Single-attribute utility analysis may be futile, but this can't be the end of the story: causal chain analysis as an aternative

Research on providing single‐attribute utility analysis has shown moderate or even negative effects on the acceptance of selection and training tests by human resource decision makers. In this study, we contrasted the perceived utility of single‐attribute utility analysis with causal chain analysis as an alternative way of conducting utility analysis. Causal chain analysis focuses on measuring the linkages between HRM interventions and organizational outcomes mediated by employee attitudes and customer perceptions. We compared 144 managers' reactions to both methods of utility analysis concerning the variables understandability, information quality, perceived usefulness, user information satisfaction, and intention to use. Causal chain analysis yielded higher results than single‐attribute analysis for these variables, and a compound measure of these constructs supported this finding. This indicates that causal chain analysis is a valuable alternative method of communicating the utility of HRM interventions

Reacting to Perceived Overqualification: Uniting Strain-Based and Self-Regulatory Adjustment Reactions and the Moderating Role of Formal Work Arrangements

Thus far, research on perceived overqualification has focused on either maladaptive, strain-based versus more adaptive, self-regulatory reactions in isolation. Following person-environment fit theory, we seek to advance this one-sided focus by uniting both types of adjustment reactions and to consider their implications for perceived person-job fit, and performance and wellbeing outcomes. In line with theory, we also examine contextual boundary conditions in the form of indicators of formal work arrangements (i.e., permanent vs. temporary employment contract and job tenure). Utilizing three-wave data from 453 employees, we found that perceived overqualification indirectly and sequentially related to decreases in task performance, organizational citizenship behavior and job satisfaction via anger toward employment situation and lower levels of perceived person-job fit-thus reflecting the strain-based pathway. For the self-regulatory pathway, findings did not align with our initial proposition that the positive relationship between perceived overqualification and work organization (a form of structural job crafting whereby employees improve their work processes) would be weaker among temporary employees and those with longer tenure. Instead, having a temporary employment contract or having longer job tenure resulted in a negative relationship between perceived overqualification and work organization, which further contributed to a decrease in performance and satisfaction via lower levels of perceived person-job fit. Our study highlights the demotivating role of a temporary employment contract and long job tenure for overqualified employees to reorganize their work. In discussing our findings, we point to the importance of job stage and develop recommendations for managing overqualified employees

Paving the way for research in recruitment and selection:Recent developments, challenges and future opportunities

Considered as one of the cornerstones of work and organizational psychology, it is not surprising that the selection and recruitment literature is vast. In this review, we synthesize and integrate the findings from around 40 meta-analyses and literature reviews from the last decade to identify the most recent meta-trends and future research directions in the selection and recruitment research and practice. We organize our key findings around three superordinate areas: a) recent developments in selection research, covering findings on validities of selection methods, expanding the criterion space, and applicant reactions and impression management; b) recent developments in recruitment research, paying attention to the evidence around recruitment methods and applicant attraction; and c) new technology in recruitment and selection. In our call for future research, we delineate a number of substantive issues and the need for more sophisticated theoretical developments in the field as well as methodological challenges that future efforts should address. We concur with the vast literature in that selection and recruitment research is a vibrant field, which we expect will address a number of ongoing political, cultural, technological, societal, and employment regulations-related issues to keep creating impact and providing meaningful findings for recruitment and selection practices in organizations

Was misst das strukturierte Einstellungsinterview? - Studien zur Konstruktvalidität des Multimodalen Interviews

