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Abstract. After nearly two decades of awareness on the research–practice gap in human resource management, this study updates and expands on the seminal findings of Rynes et al. (2002) specific to personnel selection. In a sample of 453 human resource (HR) practitioners in the US and Canada, we found that the research–practice gap persists. Notably, compared to the 2002 findings, HR practitioners tended to be worse at identifying personnel selection myths than was shown by Rynes et al. over 15 years ago, while those who reported not conducting validity studies were surprisingly better at identifying several myths as false. Several potential avenues for advancement are suggested in light of the disturbing stubbornness of the research–practice gap in personnel selection.

Extending interactionist principles and targeting situational specificity of trait–performance linkages, trait activation theory (TAT) posits personality traits are expressed as valued work behavior in response to trait-relevant situational cues, subject to constraints and other factors, all operating at the task, social, and organizational levels. Review of 99 key sources citing TAT spanning 2011–2019 reveals diverse applications (e.g., bidirectionality, trait specificity, team building) and an overall 60% significance rate for 262 TAT-based moderator effects reported in 60 of 75 empirical studies. Applying five key aspects of TAT (e.g., behavior/performance distinction, need-based motivation) to five lines of personality dynamics research (e.g., personality states, self-regulation models of motivation) supports TAT as a vehicle for advancing understanding of within-person variability over brief and extended timelines. Critical research needs include personality-oriented work analysis, longitudinal study of trait-situation processes, trait activation in teams, within-job bidirectionality, and situation relevance as a unifying principle in advancing person–workplace fit.

Prominent standards/guidelines concerning test validation provide contradictory information about whether content-based evidence should be used as a means of validating personality test inferences for employee selection. This unresolved discrepancy is problematic considering the prevalence of personality testing, the importance of gathering sound validity evidence, and the deference given to these standards/guidelines in contemporary employee selection practice. As a consequence, test users and practitioners are likely to be reticent or uncertain about gathering content-based evidence for personality measures, which, in turn, may cause such evidence to be underutilized when personality testing is of interest. The current investigation critically examines whether (and how) content validity evidence should be used for measures of personality in relation to employee selection. The ensuing discussion, which is especially relevant in highly litigious contexts such as personnel selection in the public sector, sheds new light on test validation practices.

Emotional intelligence (EI) is reported to be inversely associated with emotional distress, although the potential role of negative repetitive thoughts in this relationship has not yet been explored. The current investigation examined the links between four facets of trait EI and emotional distress (i.e., symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder [GAD], depression, and social anxiety), and the mediating roles of worry, rumination, and post-event processing (PEP) in a sample of university students (N = 126). The EI facets of recognizing and regulating emotions in the self correlated negatively with emotional distress and negative repetitive thoughts. Regulation of emotions in others correlated only with levels of social anxiety. The role of negative repetitive thoughts was tested using three multiple mediator models. Worry independently mediated the link between EI and symptoms of GAD. Worry, rumination, and PEP independently mediated the link between EI and depression. Worry and rumination independently mediated the link between EI and social anxiety. Results suggest lower trait EI may lead to greater negative repetitive thoughts, which may increase the experience of emotional distress.

The unitarian understanding of construct validity holds that deliberate response distortion in completing self-report personality tests (i.e., faking) threatens trait-based inferences drawn from test scores. This “faking-is-bad” (FIB) perspective is being challenged by an emerging “faking-is-good” (FIG) position that condones or favors faking and its underlying attributes (e.g., social skill, ATIC) to the degree they contribute to predictor–criterion correlations and are job relevant. Based on the unitarian model of validity and relevant empirical evidence, we argue the FIG perspective is psychometrically flawed and counterproductive to personality-based selection targeting trait-based fit. Carrying forward both positions leads to variously dark futures for self-report personality tests as selection tools. Projections under FIG, we suggest, are particularly serious. FIB offers a more optimistic future but only to the degree faking can be mitigated. Evidence suggesting increasing applicant faking rates and other alarming trends makes the FIB versus FIG debate a timely if not urgent matter.

