Jannick Schneider

Psychological tests play a pivotal role in high-stakes decisions such as recruitment, yet traditional development guidelines concentrate fairness work downstream — at test administration and post hoc statistical bias correction — while offering little concrete guidance for the design stage, where constructs are defined and operationalized. Drawing on constructivist and organizational justice theories, we argue that a “bias by design” arises when unexamined default assumptions narrow construct representation, systematically disadvantaging groups before any item is administered. We develop this for cognitive ability tests, which exhibit the largest subgroup differences among common selection instruments and routinely rely on figural matrices as proxies for general ability, thereby disadvantaging women. We contrast procedural justice (standardized administration) with distributive justice (equitable score distributions), clarifying that the latter applies to a principled class of constructs — latent and content-general, such as fluid intelligence — for which content-linked group differences signal construct-irrelevant variance rather than true differences. To address this gap, we adapt Stanford’s Gendered Innovations framework and demonstrate its application through the Modularer Kurzintelligenztest (M-KIT; Dantlgraber et al., 2015). Fairness can be addressed at three hierarchically ordered levels, where higher levels constrain lower ones: the theoretical model (broadening construct representation), the task format (removing construct-irrelevant demands), and the item (differential item functioning as final refinement, not primary remedy). We distill practical recommendations for embedding distributive justice early, including questioning default assumptions and documenting fairness deliberations. Our approach reframes fairness not as a trade-off but as integral to validity, offering a roadmap for more inclusive assessments.

Shared values between employees and their organization constitute a central prerequisite of organizational identification. However, research on person‐organization (PO) fit has largely relied on assumptions of uniformly beneficial value congruence. In the present study, we integrate the Circular Work Value Theory with PO fit research to examine how the motivational content of personal work values shapes organizational identification in interaction with organizational culture. Using cross‐sectional data from 2151 employees nested within 54 organizations, we applied multilevel polynomial regression with response surface analysis to investigate value congruence between employees' higher‐order work values and their organizations' culture for psychological empowerment. In addition, drawing on social identity theory, we examined identity leadership as a moderator influencing the relation between the level of value congruence and organizational identification. Results revealed systematic asymmetries and non‐linear patterns across value domains. Whereas conservation and self‐enhancement values show largely linear and positive associations with organizational identification in high‐empowerment cultures, openness to change and self‐transcendence exhibit curvilinear relations, indicating diminishing or even adverse effects at higher value levels. Moreover, when employees' leaders were high in identity leadership, individuals across a broader range of conservation and self‐enhancement values showed higher organizational identification. Overall, this study advances PO fit theory by integrating a circumplex work‐value framework with multilevel congruence modeling and identity‐based leadership processes, offering actionable insights for organizations seeking to strengthen identification through value‐sensitive culture design and leadership practices.

Research on work values is affected by construct proliferation, weak theoretical integration, and sociocultural blind spots. We address these issues by grounding work values in a motivational continuum via the Circular Work Value Theory. We introduce the modular Circular Work Value Scale (CWVSmod), assessing work values at three levels of abstraction. Across four studies (N = 7,516), we develop, validate, and norm the scales.Study 1 used algorithm-based item selection to construct three scales. Confirmatory factor analyses indicated acceptable fit and measurement invariance (MI) held across age and gender. Study 2 examined cross-language validity: strict MI across countries was supported, correlations with higher-order basic values aligned with theory. Study 3 mapped the nomological network, yielding largely expected convergent/discriminant patterns with personality traits and work behaviors consistent with the circumplex structure. Study 4 provided representative German norms for one module by age, gender, and education; strict MI across demographics and time, and retest reliability, were supported. Across all four studies, the circumplex structure of conflict and compatibility was largely corroborated, with observable deviations of Hedonism-Compatibility. The CWVSmod offers theory-consistent, psychometrically robust, and comparable assessments while its modular design enables efficient screening and fine-grained diagnostics.

This paper addresses challenges in personal work value research, particularly the lack of theoretical and explanatory foundations. With a focus on lists of constructs and potential biases and blind spots in past work value conceptualizations, the diversity of instruments used to assess values in organizational settings has led to ambiguity and incomplete progress in the field. By integrating propositions from basic value research, this paper develops a comprehensive work value theory. The theory is based on the compatibility and conflict of underlying basic motivational goals in work contexts, as postulated by the theory of basic human values. We review past instruments from work value research to consider a broad range of constructs with the purpose of refining broader work value constructs and enhance their theoretical capabilities in organizational settings. To achieve that, we resolve definitional inconsistencies, enable a context-sensitive theorizing of values in a motivational circumplex and broaden the scope of work value constructs to cover personal and social-focused dimensions. The latter is discussed considering the fantasmatic logic of neoliberal ideology. The developed theoretical framework can guide future research on the role of work values for organizational behavior and organizational performance, as well as on the role of fit between personal and organizational values. The paper concludes by highlighting the need to empirically validate the proposed work value model across different cultures and organizational contexts.

Purpose: This study investigates the differential effectiveness of leadership styles within the German Federal Police Office, focusing on how these styles interact with employees' personal values to influence organizational identification (OI). Thus, we investigate the augmentation hypothesis and explore the moderating effects of personal values on leadership effectiveness regarding OI. Design/methodology/approach: Utilizing a quantitative cross-sectional design, the study analyzes responses from 1,816 police employees via the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire and Portraits Value Questionnaire. Hierarchical regressions are used to analyze the hypothesized associations. Findings: The results indicate that transformational leadership significantly enhances OI more than transactional or laissez-faire leadership. Moderating effects of personal values reveal complex interactions: while transformational leadership consistently predicts higher OI, transactional leadership’s effectiveness varies according to the employees' values such as Conformity and Tradition enhancing OI, Universalism and Benevolence diminishing it. These findings suggest that leadership effectiveness in policing is contingent on aligning leadership style with the personal values of the employees. Originality/value: This research contributes to the understanding of how personal values modulate the impact of leadership styles on organizational outcomes within police organizations. It underscores the necessity for police leaders to consider the value profiles of their employees to optimize OI and effectiveness. The study is among the first to systematically explore these dynamics within a law enforcement context, providing empirical evidence to inform targeted leadership development and policy-making in policing.

Objectives: Addressing the lack of German-language instruments, this study aims to develop a questionnaire that enables the measurement of work values. According to the theory of basic human values (Schwartz, 1992), a culturally fitting questionnaire is validated by covering constructs in the four broader dimensions of Social, Prestige, Intrinsic, and Extrinsic work values. Convergent, discriminant and incremental congruent validity are assessed.Method: Data were collected in a cross-sectional online-based panel survey. Individuals working more than 20 h per week were included (N = 1,049). Using a genetic algorithm, an economical and valid questionnaire was designed to assess work values.Results: The 11 work values are measurable with three items each. They provide a good fit to the data with support for strict measurement invariance. The empirical associations to estimate construct validity overall reflect expected relations to social and individualistic work motives, neuroticism, environmental awareness, and basic values. Furthermore, congruent incremental validity is supported with relations to value congruence of the person–organization fit, and multidimensional scaling supports the assumed theoretical circularity of the work values.Implications: This study developed a questionnaire that enables a theory-based valid measurement of work values. The questionnaire allows practitioners to economically collect information about the value structure of employees or applicants. Future research should consider the development of work values over time and investigate whether more distinctive constructs provide a better fit in the nomological network.