Daniel Martin

Purpose–The purpose of this paper is to introduce practitioners to the appropriate use of measures of unethical behaviour, evaluate the use of integrity-related assessments for use in personnel selection, and determine the validity of the moral competency index (MCI) instrument using standard validation procedures. Design/methodology/approach–Content, construct, convergent and discriminant approaches are applied to establish the relative validity of the assessment tool.

“Comparable Worth” represents the concept that men, women, minorities, and whites should receive equal pay for work of equal value from their employer. Much research and many articles have been written in regards to overall pay inequities between men and women; however information regarding internal compensation strategies and perceived labor pools (percentage of minority applicants) has not been explored in depth.

Abstract: We developed two tacit driving knowledge scales to investigate whether safer drivers can more accurately assess risks associated with a variety of driving conditions including road hazards and the driver's internal or emotional state. The tests were administered with a battery of conventional cognitive tests, personality instruments and situational variables chosen to predict accident involvement. The correlations between the tacit driving knowledge measures and the accident criteria ranged up to. 22 (p<.

Individual differences have been shown to impact whistle blowing (Miceli & Near, 1988; Mesmer-Magnus & Viswesvaran, 2005; Brinker, Dozier & Miceli, 1985). This study empirically examines previously unexplored effects on whistle blowing of a specific set of individual differences variables. These variables are religiosity, spirituality, integrity, and preference for social hierarchies. In addition, in that contextual variables can be expected to modify the impact of individual differences, we test the effects of our target independent variables in alternate organizational contexts (both academic and accounting). Analyses found weak positive relationships between whistle blowing and spirituality in an accounting scenario, with no relationship existing between religiosity and likelihood of whistle blowing in academic setting. Stronger positive relationships emerged between integrity and whistle blowing in both scenarios, with preference for maintenance of social hierarchies having a positive relationship with the accounting scenario being established. Considerations for future research and applications are offered.

Teaching MBA research methodology classes can be a challenge. Students lack previous exposure to research methodology and statistics, and do not recognize growing labor needs for knowledge workers that the courses offer. Given industry demand for students prepared for high complexity positions and the growing demand for business professors to produce high-quality research, this article presents the results of a project-based pedagogy for graduate MBA research methods course that has been used to meet four goals; 1) provide high-quality instruction of research methods and statistics, 2) production of high-quality academic publications that provide options for students and professors to present the research for professional conferences and publication, 3) offering students the ability to answer intrinsically relevant (and interesting) research questions, and 4) giving students the required software to execute future research projects.

Five knowledge tests and one implicit-reasoning task were developed to be: (1) exceptionally short, (2) correlated with general cognitive aptitude, (3) unobtrusive, i.e., appear similar to attitudinal survey items as opposed to maximal performance measures, and (4) without formally "correct" 23 answers. The intent was to design scales that could be administered in non-proctored environments to directly measure general cognitive aptitude while avoiding the possibility that participants could use references to provide "good"' answers. The five knowledge tests used a Likert format to assess knowledge in verbal and practical domains, and were scored by computing distances between examinee and reference ratings. The implicit-reasoning task appeared to be a series completion "game"' that required a dichotomous response. The scales were administered to 288 Air Force recruits and were validated against the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB). Individual unobtrusive knowledge scales and ASVAB tests were substantially correlated with sample correlations ranging to .39 and population correlation estimates to .66 after correcting for range restriction. Two sets of factor scores, which were separately derived from the unobtrusive test battery and the ASVAB, were highly correlated in our sample, .54, yielding a population correlation of .80 after correcting for range restriction. This technology is important because few paper- or Internet-based surveys, and virtually no mail-based surveys accurately measure general cognitive aptitude, while many of these surveys address important social issues and commercial questions that could be better understood given an unobtrusive but accurate estimate of general cognitive aptitude.

