Developing Organizational Simulations: A Guide for Practitioners and Students (Applied Psychology Series) [Paperback]

George C. Thornton III (Author), Rose Hanson (Author), Rose A. Mueller-Hanson (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0805844120 | ISBN-13: 978-0805844122 | Publication Date: September 3, 2003

This book provides a concise source of information on effective and practical methods for constructing simulation exercises for the assessment of psychological characteristics relevant to effectiveness in work organizations. Simulation exercises present the examinee with descriptions of complex situations that stimulate aspects of real-world settings and problems. Examinees are required to demonstrate overt behavior in handling the problems presented. The process and/or products of this behavior are observed by trained assessors who observe behavior, classify behaviors into relevant dimensions, and evaluate effectiveness. Simulations can provide assessments of abilities, skills, and competencies not readily measured by other testing techniques.

Developing Organizational Simulations provides practical guidance for defining the attributes to be assessed, constructing the stimulus material, and designing methods for administration and scoring. Several different situational exercises are presented, including business games, leaderless group discussions, in-baskets, one-on-one interaction simulations, and case studies/presentations. Steps to ensure the reliability, validity, and legal defensibility of assessments from simulations are described. In addition, the book presents the use of simulation exercises for the purposes of personnel selection, training, development, and certification. Professional standards and guidelines relevant to the construction of simulation exercises are also covered.

Editorial Reviews

Review

For those who wish to build a simulation exercise, this is a valuable book. It is designed for the practitioner or student and provides step-by-step procedures for constructing simulations for a variety of purposes: selection, promotion, training and development, and/or research. In adddition, the authors provide a conceptual schema upon which their procedures are based, refer to relevant literature, and provide guidance as to professional, legal, and ethical standards....It is an excellent book and should be useful to the target audience of practitioners and students. It should also be beneficial to researchers needing assessment exercises in their endeavors. It is worth the price.
—Personnel Psychology

Thornton and Mueller-Hanson offer a much-needed, balanced guide for constructing simulation exercises that is based on theory, current research, and best practices. The book exemplifies the scientist-practitioner approach and provides readers with a rich understandingof the issues and challenges associated with developing and implementing simulation exercises. The authors have designed the book in such a way that assessment practitioners (HR staff, assessment center consultants) and students alike will find the content interesting, stimulating, and extremely user friendly. This book offers a value-added supplement to a course in psychometric theory, test construction, or personnel selection. It is a 'must read' for assessment center practitioners.
—Dr. Jeff Kudisch
University of Maryland

Thornton and Mueller-Hanson's book is a solid guide for HR specialists, consultants, and students alike looking for guidance on how to construct and administer simulation exercises. The text is firmly based on the most current theory and research in the area, as well as the authors' vast experience in constructing simulations in organizations. This is not just another review book--it is truly a practical guide for constructing these types of assessment in the workplace. In addition, the text will serve as an excellent supplement to courses in psychometric theory, test construction, and individual assessment. These fields have been in need of such a book for a long time, and this book is sure to have a great impact.
—Dr. Deborah Rupp
University of Illinois

The team of four assessors in our group who design assessment activities found the sections on 'fatal errors' and examples of personal experiences very helpful.
—Sandra Petersberg
Human Resource Manager, Sprint

This is a great book! I wish this had been around 26 years ago when I began my practice. It will be an asset to practitioners and a valuable teaching aid for students.
—Dr. David Morris
Consultant on Human Resource Management Techniques, Alexandria, Virginia

Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Psychology Press (September 3, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0805844120
• ISBN-13: 978-0805844122
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,021,762 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very thorough, May 29, 2010

By 

Carl Beuke - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Developing Organizational Simulations: A Guide for Practitioners and Students (Applied Psychology Series) (Paperback)

This is a very good book, that does what it says on the box -- explains exactly how to construct simulations for use in organisational/business settings, all the steps. If you need to create organisational simulations as part of your job, you'll find this exceptionally useful, and as far as I know, it's the only book on the practicalities of this subject. I am an organisational psychologist who has constructed and conducted many simulations, and I consider this book to be a highly reiable source, whose authors are leaders in the field. The book is very practical, and I learnt a lot from it. The diagram providing an overview of the whole process is particularly useful. The one area where perhaps there could have been more guidance provided is actually writing the simulation materials (versus preparing information beforehand, and evaluating the simulation afterward), but this is probably an area best learnt from experience, and there are usful examples provided.

Four rather than five stars because I found the writing very dry, and some quite obvious points are belaboured. It took me a concerted effort to make my way through this book. In practice, constructing, observing, and roleplaying in simulations can be very engaging and interesting, and this book does little to bring this to life.

Overall, however, well worth the effort, and a book that I will recommend to others in our practice.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good book, July 11, 2011

By 

Horseinhouse - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Developing Organizational Simulations: A Guide for Practitioners and Students (Applied Psychology Series) (Paperback)

It is a very useful and practical book. My professor recommended this book for developing simulations. We in a group developed a presentation simulation, however, we didn't use much of the book. That's may due to the reason that other students don't have that book. We mostly followed the professor's instruction.

But, still, it is very practical.

0 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars good book and bad service, January 7, 2007

By 

Chou Chih Ming (ROC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Developing Organizational Simulations: A Guide for Practitioners and Students (Applied Psychology Series) (Paperback)

this is a wonderful textbook for learning
but the shipment of amazon is bad, until I pay it for higher price, or it will delay and delay