Introduction and empirical assessment of executive functioning as a predictor of job performance

The primary purposes of this study were (a) to introduce the concept of executive functioning (higher-level cognitive processes which monitor events, actions, and outcomes) to the employee selection literature and (b) to provide an empirical assessment of executive functioning in relation to key selection variables. Two of the three main components of executive functioning (set shifting and inhibition) appear to have considerable potential for selection because of their unique nature (e.g., self-directed, goal-oriented) and because they appear to be only modestly associated with general mental ability. While our empirical results were inconsistent, there may be underlying reasons for this, such as the unstable nature of the retail job sector. We believe there is considerable justification for continued exploration of this unique and potentially promising construct, and identify a number of directions for future research.