Recent research in job classification has focused on the appropriate data analysis model for analyzing the similarities and differences among jobs. In the present research, the data analysis model is held constant, and the type of job analysis data is varied to examine the effect on the resulting job classification decisions. Seven foremen jobs in a chemical processing plant were analyzed using three different levels of job analysis data: task-oriented, worker-oriented, and abilities-oriented. All three sets of data were analyzed using the same hierarchical clustering procedure. Results indicated that the number and type of resulting job clusters was clearly dictated by the type of job analysis data that was used to compare the foremen jobs. Practical implications of these findings are presented. THERE are many purposes for which industrial psychologists must determine the extent of similarities and differences among jobs. In designing selection or promotion systems, for example, the researcher must decide which job groups or job families can be combined for use with a single selection system. In wage and salary administration it is important to know which jobs are similar enough to be administered in the same range. In developing performance appraisal systems the personnel specialist is interested in knowing which jobs are similar enough to be combined and evaluated on the same performance evaluation form.There are two distinct decisions for any job classification problem.
The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to b .A I direct judgments of similarity by supervisors and incumbents could provide the same job classification results as a more elaborate job analysis procedure involving measures of task overlap among jobs. To accomplish this, 8 foreman jobs in a chemical processing plant were analyzed and compared on 237 task statements. In addition, 15 foremen incumbents and 17 supervisors evaluated the similarities among the same 8 foremen jobs in a paired comparisons rating task. The task-oriented job analysis required hundreds of manhours to complete; the rating task took 15 minutes. Results using hierarchical cluster analysis and multidimensional scaling analysis revealed that the global judgments and the task-oriented data led to identical conclusions. Also, it was found that incumbent ratings produced the same results as ratings from supervisors. Uses, advantages, and disadvantages of the procedure are outlined.ONE purpose to which job analysis data are commonly put is the classification of jobs into homogeneous groups or clusters. Job classification can be useful for a number of purposes, including combining jobs for test validation, wage and salary administration, and the development of performance appraisal instruments. Current interest in job classification has been spawned by EEO legal concerns where, for example, current government guidelines re-
This paper compares two job classification methods for showing the appropriateness of cognitive tests in settings that were not involved in supplying data for a validity generalization analysis. One approach was an elaborate quantitative procedure that involved a lengthy job inventory and a multivariate item analysis. This approach was shown to be highly successful when applied to the responses from 1179 job inventories collected in 54 petroleum‐petrochemical plants from 30 different companies. The other procedure involved simple job classification judgments by supervisors and incumbents. This latter approach was shown to be as effective, but was much less time consuming and costly. Professional and legal implications of these findings are discussed.
Previous investigations of reading improvement have failed to agree on the relative effectiveness of machine vs. bookcentered training methods. I n this report of gains achieved and retained by 114 scientists and engineers, 42 subjects were trained with the aid of mechanical equipment and 72 by means of a book-centered method. Equated forms of the Diagnostic Reading Tests were used as criteria of success. All participants had gained significantly in rate, comprehension, and index a t the completion of training. However, follow-up eighteen months later clearly showed the superiority of book-centered training. A statistical analysis of pre-, post-, and follow-up scores is presented, as well as correlation of reading gains with other psychometric data.
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