The target of the master thesis is to examine and judge hiring and selection process of employees in the company Citibank. The theoretical part is written on the basis of books and internet resources. The thesis follows on with a practical part. There is examined and judged the hiring and selection process of employees in the Citibank in the practical part of the thesis. The practical part is written on the basis of the Citibank HR documentation and systems, internet resources and the survey for new Citi employees. There can also be found recommendations how to improve the recruitment process in the Citibank in the thesis.

Master of Science / Department of Psychological Sciences / Christopher Lake / While hiring decisions are a frequent organizational occurrence that can substantially impact the decision maker, the organization, and/or society as a whole, employees do not always make optimal hiring decisions. This failure to make optimal decisions may occur because employees do not utilize deliberative processes (e.g., systematically gathering information, evaluating choice alternatives, taking time to decide etc.). Accordingly, the goal of the present study was to propose an integrative model of some antecedents and consequences of deliberative decision making within personnel selection. Data gathered from 322 hiring managers indicated that when managers felt accountable for their hiring decisions and possessed a deliberative decision making style, they were more likely to report making hiring decisions in a deliberative manner. This use of deliberation was, in turn, associated with high quality decisions (i.e., low regret, high satisfaction, and high performance ratings of the person that was hired). The results also indicated the relationship between accountability and decision quality was mediated by deliberative processes. These findings were consistent across multiple hiring decisions. Importantly, these results did not emerge when intuitive processes/style were examined. Collectively, these results help establish the ecological validity of various theories of decision making and specify that deliberative processes are associated with high quality selection decisions. These results can be leveraged by organizations who are interested in encouraging employees to utilize deliberative processes. Given the benefits of deliberative processes, these results may also be leveraged by workers who are interested in achieving higher task performance in their jobs.

Rank minimization with affine constraints has various applications in different area. Due to the intractability of rank function in the objective, many alternative functions have been widely studied in the literature, e.g., nuclear norm, and have been shown an effective way both theoretically and practically. The intractability was bypassed as those functions hold some nice properties such as convexity and differentiability. In this dissertation, we make efforts to improve the rank minimization performance while retaining computation efficiency by exploring the use of a non-convex surrogate of the rank function, namely the so-called Schatten quasi p norm (0 < p < 1). Although the resulting optimization problem is non-convex, we show, for the first time, that a first-order critical point can be approximated to arbitrary accuracy in polynomial time using the proposed potential reduction algorithm in this dissertation. / We then apply the resulting potential reduction algorithm to Sensor Network Localization problem. Currently, a popular approach to localization is using convex relaxation. In a typical application of this approach, the localization problem is first formulated as a rank-constrained semidefinite program (SDP), where the rank corresponds to the target dimension in which the sensors should be localized. Then, the non-convex rank constraint is either dropped or replaced by a convex approximation, thus resulting into a convex optimization problem. Our potential reduction algorithm is applied to the localization problem while the Schatten quasi p norm is employed in localization aiming to minimize the solution rank. Moreover, we show that the first-order critical point, the output of the algorithm, is already suffcient for recovering the node locations in the target dimension if the input instance satisfies certain conditions which has been shown in the literature. Finally, our simulation results show that in many scenarios, our proposed algorithm can achieve better localization in terms of accuracy than the popular SDP relaxations of the problem and its variations. / 线性约束下的矩阵秩最小化在诸多领域有着广泛的应用。然而由于秩的复杂性质，许多研究致力于寻找它的替代函数。例如，核模是其中非常流行的一种，研究已经表明其在理论和应用上的有效性。由于这些替代函数往往具有秩函数所没有的特性，比如凸性，可微分性等等，正是由于这些特性使得其在计算上有着更高的效率保证。在本文中，我们希望通过一种非凸的替代函数来提高这种替代方法的有效性，并且在同时希望能继续保持在计算上的效率，我们使用的这种非凸替代函数被称为Schatten 拟p 模（0 < p < 1）。尽管该优化问题的目标函数是非凸的，我们还是能够第一次证明可以在多项式时间内以任意精度逼近该问题的一阶临界点。 / 同时，我们将得到的势削减算法应用于传感器网络定位问题中。当前，处理该问题的流行方法是使用凸放松。在这种方法中，我们首先将传感器网络定位问题写成一个秩限制条件下的半正定规划问题，它的秩限制条件对应于传感器所在空间的维度。在凸放松方法中，通常这些秩限制条件被直接去除，或者被一个凸函数取代。在我们的方法中，我们使用Schatten拟模作为惩罚函数来优化所得解的秩。我们还证明了在某些条件被满足的情况下，该问题的一阶临界点已经足够用来还原节点的位置。最后我们对多种情景做了模拟实验，结果表明我们提出的算法在准确性上相比流行的半正定规划及其衍生的方法更有优势。 / Ji, Senshan. / Thesis Ph.D. Chinese University of Hong Kong 2015. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 102-110). / Abstracts also in Chinese. / Title from PDF title page (viewed on 06, October, 2016). / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only.

