Assessment Centers in Human Resource Management : Strategies for Prediction, Diagnosis, and Development

by Thornton III, George C.; Rupp, Deborah E.

• ISBN13: 9780805851250
• ISBN10: 0805851259
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2005-12-02
• Publisher: Lawrence Erlbau

Summary

The theme permeating this book on assessment centers is "continuity and change", describing what has remained the same and what has changed in the 50-year history of the assessment center method. One of the important changes explored is the evolution of the goals of assessment center programs and the ways in which assessment centers and their component parts have been used. Assessment Centers in Human Resource Management clearly differentiates between assessment centers used for prediction, diagnoses, and development. In addition, this book explores: *assessment centers and human resource management; *court cases involving assessment centers; *innovations in assessment center operations; *cross-cultural considerations including diversity of the workforce; and *assessor training. The target audience for the text includes students who are learning about assessment centers, practitioners including human resource managers and consultants who may be considering the implementation of assessment centers, and academicians who are researching the method and wish to understand current issues.

Table of Contents

Series Foreword	xv
Jeanette N. Cleveland and Edwin A. Fleishman
Preface	xvii
1 Assessment Centers in Human Resource Management	1	(17)
Continuity and Change	2	(1)
The Changing Nature of Work, Organizations, and the Global Business Environment	2	(1)
The Importance of Carefully Constructed Human Resource "Tools"	3	(1)
The Assessment Center Method	4	(1)
A Typical Assessment Center	5	(1)
Comparisons With Other Assessment Procedures	6	(3)
Assessment Centers and Various Human Resource Management Functions	9	(4)
Considerations of the Organizational Environment	13	(2)
Criticisms and Limitations of the Assessment Center Method	15	(2)
Assessment Centers in the 21st Century: Continuity and Change	17	(1)
2 Case Studies of Assessment Centers in Operation	18	(19)
Palmore Fire Department	19	(6)
Technosoft, Inc.	25	(5)
Auto-Manufac Worldwide	30	(6)
Review of Cases	36	(1)
3 Basic Requirements of an Assessment Center	37	(20)
Essential Features of an Assessment Center	38	(6)
Theoretical Foundations for Alternative Assessment Center Programs	44	(4)
Application of Principles to Assessment Center Design	48	(4)
Reasons for Limiting the Use of the Term Assessment Center	52	(1)
Is There a Single Assessment Center?	53	(1)
Cross-Cultural Considerations	54	(1)
Summary and Conclusions	54	(3)
4 Taking a Closer Look at Developmental Assessment Centers	57	(20)
Definition of Developmental Assessment Center	58	(7)
Major Differences Between Traditional Assessment Centers and DACS	65	(6)
Evaluating DACS as Training Interventions	71	(3)
Special Considerations When Using/Studying DACS	74	(2)
Conclusion	76	(1)
5 Behavioral Dimensions: The Building Blocks of Assessment Centers	77	(25)
Behavioral Dimensions Defined	77	(4)
The Importance of Job Analysis	81	(1)
Basic Elements of a Job Analysis	82	(4)
Sources of Job Analysis Methods	86	(1)
Nontraditional Methods of Job Analysis	87	(4)
Selecting the Appropriate Dimensions	91	(3)
Determining the Number of Dimensions	94	(1)
A Continuum of Behavioral Dimensions	95	(6)
Summary and Conclusions	101	(1)
6 Simulation Exercises	102	(30)
Types of Assessment Exercises	103	(13)
Evaluation of Relative Contributions of Exercises	116	(1)
Exercise by Dimension Matrix	116	(2)
A Model of Assessment Exercises	118	(2)
Major Considerations in Selection and Construction of Simulation Exercises	120	(2)
Technology in Assessment Exercises	122	(1)
Behavior Sampling Versus Behavioral Intentions	123	(1)
Structuring Exercises to Measure Ability or Motivation	124	(2)
Focusing on the Purpose of the Assessment	126	(2)
Off-the-Shelf Versus Home-Grown Exercises	128	(1)
Complying With Professional Standards	129	(2)
Summary	131	(1)
7 The Role of Individual Assessors: Observing, Recording, Classifying, and Scaling Behavior	132	(27)
The Processes Carried Out by Individual Assessors	132	(9)
Tools Used to Aid Observation, Classification, Reporting, and Scaling	141	(5)
