The increasing emphasis on teamwork in organizations has prompted human resource managers to explore new ways to identify employees who are team players, problem solvers, and decisionmakers (Kirksey & Zawacki, 1994). Deciding whom to recruit from the applicant pool or whom to promote to management from the rank-and-file is often a difficult task. A candidate may have an impressive academic and work experience record, but that does not guarantee that the individual will be successful in the new position. Companies are recognizing the need to assess potential for job success.
This assessment applies not only to recruiting and promoting employees for management positions but also to selecting administrative support personnel--administrative assistants, executive assistants, or office systems specialists. Traditionally, organizations have used various types of written tests to identify the "right" employee or manager. However, Scherer (1990) noted that tests have not really proved to be worthwhile. For example, "Batteries of tests cannot assess the way an individual works with people . .
. . "(p. 33).Schmitt, Gooding, Noe, and Kirsh (1984) compared various personnel selection methods, such as aptitude, personality, and intelligence tests; biographical inventories; work samples; supervisor or peer evaluation; and assessment centres. The results showed that assessment centres have a high criterion validity and are better predictors of job performance than the other methods.
Many businesses are using the assessment centre approach. According to Frank, Bracken, and Struth (1988), "Assessment centres are alive and well in American industry.They have withstood the scrutiny of practitioners and researchers alike for more than 30 years" (p. 65). Also, Lowry (1994) noted, "One of the fastest growing selection methods in use today is assessment centre" (p. 383).
Business educators, therefore, in order to produce grad-nates who meet the needs of businesses, should also consider the assessment centre technique in evaluating administrative and teamwork skills. The Assessment Centre Technique The assessment centre technique is a comprehensive evaluation of an individual for job placement or promotion.It uses a variety of activities (including case studies, simulations, interviews, role plays, and games) to evaluate critical behaviours related to success on the job. The technique involves giving students typical situations that they are likely to encounter on the job, observing how they handle the situations, and evaluating their administrative capabilities.
From the assessment centre report, the instructor will know each student's strengths and weaknesses, and thus will be able to develop appropriate remedial and supplemental activities. Advantages and Disadvantages With Respect to Military and Police OfficersAssessment centres possess several advantages over the traditional method that involves the conduction of written tests and interviews for the selection of military and police officers (Cascio 1987). The biggest advantage is that the candidates are assessed on the basis of applications related to their jobs. They are given tests that involve practical that are related to the situations that they may face when they come to their profession (Ash et al 1990). Assessment centres are also considered preferred method for the selection because the ability of candidates to socialize can be easily measured which is not possible with a written test.This type of test also provides information about the mental fitness of the candidates.
Several situational tests are performed in the assessment centres so the individual characteristics of candidates can be measured in a particular situation in a very short time (Borman 1982). Several exercises are performed in which the ability of candidates to cope in stressing situations is measured. It is very important for military personnel and police officers because they have to work under situations that may involve serious levels of stress (Coleman 1987). Weaknesses of candidates are also highlighted with this exercise.
This information can help the training instructors to deal individual candidates with their particular strengths and weaknesses (Bradley ; Pursley 1987). There are several advantages of assessment centres in the legal area. Fair and more objective decisions are made for hiring law enforcement officers with the help of assessment centres. This is very important development in this arena because the selection of law enforcement officers has been greatly influenced by political images (Burbeck ; Furnham 1985). With Respect To Business Educators The main disadvantage of the assessment centre method is that it is time consuming.If not carefully planned, it could take 2 to 3 days to complete the evaluation of an average class.
Business educators must also design activities that can be completed within the class period. The biggest advantage of assessment centres is that they provide business educators with a credible method of deciding whether students have the skills necessary to be administrative assistants. At a time when some schools are guaranteeing the quality of their graduates, and some parents and students are suing schools for poor quality education, business educators must ensure that they are using evaluation techniques that are credible and fair.Experience has shown that it is almost impossible to measure initiative, responsibility, leadership, and flexibility with paper-and-pencil tests. Assessment centres have also been found to be more successful than aptitude tests in predicting performance (Rea, Rea, ; Moo-maw, 1990).
Research evidence indicates that the assessment centre technique has been effective in predicting managerial success regardless of educational level, race, or gender (Schneider ; Wallich, 1990). Assessment centres bring realism into the classroom.Students are placed in a simulated organizational setting and given a series of hypothetical problems that they are likely to face on the job. Through these exercises, students can develop skills in prioritizing, problem solving, and decision making. Assessment centres also present another opportunity to build business and education partnerships.
Business personnel and educators work together in identifying the major duties and responsibilities of the job, in reviewing and revising the administrative support systems curriculum, and in evaluating and counselling students.As evaluators, the practicing administrative assistants can provide feedback to help the administrative support systems program produce quality graduates. Current Use of the Assessment Centre Method The assessment centre method was borrowed from management science and has been used in business and industry for many years to identify supervisory personnel, to select sales representatives, and to select college students for management trainee positions. According to Brown (1992), "Hundreds of corporations, including AT&T, IBM, and General Electric currently use assessment centres and others are pursuing the idea" (p.
5).School districts also use the technique to identify candidates for administrative positions. For example, the Victor Valley Union High School district in California used it to select its superintendent (Brown, 1992). Texas A;M University and the University of Maine have used assessment centres as part of their administrator preparation programs (Wendel ; Joekel, 1991).
The National Association of Secondary School Principals, through its assessment centre projects, used the technique for selecting and developing highly skilled principals (Schneider ; Wallich, 1990).At Alverno College in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the assessment centre technique has been used to evaluate students in the teacher education program. In Pennsylvania, teacher education institutions have also used it in their pre-teacher-assessment and teacher preparation programs (Wendel ; Joekel, 1991). Baldwin-Wallace College in Berea, Ohio, has used assessment centres to help students develop management and career planning skills (Rea, Rea, ; Moomaw, 1990). Though the use of assessment centres has not been widespread in education, and particularly in business education, parts of the method have been used for many years.For example, business educators have always used case studies, role plays, and in-basket exercises to bring realism to the classroom, but have not packaged them into a comprehensive assessment program (Wendel ; Joekel, 1991).
Conclusion Assessment centres appear to be very useful tool in the selection of military personnel, police officers and business educators. There are more advantages as compared to their disadvantages. There have been some validity studies that have shown some negative information about the assessment centres but no matter, it can be said that the assessment centres are a very useful tool for the selection.
