Chapter 13: Managerial Selection Methods

Test Bank

Multiple Choice

1. All of the following are problems with global measures of managerial success EXCEPT ______.

A. they measure only a small amount of the variance due to manager behavior

B. they have low test–retest and interrater reliability

C. they depend on a lot of job-irrelevant factors

D. they often contain biases against members of certain groups (e.g., women)

Learning Objective: 13-1: Design managerial selection systems that predict objective and subjective criteria.

Cognitive Domain: Analysis

Answer Location: Criteria of Managerial Success
Difficulty Level: Hard

AACSB: Systems and processes in organizations

2. Which of these is NOT an environmental condition that affects managerial decisions?

A. availability of resources

B. external labor markets

C. legal requirements

D. competition

Learning Objective: 13-1: Design managerial selection systems that predict objective and subjective criteria.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: The Importance of Context
Difficulty Level: Medium

AACSB: Systems and processes in organizations

3. Cognitive ability tests have a validity coefficient (uncorrected) of around ______.

A. .08 to .13

B. .16 to .20

C. .25 to .30

D. .43 to .53

Learning Objective: 13-2: Use cognitive ability tests to predict managerial performance, considering challenges associated with this type of tool.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Cognitive Ability Tests
Difficulty Level: Easy

AACSB: Application of knowledge

4. Of the cognitive ability types used in the Grimsley and Jarrett studies, which one was the poorest at distinguishing the top from the middle management groups?

A. verbal reasoning

B. numerical ability

C. verbal comprehension

D. word fluency

Learning Objective: 13-2: Use cognitive ability tests to predict managerial performance, considering challenges associated with this type of tool.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Cognitive Ability Tests
Difficulty Level: Medium

AACSB: Application of knowledge

5. The biggest potential issue using general mental ability tests for selection is because ______.

A. they are not very reliable

B. they are not significantly related to performance

C. they are not seen to face valid or job relevant by applicants

D. they often show adverse impact

Learning Objective: 13-2: Use cognitive ability tests to predict managerial performance, considering challenges associated with this type of tool.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Controversial Issues in the Use of Cognitive Ability Tests
Difficulty Level: Medium

AACSB: Application of knowledge

6. People who are very imaginative, curious, and broad-minded would likely score high on ______.

A. extroversion

B. agreeableness

C. conscientiousness

D. openness to experience

Learning Objective: 13-3: Use objective personality inventories to measure several types of traits.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Objective Personality Inventories
Difficulty Level: Easy

AACSB: Application of knowledge

7. Which personality trait is the best predictor of job performance?

A. extroversion

B. agreeableness

C. conscientiousness

D. openness to experience

Learning Objective: 13-3: Use objective personality inventories to measure several types of traits.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Objective Personality Inventories
AACSB: Application of knowledge

8. Which personality trait has the lowest relationship to leadership?

A. emotional stability

B. agreeableness

C. conscientiousness

D. openness to experience

Learning Objective: 13-3: Use objective personality inventories to measure several types of traits.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Objective Personality Inventories
Difficulty Level: Medium

AACSB: Application of knowledge

9. Which variable is generally considered to mediate the relationship between conscientiousness and job performance scores?

A. motivation to strive for accomplishments

B. leadership behaviors

C. locus of control

D. core self-evaluation

Learning Objective: 13-3: Use objective personality inventories to measure several types of traits.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Objective Personality Inventories
Difficulty Level: Medium

AACSB: Application of knowledge

10. People who do more contextual performance are likely to have a ______.

A. emotionally stable orientation

B. “getting ahead” orientation

C. goal orientation

D. “getting along” orientation

Learning Objective: 13-3: Use objective personality inventories to measure several types of traits.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Objective Personality Inventories
Difficulty Level: Medium

AACSB: Application of knowledge

11. Which concept is defined as one’s evaluation regarding how well they can perform across a variety of situations?

A. self-esteem

B. generalized self-efficacy

C. emotional stability

D. locus of control

Learning Objective: 13-3: Use objective personality inventories to measure several types of traits.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Objective Personality Inventories
Difficulty Level: Easy

AACSB: Application of knowledge

12. Which personality trait from the “dark triad” is categorized by a feeling of entitlement and superiority?

A. narcissism

B. psychopathy

C. Machiavellism

D. antisocial

Learning Objective: 13-3: Use objective personality inventories to measure several types of traits.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Objective Personality Inventories
Difficulty Level: Easy

AACSB: Application of knowledge

13. All of the following are suggested as ways to lessen faking on personality tests EXCEPT ______.

A. forced-choice personality items

B. using a scale to detect response distortion

C. avoid self-reports altogether

D. warnings against faking in the instructions

Learning Objective: 13-4: Minimize distortion (faking) in personality assessment.

