Browsing by Author "Sait, Zaakiyah"

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    Judge-target trait similarity and accuracy: Does it 'take one to know one'?
    (2014) Sait, Zaakiyah; De Kock, FS
    Accurate personality judgement has become increasingly important in the workplace, as research indicates that other-ratings of personality may be promising predictors of performance. The effect of personality similarity on judgment accuracy presents a novel approach for studying factors associated with accurate judgement. The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between judge-target personality trait similarity and accuracy in judging personality. It is proposed that judges whom have high levels of a certain trait, are more proficient at detecting and utilising behavioural cues related to the same trait, thereby leading to higher trait judgment accuracy. Previous literature has indicated that demographic similarity between judge and target may contribute to accurate personality judgement. However, there appears to be a lack of research on the effect of personality similarity on judgment accuracy. Survey questionnaires were administered to a convenience sample of 186 university students. The Big Five Inventory was used to measure participants' personality traits, whilst hypothetical personality descriptions of five applicants were used to serve as targets for rating personality. Subject matter experts' ratings were used as ?true scores' for the derivation of accuracy measures for each judge. Finally, we correlated judges' personality traits with accuracy of judging corresponding personality traits, across targets. No significant positive relationships were found between judges' personality trait scores and their judgemental accuracy of corresponding traits across targets. Judges with low levels of a trait, could judge targets with low levels of the same trait just as accurately as those judges with high trait levels, and vice versa. Apparently, cue detection and utilisation for a specific trait is not improved when judges share a particular trait with the target. This study provides organisations with limited empirical findings to inform training or selection of judges, aside from the recommendation that judges of personality may be sensitised about factors influencing their ratings. Contribution/value add: The results of this study indicated that trait expertise does not emanate from being high on the trait being judged. This finding enhances our understanding of the factors that influence judgment accuracy.
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    The Role of Socioeconomic Status on Students' Employment Expectations in South Africa
    (2021) Weaver, Michaela; Bagraim, Jeffrey; Sait, Zaakiyah
    The influence of students' socioeconomic statuses (SES) on their employment expectations is a largely understudied topic in the context of South Africa. There has additionally been little focus on the extent to which students' SESs affect their willingness to settle for lower earnings and their anticipation of socioeconomic discrimination in the workplace. With South Africa's unique SES makeup, as spurred on by the remnants of apartheid, it is important to investigate the effect that students' SESs may have upon their 1) earnings expectations 2) employment expectations 3) anticipated socioeconomic status discrimination and 4) willingness to settle for lower earnings. Bandura's (1977) Social Cognitive Learning Theory (SCLT) was used to investigate how students' employment expectations differ based on their environments and core self-evaluations. This theory was therefore used to ground and inform this research. In a quantitative, cross-sectional study with a South Africa student sample (N = 346), this study obtained the following results: 1) SES does not significantly predict students' earning expectations and employment expectations over and above the control variables 2) SES significantly predicts students' anticipated socioeconomic status discrimination and willingness to settle for lower earnings 3) core self-evaluation significantly moderates the relationships between socioeconomic status and students' earning expectations as well as between socioeconomic status and willingness to settle for lower earnings 4) core self-evaluation does not significantly moderate the relationships between socioeconomic status and students' employment expectations as well as between socioeconomic status and anticipated socioeconomic status discrimination. This study has important implications for organizational policy concerning the advocation and implementation of work free from discrimination in South Africa. Through this research, organizations may be provided with insight into how individuals' work expectations may differ based on their SESs, potentially leading to the creation of more inclusive policies and practices. Limitations and future recommendations are outlined.