The selection of computer programmers : an assessment of fairness

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dc.contributor.advisorKellerman, A Men_ZA
dc.contributor.authorWarley, Johnen_ZA
dc.date.accessioned2015-12-28T06:06:37Z
dc.date.available2015-12-28T06:06:37Z
dc.date.issued1990en_ZA
dc.descriptionBibliography: pages 87-91.en_ZA
dc.description.abstractThe shortage of skilled computer staff in South Africa has reached critical proportions. Not only is commerce unable to recruit enough manpower with the required experience and expertise, they are also posed with the problem of high turnover and remunerating a small number of people in excess of their market value. In contrast to this phenomena, South Africa has a vastly under-utilised "other than "white" population of Matriculants and Technikon diplomates. It is hypothesised that the skilled shortage in computer programming could be overcome if more applicants out of this labour segment were given entry level jobs and trained to be productive and competent. This study attempts to address the difficulties of the under-utilised manpower resources by looking at the entry level requirements for computer programmers. Since for industry as a whole, aptitude tests are used on applicants for entry level programmers, one of these tests, viz. the National Institute of Personnel Research General Aptitude Battery was investigated. It was hypothesised that the instrument was an unfair selection tool· as most "other than white" applicants evaluated did not perform as well as the white applicants. The sample comprised of technikon students who had passed at least their first year of the Computer Data Processing Diploma. Thirty five were selected and matched from a white and forty three from a so-called "coloured" institution. The results of this cross cultural research design in a field setting were statistically analysed and findings were that the "coloured" group scored far lower than that of the white group. Therefore, the researcher concluded that the test battery was not a good predictor of success and should not be used across population groups, as it could lead to an unfair labour practice. It was proposed instead that a biographical structured interview guide based on the accomplishments of applicants ·be used to supplement the test results. In so doing the researcher suggested that dimensions of success for a programmer be probed for, during the interview rather than concentrating purely on an aptitude test which could be seen as unfair.en_ZA
dc.identifier.apacitationWarley, J. (1990). <i>The selection of computer programmers : an assessment of fairness</i>. (Thesis). University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Commerce ,Organisational Psychology. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/11427/15979en_ZA
dc.identifier.chicagocitationWarley, John. <i>"The selection of computer programmers : an assessment of fairness."</i> Thesis., University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Commerce ,Organisational Psychology, 1990. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/15979en_ZA
dc.identifier.citationWarley, J. 1990. The selection of computer programmers : an assessment of fairness. University of Cape Town.en_ZA
dc.identifier.ris TY - Thesis / Dissertation AU - Warley, John AB - The shortage of skilled computer staff in South Africa has reached critical proportions. Not only is commerce unable to recruit enough manpower with the required experience and expertise, they are also posed with the problem of high turnover and remunerating a small number of people in excess of their market value. In contrast to this phenomena, South Africa has a vastly under-utilised "other than "white" population of Matriculants and Technikon diplomates. It is hypothesised that the skilled shortage in computer programming could be overcome if more applicants out of this labour segment were given entry level jobs and trained to be productive and competent. This study attempts to address the difficulties of the under-utilised manpower resources by looking at the entry level requirements for computer programmers. Since for industry as a whole, aptitude tests are used on applicants for entry level programmers, one of these tests, viz. the National Institute of Personnel Research General Aptitude Battery was investigated. It was hypothesised that the instrument was an unfair selection tool· as most "other than white" applicants evaluated did not perform as well as the white applicants. The sample comprised of technikon students who had passed at least their first year of the Computer Data Processing Diploma. Thirty five were selected and matched from a white and forty three from a so-called "coloured" institution. The results of this cross cultural research design in a field setting were statistically analysed and findings were that the "coloured" group scored far lower than that of the white group. Therefore, the researcher concluded that the test battery was not a good predictor of success and should not be used across population groups, as it could lead to an unfair labour practice. It was proposed instead that a biographical structured interview guide based on the accomplishments of applicants ·be used to supplement the test results. In so doing the researcher suggested that dimensions of success for a programmer be probed for, during the interview rather than concentrating purely on an aptitude test which could be seen as unfair. DA - 1990 DB - OpenUCT DP - University of Cape Town LK - https://open.uct.ac.za PB - University of Cape Town PY - 1990 T1 - The selection of computer programmers : an assessment of fairness TI - The selection of computer programmers : an assessment of fairness UR - http://hdl.handle.net/11427/15979 ER - en_ZA
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11427/15979
dc.identifier.vancouvercitationWarley J. The selection of computer programmers : an assessment of fairness. [Thesis]. University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Commerce ,Organisational Psychology, 1990 [cited yyyy month dd]. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/11427/15979en_ZA
dc.language.isoengen_ZA
dc.publisher.departmentOrganisational Psychologyen_ZA
dc.publisher.facultyFaculty of Commerceen_ZA
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Cape Town
dc.subject.otherIndustrial and Organizational Psychologyen_ZA
dc.titleThe selection of computer programmers : an assessment of fairnessen_ZA
dc.typeMaster Thesis
dc.type.qualificationlevelMasters
dc.type.qualificationnameMAen_ZA
uct.type.filetypeText
uct.type.filetypeImage
uct.type.publicationResearchen_ZA
uct.type.resourceThesisen_ZA
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