| Adaptation to Changing Task Contexts: Effects of General Cognitive Ability, Openness, and Conscientiousness |
| | LePine, Jeffrey A. | U. of Florida | lepineja@dale.cba.ufl.edu | (352)846-2054 |
| | Colquitt, Jason A. | U. of Florida | colquitt@pilot.msu.edu | 517-353-6428 |
| | Purdy, Christopher P. | U. of Florida | crpurdy@ix.netcom.com | (352)-392-5883 |
| | In this paper we examine the extent to which three well known individual differences (g, openness, and conscientiousness) predict adaptation (performance in a changing task environment). Seventy-five research participants made decisions and received feedback as to the correctness of their decisions on a series of seventy-five problems during a three hour computerized simulation. Unbeknownst to the participants, the rules used in determining correct decisions changed after decisions twenty-five and fifty. Results showed that after controlling for pre-change performance, general cognitive ability and openness had positive effects on post-change performance and conscientiousness had negative effects on post-change performance. While unexpected, the nature of the relationship between conscientiousness and adaptation is consistent with the growing concern that high conscientiousness might not always be a good thing. |
| | Keywords: Individual Differences; Performance ; Adaptability |
| Performance Differentiation in Peer Appraisals: Procedural and Attitudinal Factors |
| | Farmer, Suzanne J. | Central Michigan U. | suzanne.farmer@cmich.edu | (517)-772-4384 |
| | Drexler, Jr., John A. | Oregon State U. | Drexler@bus.orst.edu | (541)737-2727 |
| | Beehr, Terry A. | Central Michigan U. | Terry.A.Beehr@cmich.edu | (517)-774-6466 |
| | Peer appraisals are often used because they provide unique insight into coworker performance. However, their usefulness may be diminished, as peers oftentimes fail to differentiate in performance ratings. To address this issue of non-differentiation, a partially quasi-experimental study, including peer appraisal and subsequent attitudinal questionnaire, was conducted among 329 business students. Participants worked in the same groups on a number of tasks and problems over a ten-week academic term, receiving rater training at several points in the course. The peer appraisal process required students to rate each other non-anonymously on two projects, using a specific work plan designed by each group as the basis for the appraisal. Group members could rate each other ranging from 80% to 120%, with the constraint that the average rating for the group must equal 100%. Results indicate that only 29% of respondents differentiated ratings of group member performance on project 1, whereas slightly more individuals (33%) rated group members' performance differently on project 2. Timing of when students learned their project grade was manipulated, yielding results contrary to expectations. Specifically, knowing the group's project grade led to less, not more differentiation. Results also reveal that, as predicted, less differentiation occurs within groups that have explicit work plans. In regards to attitudinal factors, having collectivism values and perceptions of group homogeneity predicts peer appraisal differentiation. These results demonstrate the importance of both procedural and attitudinal factors affecting differentiation in the peer appraisal process. |
| | Keywords: peer appraisal; performance appraisal; multi-source appraisal |
| Employee Input in the Development of Performance Appraisal Systems |
| | Cherry, Bennett | U. of Arizona | bcherry@u.arizona.edu | 520-621-7473 |
| | Gilliland, Stephen W. | U. of Arizona | sgill@bpa.arizona.edu | (520) 621-9324 |
| | Results from an eighteen month field study of a 150 employee organization demonstrated that employee input in the development stage of performance appraisal systems influenced employees' subsequent perceptions of the procedural justice of the appraisal system. As well, employee input yielded positive outcomes of perceived fairness, perceived system value, motivation, and trust in supervisor. Results demonstrate that the impact of employee input on outcomes is fully mediated by the perceived procedural justice of the system. Implications for managers and performance appraisal system developers are discussed in terms of creating a sense of employee ownership during the system development process. |
| | Keywords: Appraisal; Input; Voice |
| Accuracy and Its Determinants in Distributional Assessment |
| | Kane, Jeffrey S. | Chinese U. of Hong Kong | jkane@netvigator.com | (852) 2609-7898 |
| | A new methodology for evaluating the accuracy of ratings and improved indexes of accuracy were developed and used to study the
accuracy of distributional assessment. Distributional assessment achieved moderate to high accuracy levels in reproducing the entire
profiles, means, and standard deviations of true distributions. It also proved to be significantly more accurate than a conventional
Likert-type rating scale in estimating distributional means. Distributional assessment proved to be particularly accurate when ratings
were elicited in the form of raw count estimates of frequencies obtained under short recall delay conditions. Correlational findings
suggested that different cognitive processes and/or memory sources may underlie assessments obtained via distributional and
conventional rating methods. |
| | Keywords: Performance Appraisal |