Job Relatedness Research Articles

Is Gamification a Suitable Means to Improve Applicant Reactions and Convey Information During an Online Test?

Abstract: This study examined whether gamification of a computer-based cognitive ability test can positively influence applicant reactions. The gamification used a job-related storyline, avatars, and information games that were designed not only to increase enjoyment but also to convey information about the job. 212 participants completed either the gamified or the non-gamified test and answered questions concerning applicant reactions. The results showed that gamification can be used to playfully provide information about the organization and job during an assessment and, thus, can enhance perceived clarity about what to expect in a job. Additionally, the gamified assessment was rated higher on opportunity to perform compared to its traditional version, while no differences were found between the two tests for fairness, job relatedness, and enjoyment.

Can explanations improve applicant reactions towards gamified assessment methods?

AbstractGamification is increasingly being used by organizations in hiring decisions. However, the use of gamification in assessment has advanced quicker than corresponding research. One area in need of research is how applicants' perceptions of fairness are formed when gamified assessments are used in employee selection. Therefore, two studies were conducted to explore the impact of using gamified assessments to applicants' justice perceptions and the role of providing explanations to applicants. Adopting an experimental design to explore organizational justice model in the context of gamified assessments, results indicated that individuals' perceptions of job relatedness are higher when a situational judgment tests (SJT) is used rather than a gamified version, leading to more positive perceptions of procedural fairness and organizational attractiveness (Study 1). The mediating effects of the procedural rules of ease of faking and opportunity to perform were not supported. Subsequently, a 2 × 2 design was used (Study 2) to explore the role of providing explanations. It seems that the provision of explanations on the assessment's faking difficulty generates more positive reactions towards gamified SJTs than text‐based SJTs, in relation to ease of faking and procedural justice, and a spillover effect, invoking favorable reactions to the recruiting organization as well (Study 2).

An effect of educational quality on learning outcomes and organizational performance: focused on Korean small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of education for employees on learning outcomes and educational quality characteristics on organisational performance through analysis of the relationship between education quality characteristics, learning satisfaction, learning outcomes, and organisational performance. In this study, a research model based on IS-Success Model of Delone and McLean (2003) was established. A total of 320 questionnaires were distributed to small and medium-sized enterprises in Korea, among which a total of 258 questionnaires were analysed, and the following results were obtained. First, information quality and system quality had significant effects on learning satisfaction and learning outcomes, but service quality had a significant effect on only learning outcomes. In particular, it was ascertained that the educational design in the system quality aspect that has high job relatedness and applicability to work-site operations had a high level of influence. Second, learning satisfaction was found to have a significant effect on learning outcomes. Lastly, learning outcomes had a significant effect on job satisfaction, organisational commitment, and perceived financial performance. The results have significant implications for companies that hesitate to invest in education and training based on the belief that it equates to cost increase not to the increase in the organisational performance.

Within-Job Wage Inequality: Performance Pay and Job Relatedness

Over the past few decades, we find that about 80% of the widening residual wage inequality to be within jobs. We propose performance-pay incidence and job relatedness as two primary factors driving within-job inequality and embed them into a sorting equilibrium framework. We show that equilibrium sorting is positive assortative both within-job and across jobs. While performance-pay position amplifies within-job wage inequality through self-selection, the overall relationship between job relatedness and within-job wage inequality is found generally ambiguous. To quantify the role played by these factors, we calibrate the model to the US economy in 2000, where the model can account around 92% of the changes in within-job inequality among the highly educated from 1990 to 2000. Counterfactual analysis shows the contributions of performance-pay incidence and job relatedness are about 42% and 26%, respectively, both higher than that of job-specific productivity. While performance-pay incidence is particularly crucial for within-job wage dispersion in business/professional industry and professional occupation, job relatedness is the most important for mining/goods/construction industry and sales occupation.

How important is applicants' perception about job relatedness of selection process?

We study how the perception of job applicants about job-relatedness of the selection procedure impacts: 1) the outcome of the selection process; 2) willingness of the applicants to recommend the employer to others; 3) the decision to accept the job offer after the applicant successfully clears the test process. We survey graduating MBA students appearing in campus recruitment processes at the premier management schools in India in order to measure the perception about selection procedures of firms. We use two measures to identify applicants' perception: face validity (FV) and perceived predictive validity (PPV). The results suggest that when the candidates are unable to understand the relevance of a test, they are less likely to get selected in the test or recommend the employer to other applicants. However, we find that it is only the face validity and not the predictive perceived validity of the selection tests, which positively affects the likelihood of a selected candidate accepting the offer. The findings of the study have direct implications for the practitioners. The study shows that organisations that explain the relevance of their selection procedures to applicants are more likely to increase their access to talent pool.

