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This paper analyzes the discourse of personnel psychology through reference to the work of Michel Foucault. It particularly focuses on the personnel psychology discursive practices known as assessment centers, since they represent one of the most advanced technologies of personnel psychology and form part of 'best practice' prescription, both for efficient personnel management, and as a means of protecting equal opportunities. The discursive development of assessment centers is examined through a detailed analysis of their development and deployment as War Office Selection Boards (or 'WOSBs') during the Second World War. The paper argues that the deployment of WOSBs deviated from prescribed practice and from the logic and discipline of personnel psychology discourse. In consequence, they could not remain a reliable guarantor of efficient personnel management, or protect equal opportunity. This deviation is discussed in relation to limitations of applying Foucauldian analysis to the study of discourse and human agency. (Reprinted by permission of the publisher.), Introduction This paper examines the role of the discourse of personnel psychology in providing a logic and a technology for formalizing personnel selection. The principal theoretical reference point of the [...]

The Type A behavior pattern (TABP) and internality-externality (I-E) have considerable moderating effects on the relationship between changes in job demands and psychological strain. The data were derived from a study of the early careers of graduate engineers in the UK. The results indicated that the TABP was associated with neither increased strain nor increased job demands. Externality was associated with both increased job demands and strain.

Problems relating to the operationalization and conceptualization of various concepts in stress research are considered. The specific concepts include coping behavior, coping style, stress, and strain. Results indicate that researchers need to make distinctions between respondents' descriptions and evaluations of events and to pay attention to the relationship between chronic and acute stress. Results also show that a wide conceptualization of strain should be used. Additionally, researchers should: concentrate on subject groups with a wide range of strain levels; distinguish between long-term coping styles and short-term behaviors; and promote qualitative research in the field of stress.