Leung, Kin Pang. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2008. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 70-71). / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / Chapter 1 --- Introduction --- p.1 / Chapter 2 --- Model --- p.4 / Chapter 2.1 --- The Basic Thurstonian Model --- p.4 / Chapter 2.2 --- The Thurstonian Model with Mean Structure in 3-object Ranking Data --- p.6 / Chapter 3 --- Implementation Using the Mx --- p.13 / Chapter 4 --- Simulation Study --- p.21 / Chapter 4.1 --- 2 covariate values --- p.23 / Chapter 4.2 --- 4 covariate values --- p.23 / Chapter 4.3 --- 10 covariate values --- p.23 / Chapter 4.4 --- 50 covariate values --- p.24 / Chapter 5 --- Discussion --- p.37 / Chapter A --- Sample Mx script-2 covariate values --- p.39 / Chapter B --- Sample Mx script-50 covariate values --- p.60 / Bibliography --- p.70

In typical selection processes organizations gather information about an applicant. Rarely, however, do applicants collect equal information about the job or organization. This unequal exchange can inhibit an applicant's participation in the selection process. Studies have shown that realistic job previews (RJPs) positively influence applicants' job expectations, job satisfaction, turnover, selfselection, etc. Applicant self-selection can benefit both the organization and the applicant in terms of time, money, and energy required during the selection process and after organizational entry. The purpose of the present study was to explore the relationship between RJPs and self-selection. The study assessed the influence of a content valid RJP on applicants' job expectations. It also measured the degree of fit between applicants' ideal job ratings and the job in question. This measure of fit was then related to the applicant's propensity to self-select. Twenty six applicants for an emergency 911 position participated. Each participant completed a Job Profile Measure consisting of three scales. These scales included ratings of job tasks (based on a job analysis), job characteristics (the Job Diagnostic Survey by Hackman & Oldham, 1980), and organizational characteristics (the Organizational Culture Profile by O'Reilly, Chatman & Caldwell, 1991 ). Applicants completed the measure before and after viewing the RJP and as a measure of ideal job requirements. Dispatch job incumbents also completed the measure to provide actual job ratings. Results were limited by a small sample size, but several trends were found. T-tests showed that the RJP did not significantly alter applicants' job expectations. However, chi-square analyses indicated that applicant job task ratings were more consistent with incumbent ratings post RJP than pre RJP. MANOVA analyses indicated that applicant Job Profile ratings and incumbent ratings did not significantly converge after viewing the RJP. Self-selection ratings were also not significantly correlated with fit scores, but they were in the predicted direction. Applicant's with lower fit scores were more likely to self-select out of the hiring process. The trends in the data are encouraging, but more research is needed to be conclusive.

Until relatively recently, synonymous codons have been thought to be under very little evolutionary constraint. That has changed, and now codon bias (the preferential use of a subset of synonymous codons for each degenerate amino acid) is being observed in nearly every organism in which it is adequately searched for. Synonymous codons are evolving under weak selection. As such, it is expected that the selective forces driving the distributions of these codons to be more efficient in species with larger effective population sizes than species with smaller population sizes. With this in mind I investigate patterns of weak selection in the Drosophila subobscura species complex. D. subobscura is a widespread, continental species with a Palearctic distribution. In contrast, its sister species D. guanche and D. madeirensis are island endemic species with low population sizes that each share a relatively recent common ancestor with D. subobscura. In Chapter 2, I investigate patterns of molecular divergence between D. subobscura and the two island species. I show that there is considerable selection acting on synonymous codons in D. subobscura, but not as strong in the island species (although it still exists). The main consequence of this is that purifying selection acting against unpreferred codons is active in D. subobscura, but synonymous codons are much less constrained in the island species. This causes the common measurement of the ratio of nonsynonymous to synonymous mutations to appear larger in D. subobscura while both components are actually increased in the island species. In Chapter 3, I focus on D. subobscura and look at patterns of polymorphism within this species. I show that there is a genome wide skew towards low frequency variants, while only the unpreferred to preferred mutation class segregates at higher than expected frequencies. This is indicative of purifying selection acting upon most of the genome, and positive selection pushing preferred codons to higher frequencies.

