My research in Organizational Behaviour

My primary research interests revolve around personnel selection and diversity in the workplace. In my experience, these two topics, which may initially appear disparate, regularly influence one another, driving interesting research questions as they are integrated. As personnel selection processes act as the gateway into organizations and advancement within organizations, they are ideally suited to exploring the influence of biases that might act against a sustainable, inclusive workplace. I am interested in how my primary research areas can generate insight into all aspects of organizations, and how the development of improved employee selection processes that take diversity goals into account, can benefit not only an organization, but society as a whole.

In support of my research, I have been awarded the Canada Graduate Scholarship at both the Master’s and Doctoral levels from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, as well as the Ontario Graduate Scholarship twice at the Doctoral level from the Government of Ontario. I have also been awarded the Best Masters Thesis Award by the Human Resources Research Institute.

In 2020, my co-authors, Stephen Risavy, Chet Robie, and I were awarded an Insight Development Grant from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada for our project, Helping technology start-up companies grow: A focus on evidence-based hiring practices.

Current research activity

I have a number of projects on the go, all aimed at solving practical problems being faced by businesses and organizations around the world. My most recent conference presentation was at the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology in Seattle, Washington:

Fisher, P. A., Robie, C., & Christiansen, N. D. (2022, April). Forced-Choice and Faking: A Monte Carlo Simulation of Forced-Choice Assessment Designs Under Faking Conditions. In A. W. Meade (chair), Do Forced Choice Measures Reduce Faking and Improve Validity?.

Prior to that, I presented at the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology, virtually, in June, 2020:

Fisher, P. A., Robie, C., & Rock, L. (2020, April). Does General Mental Ability Saturate Faking Behavior on the RRM? In A. W. Meade (chair), Life in the Fast Lane: Advances in Rapid Response Measurement.

Fisher, P. A., Rupayana, D. D., Robie, C., & Hedricks, C. (2020, April). Gender and employment references: The susceptibility of quantitative vs. qualitative references to gender bias.

I'm always looking for new research opportunities and project ideas. If you're interested in working on a project, please feel free to connect with me!

Selected Publications

Fisher, P. A. Robie, C., Hedricks, C. A., Rupayana, D. D., & Puchalski, L. (in press). Little Cause for Concern: Analysis of Gender Effects in Structured Employment References. International Journal of Selection and Assessment.

Risavy, S. D., Robie, C., Fisher, P. A., Komar, J., & Perossa, A. (2021). Selection Tool Use in Canadian Tech Companies: Assessing and Explaining the Research-Practice Gap. Canadian Journal of Behavioural Science / Revue Canadienne des Sciences du Comportement, 53(4), 445-455.

Murphy, S. A., Fisher, P. A., & Robie, C. (2021). International Comparison of Gender Differences in the Five-Factor Model of Personality: An Investigation Across 105 Countries. Journal of Research in Personality, 90, 104047.

Fisher, P. A., Risavy, S. D., Robie, C., König, C. J., Christiansen, N. D., Tett, R. P., Simonet, D. V. (in press). Selection myths: A replication, extension, and comparison to HR professionals’ beliefs about effective human resource practices in the United States and Canada. Journal of Personnel Psychology.

Risavy, S. D., Fisher, P. A., Robie, C., & König, C. J. (2019). Selection tool use: A focus on personality testing in Canada, the United States, and Germany. Personnel Assessment and Decisions, 5(1), 62-72.

Media

You can read about some of my recent work with SkillSurvey, Inc. here: New SkillSurvey Research Finds That Quality, Structured References Help Negate Gender Bias In Hiring

You can read about my Master's Research Project, which was profiled here: Laurier student's award-winning research suggests startups websites could inadvertently give men career advantages

Consulting

In an effort to maintain a good grasp of real-world selection practices, and with the hope of applying my research to solve real-world problems, I actively consult with a variety of organizations, such as SkillSurvey and TotalHire.