Personality is increasingly recognized as a key factor in the psychology of work behavior. Traditional perspectives on personality in the workplace emphasize its stable, dispositional quality in differentiating reliably among workers, predicting valued behavior, and accounting for the continuity of self-identity. The current chapter aims to advance the understanding and utility of personality in organizational settings from the perspective of personality dynamics. Following definitional development, representative theories and empirical findings bearing on personality dynamics in the workplace are summarized under (1) dispositional change, (2) person-situation interactions and situational specificity, (3) personality states, (4) personality and career development, and (5) self-regulation approaches to work motivation. Contributions of personality dynamics to the science of work behavior are identified in light of a proposed model emphasizing behavioral evaluation. We close by articulating research needs serving continued development of personality dynamics at work.

Drawing on trait interaction theory and personality disorder subtypes, we examined narcissism-by-trait interactions (e.g., narcissism × antisocial tendencies) for predicting leadership performance in four independent archival samples ( Ns = 285, 120, 106, 559). This study extends research on multiplicative effects of normative leader characteristics to consider how narcissism becomes particularly disruptive when combined with other extreme interpersonal tendencies. Moderated multiple regression results show interactions involving selected trait pairs varied across samples. Pooled analyses showed (a) differential generalizability across trait pairings and (b) that lower tiered managerial roles and weaker industrial contexts may release such effects. Inconsistencies suggest the need to consider sample-specific trait demands in future trait interaction research, normal, or maladaptive. All told, findings suggest that subclinical personality interactions might accelerate leader derailment, offer unique insights into leader competence, and extend trait interaction research to aberrant tendencies.

Rejecting situational specificity (SS) in meta-analysis requires assuming that residual variance in observed correlations is due to uncorrected artifacts (e.g., calculation errors). To test that assumption, 741 aggregations from 24 meta-analytic articles representing seven industrial and organizational (I-O) psychology domains (e.g., cognitive ability, job interviews) were coded for moderator subgroup specificity. In support of SS, increasing subgroup specificity yields lower mean residual variance per domain, averaging a 73.1% drop. Precision in mean rho (i.e., low SD(rho)) adequate to permit generalizability is typically reached at SS levels high enough to challenge generalizability inferences (hence, the “myth of generalizability”). Further, and somewhat paradoxically, decreasing K with increasing precision undermines certainty in mean r and Var(r) as meta-analytic starting points. In support of the noted concerns, only 4.6% of the 741 aggregations met defensibly rigorous generalizability standards. Four key questions guiding generalizability inferences are identified in advancing meta-analysis as a knowledge source.

This study was undertaken to identify the role of six facets of trait-emotional intelligence (EI) in men’s aggressive tendencies toward intimate partners (N = 131). Consistent with past research, hierarchical regression showed emotional self-regulation and empathy were negatively and uniquely predictive of four self-reported aggressive tendencies: physical aggression, verbal aggression, anger, and hostility. Canonical correlations yielded two distinct patterns of relationships between EI and aggressive tendencies. The first canonical correlation supported an overall negative relationship, especially involving dependent variables anger and hostility. A second canonical correlation revealed higher physical and verbal aggression were associated with higher emotional self-recognition, regulation of others’ emotions, nonverbal emotional expression, and lower empathy. Findings support a multidimensional understanding of EI and aggressive tendencies.

Targeting a productive and rewarding fit between the worker and the work setting, industrial-organizational (I-O) psychology is heavily vested in identifying situational factors as main effects on work behavior, as moderators of personological (e.g., personality) influences, and as outcomes in understanding the workplace as a dynamic and evolving system. Here, we focus on the role of situations in the I-O psychology practices of job analysis, personnel selection and validation, training, work motivation, leadership, job design, and organizational development. Then, select workplace situational taxonomies are presented from the literature, organized by task (e.g., RIASEC), group (team task type), and organizational (e.g., culture) levels. Several broad situational features (e.g., situational strength, situational trait-relevance) are also identified. The chapter closes with some general observations aimed at advancing integration of situational factors in the psychology of work.

