Choosing How to Choose: Institutional Pressures Affecting the Adoption of Personnel Selection Procedures

Abstract

The gap between science and practice in personnel selection is an ongoing concern of human resource management. This paper takes Oliver's (1991) framework of organizations' strategic responses to institutional pressures as a basis for outlining the diverse economic and social demands that facilitate or inhibit the application of scientifically recommended selection procedures. Faced with a complex network of multiple requirements, practitioners make more diverse choices in response to any of these pressures than has previously been acknowledged in the scientific literature.

Psychological testing for selection purposes: a guide to evidence-based practice for human resource professionals

“…Concerns have been expressed about the growing schism between science and practice, especially in personnel selection (Johns 1993;Kehoe 2000;Nowicki and Rosse 2002;Klehe 2004;Muchinsky 2004;Ryan and Tippins 2004;Anderson 2005;Rynes et al 2007). Some argue that the research -practice gap can be explained by a lack of knowledge about selection practices (Terpstra and Rozell 1997;Ryan and Tippins 2004;Anderson 2005).…”

Relative Importance of False Positives in the Selection Process

“…In spite of all the research available regarding selection methods, organizations often adopt unstandardized, unreliable, invalidated and biased selection methods, when there are much better and well-established alternatives (Klehe, 2004). Evidence-based management (EBM) has emerged as an initiative to promote the use of the best scientific evidence to inform professional practice.…”

“…Researchers typically explain this gap alluding to a lack of knowledge transfer, failure of utility information to convince decision makers and economic or time pressure (Klehe, 2004). For example, some feel the research fails to explain results in practical terms and findings remain hidden in technical jargon .…”

“…Klehe (2004) believes these are simple explanations to a complex problem, and do not take into account the complexity of the diverse pressures organizations face regarding selection procedures. The basic issue remains, that is to understand why or how organizations choose their selection strategy and what influences their decisions.…”

“…The basic issue remains, that is to understand why or how organizations choose their selection strategy and what influences their decisions. Klehe (2004) proposed that an organization's objective of achieving economic and social fitness influences their choice of selection procedures. Economic fitness involves long-term economic considerations (gains from having valid selection procedures) and short term economic fitness (having cost-efficient solutions to fill urgently needed positions, thus avoiding loss in production).…”