Using a computer simulation, they modeled organizations' ability to improve the quality of their workforces over a thirty year period after implementing FDRS. For the study to be accurate, they included the most significant variables: percentage of employees fired, reliability of ratings that determined who is fired, validity of methods to hire new employees, the selection ratio of new hires, and voluntary turnover. Under conditions where the greatest numbers of poorly rated employees were fired and the rating system used to fire them was reliable, the average potential rose forty-eight percent-- the highest. In general, the annual average improvement was approximately sixteen percent for the first two years falling to two percent in year six and one percent in year ten. After year twenty there was no improvement. "From a statistical or psychometric perspective, FDRS definitely hold promise for improving the average potential of organizational workforces," state the authors.
This study is published in the current issue of Personnel Psychology. Media wishing to receive a PDF of this article, please contact journalnews@bos.blackwellpublishing.net.
Personnel Psychology publishes applied psychological research on personnel problems facing public and private sector organizations. Articles deal with all human resource topics, training and development, performance and career management, diversity, leadership, rewards and recognition, and work attitudes and motivation.
Steve Scullen is an associate professor in the Department of Management at Drake University. He has been published in numerous journals and books.
Dr. Scullen is available for questions and interviews.
Journal
Personnel Psychology