Deborah A. Olson

The Devil is in the Details: A Comment on “What Might This Be? Rediscovering the Rorschach as a Tool for Personnel Selection in Organizations” (Del Giudice, 2010)

Although we find ourselves in agreement with Del Giudice (2010) on a number of concepts presented in his article, as industrial-organizational psychologists with extensive knowledge and experience in both personnel selection and executive development and assessment, we feel compelled to respond to two key aspects that we believe were inadequately addressed. Del Giudice (2010) made a forceful case for the possibility of using the Rorschach as a personality assessment tool to select organizational leaders. Nevertheless, we put forward that Del Giudice overstated the viability of using the Rorschach as a personality assessment tool to select leaders given the current, limited empirical evidence. Much of the evidence Del Giudice provided for the use of personality measures in personnel selection is based on research of the Big Five personality framework (i.e., normal range personality tests) and not on clinical tests of psychopathology. In addition, Del Giudice also underestimated the practical issues involved in using the Rorschach as a tool for personnel selection. Here, we wish to address the devil that is in those details, focusing on two issues: contextual relevance and face validity. Del Giudice (2010) provided a general overview of some reasons why specific personality dimensions are relevant to occupational selection, the limited use of the Rorschach for selecting employees, and the types of knowledge, skills, and ability (KSAs) that are related to leader performance. Generally, we agree with Del Giudice’s conceptualization of the KSAs that are important for leaders to possess. That said, we propose that a great deal of research remains to be done to demonstrate that the ideas Del Giudice expressed about leadership qualifications can be measured with the Rorschach. For example, there is little doubt that executives face complex situations (Yukl, 2010). To suggest that a Rorschach mirrors those situations, however, strikes us as premature theorizing at best. So, whereas we agree with the view that executives work in complicated settings, it is not clear how the Rorschach substantially represents the com-

Emotional Well-Being Following a Later Life Career Change: The Roles of Agency and Resources:

More individuals are attempting career changes in later life, as an increasing number of people face precarious retirement prospects. Although many of these older job seekers eventually find new livelihoods, little is known about their emotional well-being subsequent to these changes. Using the 2014 American Institute for Economic Research Older Worker Survey, we evaluate the contributions of demographic characteristics, agency, and resources when estimating three measures of emotional well-being following a successful later life career change (n = 337). We found that having financial resources during the career transition was associated with all three positive emotional outcomes, while family support and intentionality were also associated with positive emotions. Conversely, prior job prestige and purposeful job training had no relationships with subsequent well-being. These results suggest that later life career changes, despite their challenges, often result in positive emotional outlooks—for those who have the resources to support them.

Use of Practicum Classes to Solidify the Scientist-Practitioner Model in Master's Level Training

Abstract Purpose To demonstrate how applied projects integrated within master’s level graduate programs in the organizational sciences provide students with experiences that facilitate the translation of classroom concepts into practices that positively impact individual, organizational, and societal level outcomes. Methodology/approach We discuss how the scientist-practitioner model guides our thinking regarding the development of cocurriculum options for master’s level students. To give context, we provide thumbnail sketches of two applied programs — a master’s of science degree program in industrial-organizational psychology and a master’s of business administration (MBA) program — that serve as exemplars for linking practice with science. Findings We demonstrated, with specific examples, how practicum courses can bridge curricular and cocurricular offerings in stand-alone master’s programs, thus offering a glimpse into the range of activities completed by master’s students with little to over 20 years of work experience: job analysis, interview protocol development, program evaluation, talent acquisition, performance management, coaching, as well as training strategy ideation and delivery. We conclude the chapter with final reflections on the use of practicum classes in master’s level training. Originality/value The practicum courses detailed serve as unique exemplars of how to apply theory and research to organizational problems, thus bridging science and practice in the organizational sciences.