Cognitive Domain: Analysis

Answer Location: Response Distortion in Personality Inventories
Difficulty Level: Medium

AACSB: Application of knowledge

14. If a manager is good at helping subordinates define their roles and focusing on a goal attainment, then they are exhibiting which managerial behavior?

A. initiating structure

B. providing consideration

C. motivation to manage

D. Machiavellism

Learning Objective: 13-5: Predict managerial and leadership success using alternative predictors, such as leadership ability tests, motivation to manage, personal history data, and peer assessments.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Leadership Ability Tests
Difficulty Level: Easy

AACSB: Application of knowledge

15. Adaptability and openness to feedback are considered which type of predictors of leadership success?

A. motivation skills

B. technical capabilities

C. learning skills

D. leadership skills

Learning Objective: 13-5: Predict managerial and leadership success using alternative predictors, such as leadership ability tests, motivation to manage, personal history data, and peer assessments.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Leadership Ability Tests
Difficulty Level: Easy

AACSB: Application of knowledge

16. Motivation to Manage is typically measured with which scale?

A. Leadership Opinion Questionnaire

B. Situational Judgment Test

C. Motivation to Lead

D. The Miner Sentence Completion Scale

Learning Objective: 13-5: Predict managerial and leadership success using alternative predictors, such as leadership ability tests, motivation to manage, personal history data, and peer assessments.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Motivation to Manage
Difficulty Level: Easy

AACSB: Application of knowledge

17. You are measuring Motivation to Manage, and one of the applicants shows a willingness to want to outdo their peers in work-related activities. This falls into what dimension of the Miner Sentence Completion Scale?

A. competitive games

B. competitive situations

C. authority figures

D. imposing wishes

Learning Objective: 13-5: Predict managerial and leadership success using alternative predictors, such as leadership ability tests, motivation to manage, personal history data, and peer assessments.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Motivation to Manage
Difficulty Level: Medium

AACSB: Application of knowledge

18. If someone were to indicate that they would agree to lead if asked to do so or nominated by others, they are demonstrating which component of Motivation to Lead?

A. social-normative

B. noncalculative

C. calculative

D. affective-identity

Learning Objective: 13-5: Predict managerial and leadership success using alternative predictors, such as leadership ability tests, motivation to manage, personal history data, and peer assessments.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Motivation to Manage
Difficulty Level: Medium

AACSB: Application of knowledge

19. When used to predict managerial success, personal history has an average validity of ______.

A. .38

B. .41

C. .45

D. .50

Learning Objective: 13-5: Predict managerial and leadership success using alternative predictors, such as leadership ability tests, motivation to manage, personal history data, and peer assessments.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Personal History Data
Difficulty Level: Medium

AACSB: Application of knowledge

20. Employees designate a certain number members of their peers as being highest on a particular dimension of performance. This is called ______.

A. peer rating

B. peer ranking

C. peer nomination

D. peer appraisal

Learning Objective: 13-5: Predict managerial and leadership success using alternative predictors, such as leadership ability tests, motivation to manage, personal history data, and peer assessments.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Peer Assessment
Difficulty Level: Medium

AACSB: Application of knowledge

21. You go to an assessment center and are placed at a computer. You answer a variety of emails that involved situations you might encounter and need to solve in this future job. Which type of device does this BEST exemplify?

A. situational judgment tests

B. leaderless group task

C. in-basket task

D. the business game

Learning Objective: 13-6: Use work samples of managerial performance (i.e., leaderless group discussion, in-basket test, business games, and situational judgment tests) to predict future performance.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: The In-Basket Test
Difficulty Level: Easy

AACSB: Application of knowledge

22. The extent to which a work sample mirrors actual job conditions is called ______.

A. bandwidth

B. fidelity

C. task specificity

D. necessary experience

Learning Objective: 13-6: Use work samples of managerial performance (i.e., leaderless group discussion, in-basket test, business games, and situational judgment tests) to predict future performance.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Work Samples of Managerial Performance

Difficulty Level: Easy

AACSB: Application of knowledge

23. One of the desirable features of ______ work sample is that intelligence seems to have no effect on success.

A. situational judgment tests

B. leaderless group task

C. in-basket task

D. the business game

Learning Objective: 13-6: Use work samples of managerial performance (i.e., leaderless group discussion, in-basket test, business games, and situational judgment tests) to predict future performance.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: The Business Game

Difficulty Level: Hard

AACSB: Application of knowledge

24. While technically a work sample, ______ method is very low on fidelity and the applicant is simple asked to respond to a hypothetical situation based on several available choices.

