Evaluating Employee Characteristics

This course has major project assignments due in Week 3 and Week 5. It will take more than a week’s effort to adequately complete them. Plan time to start the research and work on those assignments earlier than the week in which they are due.

Evaluating Employee Characteristics

Some research studies (Ilies & Judge, 2003; Saari & Judge, 2004) report that genetics play a very important part in whether an employee has a high level of job satisfaction. Their work suggests that the attitudes, personality, and values that a person brings to the workplace are better predictors of whether the employee will be satisfied than any of the external factors a company or manager might provide the employee. In fact, their studies indicate that a person with high satisfaction will generally report being highly satisfied, no matter the situation within the company. Similarly, a person who reports low satisfaction will consistently report low satisfaction, no matter what the company may do to increase the employee’s satisfaction.

If these studies are correct, then there would seem to be some rationality in only hiring applicants with positive personalities.

In this assignment, you will develop a ten item survey that will be given to all applicants at your company. The purpose of this survey is to determine whether the applicant is a positive or negative person. First determine what attitudes, personality characteristics, and values you want to look for based upon your reading and research. You may ask up to nine questions to determine those individual characteristics. Let question ten ask whether the applicant is satisfied with the company.

Once you’ve completed your survey, write a well-researched, convincing paper to be read by your company’s head of the Human Resources Department in which you do the following:

• Analyze how personality, values, and attitudes contribute to an employee’s satisfaction. Include support from your reading and research.
• Justify why you chose to include the questions you did. Explain how each question will contribute to determining whether the applicant is a positive person.
• Include your full survey as an appendix to your paper.

Submission Details:

• Submit your plan in a 3- to 4-page Microsoft Word document, using APA style.
• Name your document SU_MGT3002_W1_LastName_FirstInitial.doc.
• Submit your document to the Submissions Area by the due date assigned.

References:

Ilies, R., & Judge, T. (2003). On the heritability of job satisfaction: The mediating role of personality. Journal of Applied Psychology, 88(4), pp. 750–759.
Saari, L., & Judge, T. (2004). Employee attitudes and job satisfaction. Human
           Resource Management, 43(4), pp. 395–407.

You will receive feedback and suggestions from your facilitator.

Note: On the basis of the suggestions and feedback from your facilitator, refine your work for the course project going forward. If additional input is needed from your facilitator, please arrange for a consultation.