Directorate of distance education master of business administration

participate in determining the job dimensions. 
4. 
As the evaluation is done in terms of specific behaviours, 
the  appraiser  can give objective feedback on how the 
person performed and on what specific behaviour the 
concerned person should improve. 
Assessment Centers 
The concept of assessment centers was started in Germany in 1930s 
by the War office selection Board for military situation.  The objective 
was to test candidates in a social situation, using number of assessors and 
a variety of procedures.  Gradually this concept crept in to industries and 
companies.  An assessment centre is a central location where managers 
come together and participate in a number of simulated exercises, on 
the basis of appraisers.  The task Force on Development of Assessment 
centre standards has recommended the following requirements. 
a) 
Multiple assessment techniques should be used.  One of 
these techniques should be simulation. 
b) 
Multiple trained assessors should be used. 
c) 
Judgment should be based on pooled information from all 
assessors. 
d) 
Evaluation should be made at a time different from the 
observation of behaviour. 
e) 
Simulation exercise should be tested for their reliability, 
validity and objectivity. 
f) 
The dimensions, attributes, characteristics or qualities 
evaluated by the programme shall be determined by an 
analysis of relevant job behaviour. 
Objectives 
The objectives of Assessment Centers are:
a) 
For measuring potential for first level supervision, upper 

---

137
management positions and also higher level management 
positions. 
b) 
For determining the training and development needs of 
employees 
c) 
For selecting recent college students for entry level positions
d) 
For making early determination of potential and 
e) 
For assisting in implementing affirmative action goals. 
In spite of being a time consuming and costly affair, assessment centre 
has the following merits: 
a) 
The assessment is based on the direct observation of a 
relatively large sample of the assesses’ behaviors.
b) 
The assesses’ behaviours are observed in simulated situations 
which are close to the actual workplace and 
c) 
Since assessment is based on composite, pooled judgements 
of several appraisers, personal biases, false inference are 
minimized.