OBJECTIVE: In the last decade, the development of community-based and clinical interventions to assist children and adolescents after a disaster has become an international priority. Clinicians and researchers have begun to scientifically evaluate these interventions despite challenging conditions. The objective of this study was to conduct a systematic review of the research methodology used in studies of child disaster mental health interventions for posttraumatic stress. METHOD: This scientifically rigorous analysis used standards for methodological rigor of psychosocial treatments for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) to examine 29 intervention studies. RESULTS: This analysis revealed that further refinement of methodology is needed to determine if certain intervention approaches are superior to other approaches and if they provide benefit beyond natural recovery. Most studies (93.1%) clearly described the interventions being tested or used manuals to guide application and most (89.7%) used standardized instruments to measure outcomes, and many used random assignment (69.0%) and provided assessor training (65.5%). Fewer studies used blinded assessment (44.8%) or measured treatment adherence (48.3%), and sample size in most studies (82.8%) was not adequate to detect small effects generally expected when comparing two active interventions. Moreover, it is unclear what constitutes meaningful change in relation to treatment especially for the numerous interventions administered to children in the general population. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, the results are inconclusive about which children, what settings, and what approaches are most likely to be beneficial. Language: en

How management and leadership are best conceptualized with respect to each other has been a frequent topic of debate. Five distinct perspectives are identified in the literature, including bipolar, unidimensional, bidimensional, hierarchical—management within leadership, and hierarchical—leadership within management. We assessed the viability of these perspectives by having Academy of Management and Society for Industrial/Organizational Psychology experts ( N = 43) map a comprehensive set of 63 managerial and leadership competencies, as a “common language,” onto defined and undefined management and leadership dimensions. Results reveal interpretable patterns of uniqueness and overlap, suggesting a hybrid co-dimensional/bidimensional configuration. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed in light of the precedence of “what” over “how” in developing leadership and management theory.

We assessed the combined effects of cognitive ability, opportunity to fake, and trait job-relevance on faking self-report emotional intelligence and personality tests by having 150 undergraduates complete such tests honestly and then so as to appear ideal for one of three jobs: nurse practitioner, marketing manager, and computer programmer. Faking, as expected, was greater (a) in higher-g participants, (b) in those scoring lower under honest conditions (with greater opportunity to fake), and (c) on job-relevant traits. Predicted interactions accounted for additional unique variance in faking. Combining all three factors yielded a “perfect storm” standardized difference of around 2, more than double the overall .83 estimate. Implications for the study of faking are discussed.

Concerns about socially desirable responding on self-report personality tests are heightened in employment settings where motivation to fake is elevated. Building on prior faking models and the classical X = T + e measurement model, we offer a unique performance-based perspective, in which opportunity, ability, and motivation to fake are jointly critical (P = O × A × M). Trait activation theory is used to show how impression management and self-deception can express multiple abilities and traits beyond those targeted and how response biases might be reduced. Three sets of testable hypotheses are offered. That nontargeted traits (e.g., ambition) serving faking might contribute to the prediction of job performance supports the view that faking could benefit selection decisions. Several arguments against this perspective are proposed.

The value of personality test norms for use in work settings depends on norm sample size (N) and relevance, yet research on these criteria is scant and corresponding standards are vague. Using basic statistical principles and Hogan Personality Inventory (HPI) data from 5 sales and 4 trucking samples (N range = 394-6, 200), we show that (a) N > 100 has little practical impact on the reliability of norm-based standard scores (max = ± 10 percentile points in 99% of samples) and (b) personality profiles vary more from using different norm samples, between as well as within job families. Averaging across scales, T-scores based on sales versus trucking norms differed by 7.3 points, whereas maximum differences averaged 7.4 and 7.5 points within the sets of sales and trucking norms, respectively, corresponding in each case to approximately ± 14 percentile points. Slightly weaker results obtained using nine additional samples from clerical, managerial, and financial job families, and regression analysis applied to the 18 samples revealed demographic effects on four scale means independently of job family. Personality test developers are urged to build norms for more diverse populations, and test users, to develop local norms to promote more meaningful interpretations of personality test scores.