Social Cognition and Assessor Processing	146	(8)
Training Assessors to Observe, Record, Classify, and Scale Behaviors	154	(4)
Summary	158	(1)
What Happens Next: Integration, Report Generating, and Feedback	158	(1)
8 The Role of the Group of Assessors: Integration of Assessment Information	159	(34)
Processes Carried Out by the Group of Assessors	159	(4)
Theories of Judgment	163	(1)
Behavior Recall, Sharing, and Judgment	163	(2)
Ratings on Dimensions	165	(3)
Overall Assessment Ratings	168	(2)
Theories of Group Decision Making	170	(1)
Disadvantages of Group Decision Making	171	(2)
Advantages of Group Decision Making	173	(2)
Factors Affecting Group Effectiveness	175	(5)
Group Composition/Diversity Considerations	180	(1)
Statistical Methods of Data Integration	181	(1)
Deriving Postexercise Dimension Ratings	182	(1)
Deriving Final Dimension Ratings	182	(2)
Deriving Overall Ratings	184	(1)
Summary	185	(1)
Integrating Other Assessment Devices With Situational Exercises	186	(3)
Assessor Training	189	(1)
Summary and Conclusions	190	(3)
9 Providing Feedback of Assessment Center Results	193	(24)
Matching Feedback to Assessment Purpose	194	(1)
Rights of the Individual and Responsibilities of the Organization	195	(3)
Theories of Employee Justice Perceptions	198	(2)
Considerations of Workplace Diversity	200	(1)
Outline of Assessment Feedback	201	(1)
Feedback in a Promotion Program	202	(3)
Feedback in a Diagnostic Program	205	(2)
Feedback in an Individual and Organizational Development Program	207	(3)
Response to Feedback	210	(1)
The Role of the Individual Participant	211	(1)
Summary and Conclusions	212	(5)
10 Varieties of Validity Evidence for Assessment Centers	217	(49)
The Variety of Validity Evidence Related to Assessment Centers	219	(1)
The Relationship Between the Type of Evidence and the Purpose of the Assessment Center	220	(1)
Validity Evidence Related to Selection/Promotion Programs	221	(1)
Test Content	221	(3)
Internal Structure	224	(1)
Response Processes	225	(1)
Convergent and Discriminant Evidence	225	(1)
Test-Criterion Relations	226	(3)
Statistical Versus Judgmental Combination of Dimension Ratings to Predict Criteria	229	(1)
Incremental Validity	230	(1)
Validity Generalization	230	(1)
Consequences of Testing	231	(1)
Summary	232	(1)
Evidence of Validity for Diagnostic Assessment Centers	232	(1)
Test Content	233	(1)
Internal Structure	234	(3)
Critique of This Line of Evidence	237	(5)
Summary	242	(1)
Validity Evidence Related to Developmental Assessment Centers	242	(1)
Test Content	242	(3)
Internal Structure	245	(2)
Response Processes	247	(1)
Convergent and Discriminant Evidence	247	(2)
Test-Criterion Relations	249	(2)
Consequences of Testing	251	(1)
Summary	251	(1)
Why Do Assessment Centers Work?	251	(1)
Criterion Contamination	252	(2)
Subtle Criterion Contamination	254	(1)
Self-Fulfilling Prophecy	255	(1)
Performance Consistency	256	(2)
Managerial Intelligence	258	(1)
The Utility of Assessment Centers: Comparing Benefits and Costs	259	(1)
Validity Estimates	260	(1)
Validity of Alternative Procedures	261	(1)
Costs	262	(1)
Variation in Job Performance	263	(1)
Other Benefits of Assessment Centers	264	(1)
Summary and Conclusions	265	(1)
11 Assessment Centers, Human Resource Management, and Organizational Strategies	266	(22)
Integrating Assessment With the Business Strategy	267	(2)
Recommendations for Linking Assessment Centers With the Business Strategy	269	(1)
Assessment Centers in the Context of Human Resource Management	270	(3)
Using Assessment Center Operations to Promote Workplace Diversity	273	(2)
Dimensions as an Integrating Mechanism for Human Resource Management Functions	275	(2)
Assessment Centers and the External Environment: Legal Considerations	277	(4)
Court Decisions Not Supportive of Assessment Centers	281	(2)
Principles That Explain Sustainability of Assessment Centers	283	(3)
Conclusion	286	(2)
12 Assessment Centers: A Look Back and a Look Forward	288	(12)
What Have We Learned?	288	(3)
The Future of Assessment Centers	291	(2)
Research Needs	293	(5)
Summary	298	(1)
Conclusions	299	(1)
Appendix A Guidelines and Ethical Considerations for Assessment Center Operations	300	(15)
Appendix B References to Employment Discrimination Cases Involving Assessment Centers	315	(2)
References	317	(26)
Author Index	343	(10)
Subject Index	353