Premium
Easing the Inferential Leap in Competency Modelling: The Effects of Task‐related Information and Subject Matter Expertise *
Author(s) -
LIEVENS FILIP,
SANCHEZ JUAN I.,
DE CORTE WILFRIED
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
personnel psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 6.076
H-Index - 142
eISSN - 1744-6570
pISSN - 0031-5826
DOI - 10.1111/j.1744-6570.2004.00009.x
Subject(s) - psychology , generalizability theory , inter rater reliability , quality (philosophy) , job analysis , applied psychology , popularity , reliability (semiconductor) , job performance , social psychology , job satisfaction , developmental psychology , philosophy , rating scale , power (physics) , physics , epistemology , quantum mechanics
Despite the rising popularity of the practice of competency modeling, research on competency modeling has lagged behind. This study begins to close this practice–science gap through 3 studies (1 lab study and 2 field studies), which employ generalizability analysis to shed light on (a) the quality of inferences made in competency modeling and (b) the effects of incorporating elements of traditional job analysis into competency modeling to raise the quality of competency inferences. Study 1 showed that competency modeling resulted in poor interrater reliability and poor between‐job discriminant validity amongst inexperienced raters. In contrast, Study 2 suggested that the quality of competency inferences was higher among a variety of job experts in a real organization. Finally, Study 3 showed that blending competency modeling efforts and task‐related information increased both interrater reliability among SMEs and their ability to discriminate among jobs. In general, this set of results highlights that the inferences made in competency modeling should not be taken for granted, and that practitioners can improve competency modeling efforts by incorporating some of the methodological rigor inherent in job analysis.