NEIL D. CHRISTIANSENCentral Michigan UniversityROBERT P. TETTUniversity of TulsaHoughandOswald(2008)provideacurrentperspective on personality testing, conclud-ing that personality–job performance rela-tionships are complex but that both theconstructs and the measures of personalitycurrentlyusedhavethepotentialtoadvanceorganizational research and practice. Wefundamentally agree. In this commentary,we focus on the role of situations in under-standing relationships between personalitytraitsandjobperformance,particularlywithrespect to trait activation theory (Tett B Tett & Guterman, 2000) asa guide to further research. Hough andOswald acknowledge that such a theoryhas potential to ‘‘highlight where and howpersonalityvariablesaremostlikelytoinflu-ence behavior and performance.’’ Here, weexpand on that comment, calling attentionto how this general goal might best beachieved.Webeginwithsomeobservations.Hough and Oswald pose the question ofwhether situations are important and howresearch might incorporate the situation orcontext into measurement of personalityvariables. We believe that research andtheory so overwhelmingly underscore theimportance of situations that it is nowbeyond questioning. Contextualizing per-sonality items in work settings has beenfound to enhance validity (e.g., Bing,Whanger,Davison,VTrux-illo, Bauer, Campion, & Paronto, 2002), butthegainsarelikelytobefargreaterbypayingcloser attention to the conditions underwhich personality traits are expressed andevaluated in the workplace.The impact of situations on personalitytest validity is evident in every major meta-analysis in this area, primarily in the form ofSDq,representingvariabilityinqbecauseoffactors other than sampling error and cross-study differences in measurement artifacts(e.g.,unreliability).RelativetoSDqtypicallyreported for cognitive ability tests, SDq forpersonality tests tends to be quite substan-tial. Hough and Oswald spare their readersdetailed review of meta-analytic evidence,focusingonnetfindingscarriedbymeanval-idity estimates. By ignoring the cross-studyvariability in personality test populationvalidity (as per SDq), however, they under-state the importance of understanding therole of situations in advancing the use ofpersonality tests in work settings.Meta-analyses of personality–job perfor-mance relations show that true validity esti-matesgenerallyrangefromnear0toover.30

Despite widespread and growing acceptance that published personality tests are valid predictors of job performance, Morgeson et al. (2007) propose they be abandoned in personnel selection because average validity estimates are low. Our review of the literature shows that Morgeson et al.'s skepticism is unfounded. Meta-analyses have demonstrated that published personality tests, in fact, yield useful validity estimates when validation is based on confirmatory research using job analysis and taking into account the bidirectionality of trait–performance linkages. Further gains are likely by use of narrow over broad measures, multivariate prediction, and theory attuned to the complexities of trait expression and evaluation at work. Morgeson et al. also suggest that faking has little, if any, impact on personality test validity and that it may even contribute positively to job performance. Job applicant research suggests that faking under true hiring conditions attenuates personality test validity but that validity is still sufficiently strong to warrant personality test use in hiring. Contrary to Morgeson et al., we argue that the full value of published personality tests in organizations has yet to be realized, calling for programmatic theory-driven research.

The purpose of this study was to investigate conflicting findings in previous research on personality and job performance. Meta-analysis was used to (a) assess the overall validity of personality measures as predictors of job performance, (b) investigate the moderating effects of several study characteristics on personality scale validity, and (c) appraise the predictability of job performance as a function of eight distinct categories of personality content, including the “Big Five” personality factors. Based on review of 494 studies, usable results were identified for 97 independent samples (total N= 13,521). Consistent with predictions, studies using confirmatory research strategies produced a corrected mean personality scale validity (.29) that was more than twice as high as that based on studies adopting exploratory strategies (.12). An even higher mean validity (.38) was obtained based on studies using job analysis explicitly in the selection of personality measures. Validities were also found to be higher in longer tenured samples and in published articles versus dissertations. Corrected mean validities for the “Big Five” factors ranged from .16 for Extroversion to .33 for Agreeableness. Weaknesses in the reporting of validation study characteristics are noted, and recommendations for future research in this area are provided. Contrary to conclusions of certain past reviews, the present findings provide some grounds for optimism concerning the use of personality measures in employee selection.

