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Incremental validity of assessment centre exercise ratings over and above general mental ability and personality traits in predicting financial intermediaries regulatory examination success and sales performance

The present study explored the optimal selection of financial intermediaries in the South African insurance services industry. We examined the potential predictive value of competency-based selection assessment centre (AC) exercises, when used in combination with other traditional measures (e.g., in...

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Main Author: Hesqua, Rene
Other Authors: de Kock, Francois
Format: Thesis
Language:English
Published: Organisational Psychology 2019
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access_status_str Open Access
author Hesqua, Rene
author2 de Kock, Francois
author_browse Hesqua, Rene
de Kock, Francois
author_facet de Kock, Francois
Hesqua, Rene
author_sort Hesqua, Rene
collection Thesis
description The present study explored the optimal selection of financial intermediaries in the South African insurance services industry. We examined the potential predictive value of competency-based selection assessment centre (AC) exercises, when used in combination with other traditional measures (e.g., interviews, work style interest questionnaire, general mental ability and personality traits) in an incremental validity study. Moreover, the study expanded the criterion domain by considering prediction models for multiple outcome measures, including examination success of intermediaries and their objective sales performance. The sample consisted of 425 intermediaries in the middle and affluent market segments in South Africa. We reduced the large number of potential predictors through principle component analysis and subsequently conducted hierarchical regression analysis. Results showed that when the independent variables were restricted to correlating predictors as part of the further analysis, assessment centre exercises, especially the role-play, had a significant incremental effect (ΔR²=.07, ��<.05) over general mental ability (GMA) in predicting examination marks. Personality traits (e.g., emotional stability) and assessment centre ratings contributed significantly to examination success. To predict sales performance, the personality measure incremented GMA and AC exercises (ΔR²=.08, p < .05). GMA and AC exercises did not contribute in predicting sales performance and could not add incremental validity (ΔR² = .01, p > .05). The work style questionnaire (ΔR² = .03, p < .05) and interview (ΔR² = .012, p < .05) selection measures incremented both AC exercises and personality traits in predicting sales performance. The study contributes to our understanding of predictor combinations when academic and objective performance criteria are considered in a specific applied setting (e.g., a niche industry). The practical implications of the findings are that the validity of the assessment centre exercises together with other measures could be enhanced since it can predict different aspects of performance.
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institution University of Cape Town (South Africa)
language eng
last_indexed 2026-06-10T12:31:31.816Z
license_str Not specified — see source repository
provenance_str_mv Harvested via OAI-PMH from UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository
publishDate 2019
publishDateRange 2019
publishDateSort 2019
publisher Organisational Psychology
publisherStr Organisational Psychology
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source_str UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository
spelling oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/29808 Incremental validity of assessment centre exercise ratings over and above general mental ability and personality traits in predicting financial intermediaries regulatory examination success and sales performance Hesqua, Rene de Kock, Francois Organisational Psychology The present study explored the optimal selection of financial intermediaries in the South African insurance services industry. We examined the potential predictive value of competency-based selection assessment centre (AC) exercises, when used in combination with other traditional measures (e.g., interviews, work style interest questionnaire, general mental ability and personality traits) in an incremental validity study. Moreover, the study expanded the criterion domain by considering prediction models for multiple outcome measures, including examination success of intermediaries and their objective sales performance. The sample consisted of 425 intermediaries in the middle and affluent market segments in South Africa. We reduced the large number of potential predictors through principle component analysis and subsequently conducted hierarchical regression analysis. Results showed that when the independent variables were restricted to correlating predictors as part of the further analysis, assessment centre exercises, especially the role-play, had a significant incremental effect (ΔR²=.07, ��<.05) over general mental ability (GMA) in predicting examination marks. Personality traits (e.g., emotional stability) and assessment centre ratings contributed significantly to examination success. To predict sales performance, the personality measure incremented GMA and AC exercises (ΔR²=.08, p < .05). GMA and AC exercises did not contribute in predicting sales performance and could not add incremental validity (ΔR² = .01, p > .05). The work style questionnaire (ΔR² = .03, p < .05) and interview (ΔR² = .012, p < .05) selection measures incremented both AC exercises and personality traits in predicting sales performance. The study contributes to our understanding of predictor combinations when academic and objective performance criteria are considered in a specific applied setting (e.g., a niche industry). The practical implications of the findings are that the validity of the assessment centre exercises together with other measures could be enhanced since it can predict different aspects of performance. 2019-02-22T13:45:32Z 2019-02-22T13:45:32Z 2018 2019-02-19T06:42:19Z Master Thesis Masters MCom http://hdl.handle.net/11427/29808 eng application/pdf Organisational Psychology Faculty of Commerce University of Cape Town
spellingShingle Organisational Psychology
Hesqua, Rene
Incremental validity of assessment centre exercise ratings over and above general mental ability and personality traits in predicting financial intermediaries regulatory examination success and sales performance
thesis_degree_str Master's
title Incremental validity of assessment centre exercise ratings over and above general mental ability and personality traits in predicting financial intermediaries regulatory examination success and sales performance
title_full Incremental validity of assessment centre exercise ratings over and above general mental ability and personality traits in predicting financial intermediaries regulatory examination success and sales performance
title_fullStr Incremental validity of assessment centre exercise ratings over and above general mental ability and personality traits in predicting financial intermediaries regulatory examination success and sales performance
title_full_unstemmed Incremental validity of assessment centre exercise ratings over and above general mental ability and personality traits in predicting financial intermediaries regulatory examination success and sales performance
title_short Incremental validity of assessment centre exercise ratings over and above general mental ability and personality traits in predicting financial intermediaries regulatory examination success and sales performance
title_sort incremental validity of assessment centre exercise ratings over and above general mental ability and personality traits in predicting financial intermediaries regulatory examination success and sales performance
topic Organisational Psychology
url http://hdl.handle.net/11427/29808
work_keys_str_mv AT hesquarene incrementalvalidityofassessmentcentreexerciseratingsoverandabovegeneralmentalabilityandpersonalitytraitsinpredictingfinancialintermediariesregulatoryexaminationsuccessandsalesperformance