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The role of Values in
Assessment Centres
ASCG conference, South Africa, March 2002
by
Charmaine Swanevelder
Managing Consultant, SHL Cape Town
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Thus far, to gain unconditional
commitment to company objectives...
Elizabeth
Etsko
Jeroen
Nando’s CE
Competency Grow Others Capability
‘Gooi’
Behaviour and(Competency
performance
x Knowledge)
Genuine
Care
‘Gees’
concern for
Skills and knowledge
others
Motivation and personality
Admirable
Commitment Commitment
Intellectualand
capabilities
character
to people
Vision
(role models)
If we succeed in these things, results will follow
(‘Geld’)
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Individual exercise:
Note on a piece of paper the 5
things that are most important to
you in your ideal job
(keep until later)
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Values?. . .

Impact upon people’s decisions
and governs their behaviour

In employment arena can help
improve person-organisation fit

Important implications for teambuilding
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Representation of identity, values,
competencies and behaviour
Identity
Values
Competencies
Who am I? (Personality,
gender, nationality, etc.)
Why am I behaving as I
do? (Motivation and
values)
Behaviour
Person or Group
Context
When do I behave as I
do? (Corporate culture,
etc.)
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Defining values
• Core to human existence.
• Actual values endorsed depends on own
external circumstances (Maslow, 1943), yet
are considered closely connected to the
identity or individuality of an individual.
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Theories on values
Many people know the price of things, few the value
-Oscar Wilde
• Values provide stability in a rapidly changing world.
Stability comes from the values we hold in common
(Brian Hall)
• Potential capability increases when the values that
underpin the corporate vision are shared by all the
stakeholders in the organisation (Tom Carter)
• Organisations that are successful over long periods of
time are values-based organisations (Values Technology
Inc.)
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Theories on values (Rokeach, 1979)
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
number of human values are small
the same the world over
capable of different structural arrangements
are the resultants of societal demands and psychological
needs
they are learned and determined by culture, society,
society’s institutions, and personal experience
they are determents in turn of attitudes, judgements,
choices, attributions, and action
they are capable of undergoing change as a result of
changes in society, situation, self-conception, and selfawareness
that changes in values represent central rather than
peripheral changes, thus having important
consequences for other cognition’s and social behaviour’
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Theories on values (Gordon, 1963)
• In personality assessment, an individual may
be described by what he characteristically
does in particular situations, that is in what
terms of traits that typify his behaviour.
• In addition, he may be described in term of his
basic motivational patterns, or the values that
he holds.
• In understanding the individual, both types of
measurement are important
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Upbringing
Personal
norms
Peer
groups
Values
Society
Past
The SHL
Value
Theory
Societal
norms
motivation
Competencies
Internal
Behaviour
Situation
Present
External
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About Values. . .
•
•
•
Beliefs about the importance of
goals
People differ in their relative
ordering of importance of basic
values
In employment, values affect
perceived worth of organisational
goals, person-organisation fit –
and hence job satisfaction and
retention
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Personality
“Preference”
Motivation
“Effort”
Values
“Importance”
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How to access values in assessment
centre technology?
Values@Work Questionnaire
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Development
•
Research began in 1998 – lead by
Wouter Schoonman (SHL
Netherlands)
•
•
•
•
Literature review
Some 12 major models found
Adopted Schwartz (1992) model of
10 basic values
Adapted these to work-oriented
content
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Schwartz model of basic values
Openness to Change
Self-Transcendence
Universalism
Self-Direction
Stimulation
Benevolence
Hedonism
Conformity Tradition
Achievement
Security
Power
Self-Enhancement
Conservation
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The SHL Values Model
SHL Model
Influence
Achievement
Enjoyment
Exercising influence on processes and
people. Wanting to take decisions, having
final responsibility, possessing power over
people.
Delivering recognisable achievements and
excelling in this regard. Experiencing
success, being respected and having a
solid reputation.
Having pleasant experiences, enjoying
those joyful things that can come with
work. Having a nice working environment
and having fun at work.
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The SHL Values Model
SHL Model
Adventure
Selfdirection
Harmony
Experiencing many different things, a lot of
variety, doing interesting things.
Venturing into the unknown, having new
experiences.
Determining direction by oneself, choosing
one’s own goals, taking the fate in own
hands. Experiencing freedom, being
independent, organising one’s own work.
Being internally balanced, acting ethically
and respecting the natural envionment.
Understanding the world, gathering
knowledge and wisdom, supporting
justice.
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The SHL Values Model
SHL Model
Affiliation
Respect
Loyalty
Certainty
Helping others, engaging in an open and honest
way with others and being patients with others.
Having friendly relationships and being trusted.
Supporting traditional ways of acting, doing what is
expected and work according to agreed standards.
Keeping up with regular values and customs and
engage in a decent way with other people.
Changed to Loyalty then merged with Respect.
Being sure about the job and the future, having well
defined tasks and knowing what is expected.
Running small rsiks and respecting those placed
above (now Certainty).
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The SHL Values Model
New SHL Scales
Wealth
Being strongly rewarded in financial terms,
making as much money as possible. Material
rewards in general, having a yearly pay rise,
having no worries about money.
Aesthetics
Enjoying beautiful things, appreciating design
and developing a good taste. Engaging with
artistic people and developing own artistic
talents further.
Diversity
Understanding other cultures. Being sensitive
and accepting with regard to other cultures and
customs.
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The Values@work Model
Security
Ambition
Influence
Certainty
Achievement
Respect
Self Direction
Affiliation
Wealth
Diversity
Enjoyment
Aesthetics
Adventure
Harmony
Balance
Challenge
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Values @ Work Instrument
12 scales
 6 items per scale
 alpha coefficients .75 - .93

