Continuities and Changes in the Review of Religious Research

From its origins in 1959, the Review of Religious Research is assessed as a vehicle for communicating the ideals of the leaders of the Religious Research Fellowship, who transformed that group into the Religious Research Association in the same year. After raising some historical questions and treating methodological issues, the article focuses on the Review's editors, authors, contents, and its role in promoting the putative “applied mission” of the RRA.     

A Field Experiment Comparing Anchored and Unanchored Criteria Weights in the Analytic Hierarchy Process

This study reports the results of a field experiment comparing the predictive validity of two approaches to multicriteria assessments: the absolute measurement mode of AHP and the absolute measurement mode of linking pin AHP. The questioning procedures of the two differ only in that the former employs unanchored criteria weight assessments and the latter anchored criteria weight assessments. The decision task required insurance agents to respond to a mailed questionnaire in which they evaluated non-monetary incentives (contests) according to (1) the public recognition received from winning, (2) the criteria for winning and (3) the nature of the reward. There were four levels for each dimension. A between subjects design was used, with each subject receiving one of the two methods. In addition, all subjects divided 100 points among four contests and these hold-out assignments were employed as a validity check. Linking pin AHP was found to be superior to conventional AHP in this experiment, lending weight to the argument that the use of unanchored criteria weights is problematic. © 1997 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. J. Multi-Crit. Decis. Anal. 6 : 140–149 (1997) No. of Figures: 3. No. of Tables: 5. No. of References: 24.     

INFLUENCE OF ASSESSMENT CENTER METHODS ON ASSESSORS'RATINGS

Recently a number of authors have argued persuasively that performance ratings are influenced to a large extent by the way the rater selects, organizes, stores, and recalls information. Although the influence of the rater's cognitive processes on the obtained ratings has been considered in the job-performance evaluation literature, this issue has not been considered in the assessment center literature. The purpose of the present study was to examine how assessment center methods affect the way assessors organize and process assessment center information and affect the ratings they make. Independent groups of assessors underwent one of two methods for evaluating candidates in an assessment center. Data indicated differences in the convergent and discriminant validities and differences in the factor structures of the ratings for the two methods. The pattern of results suggested that the two methods for evaluating assessment center candidates affected the way the assessors organized the assessment center information and affected the obtained ratings. Future research should consider assessment center methods and assessors as sources of variation in assessment center ratings.     

IMPLEMENTATION AND EVALUATION OF AN ASSESSMENT CLASSIFICATION MODEL FOR MANPOWER UTILIZATION1

The present study deals with implementing and evaluating Schoenfeldt's assessment-classification model in an industrial setting using a multiplicity of job families and a range of criteria. A total of 1,987 non-exempt employees of a U. S. oil company were administered an extensive autobiographical inventory. Hierarchical clustering of the resulting biographical profiles produced 18 subgroups of employees such that within any one subgroup, background experiences and interests were similar and between subgroups they were different. A similar methodology was applied to job analysis data in creating a structure of 19 job families for 939 office and clerical jobs. Significant relationships were found between biodata subgroups and criteria of sex, education level, termination rate, equal employment opportunity job classification and performance ratings. There was no statistically significant relationship between subgroup membership and race. In addition, there was a significant relationship between subgroups and job families. Applications for a variety of personnel management practices are discussed.     

A Survey of Creativity Courses at Universities in Principal Countries

The following is a review of creativity courses and programs offered at universities in Europe, North America, Japan, and China. Creativity courses and programs occur in a variety of disciplines, but are found most frequently in fields such as business; education and psychology; and engineering, science, and technology. This paper provides information about course and program titles, characteristics, and instructors.     

Engaged in Engagement: We Are Delighted We Did It

We emphasize that science and practice issues are equally salient when pursuing thinking and research on employee engagement. We agree with much of what the commentaries have to say, especially that organizational competitive advantage is the relevant focus of engagement research and practice and that engagement is not a new construct but one that required clarification vis-a-vis existing constructs. We also agree that state engagement can be highly variable, that disengagement needs study, that negative situations can induce engagement behaviors, that engagement surveys should yield actionable data, and that people can be hired who are more likely to be engaged. We disagree with the idea that all employee attitudes are essentially equal and that existing conceptualizations of performance make engagement behavior a nonuseful construct.     

THE DOCTRINE OF CREATION

Synopsis: We are often told that the doctrine of creation has not been refuted by modern science, but we cannot judge whether that is true unless we know exactly what the doctrine is, and that is seldom explained. I first offer an interpretation of the doctrine, then defend this as an interpretation, and finally argue that we should use not scientific but forensic methods to decide whether the doctrine, so interpreted, is true.