Prediction of multidimensional criteria: Distinguishing task and contextual performance

This study reports the results of a concurrent validation designed to test recent multidimensional theories of job performance. Drawing on Borman and Motowidlo's (1993, 1997) distinctions between task and contextual performance, several alternative measures of performance were examined to assess their unique relations with alternative predictor measures. As expected, results indicated that a measure of cognitive ability added incrementally to the prediction of sales performance after controlling for conscientiousness, but did not add incrementally to the prediction of absenteeism, tardiness, or organizational citizenship. In contrast, a measure of conscientiousness added incrementally to the prediction of absenteeism and citizenship after controlling for cognitive ability, but did not add to the prediction of sales performance or tardiness. The implications of the results for theory building in the area of criterion measurement, and some practical implications of the results for personnel selection, are discussed.