A process‐tracing approach toward understanding supervisors' SDy estimates

Results from five job classes

Bibliographic Data

ID14683771
AuthorsJohn E Mathieu (0000-0002-6881-4022, Pennsylvania State University, corresponding author), Scott I Tannenbaum, Scott Tannenbaum (0000-0002-6578-8746, University at Albany, State University of New York)
Year1989
Volume62
Issue3
Pages249-256
Publication date1989-09-01
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of Occupational Psychology (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0305-8107 • E-ISSN: 2056-8142
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1111/j.2044-8325.1989.tb00496.x
OpenAlexW2087222557
LanguageEN
Citations received2

Schmidt, Hunter, McKenzie & Muldrow (1979) have proposed a method for using supervisors' estimates of the value of various levels of job performance to calculate the standard deviation of performance in money values—SDy. The use of this procedure has become popular in recent years. However, little is known about how supervisors make such estimates. This study employed a process‐tracing approach to identify the types of information supervisors used to make their estimates. Several different types of information (e.g. salary, overall job responsibilities, work attitudes) were cited consistently across five job classes. Other sources of information were tied more uniquely to certain jobs. Supervisors' percentile estimates were found to conform rather closely to minimum, mean and maximum job class salary levels. Furthermore, more experienced supervisors tended to use salary information and existing organizational documentation for making such estimates. Implications of these findings were discussed in terms of the use of SDy estimates in practice and directions for future research

Documentation · Economics · Job description · Management · Percentile · Political science · Salary · Standard deviation · Statistics · Tracing · Accounting and Organizational Management · Computer Science · Engineering · Law · Mathematics · Psychology

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