Growing interest in emotional intelligence (EI) led us to evaluate the factor structure of six core trait-EI facets from Salovey and Mayer (1990) , assess the stability of the core factor structure across student ( N = 184) and worker ( N = 225) samples, and explore relations between core EI dimensions and four proximal outcomes from the same model. A three-factor structure, including Self Orientation , Other Orientation , and Emotional Sharing , replicated well across samples (fit indices range: .93–.98 per sample). Relations involving EI outcomes were less consistent. We conclude that trait-EI warrants assessment as specific facets rather than a global construct, core trait-EI structure may be stable across populations, and EI applications are context-specific.

Psychometric review of 33 peer-reviewed studies of six self-report emotional intelligence (EI) measures supports a multidimensional conceptualization of EI. The nature and number of EI facets, however, and their distinctiveness from more established trait domains is unclear. Building on earlier efforts, three studies were undertaken (Ns = 138, 163, 152) to develop self-report measures of 10 facets of EI proposed by Salovey and Mayer (1990). Results support the reliability (internal consistency, test-retest) and validity (content, criterion, construct, structural) of the proposed scales and their distinctiveness among themselves and with respect to more established trait domains (e.g., personality). Specifically, three satisfaction and four cross-cultural adaptability facets were predicted uniquely by 9 of the 10 proposed subscales, controlling for social desirability, the Big Five, positive and negative affect, and self-monitoring. All told, results confirm that trait-EI can be measured using self-report and conceptualized as a distinct multidimensional domain.

Through a national survey of municipal police departments, this study identifies current selection and psychological assessment practices for police officers. Of the 355 police agencies invited to participate in the survey, 155 returned completed questionnaires (43%). Analyses of the extent and nature of assessment procedures revealed that the majority of police departments perform a background investigation, medical exam, interview with applicant, drug test, physical fitness exam, and polygraph test. Furthermore, more than 90% of responding agencies require a psychological evaluation of applicants, which shows a significant increase from prior surveys. Results from this study shed light on the changes and trends that have occurred in police selection in the past decade. Overall, the majority of police departments that responded used extensive and sophisticated selection measures, especially those departments serving larger cities. However, many agencies are not following public policy guidelines and psychological assessment recommendations, suggesting the need for further refinements.

Two studies compared specific versus broad measures in linking personality with work behavior. In Study 1, 100 university students completed the 20 subscales of the Personality Research Form and an in-basket exercise scored on 16 distinct managerial behaviors. In Study 2, 335 market research field representatives completed the Hogan Personality Inventory, containing 41 specific trait scales organized into seven primary scales, and were rated by their supervisors on seven performance dimensions. In both studies, significant linkages between broad personality and criterion variables (e.g., factors) were explained by stronger relations among relatively few specific variables. Moreover, consistent with prior research, weak relations among broad measures obscured important linkages at the specific level, including several cases of cancellation (i.e., specific traits loading the same factor in the same direction correlated with criteria in opposite directions). Canonical correlations with appropriate shrinkage correction revealed notable improvements in criterion validity over inter-factor correlations and helped summarize the data while retaining the diagnostic advantages of specificity. Our findings are unique by demonstrating the value of specificity on both sides of the prediction equation. Implications for personnel selection are discussed. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Guided by fit-oriented personality theories, we asked with whom people prefer to work, given their own and others' personality traits and in light of trait-relevant work situations. Participants (N = 185) completed the Personal- ity Research Form (Jackson, 1989) and rated preference for hypothetical co-work- ers at opposite poles of Dominance, Affiliation, Autonomy, Defendence, and Abase- ment in simulated job settings varying in work proximity and supervisory status. As expected, judges preferred co-workers providing opportunity for trait expres- sion (e.g., affiliative judges preferred affiliative co-workers), especially when ex- pecting to work together and in light of who would be in charge (e.g., low-autono- mous judges preferred dominant supervisors). Use of personality data in team building is discussed.

