Standards for Decision Making Chapter 3 Psychology Applied to Work® Standards for Decision Making

Learning Objectives Understand the distinction between conceptual and actual criteria. Understand the meaning of criterion deficiency, relevance, and contamination. Explain the purpose of work analysis and the various methods of conducting one. Explain the nine major criteria of job performance examined by I/O psychologists. Understand the concept of dynamic criteria. Psychology Applied to Work®

Criteria Evaluative standards Criterion issues have major significance in I/O psychology Disagreements and discrepancies occur in: Choices over the proper criteria to use Disagreements about their definition Psychology Applied to Work®

Conceptual vs. Actual Criteria Conceptual Criterion (theoretical) Actual Criteria (empirical measures) Psychology Applied to Work®

Criterion Deficiency, Relevance, & Contamination Degree to which actual criteria fails to overlap conceptual criteria Can reduce but not eliminate Criterion Relevance Degree to which actual criteria and conceptual criteria coincide Psychology Applied to Work®

Criterion Deficiency, Relevance, & Contamination (cont’d) Criterion Contamination Unrelated to the conceptual criteria – two parts: Bias – extent actual criteria consistently measures something else Error – extent to which actual criteria is related to nothing at all Both distort the conceptual criterion Can be controlled statistically to some degree Psychology Applied to Work®

Criterion Deficiency, Relevance, & Contamination (cont’d) Psychology Applied to Work®

Work Analysis Procedure is to identify criteria in job performance by documenting: Work content Work attributes Work context Psychology Applied to Work®

Work Analysis Psychology Applied to Work®

Sources of Work Information SME (Subject Matter Expert) Job incumbent Job supervisor (Trained) Work Analyst All provide descriptive data Psychology Applied to Work®

Work Analytic Procedures Task-Oriented Procedures Examines work activities Discrete units of work (what is accomplished) Incumbents then rate tasks on various dimensions (e.g., frequency, importance) Classic example is Functional Job Analysis (FJA) Rates work on three dimensions: Things, Data, and People Often used in federal government Psychology Applied to Work®

Work Analytic Procedures (cont’d) Worker-Oriented Procedures Examines human attributes K –knowledge – types of information needed S – skills – proficiencies need that can be practiced A – abilities – relatively enduring innate proficiencies O – other – personality or capacities Linkage Analysis unites task-oriented and worker-oriented information Psychology Applied to Work®

Procedures for Collecting Information Interview (of SMEs) Can magnify the importance of their tasks Direct observation (of employees) Identifies adverse conditions; but not why behaviors occur Questionnaires/inventories (commercially available) Psychology Applied to Work®

Taxonomic Information (examples) Position Analysis Questionnaire (PAQ) Compares job to an existing data base of jobs Examines relationships among a set of jobs Fleishmann’s method Describes job in terms of tasks performed together with ability needed to perform them Classifies jobs based on requisite human abilities O*NET (U.S. Department of Labor) based on thousands of jobs series of instruments to assess skills and interests labor market information multiple levels of analysis and applications Psychology Applied to Work®

Managerial Work Analysis Managerial work is less directly observable Two instruments to analyze these jobs Professional and Managerial Position Questionnaire Personality-Related Position Requirements Form Psychology Applied to Work®

Uses of Work Analytic Information Offers rationale for personnel selection tests Organizes positions into job families to help determine compensation levels Provides information as to content of training needed Provides basis for content of performance appraisal Can be used in vocational counseling – career selection (O*NET) Can help with ADA criteria for reasonable accommodation Psychology Applied to Work®

Evaluating Work Analytic Information Some findings: No one method the best Knowledgeable raters make a big difference in rating accuracy Task-oriented methods have less error than worker-oriented (tasks are more discrete and observable) All methods involve subjective judgments Psychology Applied to Work®

Competency Modeling Core competency is a critically important KSAO Model is array of competencies the organization desires Does NOT consider the work performed Meant to cover the entire range of employees in an organization Are abstract and don’t differentiate jobs like KSAOs Tries to link employee’s personal qualities to company mission (fit) Has little precision/rigor but has populist appeal Psychology Applied to Work®

Job Performance Criteria Production Sales Tenure or Turnover Absenteeism Accidents Theft Counterproductive Work Behavior Emotional Labor Adaptive and Citizenship Behavior Psychology Applied to Work®

Dynamic Performance Criteria Employees have different learning curves This is a critical issue when trying to predict (short/long term) success Psychology Applied to Work®