Psychometric Tests and Performance at Work

What is leadership?

A leader is often defined as ‘person who is appointed, elected, or informally chosen to direct and co-ordinate the work of others in a group’ (Fielder, 1995), and leadership is usually defined as the ‘ability to influence others toward the achievement of goals that contribute to a worthwhile purpose’ (Cacioppe, 2000).

There are several theories which have been applied to explain leadership, such as behavioral, personality, situational and transformational theories. According the behavioral approach, there are several behaviors which can be attributed to be an effective and ineffective leader and leadership style usually emphasizes on certain things such as concern for a task, participative leadership, concern for people and directive leadership. Behavioral approaches focus on task and people. The personality theories emphasize on the traits of leaders and states that there are six main personality traits which leader have. These are drive, motivation, honesty and integrity, self-confidence, cognitive ability (analytical skills) and knowledge of the business. These traits are a part of being an effective leader, as leaders must also possess specific skills, have the ability to create a vision and implement strategies.

Transformational leadership theory states that a leader is someone who is able to inspire the people they are leading and provide intellectual stimulation. Transformational leadership is defined as when “one or more persons engage with others in such a way that leaders and followers raise one another to higher levels of motivation and morality” (Burns, 1978).

All these theories have provided an explanation as to what leadership is and can be applied to any situation and all these theories link in with each other. For example, if an individual carries through on promises, has the confidence to withstand pressure from others, is able to motivate others, and is able to create the proper structure to lead, then they possess the qualities needed in a leader.   Effective tools that can be used in organisations to assess, select and develop excellent leaders include the Saville Consulting Wave, the Identity Self-Preception Questionnaire and the Apollo Profile.  Additionally, Assessment and Development Centre exercises which include leadship simulations or role plays are also highly valid tools. 

References:

Burns, JM., (1978) Leadership: power and purpose, Harper Torchbooks, Harper &Row, New York, United States of America, p 9-46.

Cacioppe, R., (2000) Creating spirit at work: re-visioning organization development and leadership (part 2). Leadership and Organization Development Journal, 21 (2), p 110-119

Fiedler, FE., (1995) Cognitive resources and leadership performance. International Association of Applied Psychology, 44 (1), p 5-28

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Giving work to the disadvantaged and people with disabilities - an NGO perspective - 2nd December 2008
Rex Chan, Founder, Flowwerks Foundation
Rex Chan from Flowwerk Foundation will present a webinar to demonstrate the work that his NGO is involved in around Asia.  Whilst based in Hong Kong, Rex has big plans to launch his concept across Asia and even further afield.
The disadvantaged and people with disabilities are often ignored as being difficult to accommodate in organisations.  Flowwerk has found ways in which this valuable workforce can apply their skills either in organisations or at the Flowwerks base which is especially equipped with everything to ensure that a good job is done.
Outline of webinar:
-Highlights of upcoming projects to bring disadvantaged youths into the Knowledge-based economy
-Using the internet to level the playing field for People with disabilities
-CSR practice with direct impact on job creation
-How you as an HR professional can help the disadvantaged

Selection and behavioral interviewing  - 9th December 2008
Komal Hiranandani, Intern Psychologist, PsyAsia International & University of Adelaide
Aims and objectives
The selection and interviewing seminar will provide individuals with an overview of interview styles. An outline of the selection methods, types of tests and basic testing guidelines will be covered. The common mistakes and misconceptions within the interviewing process and the basic guidelines for conducting an interview will be reviewed.  By the end of the seminar individuals will have a better knowledge about the interview and selection process and how it can be applied in real world settings.
Outline of webinar:
-Purpose of interviews
-Selection methods
-Guidelines for testing
-Types of tests
-Interviewing styles
-Common mistakes of interviewing
-How to conduct an interview

Employee motivation – 16th December 2008
Komal Hiranandani, Intern Psychologist, PsyAsia International & University of Adelaide
Aims and objectives:
Employees are motivated by several factors which have to be considered when evaluating performance, as motivation can affect productivity and the way employees work. The employee motivation webinar will aim to provide individuals with an understanding of the basic theories of motivation and how they can be applied to the world of work. An introduction to the topic will be beneficial for anyone working in a business environment as understanding motivation concepts might explain why certain individuals perform better than others when placed in the same environment. 
Outline of webinar:  
-Definition of motivation
-Factors involved affecting motivation
-Theories of motivation
-Application to the environment

