Guidelines for cross-cultural assessor training in multicultural assessment centers.

Abstract

The globalization and internationalization of the assessment center (AC) method presents numerous challenges for research and practice. Culture affects every aspect of assessment, and in a multicultural context this creates tremendous potential for bias, miscommunication, misunderstanding, and inconsistency. The authors review and synthesize the general cross-cultural literature with respect to a critical issue in AC development: assessor training. On the basis of this research, they propose seven broad guidelines for AC developers to consider when planning assessor training in a multicultural context. As far as possible, the authors offer specific examples of training approaches, materials, and resources to facilitate these processes. Their goal is offer a useful overview for international AC practitioners and to encourage future research in this area. “In a world joined together by nails, a hammer is a more useful tool than a wrench. In a world held together by nuts and bolts, a wrench is a more useful...