In 1987, data were collected on 2,731 young men and their parents as part of the Army Communications Objectives Measurement System (ACOMS) survey to understand factors associated with military enlistment and to evaluate military advertising. The ACOMS data are unique because parents and children are linked, which allows researchers to analyze the influence of parental attitudes and behaviors on the enlistment decision independently of youth reports of their parents’ attitudes. Results indicate that the youths’ perceptions of parental attitudes toward the military and reported parental attitudes correlate at a low level (.14 to .22) showing that youth perceptions of parental attitudes cannot function as a proxy for actual parental attitudes. This may reflect a failure of parents to communicate clearly their attitudes or a failure of children to interpret them accurately. Results also indicate that (a) youth perceptions of parental attitudes predict stated enlistment propensity, which predicts military enlistment, and (b) reported parental attitudes predict military enlistment independently of youth-stated enlistment propensity. The analyses suggest that military enlistment might be enhanced through (a) fostering youth perceptions that competent parents have positive views of the military, (b) fostering positive parental attitudes by educating parents about military benefits and lifestyle, (c) using reports of positive parental attitudes as an indicator of their child’s positive military enlistment propensity, and (d) actively involving parents in the enlistment process.

"Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to validate the unobtrusive knowledge test (UKT) in a minority population, and examine its potential for limiting stereotype threat.

Design/methodology/approach – Study One: (convergent validity): UKT and Wonderlic Personnel Test (WPT) scores were correlated for 131 students. Study Two: (stereotype threat) 202 minority students were placed into one of four groups based on whether or not they were given instructions to elicit stereotype threat, and whether they took the Excellence scale of the UKT or the WPT.

Findings – Correlations provided evidence of convergent validity between the Excellence subscale of the UKT and the WPT. The stereotype threat study was inconclusive, with no differences being seen in the threat/non-threat conditions for the WPT, and higher scores in the threat condition than the non-threat condition for the UKT.

Research limitations/implications – Unreliability of some scales and low correlations of others with the WPT, lessened the overall UKT's convergent validity.

Practical implications – The need to develop measures of intelligence not subject to adverse impact is clear, and the results of the current research provide justification for further research establishing the properties of the UKT as a selection tool.

Originality/value – This paper offers new evidence of the usefulness of the UKT as a measure of cognitive ability for minority populations, and raises questions about the impact of stereotype threat on the UKT test."

While employers recognize the utility, convenience, and efficiency of unproctored testing, implementing unproctored high-stakes tests (such as an Internet-administered intelligence test used for selection) face multiple hurdles. As the percentage of high-complexity jobs continue to increase in the United States, intelligence measures will continue to be in demand for personnel selection purposes. This study further established the validity of a general intelligence measure, the Unobtrusive Knowledge Test (UKT) in support of unproctored and Internet-based personnel employee selection. UKT performance was significantly correlated to an established personnel selection test, the Wonderlic Personnel Test (WPT), while being perceived as survey, though participants had been told otherwise. Implications are discussed.

Plagiarism is increasingly evident in business and academia. While links between demographic, personality, and situational factors have been found, previous research has not used actual plagiarism behavior as a criterion variable. Previous research on academic dishonesty has consistently used to self-report measures to establish prevalence of dishonest behavior. In this study we use actual plagiarism behavior to establish its prevalence, as well as relationships between integrity-related personal selection and workplace deviance measures. This research covers new ground in two respects: 1) That the academic dishonesty literature is subject to revision using criterion variables to avoid self bias and social desirability issues, 2) We establish the relationship between actual academic dishonesty and potential workplace deviance/white collar crime.

This criterion study examined the impact of the cultural dimensions of individualism and collectivism on actual plagiarism in working business students. Given globalization of business and recent business scandals, furthering our understanding of international ethics remains critical. Business students are the potential employees, managers and leaders of organizations in the future. In this study we focus on one form of unethical conduct by business students, i.e. actual plagiarism, and seek to determine the link between this behavior and cultural values of individualism/collectivism and associated stereotypes of Asian/Caucasian students. Our findings suggest that individualists plagiarize more than collectivists, and that no significant differences in plagiarism exist between Asian and Caucasian students, contrary to popular beliefs. The implications of these findings for scholars and managers are discussed.

