoid it is beneficial to a firm.
  6. What is the difference between a terminal value and an instrumental value? What impact does an assessment of employee values have upon a firm? A terminal value is an end state people desire in life, such as leading a prosperous life. An instrumental value, in contrast, is a view on an acceptable mode of conduct such as being ethical. Values that are important to people impact their decisions and behaviors. Further, values are stable aspects of a person’s life that influence their perspective on an ongoing basis. Thus, it would be very beneficial for a firm to recognize its employees’ core values to discern the nature of their behavior in the workplace and to determine whether the job and/or organization provides an opportunity to satisfy the dominant values of the employees.
  7. Briefly discuss each of the five personality traits and the usefulness each has for personnel selection.

occurs quite frequently in self-assessment in performance evaluations as individuals, in general, rate themselves higher than either their peers or superiors do. Self-effacement bias is the tendency for people to underestimate their performance and see events that put them in a more negative light.

  1. Define the concept of stereotypes and give an example. A stereotype is a generalization based upon group characteristics. The stereotype can be positive, negative or neutral. An example of a stereotype is that women talk too much and that men never ask for directions. Our stereotypes can influence the nature of our communication, decision making and other processes.
  2. What is a self-fulfilling prophecy? A self-fulfilling prophecy is when an established stereotype causes one to behave in a certain way, which leads another party to behave in a way that makes the stereotype come true. In a classic example of the self-fulfilling prophecy, an third-grade elementary school teacher is told by a second-grade teacher that the students she is sending into his third- grade class next year are very poor readers. The following year, the third-grade teacher teaches reading to the students from the standpoint of being poor readers. When the scores for their first reading test of third-grade are examined, they indicate the students are poor readers. The self-fulfilling prophecy has been fulfilled. ESSAY
  3. You are a counselor in the career placement office at your university. Jackie, a business student, recently completed a personality survey. You are reviewing the results and find she has low self-esteem and low- to mid-range self-efficacy. Sketch out some possible steps Jackie can begin to undertake to improve both of these personality dimensions. Individuals with low self-esteem have high levels of self-doubt and frequently question their overall self-worth. Often those with low self-esteem try to become invisible. Thus, Jackie may largely keep to herself at the university, not being part of any clubs or social groups. As a counselor, you might want to encourage her to find a club related to her major and join it, initially attending meetings as a listener and working up to a more participative role. Also, Jackie should attend events on campus where she can meet others and begin to forge ties. Low self-esteem individuals need positive feedback to begin the process of enhancing their self-worth. Putting herself in the aforementioned situations will help Jackie begin to get such feedback. Initial positive feedback from club meetings may be things as simple as smiles of recognition from other club members for regular attendance or acknowledgements of Jackie by those club members when they see her on campus. Later, short conversations will develop both in meetings and on campus as the concept of self-worth will build. Low self-efficacy is the belief that you are unable to perform a specific task successfully. Improving one’s level of self-efficacy begins by placing yourself in the situation where you will have the opportunity to perform the task. Then, set a simple achievable goal for that task. Congratulate yourself on its achievement and set the goal higher the next time you encounter the situation. In Jackie’s case, she may find that she is struggling with finance, as the low grade on her first test indicates. Instead of dropping the course, she might consider a change in study habits, committing herself to reviewing material each day after class and visiting her professor for assistance during office hours. The professor will encourage her as she successfully completes problem sets. Jackie could then set a goal of an average grade

on the next exam; as that is achieved, she can continue to place herself in situations where her skills can be honed and tested.

  1. You are a member of a human resource department in a large corporation. One of your colleagues has recently developed a personality test he wants to use along with the cognitive abilities test you have been using to select employees for positions in the firm. He has come to you for help in deciding how to validate the test. What recommendations would you give him? Validation involves ensuring that the test measures what it is intended to measure and looks for the relationship (correlation) between the predictor (the personality test) and some standard or measures of success on the job (criteria). You might, therefore, suggest that the personality test be given to current employees. From the group of current employees tested, you would assess who are your best performers and who are not quite as effective. You then would examine the results of the personality test and look for relationships between the personality profiles and the individual employee’s performance level. For example, do you have an employee who has been rated a very high performer over the last few years in the firm and whose personality profile indicates him to be high in conscientiousness, agreeableness and low in neuroticism? If the answer is yes, then you could assume the personality test has some validity because the research suggests that the traits uncovered tend to produce better performers. Similarly, if the personality test indicated a second worker, a manager, was high in neuroticism and you note that his performance appraisal results suggest his subordinates complain that he does not treat them fairly, you can again assume the personality test is valid. It predicted what it was supposed to predict. You also must examine the personality test to ensure it is not discriminating in any manner against any of the groups who are legally protected by their characteristics including race, color, sex, religion, national origin, age, and disabilities.
  2. Should personality tests be used in the employee selection process? Though turnover in the job is expensive, and enhancing the person/organization and person/job fit is important, companies should exercise caution in using personality tests in selection, as the research on their validity and reliability is mixed. Some experts believe that personality tests predict performance and other criteria such as job satisfaction and thus advocate their usage. Others believe that the nature of the personality tests themselves allow for the job candidate to fake his/her answers and that personality may not actually be such a good predictor of performance anyway. Some studies indicate that personality predicts only 10-15% of the variation in job performance. In short, companies should avoid relying upon personality tests alone in making their selection decisions, but if used in concert with other selection techniques including cognitive ability tests, personality tests may improve the selection decision.
  3. You are a career development counselor at your university. You have been instructed by your supervisor to develop a program called, “Tips for Your First Interview.” What are some of the tips you could provide students as they prepare for that first interview? It is imperative that students recognize the power of first impressions. It must be emphasized multiple times in the presentation that first impressions are lasting impressions. Before ever meeting with a recruiter, students must recognize that their résumés are extensions of themselves and make impressions just as physical meetings make impressions. Therefore, the program should feature a section on resumes focusing on the necessity of a neat appearance to the document and the criticality of ensuring no errors are