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This thesis is concerned with the problem of selection of important variables in Principal Component Analysis (PCA) in such a way that the selected subsets of variables retain, as much as possible, the overall multivariate structure of the complete data. Throughout the thesis, the criteria used in order to meet this requirement are collectively referred to as measures of Multivariate Association (MVA). Most of the currently available selection methods may lead to inappropriate subsets, while Krzanowskis (1987) M(subscript)2-Procrustes criterion successfully identifies structure-bearing variables particularly when groups are present in the data. Our major objective, however, is to utilize the idea of multivariate association to select subsets of the original variables which preserve any (unknown) multivariate structure that may be present in the data.The first part of the thesis is devoted to a study of the choice of the number of components (say, k) to be used in the variable selection process. Various methods that exist in the literature for choosing k are described, and comparative studies on these methods are reviewed. Currently available methods based exclusively on the eigenvalues of the covariance or correlation matrices, and those based on cross-validation are unsatisfactory. Hence, we propose a new technique for choosing k based on the bootstrap methodology. A full comparative study of this new technique and the cross-validatory choice of k proposed by Eastment and Krzanowski (1982) is then carried out using data simulated from Monte Carlo experiment.The remainder of the thesis focuses on variable selection in PCA using measures of MVA. Various existing selection methods are described, and comparative studies on these methods available in the literature are reviewed. New methods for selecting variables, based of measures of MVA are then proposed and compared ++ / among themselves as well as with the M(subscript)2-procrustes criterion. This comparison is based on Monte Carlo simulation, and the behaviour of the selection methods is assessed in terms of the performance of the selected variables.In summary, the Monte Carlo results suggest that the proposed bootstrap technique for choosing k generally performs better than the cross-validatory technique of Eastment and Krzanowski (1982). Similarly, the Monte Carlo comparison of the variable selection methods shows that the proposed methods are comparable with or better than Krzanowskis (1987) M(subscript)2-procrustes criterion. These conclusions are mainly based on data simulated by means of Monte Carlo experiments. However, these techniques for choosing k and the various variable selection techniques are also evaluated on some real data sets. Some comments on alternative approaches and suggestions for possible extensions conclude the thesis.

Farmers in the developing world frequently find themselves in uncertain and risky environments: often having to make decisions based on very little information. Functional models are needed to support farmers tactical decisions. In order to develop an appropriate model, a comparison is carried out of potential modelling approaches to address the question of what to grow where. A probabilistic GlS model is identified in this research as a suitable model for this purpose. This model is implemented as the stand-alone Spatial Decision Support System (SDSS) CaNaSTA, based on trial data and expert knowledge available for Central America and forage crops. The processes and methods used address many of the problems encountered with other agricultural DSS and SDSS. CaNaSTA shows significant overlap with recommendations from other sources. In addition, CaNaSTA provides details on the likely adaptation distribution of each species at each location, as well as measures of sensitivity and certainty. The combination of data and expert knowledge in a spatial environment allows spatial and aspatial uncertainty to be explicitly modelled. This is an original approach to the problem of helping farmers decide what to plant where.

This study extends the literature on interview validity by attempting to create a structured employment interview with both construct- and criterion-related validity. For this study, a situational interview was developed with the specific purpose of enhancing the interview's construct validity while retaining the interview's predictive power. To enhance the construct validity, two guidelines were applied to the creation of the interview based on previous research in interview and assessment center literature limit the number of applicant characteristics to be rated to 3; and (2) ensure that the dimensions to be measured are conceptually distinct. Based on these two guidelines, three constructs were chosen for assessment of real estate sales agents extraversion, proactive personality and customer orientation. The critical incident technique was used to develop six interview items. To test the construct validity of the interview, the six items were correlated with other measures, specifically, self-report questionnaires and managers' ratings, of extraversion, proactivity and customer orientation. Correlations were weak, at best (rs ranged from -.06 to .25). To test the predictive validity of the interview, the six items were correlated with both objective and subjective measures of performance. Predictive validities were stronger, ranging from .23 to .30. These findings are consistent with previous research on employment interviews which have found that although the predictive validity of the interview is strong, the construct validity is very weak, leaving researchers to wonder what it is that the interview is actually measuring. Possible explanations for these findings are offered, and the implications of these findings are discussed.