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The selection of computer programmers : an assessment of fairness
Bibliography: pages 87-91.
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
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Organisational Psychology
2015
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| _version_ | 1867613205239431168 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Warley, John |
| author2 | Kellerman, A M |
| author_browse | Kellerman, A M Warley, John |
| author_facet | Kellerman, A M Warley, John |
| author_sort | Warley, John |
| collection | Thesis |
| description | Bibliography: pages 87-91. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/15979 |
| institution | University of Cape Town (South Africa) |
| language | eng |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:32:26.116Z |
| license_str | Not specified — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository |
| publishDate | 2015 |
| publishDateRange | 2015 |
| publishDateSort | 2015 |
| publisher | Organisational Psychology |
| publisherStr | Organisational Psychology |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository |
| spelling | oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/15979 The selection of computer programmers : an assessment of fairness Warley, John Kellerman, A M Industrial and Organizational Psychology Bibliography: pages 87-91. The shortage of skilled computer staff in South Africa has reached critical proportions. Not only is commerce unable to recruit enough manpower with the required experience and expertise, they are also posed with the problem of high turnover and remunerating a small number of people in excess of their market value. In contrast to this phenomena, South Africa has a vastly under-utilised "other than "white" population of Matriculants and Technikon diplomates. It is hypothesised that the skilled shortage in computer programming could be overcome if more applicants out of this labour segment were given entry level jobs and trained to be productive and competent. This study attempts to address the difficulties of the under-utilised manpower resources by looking at the entry level requirements for computer programmers. Since for industry as a whole, aptitude tests are used on applicants for entry level programmers, one of these tests, viz. the National Institute of Personnel Research General Aptitude Battery was investigated. It was hypothesised that the instrument was an unfair selection tool· as most "other than white" applicants evaluated did not perform as well as the white applicants. The sample comprised of technikon students who had passed at least their first year of the Computer Data Processing Diploma. Thirty five were selected and matched from a white and forty three from a so-called "coloured" institution. The results of this cross cultural research design in a field setting were statistically analysed and findings were that the "coloured" group scored far lower than that of the white group. Therefore, the researcher concluded that the test battery was not a good predictor of success and should not be used across population groups, as it could lead to an unfair labour practice. It was proposed instead that a biographical structured interview guide based on the accomplishments of applicants ·be used to supplement the test results. In so doing the researcher suggested that dimensions of success for a programmer be probed for, during the interview rather than concentrating purely on an aptitude test which could be seen as unfair. 2015-12-28T06:06:37Z 2015-12-28T06:06:37Z 1990 Master Thesis Masters MA http://hdl.handle.net/11427/15979 eng application/pdf Organisational Psychology Faculty of Commerce University of Cape Town |
| spellingShingle | Industrial and Organizational Psychology Warley, John The selection of computer programmers : an assessment of fairness |
| thesis_degree_str | Master's |
| title | The selection of computer programmers : an assessment of fairness |
| title_full | The selection of computer programmers : an assessment of fairness |
| title_fullStr | The selection of computer programmers : an assessment of fairness |
| title_full_unstemmed | The selection of computer programmers : an assessment of fairness |
| title_short | The selection of computer programmers : an assessment of fairness |
| title_sort | selection of computer programmers an assessment of fairness |
| topic | Industrial and Organizational Psychology |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/11427/15979 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT warleyjohn theselectionofcomputerprogrammersanassessmentoffairness AT warleyjohn selectionofcomputerprogrammersanassessmentoffairness |