2. Job Performance Concepts and Measures
CHAPTER 2
Job Performance Concepts and Measures
© 2019 Wessex Press • Human Resource Selection 9e • Gatewood, Feild, Barrick

3. Learning Objectives Understand four key dimensions of performance.
Know different ways to measure performance.
Know when to use single or multiple criteria for validation.
Recognize the importance of retaining productive employees through selection.
Understand types of withdrawal behaviors and the ways to assess them.
Know different types of judgmental ratings used to assess performance.
© 2019 Wessex Press • Human Resource Selection 9e • Gatewood, Feild, Barrick

4. Job Performance Concepts and Measures
Applicants who score high on selection tests are predicted to do well in their future job performance
What is meant by “job performance”?
Traditionally, it has meant task performance, since most jobs involved physical activities
An employee’s production was easy to measure
Selection tools measured knowledge of topics and tasks
© 2019 Wessex Press • Human Resource Selection 9e • Gatewood, Feild, Barrick

5. Job Performance Concepts and Measures
More service and knowledge-sector jobs
Concept of job performance and nature of selection tests changed
Teams of workers
Collaboration required in complex fields
Workers think, plan, make observations, draw conclusions, interpret data – not easily measurable
© 2019 Wessex Press • Human Resource Selection 9e • Gatewood, Feild, Barrick

6. Job Performance Concepts and Measures
How Job Performance is Viewed
Task performance still the primary component of job performance
Work characteristics measured include numerous scales of social processes, culture, and work context
Three facets of job performance in addition to task performance
Organizational citizenship behaviors (OCBs)
Adaptive performance (AP)
Counterproductive work behaviors (CWBs)
© 2019 Wessex Press • Human Resource Selection 9e • Gatewood, Feild, Barrick

7. Job Performance Concepts and Measures
How Job Performance is Measured
Count the number of produced items or services rendered
Supervisors make judgments on a worker’s job behaviors
Type of Selection Measures Used to Predict Job Performance
Measuring WRCs with job-knowledge tests and having applicants perform parts of the job continue to be used
O*NET database identifies four general categories of characteristics – abilities, occupational interests, work values, work styles
Traditional applications expanded to include job- and task-related information
© 2019 Wessex Press • Human Resource Selection 9e • Gatewood, Feild, Barrick

8. Task Performance Production Data
The results of work comprising things that can be counted, seen, and compared directly from one worker to another
Measures based on the specific nature of the job tasks
The variety of measures so great makes it impossible to summarize – see Table 2.1 for examples showing both quantity and quality of production
© 2019 Wessex Press • Human Resource Selection 9e • Gatewood, Feild, Barrick

9. Task Performance
© 2019 Wessex Press • Human Resource Selection 9e • Gatewood, Feild, Barrick

10. Task Performance Judgmental Data
An individual familiar with the work of another required to judge this work – usually obtained using a rating scale with numerical values
In most cases evaluations done by the immediate supervisor but can be done by others – subordinates, peers, customers
© 2019 Wessex Press • Human Resource Selection 9e • Gatewood, Feild, Barrick

11. Task Performance Judgmental Data Types of judgmental instruments
Trait rating scales (a bad method, do not use!)
supervisor evaluates a subordinate on personal characteristics
Simple behavioral scale (better method, could be used)
supervisor rates a subordinate on major or critical tasks of the job
BARS or BES (even better method!)
BARS (Behaviorally Anchored Rating Scales)
BES (Behavioral Expectation Scales)
360-degree feedback (a useful technique for evaluating managers)
gathers judgmental information from superiors, peers, subordinate
© 2019 Wessex Press • Human Resource Selection 9e • Gatewood, Feild, Barrick

12. Task Performance
© 2019 Wessex Press • Human Resource Selection 9e • Gatewood, Feild, Barrick

13. Task Performance Judgmental Data Issues with Judgmental Scales
Intentional and inadvertent bias by the individual making the judgment
Intentional bias – when the rater deliberately distorts the ratings to either be favorable or unfavorable
Inadvertent bias (commonly called rater error) – halo, leniency or severity, central tendency
May be based on production data
© 2019 Wessex Press • Human Resource Selection 9e • Gatewood, Feild, Barrick

14. Organizational Citizenship Behaviors
Not formally part of the job task behaviors but done by the individual to assist other workers or the organization itself
Mentoring new workers
Assisting other workers
Putting extra time and effort into work
© 2019 Wessex Press • Human Resource Selection 9e • Gatewood, Feild, Barrick

