Declarative Knowledge Study Guide

1. Conceptual criterion * A conceptual criterion is a subjective, verbal qualitative statement of what success or the ultimate goal/mission statement of the organization is/looks like. Validity is in the eye of the beholder. The conceptual criterion would be validated by the stakeholders who would most likely be the CEO, Board or Directors and alike. Since conceptual criteria is subjective, not all stakeholders may agree on what success (the conceptual criteria) looks like. 2. Measures of effectiveness * Measures of effectiveness (MOEs) are quantitative outcomes of behavior and are validated against the conceptual criterion by SMEs. MOEs are subjective in that someone has to define them. 3. Measures of performance * Measures of performance are objective behaviors that predict the measures of effectiveness (MOE’s). MOPs are the behaviors of processes that lead to the outcomes and are validated by determining if they predict the MOEs. 4. Criterion deficiency * Criterion deficiency is the degree to which measures used to assess criteria (such as job performance) fail to assess one or more aspects of the criterion domain considered to be part of the conceptual criterion. * For instance, deficiency would exist if a component of the job of secretary is word processing and there is no criterion measure which assesses competency in performing word‐processing tasks. * Thus, increases in deficiency imply decreases in criterion relevance (Borman, 1991). * Examining for deficiency requires that the content validity of the criteria be considered 5. Criterion contamination * Criterion is affected by confounding variable. * Criterion contamination is when the measure of the criterion is measuring something outside of the construct it is intended to measure. * Criterion contamination exists whenever nonperformance factors influence the job performance scores assigned to individuals (Borman, 1991). These nonperformance factors can take the form of a systematic bias such as leniency effects, or can be random, such as measurement error (Muchinsky, 1995; see reliability). Because contamination lowers construct validity, criterion contamination and criterion relevance are inversely related, such that increasing contamination decreases relevance. (1991). * The degree to which we are measuring things that have nothing to do with the mission statement 6. Criterion relevance * The degree to which your measure measures the construct you are trying to measure * Criterion relevance is the extent to which measures that are used to assess job performance overlap with the conceptual criterion (Muchinsky, 1995). The conceptual criterion is an abstract representation of the behaviors, skills, characteristics, and outcomes associated with a job. It has also been called the “ultimate criterion” (Dipboye, Smith, and Howell, 1994; see composite and multiple criteria; criterion problem). For example, a salesperson must perform a series of job tasks, possess certain skills and characteristics, and produce (i.e., outcome) sales. Relevance increases as more of these tasks, skills, and so forth are validly assessed by the criteria. Thus, investigating criterion relevance is tantamount to examining the construct validity of criteria 7. Criterion dimensionality * Criterion dimensionality is an interaction between MOPs in predicting effectiveness in that there may be more than one strategy that leads to the same outcomes, and not all strategies need to be used to achieve the outcome desired. * For example, there are numerous leadership styles, but a leader does not need to exhibit all leadership styles to be effective. They may only exhibit one strategy to be effective, as if you have one, you may not need to exhibit the other strategy. * More than one way to skin the cat;