A. situational judgment tests

B. leaderless group task

C. in-basket task

D. the business game

Learning Objective: 13-6: Use work samples of managerial performance (i.e., leaderless group discussion, in-basket test, business games, and situational judgment tests) to predict future performance.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Situational Judgment Tests

Difficulty Level: Medium

AACSB: Application of knowledge

25. What is the validity coefficient for situational judgment tests?

A. .20

B. .25

C. .30

D. .34

Learning Objective: 13-6: Use work samples of managerial performance (i.e., leaderless group discussion, in-basket test, business games, and situational judgment tests) to predict future performance.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Situational Judgment Tests

Difficulty Level: Medium

AACSB: Application of knowledge

26. When a managerial candidate takes several selection tests and tasks and is judged by raters on a variety of dimensions, this is called a(n) ______.

A. assessment center

B. situation judgment test

C. performance appraisal

D. multiple hurdle approach

Learning Objective: 13-7: Predict future managerial performance using the assessment center method.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Assessment Centers
Difficulty Level: Easy

AACSB: Application of knowledge

27. All of the following are advantages of an assessment center approach to hiring managers EXCEPT ______.

A. candidates perceive them as highly job related

B. the method is highly flexible

C. they have high validity for predicting long-term career success

D. they are easy and inexpensive to administer

Learning Objective: 13-7: Predict future managerial performance using the assessment center method.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Assessment Centers
Difficulty Level: Medium

AACSB: Systems and processes in organizations

28. Which of these is NOT a popular reason for developing an AC as listed in the reading?

A. selection

B. promotion

C. performance appraisal

D. development planning

Learning Objective: 13-7: Predict future managerial performance using the assessment center method.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Level and Purpose of Assessment
Difficulty Level: Easy

AACSB: Systems and processes in organizations

29. An assessment center for higher management (that doesn’t include a training portion) typically takes ______.

A. 2 hr

B. 1 day

C. 2–3 days

D. 5 or 6 days

Learning Objective: 13-7: Predict future managerial performance using the assessment center method.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Duration and Size
Difficulty Level: Easy

AACSB: Systems and processes in organizations

30. Interrater reliability for trained observers examining administrative-technical dimensions of an AC is ______.

A. .46

B. .58

C. .78

D. .90

Learning Objective: 13-7: Predict future managerial performance using the assessment center method.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Assessors and Their Training
Difficulty Level: Medium

AACSB: Systems and processes in organizations

31. You are an assessor at an AC. You are told to tally the frequency of the behaviors you observe immediately as they happen. This is called ______.

A. critical incidents

B. behavioral coding

C. adaptive guidance

D. frame of reference training

Learning Objective: 13-7: Predict future managerial performance using the assessment center method.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Assessors and Their Training
Difficulty Level: Easy

AACSB: Systems and processes in organizations

32. Research shows that which type of training, which gives raters a standard on which to base their assessment ratings on, is also effective for assessment centers?

A. frame of reference training

B. rater error training

C. development centers

D. behavioral coding

Learning Objective: 13-7: Predict future managerial performance using the assessment center method.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Assessors and Their Training
Difficulty Level: Medium

AACSB: Systems and processes in organizations

33. Which of the following is NOT recommended in the reading in terms of standardizing an AC program?

A. maintain consistent time limits

B. keep constant the amount of previous AC experience candidates possess

C. keep the assessor discussion sessions similar

D. use the same order of exercise for each candidate

Learning Objective: 13-7: Predict future managerial performance using the assessment center method.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Reliability
Difficulty Level: Medium

AACSB: Systems and processes in organizations

34. ACs have been shown to effectively measure all the dimensions EXCEPT ______.

A. drive

B. problem-solving

C. communication

D. conscientiousness

Learning Objective: 13-7: Predict future managerial performance using the assessment center method.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Validity
Difficulty Level: Medium