An interactionist principle of trait activation is proposed, emphasizing situation trait relevance (i.e., opportunity for trait expression) as a moderator of trait–behavior relations and cross-situational consistency (CSC). One hundred fifty-six students completed trait measures and expressed intentions in 10 scenarios targeted to each of five traits (e.g., risk taking). Trait–intention correlations within scenario sets were themselves correlated with mean situation trait relevance ratings provided by 26 proficient judges; CSCs in intentions (45 correlations per trait) were correlated with an index of shared trait relevance in situation pairs. In support of trait activation, (a) trait–intention relations for three traits were higher in more relevant situations (e.g., second-order r = .66 for risk taking) and (b) CSCs were higher in scenarios jointly high in targeted trait relevance (e.g., second-order r = .55 for risk taking). Discussion highlights applications of trait activation in diverse research domains.

In light of repeated prescriptions for theory-driven prediction of job performance (Guion & Gottier, 1965; Tett, Jackson, Rothstein, & Reddon, 1999), the complexity of the manager's role calls for a comprehensive performance taxonomy more detailed than those offered previously. Review of recent discussion of the fidelity-bandwidth tradeoff (e.g., Hogan & Roberts, 1996; Ones & Viswesvaran, 1996) and the need for greater articulation of job performance (Campbell, 1994; Murphy & Shiarella, 1997) raise important issues regarding construct specificity in considering managerial behavior. None of 12 earlier managerial performance taxonomies (e.g., Borman & Brush, 1993; Tornow & Pinto, 1976; Yukl & Lepsinger, 1992) offers adequate specificity for meeting key research challenges. A "hyperdimensional" taxonomy of managerial competencies, derived from the earlier models and developed using unique methods, was subjected to content validation by expert review in 3 studies. In the first 2, a total of 110 Academy of Man...

Standard meta-analysis (Hunter & Schmidt, 1990a) assumes unidirectional (i.e., all positive or all negative) predictor-criterion relations. We challenge this assumption in the context of personality-job performance linkages based on several lines of evi- dence supporting the coexistence of true positive and true negative correlations in- volving the same trait. Subjecting such bidirectional relations to standard meta-analysis will underestimate effect sizes to an unknown degree owing to cancel- lation of positive and negative values. A modification of standard procedures is pro- posed that accounts for the possibility of bidirectionality. It employs successive itera- tion of an initial estimate of the absolute correlation, accounting for sample sizes and the sampling distribution of the correlation.

Research on graphology has provided mixed results regarding its validity in applied settings. Increasing popularity of this method (Edwards & Armitage, 1991) calls for continued evaluation. The current study sought to validate a popular graphoanalysis method proposed by Bunker (1979), which links specific handwriting elements to personality traits. Content-neutral handwriting of 49 college students was analyzed for 30 elements (e.g. length of t-cross) by two trained coders working independently. Participants also completed the Jackson Personality Inventory—Revised (JPI-R; Jackson, 1994), which measures 15 normal personality traits. Inter-rater agreement in handwriting analysis was moderately high (median reliability = 0.80). Both predicted and non-predicted correlations between handwriting elements and JPI-R scales were significant at around chance levels (i.e. 5%). In particular, of the 119 predicted relations, only six (5.0%) were significant in the expected direction and five (4.1%) were significant in the opposite direction. All told, current findings replicate those of previous studies and suggest limited value in hand-writing analysis as a predictive tool.