15. Organizational Citizenship Behaviors
Dimensions of OCBs:
Helping behavior
Sportsmanship
Organizational loyalty
Organizational compliance
Individual initiative
Civic virtue
Self-development
© 2019 Wessex Press • Human Resource Selection 9e • Gatewood, Feild, Barrick

16. Organizational Citizenship Behaviors
What Prompts OCBs?
Linked to organizational commitment, perceptions of fairness, and leader supportiveness
Relationship of OCBs with Other Performance Measures
Managers influenced by worker’s OCBs, especially judgmental performance evaluations
Measurement of OCBs
Self-report judgmental scales used; bias?
© 2019 Wessex Press • Human Resource Selection 9e • Gatewood, Feild, Barrick

17. Organizational Citizenship Behaviors
© 2019 Wessex Press • Human Resource Selection 9e • Gatewood, Feild, Barrick

18. Adaptive Performance
A deliberate change in the thinking or behavior of an individual because of an anticipated or existing change in the work activities or environment
Differences in WRCs can be used to predict differences in AP
Both OCBs and AP are facets of job performance and can be included in operational selection programs
© 2019 Wessex Press • Human Resource Selection 9e • Gatewood, Feild, Barrick

19. Adaptive Performance
Research work using AP in selection has concentrated on determining WRCs that would predict AP
Cognitive complexity – consider and integrate conflicting information
Frame changing – alternate between multiple ways of attending to and interpreting problems and solution strategies
Resiliency – persist and recover quickly
Problem solving – persist and work through details of a problem
Learning agility – apply lessons learned from previous experience
© 2019 Wessex Press • Human Resource Selection 9e • Gatewood, Feild, Barrick

20. Adaptive Performance
© 2019 Wessex Press • Human Resource Selection 9e • Gatewood, Feild, Barrick

21. Counterproductive Work Behavior
Undesirable performance actions that harm the organization itself and often its employees and customers
Any intentional behavior by an employee that is viewed by the organization as contrary to its legitimate interests
Integrity tests developed to identify applicants with higher than normal probability of committing CWBs
CWBs cost billions of dollars
© 2019 Wessex Press • Human Resource Selection 9e • Gatewood, Feild, Barrick

22. Counterproductive Work Behavior
© 2019 Wessex Press • Human Resource Selection 9e • Gatewood, Feild, Barrick

23. Counterproductive Work Behavior
CWBs can be divided into two groups:
Actions of deviance toward individuals (ID)
Actions toward the organization (OD)
OCBs and CWBs are moderately negatively correlated:
Two distinct constructs rather than a single continuum
Studies regarding the relationship of CWBs to individual and organizational characteristics
© 2019 Wessex Press • Human Resource Selection 9e • Gatewood, Feild, Barrick

24. Employee Withdrawal Behaviors
Initiated at the discretion of the work and depict the individual’s detachment from work:
Cognitive distancing
Physically removing oneself by being disengaged at work
Showing up late or not at all – absenteeism
Voluntarily severing employment ties
Dynamic and influenced by many antecedents, with validated selection procedures:
Biographical information
Personality
Person-organization fit
© 2019 Wessex Press • Human Resource Selection 9e • Gatewood, Feild, Barrick

25. Employee Withdrawal Behaviors
© 2019 Wessex Press • Human Resource Selection 9e • Gatewood, Feild, Barrick

26. Appropriate Characteristics of Job Performance Measures
Individualization – must collect data about performance that the individual controls
Relevance – must measure production of critical or important parts of job
Measurability – must be possible to generate a number that represents the amount or quality of the work performed
Variance – scores that are generated must have differences among them
© 2019 Wessex Press • Human Resource Selection 9e • Gatewood, Feild, Barrick

27. Use of Criteria for Validation
Single versus Multiple Criteria
Use of a single composite measure sees global performance; interpretation relatively simple
Job analysis studies identify multiple tasks within jobs, indicative of the multiple aspects of job performance; global measure of performance many not reflect all activities
When to Use Each
For selection, use composite criterion
For research, use multiple scores
© 2019 Wessex Press • Human Resource Selection 9e • Gatewood, Feild, Barrick

28. Use of Criteria for Validation
Forming the Single Measure
Dollar criterion – what is the value of worker performance to the organizations?
Factor analysis – a majority of the separate measures combined into one factor; provides weights that could be applied to each specific measure
Expert judgment – must identify the weight of specific performance aspects
© 2019 Wessex Press • Human Resource Selection 9e • Gatewood, Feild, Barrick