Neil Anderson

Innovation, cultural values, and the management of change in British hospitals

Abstract This paper describes the results of a study of innovation in the management teams of 27 UK hospitals. It is argued that the content of innovations provides an accurate representation of the underlying cultural values of the management teams, and the cultural values which they seek to purvey within the wider organizational settings. The authors propose that values in action (as opposed to espoused values) are manifest in the range of innovations introduced by top management within organizations. Using a typology of organizational culture, they categorize the innovations introduced by the management teams, in order to map their underlying cultural values. The results indicate predominant orientations of hospital management teams towards rational goal and hierarchical values in the current context of health care in Britain. Internal climate and service innovations were relatively infrequent, suggesting that the hospitals were dominated by management concern for control rather than flexibility. The c...

Eight Decades of Employment Interview Research: A Retrospective Meta-review and Prospective Commentary

Abstract This article presents a critical review and commentary on eight decades of research into the employment interview. Two alternative theoretical perspectives are identified from the body of empirical studies into the interview: the objectivist-psychometric perspective and the subjectivist-social perception perspective. Criticisms of both are presented, and calls are made for additional research into impression management behaviour, dysfunctions in interviewer decision-making, and situational power effects at interview. The article concludes with a cautiously optimistic evaluation of the interview research paradigm but emphasizes the requirement for future research efforts to be concentrated upon integrative theory-building in conjunction with ongoing empirical studies.

Organizational innovation in the UK: A case study of perceptions and processes

Innovation research has tended to take a ‘top-down’ approach, and has failed to take account of the varying perspectives on the innovation process of different groups within organizations. This paper describes a study in two residential care homes for the elderly which examined inter-group differences in perceptions of the innovation process. Staff were asked to describe the histories of a selected innovation. Content-analysis of transcripts showed that managerial and non-managerial staff groups differed in their emphasis on particular phases of the innovation process, and that managers stressed positive influences on the process to a greater extent than did other staff. The groups agreed on what the sources of influence were. Four factors are suggested which might explain these findings: a groups stake in the innovation, role in the innovation process, identity with the organization, and the effectiveness of inter-group communications. Implications for management and future research are discussed.

Future competency profiling

Describes a three‐phase study to validate and redesign the graduate assessment centres used by ICL. Analyses results by multimethod multitrait correlation matrix and intercorrelating ratings of dimensions both across and within exercises. Factor analyses correlation matrices by the principal components method. Evaluates differences between the hired and rejected groups by discriminant function analysis. Assesses the predictive validity by multiple regression analysis on the performance ratings and salary information. Discusses the redesign of the recruitment procedure to select for future competences as well as present day requirements.

Occupational personality assessment: Theory, structure and psychometrics of the OPQ FMX5-student

Abstract Despite recent growth in interest among researchers into structural trait theories of personality, and in particular the ‘Big Five’, few studies have tested competing models empirically. Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) as part of the LISREL linear structural modelling programme, in conjunction with a degree of exploratory modelling, was used to elicit the underlying factor structure of one particular measure, the Occupational Personality Questionnaire (OPQ) FMX5-Student version. Results indicated that, a modified version of the ‘Big Five’ model was the most parsimonious fit for this data set. Implications for the use of personality inventories in selection processes, the use of a mixture CFA and exploratory factor analysis in this kind of research, and the nature of the ‘Big Five’ are discussed.

Managing Innovation in Organisations

Innovation and creativity at work have emerged as central concerns in recent years amongst applied researchers and practising managers alike. Little research, however, has addressed the influence of different group membership and organisational status on perceptions of innovation processes. The results of a longitudinal study into group perceptions of organisational innovations are presented. Implications for future research and for the management of innovation at work are discussed in conclusion.

Assessor Decision Making Information Processing and Assessor Decision Strategies in a British Assessment Centre

A series of analyses was performed to evaluate the decision‐making strategies of assessors involved in a final‐stage assessment centre (AC). Thirty‐eight assessors rated applicants (n = 222) for an engineering sponsorship placement. Applicants were evaluated on four dimensions (Interactive Awareness, Work Structure, Drive and Enthusiasm, and Business Awareness) over three exercises (a group exercise, an individual exercise and a structured interview). In addition, two psychometric tests of cognitive ability were administered, one of numerical reasoning ability and one of verbal reasoning ability. Thus the assessors were provided with two types of information: their own observational ratings, and psychometric test scores of candidates. Analysis revealed that assessors perceived the observational and psychometric sources as distinct and that assessors integrated information from each source differently. Further, it was found that assessors weighted observational information as more salient than psychometric...