“Individual Differences in Output Variability As a Function of Job Complexity”, John E. Hunter, Frank L. Schmidt, Michael K. Judiesch1990 (IQ & SES)⁠:

The hypothesis was tested that the standard deviation of employee output as a percentage of mean output (SD_p) increases as a function of the complexity level of the job.

The data examined were adjusted for the inflationary effects of measurement error and the deflationary effects of range restriction on observed SD_p figures, refinements absent from previous studies.

Results: indicate that SD_p increases as the information-processing demands (complexity) of the job increase; the observed progression was ~19%, 32%, and 48%, from low to medium to high complexity non-sales jobs, respectively. SD_p values for sales jobs are considerably larger.

These findings have important implications for the output increases that can be produced through improved selection. They may also contribute to the development of a theory of work performance. In addition, there may be implications in labor economics.

See Also:

• An examination of two alternative techniques to estimate the standard deviation of job performance in dollars

• The Best And The Rest: Revisiting The Norm Of Normality Of Individual Performance

• Staffing 21^st-century Organizations

• Job Performance: Assessment Issues in Personnel Selection

• The Growing Importance of Social Skills in the Labor Market

• People Management Skills, Employee Attrition, and Manager Rewards: An Empirical Analysis