This document discusses the important role that psychological assessments played in the transformation of South Africa after apartheid. During apartheid, the education system deliberately disadvantaged non-white populations. After the transition to democracy in 1994, assessments were needed to identify talented individuals from all races in a fair manner. Tests were developed to measure potential rather than prior education. These tests helped address discrimination and place competent people in key positions. Assessments also helped foster understanding of diversity and cultural differences to enhance appreciation of diversity in the workplace.

1. From Adversity to Diversity – The role of assessments in the
transformation of South Africa.
This paper discusses the important role of assessments in the Transformation of South Africa.
The era of apartheid was characterised by a carefully socially engineered system masterminded
by Dry HF Verwoerd – a professor of psychology and sociology. The plan included the
education of black people to be “The hewers of wood” and the “drawers of water” i.e. people
educated to lowly positions. This had a dramatic effect on Education is South Africa and
resulted in a generation of people who were not able to fulfill their potential. When the dawn of
the new democratic South Africa came in 1994, it was essential that talented people of races
other than White could be identified. It was not possible to use results from educational systems
as they could not be regarded as a true reflection of ability. This is where psychological
assessment came into the picture. The new Employment Equity Act (South Africa’s Affirmative
Action Act” covered the issue of psychological testing. The first draft did not mention potential,
so a group of psychologist collaborated with the |Labour Dept. to include a clause of the
assessment of potential. Without this further discrimination may have continued because ability
assessment would favor the better educated white population.
The assessment of potential became a very important issue for the world of psychological
assessments. It resulted in several tests being developed which could measure potential and
not be influenced by education. Some of these have now been introduced into many others
countries in the world such as the UK, USA, and Australia.
Assessment of potential carried some clear guidelines on how this was to be done – it could not
be a verbal assessment because of language differences and thus non-verbal testing was
introduced. Several brilliant South African psychologists earned their doctorates working on
these tests.
Assessments in the process of recruitment and selection
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Organisational Performance
P.O. Box 255
Morningside
Sandton
2057
Anne Newman
Counselling Psychologist
anne@icon.co.za
Cell: 082 570 6803
Ph: 011 463 6982
Fax: 011 706 6988 or 086 602 8350

2. We have very stringent regulations around psychological assessment in South Africa, and this
is appropriate given our history, and the need to establish fair working practices. Assessments
need to be conducted according to competencies profiled for particular job roles. These
competencies include both intellectual ability, potential for development and personal
characteristics.
Many organisations are opting for test batteries designed by psychologist to assist in their
selection of the best person for the job based on assessments as well as other selection
processes such as interviews.
It has become possible to offer these assessments and recommendations for employment.
There was some resistance to assessments when the Employment Equity Act was
promulgated, but now we understand that psychological testing plays a vital role in placing
competent people in key positions.
We have a very wide range of instinctual assessment tools such as the Cognitive process
Profile, The APIL B and TREAM series, the LPCAT, as well as assessment tools for personality
characteristics such as:
Occupational personally Profile
Occupational Personality Questionnaire
EQI 2
MBTI
As well as specific tests such as:
Thomas Kilman Conflict management
Work Related Risk Profile
Once a job has been profiled and key characteristics denied we can use psychological tests to
demine fit for a job.
Assessments to foster understanding and enhance the appreciation of
diversity
Another aspect of the transformation of South African was to learn to value our diversity and to
appreciate rather than denigrate our differences. Many programmes were developed to help
organisations with a cultural change process and a way in which people could learn to
understand each other better and work together more effectively.
Diversity does not only relate to gender and race although many organisations have focussed
mainly on these. The value of diversity becomes apparent when tames learn to work together
using the strengths of people and planning work according to particulate talents.
Diversity is also apparent in differences in attitudes, thinking skills, aspects of emotional
intelligence, The work of Hofstede has brought a great deal of insight into cultural differences in
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3. various countries. His assessment of 6 dimensions of cultural difference has been used to
facilitate communication and working relationships amongst people in very many countries.
His dimensions are:
Power distance
Individualism vs collectivism
Masculinity vs femininity
Uncertainty avoidance
Long term orient orientation vs Short term orientation
Indulgence vs restraint
Organisations working internationally have used his work extensively to foster good
communication and mutual understanding to effect work alliances, trade agreements etc.
Another significant contribution to the debate on people and differences in the work of Gardner
on Multiple intelligences. He postulates that there are many types of intelligence not just the
concept of intellectual intelligence. He defines these as:
Musical- rhythmic
Visual- spatial
Verbal- linguistic
Logical – mathematical
Bodily - kinesthetic
Interpersonal
Intrapersonal
Naturalistic
Steven Stein also contributed with his book the EQ Edge and his journal article entitled “Why
Smart Leaders Fail”. His work, and that of many others, has further enlightened the work on the
qualities of leadership. This will be discussed further under the topic of Diversity and Top
Teams.
In South Africa we have great diversity in cultures and languages. Because we lived apart in
areas designated by colour, our only meeting with people from other races and cultures used to
be in the work place, unless they were people employed to work as housekeepers or graders.
Nowadays this has change but it is still true that for most of us we only really experience
diversity in the workplace.
Assessment to support Diversity in Top Team Management
McKinsey & Coo (Leadership Development Programme) defines the 3 dimensions of Top Teams as:
Alignment:
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4. • Shared assumptions about business context, strategy and goals
• Shared beliefs about the Top Team
• Purpose, values governing behaviour, balance between individual and collective interests
Quality of Execution
• Effective team configuration in terms of structure and processes, mix and level of skills, focus of
time, incentives to work harder
• High quality interaction in terms of respect, understanding, trust. Open communication,
challenge, constructive conflict management and resolution
Ability to renew
• Sustainability which covers investment in team motivation and energy, balance of attention
across difficult horizons and successful planning
• Adaptability of the organisation and its context, openness to change, learning, effective internal
and external communication
Using this model one can plan a Top Team intervention and use assess characteristics to add to the
debate and to help Top Team member to understand and appreciate their strengths and areas of
development, and where particular would be best deployed to enhance team performance.
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