"This study examined the effect of ethnocentrism, acculturation, prescriptive (the subjects ideal view of justice) versus descriptive justice (the subjects perception of justice as it actually occurs) on perceived justice in white-collar crime. Also investigated was the impact of situational outcomes (related or not), and good or bad outcomes on the perceived justness of the situation. Main effects partially support the hypotheses that: 1) ethnocentrism impacts perceived justice in office crime situations, 2) subject acculturation impacts the perceived justness the character, and 3) the outcome of a crime incident impacts the perceived justness of the situation.

The effects of ethnocentrism, various outcomes, and acculturation provide an insight into the complex process of perceived justice. The findings in this study do not clearly support the findings of Starr, Sloan, and Kudrick (1997) or the findings of Lee, Pepitone, and Albright (1997) but tentatively substantiated some of the hypotheses presented. Although the findings may have supported the operation of non-chance factors, this is unclear. The manipulations did seem to work (at least modestly), but the subjects in this study did not seem to respond clearly to the stimulus materials as expected."

Five knowledge tests and one implicit-reasoning task were developed to be: (1) exceptionally short, (2) correlated with general cognitive aptitude, (3) unobtrusive, i.e., appear similar to attitudinal survey items as opposed to maximal performance measures, and (4) without formally "correct" 23 answers. The intent was to design scales that could be administered in non-proctored environments to directly measure general cognitive aptitude while avoiding the possibility that participants could use references to provide "good"' answers. The five knowledge tests used a Likert format to assess knowledge in verbal and practical domains, and were scored by computing distances between examinee and reference ratings. The implicit-reasoning task appeared to be a series completion "game"' that required a dichotomous response. The scales were administered to 288 Air Force recruits and were validated against the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB). Individual unobtrusive knowledge scales and ASVAB tests were substantially correlated with sample correlations ranging to .39 and population correlation estimates to .66 after correcting for range restriction. Two sets of factor scores, which were separately derived from the unobtrusive test battery and the ASVAB, were highly correlated in our sample, .54, yielding a population correlation of .80 after correcting for range restriction. This technology is important because few paper- or Internet-based surveys, and virtually no mail-based surveys accurately measure general cognitive aptitude, while many of these surveys address important social issues and commercial questions that could be better understood given an unobtrusive but accurate estimate of general cognitive aptitude.

"Purpose – Research regarding pay inequities between the sexes is well established; however, internal compensation strategies and perceived labor pools (percentage of gender/minority applicants) have not been explored in depth. This paper aims to address this issue.

Design/Methodology/Approach – A total of 381 business students and 101 compensation specialists/managers participated in two experimental studies to establish the impact of perceived labor pools’ ethnicity and gender on compensable factor weighting.

Findings – Results supported hypotheses that significant discriminatory weighting of compensable factors would be established by the perceived ethnicity of the labor pool, the perceived gender of the labor pool, and participant gender.

Research Limitations/Implications – A limitation of study one could be the population (business students) who may reflect a lack of knowledge of and/or a potential lack of interest in strategic compensation. Many of the students are likely to have had work experience but their exposure to compensation concepts was potentially limited. Accordingly, study two was conducted with experienced compensation specialists/managers in a real-world setting. While study two was methodologically stronger, evaluators were from an area with high proportions of technology occupations where compensation specialists may be more familiar with external compensation surveys due to rapid changes in jobs.

Practical Implications – The ramifications of potential discrimination at the compensable factors weighting stage of defining compensation internal alignment are tremendous. The implications for pay structure, perceived fairness, and motivation can have an immense impact on overall organizational productivity and success. Internal equity discrimination can also have ramifications for vast litigation (the author was consulted by the EEOC in the use of the research for the purposes of class action lawsuits).

Social Implications – As business students generally aspire to become members of the managerial cadre, the dangers of potential explicit or implicit bias in the weighting of compensable factors (and their interactions) can reduce the efficiency of the compensation plan, hamper motivation of those hired to work within its structure, and potentially set the stage for class action litigation. Accordingly, those tasked with teaching job evaluation (be they business professors, consultants, or human resources managers) need to address issues of social bias and encourage the committee to challenge the biases of which they may or may not be aware.

