Individual Decision Processes in an Assessment Center

Past research has shown that assessment centers have accurately predicted managerial success in a number of organizations. The argument is made that understanding assessor judgments is necessary before it can be determined why assessment centers consistently demonstrate predictive validity. Data on the individual ratings made by 46 assessors working in an assessment center were analyzed. Ten assessors' ratings (each of whom had rated more the 200 assessees) were individually subjected to confirmatory factor analyses (using LISREL) and examined within a lens model framework. Support was found for both a formal and informal method of arriving at an overall assessment rating (OAR). Subgroup analyses indicate tentatively that there is little effect of assessee sex on the way assessors arrive at an OAR. Practical and theoretical implications are discussed.