Introduction to job analysis  – 13th January 2009
Komal Hiranandani, Intern Psychologist, PsyAsia International & University of Adelaide
Aims an objectives:
Job analysis involves factors which directly relate to the world in which we work.  A job analysis defines the requirements of a particular job such as the duties and responsibilities involved. The webinar will provide individuals with understanding the process of designing a job analysis and the crucial role it plays within an organization.  The main objective is to present an overview of the steps involved in the job analysis process and present the importance of recognizing the value of identifying relevant skills and competencies necessary for jobs.
Outline of webinar:
-Definition of a job analysis
-What is the purpose of job analysis?
-Job analysis techniques
-How to write a job analysis
-Examples
-Implications to the organization and employee

All webinars run during the China, Singapore, Hong Kong lunch hour - that is, 12.30pm to 1.30pm.

To register for the FREE webinars, please go to: http://psyasia.com/hr_seminars.htm

Please note that we need to approve your registration.  PsyAsia welcomes all genuine HR professionals and anybody aligned to this industry. We will not approve fake registrations, ie those containing bogus information in the registration form or those supplying free rather than corporate email addresses. Thank you for your understanding.

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What are some reasons for change in the work place, and why do people resist them?

Changes in organizations can be due to several factors. Changes in technology, tasks/jobs, culture, people, policies/procedures, products or services and organizational culture are factors which affect change.

People can often resist change due to their habits, as they might be used to a certain way of doing things and might be worried about what they think might happen. They might also have a certain sense of security and have a level of comfort, which they do not want to lose. Economic factors can also contribute to individuals being resistant towards change as it affects the ‘fear of the unknown.’

Organizations can resist change also due to the fear of the unknown and if the change is negative then the organization could feel threatened. A threat to expertise and established power relationships could resist change. Organizations that have a limited focus on change and are comfortable with their current situation will also resist change. The main reasons as to why people are not willing to have a new style of work are due to fear, loss, uncertainty, misunderstanding or disagreement. 

Several steps can be taken to overcome resistance to change. Involving people in the process of change and increasing participation has been shown to reduce anxiety, fear and uncertainty. Participation will improve understanding of the details of change and people will feel more committed towards the new working style if they are involved in the decision making process. Providing support, facilitating, educating and communicating effectively about adjustment to individuals in organizations will reduce resistance towards change.  Furthermore, for organisations where change is a necessary part of the culture or experience, it is wise to select and retain individuals who show an openness to and comfort with change.  This can be assessed during the selection phase by way of personality questionnaires such as the Saville Wave or the Identity Self Perception Questionnaire.

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Difference between redundancy and retrenchment

Redundancy at work occurs when an employer no longer requires a job to be done. When an employee’s needs are not required at a job, an employee becomes redundant. Retrenchment at work occurs when an employee’s employment is terminated through no fault of his/her own.

Redundancy and retrenchment can occur due to several reasons. It could be due to an organization’s decision to restructure the company. Relocation of businesses, mergers or takeovers might result in jobs being lost. Technological change, a lack of demand for products or services might be another reason. Several changes such as the structure of the markets (tariffs or exchange rates) can also affect redundancy and retrenchment.

Selecting employees for retrenchment

Employees are selected for retrenchment based on several factors. Commonly, employees are selected based upon their length of service with the organization, their future potential or their performance.  The length of service with the organization usually refers to the statement ‘last in, first out’ (LIFO).  The LIFO selection method for retrenchment aims to protect employees who have been with the company for longer time. This method might seem fair to the employee who has served a longer time, however, it may not be in the best interests of the company.  

Another approach is ‘first on, first off,’ which aims to create opportunities by removing older employees.  This might be problematic as the level of experience might be reduced and loyalty towards a company will be undermined.

Employees could also be chosen based upon their job performance. This method aims at removing poorly performing employees first. This would also be based upon the performance appraisal system of the organization. Organizations using this system will have to provide employees with feedback and opportunities for improvement to ensure fairness.

Evaluating the future potential of employees and retrenching those with least potential first is a method used by companies.  This method relies on performance reviews and similar to job performance, it requires procedural fairness.

Retrenchment can also be voluntary, whereby employees who want to be made redundant are provided with the opportunity to do so.   Voluntary redundancy can also occur when an employee is offered financial incentives to leave a job. This method of managing layoffs encourages employees for redundancy.  However, this might result in best employees (individuals the company wants to keep) leaving.

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