Cline, A J (2014) Correlations between construction superintendents' personality characteristics and job performance. PhD thesis, Walden University, USA.
Abstract
The construction industry has struggled to recruit, hire, and retain construction superintendents, yet little research exists on improving the hiring of construction superintendents. Previous research in other industries has described novel pre-employment personality assessments, to ensure that hiring decisions are made based on goodness-of-fit between the job and applicant. These approaches are consistent with Holland's typological model of person-organization fit. However, there is a gap in the literature about personality traits that best predict construction superintendents' performance. Forty-five construction superintendents completed the 16PF Questionnaire and their respective managers evaluated their performance in 4 areas: knowledge, effectiveness, style, and a composite of the three. Correlational analyses of personality factors (leadership, communication, decision making, initiative and personal adjustment) in relation to superintendents' job performance were nonsignificant, nor were any personality factors found to be significant predictors of superintendents' job performance. A second regression analysis based on an extended data set (N = 90) increased power and effect size, and yielded a significant relationship between 4 personality factors (leadership, initiative, communication, and personal adjustment) and job performance ratings (knowledge, style and overall job performance). The study supports the use of the 16PF in selection to identify personality factors that predict the performance of superintendents. This study contributes to social change by providing a research-based hiring practices model for I-O professionals for using personality assessment in hiring decisions, performance evaluations, and employee retention.
| Item Type: | Thesis (Doctoral) |
|---|---|
| Thesis advisor: | Manzi, P |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | communication; decision making; employee; employment; leadership; regression analysis |
| Index terms: | hiring practice, manager, performance evaluation, questionnaire, decision-making, personality, employment, retention, composite, regression analysis, construction industry, effectiveness |
| Subjects: | data collection methods, industry analysis, statistical analysis, decision analysis, management, performance measurement, performance management, materials science, practitioner, behavioral psychology |
| Topics: | Risk Management, Quality Management, Roles and Professions, Construction Materials, Research Practice, Organizational Design, Human Resources |
| Descriptive scope: | 4 PCTA |
N.B. Descriptive scope is a count of how many of the five facets of empirical research are indicated by the words used in title, abstract and keywords. It is not intended as a judgement on the research; merely a count of the kind of word we would expect to indicate Phenomenon, Concepts, Theoretical framing, Empirical techniques, Analytical techniques. If all five are present, then a code of “5 PCTEA” will indicate this. If you feel the coding for this record is questionable, we welcome discussion around the terms we matched or the way we categorized them. The facet you would expect may not be coded, or a facet may be coded inappropriately. This can also bear on a larger question, of which facets should be treated as defining in construction management research. Please get in touch, and we will look at it. More details here