How important is applicants' perception about job relatedness of selection process?

We study how the perception of job applicants about job-relatedness of the selection procedure impacts: 1) the outcome of the selection process; 2) willingness of the applicants to recommend the employer to others; 3) the decision to accept the job offer after the applicant successfully clears the test process. We survey graduating MBA students appearing in campus recruitment processes at the premier management schools in India in order to measure the perception about selection procedures of firms. We use two measures to identify applicants' perception: face validity (FV) and perceived predictive validity (PPV). The results suggest that when the candidates are unable to understand the relevance of a test, they are less likely to get selected in the test or recommend the employer to other applicants. However, we find that it is only the face validity and not the predictive perceived validity of the selection tests, which positively affects the likelihood of a selected candidate accepting the offer. The findings of the study have direct implications for the practitioners. The study shows that organisations that explain the relevance of their selection procedures to applicants are more likely to increase their access to talent pool.

What Matters in the Right Selection of Provincial Government Employees: An Analytical Study based on Employees Perception

The main focus of this study is to investigate the applicants’ perceived insight about the procedural justice of the recruitment and selection procedures in the public sector organizations. Data collection was made from those applicants who have gone through the process of prescribed selection process applicable for the provincial government jobs. A well designed survey questionnaire based on 5 point liker scale ranging from strongly agree to strongly disagree were used to get the responses. It has been identified that the most significant issue for the selection of employees is the issue of feedback and job relatedness. The overall pattern of results indicates that both of the categories qualified and non-qualified employees showed that the fairness of the selection process is a real issue. Secondly, the departmental capacity shows they have less competent staff available for the handing of recruitment and selection process. There is a vital need that future research may focus on the specific measures that are used in making right selection, especially criterion-related validity and construct validity.

The Role of Job Relatedness and Self‐efficacy in Applicant Perceptions of Fairness in a High‐stakes Selection Setting

This article presents results from two samples of applicants (total N = 368) for general practitioner posts in the United Kingdom. The roles of job relatedness and self‐efficacy in fairness perceptions were explored, with data gathered at two time points: immediately after testing and one month later following outcome (pass/fail) feedback. Overall, results indicated that in two samples, job relatedness perceptions measured at the time of testing predicted fairness perceptions measured following outcome feedback. In addition, the stage in the selection process (shortlisting vs. assessment center) was important in determining the extent to which job relatedness perceptions predicted fairness. Findings also suggest that self‐efficacy may be a predictor, rather than an outcome variable, in applicant fairness perceptions in this high‐stakes setting. Results are discussed in relation to their practical and theoretical implications.

Combining University Studies with Work: Influence on Academic Achievement

This paper analyses the influence of different combinations of work and study on academic achievement among university students of Yaroslavl region in Russia. The data was collected during the first wave of longitudinal research on the educational and occupational trajectories of graduates of schools and universities conducted by the Institute of Education, Higher School of Economics, Moscow in 2009. The sample consists of 1474 4th and 5th year university students. Five work-study types are defined on the basis of two variables: work schedule and work relatedness to specialty: full-time work outside the specialty field, part-time work outside the specialty field; full-time work in the specialty field, part-time work in the specialty field; and not working during university studies. The results show that working outside the specialty field (full-time or part-time) has a negative impact on academic achievement, whereas the other work-study types do not have any significant effect. The results partly support our hypothesis that different work-study combinations influence academic achievement in different ways and that job relatedness to the academic specialty is a significant characteristic in defining the influence. The paper contributes to the research field of studying attributes of student employment which are responsible for different effects on academic achievement.

Views of doctors of varying disciplines on HPAT-Ireland as a selection tool for medicine

Background: Selection tools for medicine must achieve political validity and enjoy stakeholder acceptability. This qualitative study aimed to establish the perspectives of doctors, from various clinical specialities, on HPAT-Ireland, a new selection tool for undergraduate medical students.Methods: Fifteen doctors participated over three iterative cycles of recruitment, interviewing and analysis. Prior to interview, participants sat a practice HPAT-Ireland test. HPAT-Ireland has three sections: (1) Logical reasoning/problem solving; (2) Interpersonal understanding and (3): Non-verbal reasoning.Summary of results: Three themes emerged: job relatedness; utility of HPAT-Ireland and diversity. Sections 1 and 2 were considered very job related however Section 3 was widely criticised for lacking clinical relevance. Doctors did not think that the test would reliably predict future performance. However, one-third felt it was acceptable as a selection tool in conjunction with academic record. Those who found it unacceptable were influenced by its perceived narrow focus, limited job relatedness, potential for socioeconomic bias, impact on gender and potential for negative influence on student diversity.Conclusions: A selection tool that does not enjoy the confidence of the medical profession is unlikely to achieve political validity and may ultimately fail, regardless of other objective measures of its effectiveness such as predictive validity.

