Publication Type

Journal Article

Version

publishedVersion

Publication Date

4-2019

Abstract

The use of heuristic judgments is prevalent in organizations and negatively impacts accurate employee assessments. To minimize the negative impact of heuristic judgments (i.e., anchoring and adjustment), we aim to improve rating accuracy by restructuring frame‐of‐reference (FOR) training. We conducted five studies (N = 1,143) using different samples (three including participants with hiring experience), training environments (onsite and online), and rating contexts (evaluations of sales representatives, teachers, contract negotiation specialists, and retail store managers). Across the five studies, the average improvement in rating accuracy was at least twice as large for restructured FOR (vs. control) training as it was for typical FOR (vs. control) training; the difference in rating accuracy between restructured and typical FOR training was statistically significant. Furthermore, minimizing the anchoring effect rather than increasing opportunities for rating adjustments improved rating accuracy (Study 4). Finally, restructured FOR training achieved higher criterion validity (i.e., a higher strength of the association between ratings regarding a target and the target's objective performance) than did typical FOR training (Studies 3 and 5). We discuss implications for improving the effectiveness of diverse training programs and the accuracy of judgments in organizations.

Keywords

anchoring and adjustment heuristic, frame-of-reference, judgment, rating accuracy, subjective evaluation

Discipline

Industrial and Organizational Psychology | Quantitative Psychology

Research Areas

Psychology

Publication

Journal of Organizational Behavior

Volume

40

Issue

6

First Page

740

Last Page

757

ISSN

0894-3796

Identifier

10.1002/job.2368

Publisher

Wiley

Copyright Owner and License

Publisher

Additional URL

https://doi.org/10.1002/job.2368

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