Einstellungsinterviews erfreuen sich großer Akzeptanz und weiter Verbreitung, obwohl ihre prognostische Validität lange Zeit als schlecht galt. Inzwischen liegen jedoch eine Reihe von Metaanalysen vor, welche die prognostische Validität und Reliabilität von sogenannten strukturierten Interviews belegen. Hierbei haben sich in der wissenschaftlichen Literatur insbesondere das Biographische und das Situative Interview (BI, SI) durchgesetzt, welche auch Bestandteile des Multimodalen Interviews (MMI) von Schuler (1989, 1992) sind. Forschungsbedarf gibt es jedoch bei der Untersuchung der Konstruktvalidität. So wurden bisher fast ausschließlich Validierungsstudien im Sinne eines nomologischen Netzwerkes durchgeführt und folglich die Zusammenhänge zwischen dem Gesamtwert im Interview und verschiedenen externen Konstrukten (z.B. verbale Intelligenz, Self-Monitoring) analysiert. Bei dieser Methode bleibt jedoch unklar, inwieweit es gelingt mit strukturierten Interviews die in der Arbeitsanalyse festgelegten Anforderungsdimensionen wie z.B. Teamfähigkeit und Durchsetzungsfähigkeit zu erfassen. Eine Möglichkeit diese Fragestellung zu bearbeiten ist die Analyse von konvergenter und diskriminanter Validität der innerhalb des Auswahlverfahrens verwendeten Dimensionen. Dieses Vorgehen wird von Kolk (2002) als interne Konstruktvalidierung bezeichnet und meist mit Hilfe der Multitrait-Multimethod-Matrix (MTMM) und konfirmatorischer Faktorenanalysen (CFA) untersucht. Obwohl ein entsprechendes Vorgehen in der Assessment Center-Forschung seit Jahren üblich ist, wurde erst eine vergleichbare Interview-Studie (Schuler, 1989 bzw. Schuler & Funke, 1989) durchgeführt. Ohne die empirische Daten zu berichten kamen die Autoren dabei zu dem Ergebnis, dass die Konstruktvalidität strukturierter Interviews gering ist. Die saubere Erfassung der Anforderungsdimensionen ist jedoch grundlegende Voraussetzung für die Konstruktion prognostisch valider Auswahlverfahren. Daher ist das Ziel der vorliegenden Arbeit die Untersuchung der (internen) Konstruktvalidität strukturierter Interviews und möglicher Einflussfaktoren. In der ersten Studie (N = 110) wurde die Konstruktvalidität eines Multimodalen Interviews (MMI) untersucht. Während die Analysen der Multitrait-Multimethod-Matrix (MTMM) auf eine geringe (interne) Konstruktvalidität hinweisen (mittlere konvergente Validität von .24 und mittlere diskriminante Validität von .41), ergeben sich bei Betrachtung des nomologischen Netzwerkes Anzeichen auf vorhandene Konstruktvalidität. In einer weiteren Auswertung werden die Effekte auf die Multitrait-Multimethod-Matrix untersucht, welche sich dadurch ergeben, dass identische Dimensionen teilweise durch identische Beobachter und teilweise durch verschiedene Beobachter beurteilt werden (gemeinsame Beobachtervarianz). Diese stellen sich anders als beim Assessment Center als vernachlässigbar heraus. Welche Folgen ergeben sich aus dem Erkennen von Anforderungsdimensionen auf Leistung und konvergente Validität? Kleinmann (1993) konnte zeigen, dass Personen im Assessment Center (AC) besser abschneiden, wenn sie die zugrunde liegenden Anforderungsdimensionen erkennen. Außerdem wies er nach, dass das Ausmaß des Erkennens die konvergente Validität beeinflusst. In unserer zweiten Studie (N = 95) wurden die wesentlichen Überlegungen und Ergebnisse dieser Untersuchung auf das strukturierte Interview übertragen und repliziert. Weiterhin wurden die Zusammenhänge zwischen Beurteilung im AC bzw. Interview und Erkennensleistung im AC bzw. Interview berechnet. Die Ergebnisse weisen darauf hin, dass es sich beim Erkennen der Anforderungsdimensionen um eine Fähigkeit oder Fertigkeit handelt, die relativ unabhängig vom zugrunde liegenden Instrument erfasst werden kann. Welche Auswirkungen hat die Bekanntgabe der Anforderungsdimensionen (Transparenz) auf die Konstruktvalidität im strukturierten Interview ? Dieser Frage wurde in zwei unabhängigen Experimentalstudien (Studie A mit N = 123, B mit N = 176) nachgegangen. Dabei ergaben sich für beide Studien übereinstimmende Ergebnisse. So kam es unter Transparenz zu einem Leistungsanstieg der Bewerber. Dies konnte aufgrund von Assessment Center (AC) Studien nicht erwartet werden. Erwartet und bestätigt werden konnte jedoch die höhere Beurteilerübereinstimmung in der Transparenz-Bedingung. Hypothesenkonform kam es außerdem zu einem Anstieg der internen Konstruktvalidität des MMI unter Transparenz. Weiterhin waren in Studie B die korrelativen Beziehungen zwischen MMI und einem Kriterium (AC) wie erwartet unter Transparenz tendenziell niedriger als unter Intransparenz. Implikationen der Studien für die Praxis und Vorschläge für weitere Forschung werden diskutiert

The relationship between the ability to identify evaluation criteria and integrity test scores

It has been argued that applicants who have the ability to identify what kind of behavior is evaluated positively in a personnel selection situation can use this information to adapt their behavior accordingly. Although this idea has been tested for assessment centers and structured interviews, it has not been studied with regard to integrity tests (or other personality tests). Therefore, this study tested whether candidates’ ability to identify evaluation criteria (ATIC) correlates with their integrity test scores. Candidates were tested in an application training setting (N = 92). The results supported the idea that ATIC also plays an important role for integrity tests. New directions for future research are suggested based on this finding