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Values@Work
Personality
(OPQ32)
‘Preferred Style’
‘determined by
culture, society,
society’s
institutions, and
personal
experience’
(Rokeach)
Corporate
Culture
(CCQ Lite)
Motivation
(MQ)
‘Effort’/Gordon’s basic
motivational patterns
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Values@work
OPQ32
BIG 5 Personality
Factors
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Values and the Big 5
• Hypotheses based on research of
Roccas et al (1999) using NEO
FFI.
–
–
–
–
Extraversion -> Enjoyment
Openness -> Adventure
Agreeableness -> Affiliation
Conscientiousness -> Certainty
• Bilsky & Schwartz (1994) predict
no relationships with Neuroticism
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Observed and predicted correlations:
Big 5: Fit = 76.9%
OBSERVED
PREDICTED
Positive
?
Negative
Positive 9
4
5
0
Negative 4
0
1
3
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OPQ32, NEO and the BIG 5
N = 155
BIG 5
Construct
OPQ32 scale
NEO
correlation
Neuroticism
Relaxed
Worrying
Tough Minded
0.80
Extraversion
Outgoing
Modest
Emotionally Controlled
0.51
Openness to
Experience
Conceptual
Conventional
Variety Seeking
0.42
Agreeableness
Caring
Democratic
Trusting
0.60
Conscientious
Detail Conscious
Conscientious
Vigorous
0.74
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Case Study 2: Organisation values,
mean self-ratings and differences
Influence
Certainty
30
Achievement
20
Respect
Self direction
10
Affiliation
0
Self n=54
Wealth
Org n=44
Diff Self-Org
Diversity
Enjoyment
Aesthetics
Adventure
Harmony
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Difference in mean Values scores: (Left - Stayed)
Security
Ambition
Influence
2.00
Certainty
Achievement
1.50
1.00
Respect
Self direction
0.50
0.00
-0.50
Affiliation
-1.00
a
Diversity
Balance
Wealth
Enjoyment
Aethetics
Adventure
Challenge
Harmony
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In summary . . . .
• Good fit to OPQ, MQ and CCQ
predictions
• Support for the ordering of the values
around the circumplex model
• Good fit on Big 5 scales to predicted
ordering.
• Differences between European and
Japanese sample.
• Latter show difference in Harmony and
Affiliation correlations with Big 5
• Good support for job relevance of P-O
fit measures
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Applications of Values@Work
Type
Assessment
Development
Other
Pre-screening
Career counselling
Conflict resolution
Self Assessment
Self Development
Preparing for an
international job
Team performance
Team Building
Setting up teams
Mergers & Acquisitions
Changing Corporate
Culture
Diagnosing causes of
turnover, job satisfaction,
etc.
Focus
Individual
Team
Organisation
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Information Levels of Individual Assessment
Individual Assessment Tools
on job
JOB PERFORMANCE
context
Performance Appraisal
&
OBJECTIVES
Management by
(CCQ)?
(Targets & Results)
Objectives
COMPETENCE
(Knowledge & Experience)
National Qualifications
Framework
Licensing Examinations
COMPETENCIES
(Skills & Abilities)
Assessment Centre
Simulations
Competency based
Questionnaires; 360’s
POTENTIALITIES
(Intelligence, Personality, Traits, Aptitudes)
Intelligence Tests
Personality Questionnaires
Ability Tests; Motivation; Values
(Designed by Prof Hennie Kriek, SHL)
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