Mgmt631-Case Study 3.1

Case Study 3.1 Personality Testing

David Redden

MGMT-631- Management and Organizational Theory

9/3/2013

Professor Michael C. Dittamo

Personality testing: Yes or No?

1. Is Mark making a good decision to drop the use of personality testing? Why?

Since the use of personality testing is relatively inexpensive, I do not feel that Mark is making a good decision to completely drop the use of personality testing. I believe he could still conduct the testing in the interview process and use wise judgment in all decision factors in hiring. If Mark were to solely base his decision on hiring someone based on the personality testing, then he would not be making a good decision. One could argue in favor of Mark making a good decision in that he sought out other opinions. Both opinions he sought out had reasons for not using the testing.

2. The better-quality personality tests are difficult to fake. Other than attempting to land the job, why would a job candidate fake a personality test?

Attempting to land the job would be the main reason a job candidate would fake a personality test. Even subconscious decisions to fake or cheat on a personality test derive from the test taker trying to impress the employer giving the test or hiding something they do not want the employer to know. An article I read sums this up very well, “Social desirability refers to the tendency of test-takers to provide answers they believe will be acceptable within the social norms of the test-giver” (Connolly, 2013).

3. Could personality testing be used for management decisions other than hiring? Explain.

I know this one firsthand as my own employer uses this testing to assist with creating teams for various projects within the organization. These tests can also assist management with evaluations and coaching current employees. Performance reviews are another avenue that personality tests could be utilized other than in the hiring process. Another article I read online...