Contextual and personal resources in unemployed job search: An intra‐individual perspective

Drawing from conservation of resources (COR) theory and the equifinality principle, we challenge the prominent “the‐more‐resources‐the‐better” understanding by examining both the additive and interactive effects of contextual (i.e., networking behaviors and social support) and personal (i.e., job search self‐efficacy) resources on job seeking. Specifically, based on COR theory's resource gain corollary, we propose that higher levels of each resource are positively related to job search intensity and the number of interviews obtained (an additive effect). However, based on the equifinality principle that various resources can contribute to the same goal, we propose that each type of resource can compensate for low levels of the other (an interactive effect). In a four‐wave study following 89 unemployed job seekers over 6 months, we find positive intra‐individual relationships between networking behaviors and job search self‐efficacy with job search intensity. We find that networking behaviors and job search self‐efficacy are also positively related to the number of job interviews obtained and indirectly related through job search intensity for networking behaviors. In line with our predictions, high levels of either networking behaviors or job search self‐efficacy compensate for low levels of the other resource when predicting job search intensity and the number of interviews obtained

Properties of dust in the high-latitude translucent cloud L1780 I: Spatially distinct dust populations and increased dust emissivity from ISO observations

We have analyzed the properties of dust in the high galactic latitude translucent cloud Lynds 1780 using ISOPHOT maps at 100 and 200 micrometers and raster scans at 60, 80, 100, 120, 150 and 200 micrometers. In far-infrared (FIR) emission, the cloud has a single core that coincides with the maxima of visual extinction and 200um optical depth. At the resolution of 3.0 arcmin, the maximum visual extinction is 4.0 mag. At the cloud core, the minimum temperature and the maximum 200um optical depth are 14.9+/-0.4 K and 2.0+/-0.2x10^{-3}, respectively, at the resolution of 1.5 arcmin. The cloud mass is estimated to be 18M_{SUN}. The FIR observations, combined with IRAS observations, suggest the presence of different, spatially distinct dust grain populations in the cloud: the FIR core region is the realm of the "classical" large grains, whereas the very small grains and the PAHs have separate maxima on the Eastern side of the cold core, towards the "tail" of this cometary-shaped cloud. The color ratios indicate an overabundance of PAHs and VSGs in L1780. Our FIR observations combined with the optical extinction data indicate an increase of the emissivity of the big grain dust component in the cold core, suggesting grain coagulation or some other change in the properties of the large grains. Based on our observations, we also address the question, to what extent the 80um emission and even the 100um and the 120um emission contain a contribution from the small-grain component.Comment: 12 pages, 9 figures, minor changes, one table adde

Acceleration Schemes for Ab-Initio Molecular Dynamics and Electronic Structure Calculations

We study the convergence and the stability of fictitious dynamical methods for electrons. First, we show that a particular damped second-order dynamics has a much faster rate of convergence to the ground-state than first-order steepest descent algorithms while retaining their numerical cost per time step. Our damped dynamics has efficiency comparable to that of conjugate gradient methods in typical electronic minimization problems. Then, we analyse the factors that limit the size of the integration time step in approaches based on plane-wave expansions. The maximum allowed time step is dictated by the highest frequency components of the fictitious electronic dynamics. These can result either from the large wavevector components of the kinetic energy or from the small wavevector components of the Coulomb potential giving rise to the so called {\it charge sloshing} problem. We show how to eliminate large wavevector instabilities by adopting a preconditioning scheme that is implemented here for the first-time in the context of Car-Parrinello ab-initio molecular dynamics simulations of the ionic motion. We also show how to solve the charge-sloshing problem when this is present. We substantiate our theoretical analysis with numerical tests on a number of different silicon and carbon systems having both insulating and metallic character.Comment: RevTex, 9 figures available upon request, to appear in Phys. Rev.

"I know what you want to know": The impact of interviewees' ability to identify criteria on interview performance and construct-related validity

The current study tested whether candidates' ability to identify the targeted interview dimensions fosters their interview success as well as the interviews' convergent and discriminant validity. Ninety-two interviewees participated in a simulated structured interview developed to measure three different dimensions. In line with the hypotheses, interviewees who were more proficient at identifying the targeted dimensions received better evaluations. Furthermore, interviewees' ability to identify these evaluation criteria accounted for substantial variance in predicting their performance even after controlling for cognitive ability. Finally, the interviewer ratings showed poor discriminant and convergent validity. However, we found some support for the hypothesis that the quality of the interviewer ratings improves when one only considers ratings from questions for which interviewees had correctly identified the intended dimensions