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Original Article

Never Use One When Two Will Do

*The first two authors contributed equally to this paper.

The Effects of a Multi-Perspective Approach on the Outcome of Job Analyses Using the Critical Incident Technique

Published Online:April 05, 2012https://doi.org/10.1027/1866-5888/a000060

Abstract

The multi-method and multi-perspective approach is recommended for job analyses to ensure the validity of the assessment process, but has not been sufficiently addressed in studies so far. Therefore, the effects of a combined approach concerning two time perspectives (present- vs. future-oriented) and two sources of information (incumbents vs. supervisors) were analyzed in four independent job analyses. Across all four samples both time perspectives as well as both sources of information made a substantial contribution to the behavior descriptions of the resulting requirement profiles, indicating that a more complete picture of the job requirements results from the use of a multi-perspective approach. Logistic regression revealed an incremental value of combining both sources of information, and both time perspectives, respectively. This underlines demands to combine different approaches (cf. Morgeson & Campion, 1997) and gives them an empirical basis.

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