Attorney Decision Making in an Employment Discrimination Dispute Involving Hiring Procedures

A national sample of attorneys were surveyed to investigate how characteristics of a rejected applicants’ claim affect attorney decisions to represent the claimant, have confidence in favorable claimant outcomes, determine claim credibility, and select legal action outcomes. Three variables were manipulated within rejected applicant claim vignettes provided to attorneys: job relatedness (test content related to the job vs. test content unrelated to the job), EEOC decision (merit found v. determination unknown), and protected group category (race-based v. sex-based). EEOC determinations of merit were found to positively influence attorney representation decisions, and induce greater confidence in favorable claimant outcomes. Further, attorneys found rejected applicant claims more credible when the claimant perceived the selection procedure to be unrelated to the target position and when the applicant was a racial minority. EEOC decision and applicant perceptions of job relatedness interacted to predict att...

The Effectiveness of Employee Performance Appraisal in Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL)

The performance appraisal system is the most important tool for any organization. Government organizations mostly use annual confidential reports to appraise their employees. Private organizations use the grading system and assessment methods to appraise the performance. As the performance appraisal increases the motivation level of employees, they can effectively be used for planning purposes and to identify problems and obstacles affecting employee's performance. The performance appraisal system serves not only to determine how well an employee does his or her job but also to decide ways to improve the performance. For an effective appraisal system, mutual trust, clear objectives, standardizations, training, job relatedness, documentation, feedback, participation and the post appraisal reviews are some important factors which need to be considered. BSNL being a government organization, the performance appraisal doesn't play a great role but it's an important part of organization. This paper made an attempt to analyse about the effectiveness of performance appraisal practices implemented in BSNL, and also make an observation on the perceptions of employees towards their existing performance appraisal system.

Satisfaction with higher education of Spanish graduates in the pre-Bologna era: a mirror of employment conditions?

In 2010, the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) was launched in many countries of the European Union. A major part of this initiative concerns the development of common policies for the quality assessment of higher education institutions, a process that is widely regarded as of utmost importance, and in which students have significant involvement. While student satisfaction is considered an important predictor of overall quality, proper analysis of student feedback is difficult as it includes both academic and non-academic factors, as well as personal expectations. On the other hand, graduates have a more holistic perspective from which they can assess their degrees, and there are fewer confounding factors that have to be accounted for in their feedback. This study analyses a dataset obtained from Spanish nationwide surveys to graduates with the objective of exploring their satisfaction with university in the light of their employment status. Statistical analyses, in which job relatedness appears as the most important predictor of satisfaction with higher education, are discussed with an emphasis on the socio-economic status of Spain in the period the surveys were performed (1998–2002).

Professional Practice Analysis: Determining Job Relatedness of the Certification Examination for Nurse Anesthetists

This article presents the results of the 2011 professional practice analysis (PPA) for the field of nurse anesthesia conducted by the National Board of Certification and Recertification for Nurse Anesthetists. The PPA used survey and rating scale methodologies to collect data regarding the relative emphasis on various aspects of the nurse anesthesia knowledge domain and competencies. Overall, 9,000 survey responses were analyzed by a panel consisting of individuals possessing expertise in clinical anesthesia and testing methodology, using conventional statistics and the Rasch rating scale model. Descriptions of how the survey results were used to develop test specifications are also provided. The results of this analysis provide validity evidence for the content outline and test specifications (content percentages) and thus serve as a basis of content validation for the National Certification Examination.

Identifying Predictors of Academic Success for Part-time Students at Polytechnic Institutes in Malaysia

A central challenge for higher education today is to understand the diversity and complexity of nontraditional students’ life experiences and how these factors influence their academic success. To better understand these issues, this study explored the role of demographic characteristics and employment variables in predicting the academic success of part-time students at four polytechnic institutes in Malaysia. Demographic characteristics studied included respondent’s age, gender, marital status, number of children, parent’s educational level, and financial resources. Employment variables assessed were number of years working, job relatedness to the program, job satisfaction, and monthly salary. A total of 614 part-time students completed the survey. Results indicated that being an older student, being female, paying for their own education, and having high job satisfaction were statistically significant predictors of part-time students’ academic success. Understanding the effects of demographic characteristics and employment variables on students’ academic success might help administrators and educators to develop teaching and learning processes, support services, and policies to enhance part-time students’ academic success.