Intimate partner violence (IPV) has been linked to childhood abuse, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and low emotional intelligence (EI). Relationships among adverse childhood experiences (ACE), PTSD symptoms, and partner aggression (i.e., generalized tendency to aggress toward one’s partner) were assessed in 108 male IPV offenders. It was hypothesized that ACE is positively correlated with partner aggression, PTSD mediates the ACE-aggression relationship, and the ACE-PTSD-aggression mediation varies by selected EI facets. Results indicate that ACE has an indirect effect on partner aggression via PTSD and PTSD mediates the ACE–aggression link when emotional self-regulation is low and when intuition (vs. reason) is high. Trauma-exposed IPV offenders may benefit from comprehensive treatments focusing on PTSD symptoms, emotional control, and reasoning skills to reduce aggression.

The present study was conducted to examine the dimensionality of overt Type A behaviors elicited in a simulated stressful work environment. University students played a managerial role while being subjected to time and work-load pressures, and completed the Survey of Work Styles (SWS; Jackson & Gray, 1989). Eighteen behaviors, coded by two raters based on audiovisual recordings, yielded relatively high interrater reliabilities. Principal components analysis revealed four primary factors: Hurriedness, Irritability, Tension of the Lower Extremities, and Restlessness. These factors contribute to an understanding of Type A behavior in that they are the first to be derived from a purely observational approach rather than a combination of observational and self-report methods. Consistent with previous research, differential correlations between the factors and the SWS subscales supported a multi-dimensional interpretation of the Type A behavior pattern. Present findings are compared to those of previous studies of Type A dimensionality.

Exercises are key components of assessment centers (ACs). However, little is known about the nature and determinants of AC exercise performance. The traditional exercise paradigm primarily emphasizes the need to simulate task, social, and organizational demands in AC exercises. This chapter draws on trait activation theory in proposing a new AC exercise paradigm. First, we develop a theoretical framework that addresses the complexity of situational characteristics of AC exercises as determinants of AC performance. Second, we argue for planting multiple stimuli within exercises as a structured means of eliciting candidate behavior. Third, we show how the new paradigm also has key insights for the rating part of ACs, namely, in selecting dimensions, designing behavioral checklists, screening assessors, and training assessors. Finally, the impact of this new AC exercise paradigm is anticipated on important AC outcomes such as reliability, internal/external construct-related validity, criterion-related validity, assessee perceptions, and feedback effectiveness.

The present study was designed to initiate evaluation of an in-basket measure of managerial participative decision making, examine the organization of participative behaviours, and examine the relations between participative tendency and six personality traits selected from the Personality Research Form (PRF; Jackson, 1986) and the Jackson Personality Inventory (JPI; Jackson, 1976). In-basket responses from 78 Canadian managers were coded for six participative behaviours: (1) delegation, (2) seeking advice, (3) following advice, (4) requesting to meet with an individual, (5) seeking non-advisory information, and (6) asking to be kept informed as to how a problem is developing. Results showed that these behaviours are reliably measured with an in-basket simulation, and supported a unidimensional interpretation of participative tendency as an individual difference variable. As predicted, PRF-cognitive structure was negatively related to participative tendency; but contrary to prediction, both PRF-autonomy and PRF-dominance correlated positively with participative tendency. Interpretations of these findings call for research into the role of authority-threatening situations in moderating the links between PDM and power-based motives. Implications for personnel decision making are discussed.

Evidence for situational specificity of personality-job performance relations calls for better understanding of how personality is expressed as valued work behavior. On the basis of an interactionist principle of trait activation (R. P. Tett & H. A. Guterman, 2000), a model is proposed that distinguishes among 5 situational features relevant to trait expression (job demands, distracters, constraints, releasers, and facilitators), operating at task, social, and organizational levels. Trait-expressive work behavior is distinguished from (valued) job performance in clarifying the conditions favoring personality use in selection efforts. The model frames linkages between situational taxonomies (e.g., J. L. Holland's [1985] RIASEC model) and the Big Five and promotes useful discussion of critical issues, including situational specificity, personality-oriented job analysis, team building, and work motivation.