AACSB: Systems and processes in organizations

35. This dimension of ACs has shown to be the most valid and contribute to more variance in the criterion ______.

A. drive

B. problem-solving

C. communication

D. influencing others

Learning Objective: 13-7: Predict future managerial performance using the assessment center method.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Validity
Difficulty Level: Medium

AACSB: Systems and processes in organizations

36. Which of the following is true of ACs compared to cognitive ability tests?

A. They produce less adverse impact.

B. They have a higher validity coefficient.

C. They have higher test–retest reliability.

D. The cost significantly less.

Learning Objective: 13-7: Predict future managerial performance using the assessment center method.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Fairness and Adverse Impact
Difficulty Level: Medium

AACSB: Systems and processes in organizations

37. All of these are potential issues with ACs EXCEPT ______.

A. they show weak construct validity

B. they may be applied carelessly or improperly

C. they have not viewed job relevant by applicants

D. criterion contamination may inflate validities

Learning Objective: 13-7: Predict future managerial performance using the assessment center method.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Potential Problems
Difficulty Level: Medium

AACSB: Systems and processes in organizations

38. Which of the following shows the best combined total prediction of overall job performance when combined with a general cognitive ability test based on Schmidt and Hunter?

A. structured interviews

B. assessment centers

C. years of education

D. reference checks

Learning Objective: 13-1: Design managerial selection systems that predict objective and subjective criteria.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Combining Predictors
Difficulty Level: Hard

AACSB: Systems and processes in organizations

Short Answer

1. What is the primary emphasis for managerial effectiveness?

Learning Objective: 13-1: Design managerial selection systems that predict objective and subjective criteria.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Criteria of Managerial Success
Difficulty Level: Medium

AACSB: Systems and processes in organizations

2. Why is general cognitive ability a powerful predictor of performance?

Learning Objective: 13.2: Use cognitive ability tests to predict managerial performance, considering challenges associated with this type of tool.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Cognitive Ability Tests
Difficulty Level: Medium

AACSB: Systems and processes in organizations

3. Explain how the relationship between personality and performance can sometimes be curvilinear.

Learning Objective: 13-3: Use objective personality inventories to measure several types of traits.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Objective Personality Inventories
Difficulty Level: Medium

AACSB: Application of knowledge

4. Describe three of the four caveats for using UV scale-based strategies to reduce distortion in personality testing.

Learning Objective: 13-4: Minimize distortion (faking) in personality assessment.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Response Distortion in Personality Inventories
Difficulty Level: Hard

AACSB: Application of knowledge

5. Explain how the required length of peer interaction affects peer assessment.

Learning Objective: 13-5: Predict managerial and leadership success using alternative predictors, such as leadership ability tests, motivation to manage, personal history data, and peer assessments.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Peer Assessment
Difficulty Level: Easy

AACSB: Application of knowledge

6. What are some findings from the original study/data of assessment at AT&T in the 1950s/60s?

Learning Objective: Learning Objective: 13-7: Predict future managerial performance using the assessment center method.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Assessment Center: The Beginning
Difficulty Level: Medium

AACSB: Application of knowledge

7. What is some of the evidence for validity of Assessment Centers?

Learning Objective: 13-7: Predict future managerial performance using the assessment center method.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Validity
Difficulty Level: Medium

AACSB: Application of knowledge

Essay

1. What are the pros and cons of global criterion measures for managerial success?

Learning Objective: 13-1: Design managerial selection systems that predict objective and subjective criteria.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Criteria of Managerial Success
Difficulty Level: Hard

AACSB: Application of knowledge

2. Explain what the “limited conceptualization” of g means, and the implications it has for applicants and HR managers.

Learning Objective: 13-2: Use cognitive ability tests to predict managerial performance, considering challenges associated with this type of tool.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Controversial Issues in the Use of Cognitive Ability Tests
Difficulty Level: Medium

AACSB: Application of knowledge

3. What is a Leaderless Group Discussion? What is it measuring, and what evidence do we have for its reliability and validity?

Learning Objective: 13-6: Use work samples of managerial performance (i.e., leaderless group discussion, in-basket test, business games, and situational judgment tests) to predict future performance.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Leaderless Group Discussion
Difficulty Level: Medium

AACSB: Application of knowledge

4. What are the relative pros and cons of the situation judgment test as a predictor of manager performance?

Learning Objective: 13-6: Use work samples of managerial performance (i.e., leaderless group discussion, in-basket test, business games, and situational judgment tests) to predict future performance.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Situational Judgment Tests

Difficulty Level: Medium

AACSB: Application of knowledge