Human Resources Management for Public and Nonprofit Organizations

Recruitment and Selection in the Public and Nonprofi t Sectors 205

encounter in their jobs. One ’ s practical intelligence is infl uenced by the

context of the problem or situation (Albrecht, 2007). Practical intelligence

is important for success in our society and yet rarely is taught explicitly

or tested systematically. The effi cacy of using tests that measure practical

intelligence or common sense to predict job performance has started to

be discussed in the personnel literature. McDaniel, Finnegan, Morgeson,

Campion, and Braverman (1997, 2001) found that measures of common

sense or practical intelligence are correlated with job performance and

cognitive ability. Smith and McDaniel (1997) found that situational judg-

ment measures also correlate with job performance and are infl uenced

by experience, personality, and cognitive factors. Their study provided an

observed validity coeffi cient of .31 across aggregated occupations in the

service, engineering, and business sectors.

Adaptability

Adaptive job performance is characterized by the ability and willingness to

cope with uncertain, new, and rapidly changing conditions on the job. Per-

sonnel must adjust to new equipment and procedures, function in chang-

ing environments, and continuously learn new skills. Technological change

requires the organization of work - around projects rather than well - defi ned

and stable jobs, which requires workers who are suffi ciently fl exible to be

effective in poorly defi ned roles. Pulakos, Arad, Donovan, and Plamondon

(2000) identifi ed eight dimensions of adaptive performance: (1) handling

emergencies or crisis situations, (2) handling work stress, (3) solving prob-

lems creatively, (4) dealing with uncertain and unpredictable work situations,

(5) learning work tasks, technologies, and procedures, (6) demonstrating

interpersonal adaptability, (7) demonstrating cultural adaptability, and

(8) demonstrating physically oriented adaptability.

Multiple Intelligences

The theory of multiple intelligences maintains that there are many kinds of

intelligences that are not measured through standardized paper - and - pencil

tests. Howard Gardner has identifi ed eight-and-one - half intelligences. The

eight intelligences are logical - mathematical, linguistic, musical, spatial,

bodily - kinesthetic, interpersonal, intrapersonal, and naturalist. Gardner

considers spiritual - existential intelligence as half an intelligence because of

its perplexing nature (Gardner, 1993, 1999; Gardner & Hatch, 1989).