Effects of Individual Differences on the Perceived Job Relatedness of a Cognitive Ability Test and a Multimedia Situational Judgment Test

Although there is a growing number of publications concerning applicant reactions to different selection instruments, the relationships between individual differences and applicant reactions have largely remained unexplored. The aim of the present study was to examine the effects of several testing-related and general individual differences (anxiety, self-evaluations, and personality) on the most commonly studied dimension of applicant reactions, namely the perceived job relatedness of selection instruments. Participants were 153 psychology students, who completed a cognitive ability test and a multimedia situational judgment test as part of their educational program. Our results indicated that computer anxiety negatively affected perceived job relatedness and core self-evaluations, subjective well-being, agreeableness, emotional stability, and openness to experience positively affected perceived job relatedness. Openness to experience was the most consistent predictor of perceived job relatedness. The results of our study suggest that certain individuals may be more predisposed to react positively to selection instruments. Therefore, we concluded that the nature of the applicant pool should be carefully considered when designing interventions to improve applicant reactions.

Tests Don't Measure Jobs: The Meaning of Content Validation

Murphy (2009) confounds content validation with analysis of job relatedness. According to Murphy (and, to be fair, much of the literature on employee selection), content validation involves a ‘‘detailed comparison between the content of the test and the content of the jobs’’ (p. 453). Tests don’t measure jobs. They measure attributes of a job candidate—ones that we identify as important to performance on the job. Content validation should apply to the items constituting the measure of each attribute and their relevance to and representativeness of the attribute in question (e.g., Haynes, Richard, & Kubany, 1995; Schriesheim, Cogliser, Scandura, Lankau, & Powers, 1999). For example, applying content validation to a measure of the attribute customer service orientation would involve ensuring that the items in the measure are relevant to and representative of the precise definition of the attribute. Job relatedness, on the other hand, can refer to (a) the predictive relation between a test and performance on the job or (b) the relation between the attributes measured by the test battery and the attributes required to perform the job (see Arthur & Villado, 2008; Guion & Highhouse, 2006). Murphy is suggesting that a is not necessarily always associated with b. Although this suggestion is provocative, it is not the same thing as saying content validation is irrelevant to validity. Content adequacy is different from job relatedness.

Learning on Demand, at Your Own Pace, in Rapid Bite-Sized Chunks: The Future Shape of Management Development?

Abstract Recent decades have witnessed an unprecedented growth in management and executive education which, paradoxically, has been accompanied by a crisis of confidence manifested in debates about its direction, relevance, and effectiveness. Outside academia, innovative corporate training enterprises increasingly provide the type of management training where learning is distributed at the time of need, embedded in a work context, and delivered in rapid bite-sized pieces, which aim to meet participants' needs in terms of depth of information coverage, timeliness of delivery, and job relatedness. We draw on a series of interviews associated with one such enterprise that is believed to be an exemplar for innovative thinking in this field to explore the possibility that innovations of this type may have something to offer other mainstream providers of management learning and education in terms of the type and style of delivery employed.

Do Applicants' Perceptions Matter? Investigating Reapplication Behavior Using Fairness Theory

This study used a fairness theory approach to examine a link between applicants' perceptions and their actual reapplication behavior. We suggested that applicants who do not receive job offers form ‘Would’ counterfactuals based on perceived performance and ‘Should’ counterfactuals based on two procedural justice rules (job relatedness and opportunity to perform). Participants (N=542) were applicants for a United States federal government position. After not being hired in the initial selection process, 9% of the applicants reapplied for the job the following year. We found some support for the hypothesized interactions. The job relatedness–perceived performance interaction was not significant, but the opportunity to perform–perceived performance interaction was. Opportunity to perform had a stronger influence when perceived performance was higher.

Racial differences in promotion candidate performance and reactions to selection procedures: a field study in a diverse top‐management context

AbstractThe present study examined African‐American and White promotion candidates' reactions to and performance on selection procedures that were completed within a police department where African Americans occupied the majority of top‐management positions. Reactions (perceived job relatedness and test‐taking motivation) of 187 candidates competing for promotion to the rank of sergeant were assessed after completing a written job knowledge test and a situational interview. Analyses showed that both the African‐American and White candidates judged the situational interview to be more job‐related than the pencil‐and‐paper job knowledge test. In addition, African Americans perceived both selection measures to be more job‐related and reported higher levels of test‐taking motivation than White candidates even though African Americans performed more poorly than White candidates on the paper‐and‐pencil test. These results challenge the contention that lower test‐taking motivation for African‐American candidates is related to racial differences in performance on pencil‐ and‐paper tests. Implications and directions for future research on reactions to selection procedures for promotion in racially diverse employment settings are discussed. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.