Originality/Value – After a groundswell of interest in comparable worth and sex-related errors in job evaluation in the mid-1980s, research failed to establish perceived incumbent, applicant, and labor pool ethnicity and ethnocentrism on internal compensation structuring. This study builds on past research by establishing the impact of ethnocentrism on internal compensation structuring in point factor job evaluation, extending workplace ethnocentrism theory by applying it to Title VII in implementation, data collection and interpretation of job evaluation and, most importantly, establishing the impact of perceived labor pools’ demographics (and subsequent proportions of racial/ethnic group members associated) on differential compensatory factors weighting."

Researchers have rarely examined stressful environments and psychological characteristics as predictors of driving behavior in the same study. The authors hypothesized that (a) safer drivers more accurately assess physical and emotional traffic hazards and (b) stress and emotional states elevate crash risk. The hypotheses were evaluated with procedural and declarative tacit driving knowledge tests requiring assessment of emotional and contextual hazards and with accident reports describing crash antecedents, including stressful events and environmental conditions. Analyses identified separate driving knowledge factors corresponding to emotional and contextual hazards that were significantly related to the crash criteria. Accident report analyses show that stress significantly elevates at-fault crash risk. The results demonstrate the importance of experiential knowledge acquired without instruction (procedural or tacit knowledge) and provide safety recommendations.

This study explored the use of influence techniques upon introduction of individuals to a conversional religion (The Church of Scientology). The researcher used the Participatory Research paradigm to investigate four aspects of influence (liking, social proof, authority and reciprocation, Cialdini, 1994) in an overriding Elaboration Likelihood Model (Petty, R., Cacioppo, J., 1986) framework. Findings supported hypothesis of use of influence techniques for the financial benefit of the organization. The implications of these findings for the future studies of influence were discussed.

Ethics have received increased attention from the media and academia in recent years. Most reports suggest that one form of unethical conduct – plagiarism – is on the rise in the business schools. Stereotypes of Asian students as being more prone to plagiarize are frequently found in the literature, though not concretely substantiated. This study used a behavioral criterion to examine the relationships among ethnicity, acculturation, and plagiarism in a sample of 158 undergraduate and graduate students. Significant differences in plagiarism behavior were found based on level of student acculturation, but not ethnicity. Considerations and implications for training and managing international students and workers are discussed.

"Purpose: Our research fulfills three purposes: 1) introduce practitioners to the appropriate use of measures of unethical behavior; 2) evaluate the use of integrity related assessments for use in personnel selection; and 3) determine the validity of the MCI instrument using standard validation procedures.

Methodology: Content, construct, convergent and discriminant approaches are applied to establish the relative validity of the assessment tool.

Findings: The results of the MCI purport to align with one’s moral values and behaviors. We establish face validity of the MCI measure, but fail to establish: 1) an appropriate simple factor structure, 2) convergent validity, 3) discriminant validity, and 4) support for the lack of impact of demographic factors on the purported measure of Moral intelligence.

Research limitations: An acceptable but constrained (working students) sample was used in the validation.

Practical implications: Researchers and practitioners should be familiar with psychometric principles to ensure the use of valid tools in a predictive and defensible manner. New measures can be developed, but should be validated before used for developmental or personnel decision making purposes.

Originality/value: 1) The lack of validity associated with the MCI instrument is established; 2) Researchers and practitioners are exposed to considerations in the appropriate use of measures of unethical behavior, and 3) exposed to several previously validated integrity related assessments for use in personnel decision making."

Spirituality provides descriptions that represent relevant psychological phenomena which can be discretely measured. Because of the requirements of the 1978 Federal Uniform Guidelines, the relationship between spirituality and job-related traits and characteristics need to be well understood in the event they are used for decisions affecting personnel . The merit of any metric associated with performance must be established through a validity study (Uniform Guidelines, Sec. 60-3.2 Scope. B, 2000). Accordingly, we consider the construct validity of the aforementioned measures in the context of the uniform guidelines. As hypothesized, religiosity and spirituality instruments are independent of measures commonly used for personnel selection purposes or measures of workplace deviance. We also establish the impact of gender on the measures and provide implications for recruitment and selection.

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