Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Why Doesn't Social Support Always Work?: Evaluating The Effects Of Support Source, Support Type, And Individual Differences On Workplace Strain, Alyx E'Lan Kahler

Theses Digitization Project

The experience of stress in the workplace is becoming an increasing concern for employees and organizations alike, as research indicates that consistent exposure to stress is associated with negative physical and psychological reactions such as insomnia, depression and high blood pressure. This study seeks to evaluate the effects of social support on the stress-strain relationship and factors that may impact the effectiveness of social support in reducing the workplace strain.

Networking In The 21st Century: The Influence Of Self-Esteem On Networking Behaviors, Cassaundra Renee Leier

Theses Digitization Project

Networking has been demonstrated as an effective strategy for attaining career success. The present study examined the relationship between self-esteem and media preference for engaging in social networking. The purpose of this study was to examine self-esteem as a predictor of media preferences for engaging in social networking in a work-based content. While networking relationships have the potential to benefit one's social and personal life, the focus of the present study is on developing relationships to build social capital and advance one's career. The findings of this study demonstrate the importance of self-esteem for engaging in social networking activities.

The Influence Of Cultural Perspectives And Conflict Resolution On Employee Perceptions Of Leadership Effectiveness, Cynthia Lorraine Owens

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of this study was to examine how cultural values and conflict resolution influence the perceptions employees form about their managers. The sample for this study included 118 participants representing various organizations from the United States.

Predictors Of Sexual Harassment Experiences And Their Cross-Cultural Differences: A Workplace Study Among Women From The United States, Puerto Rico, And Japan, Gustavo Segura

Theses Digitization Project

This study evaluates the influences of individualism, feminism, and extroversion on sexual harassment experiences, as well as the differences of these variables across cultures. Data was collected from 495 female employees located in the United States, Puerto Rico, and Japan.

Police Stress, Dennis J. Stevens

Political Science & Global Affairs Faculty Publications

This entry defines police officer stress and describes its consequences, origins, and the individual and organizational methods to control it. Controlling stress can enhance the delivery of police services and guide officers toward healthy lifestyles. One definition of stress is the wear and tear our bodies and minds experience as we react to physiological, psychological, and environmental changes throughout our lives. It is a nonspecific response of the body to a demand for change. Its centerpiece is the relationship between an external event and an internal response: For every action, there’s a reaction.

Situationist Torts, John D. Hanson, Michael Mccann

Law Faculty Scholarship

This Article calls for a situationist approach to teaching law, particularly tort law. This new approach would begin by rejecting the dominant, common-sense account of human behavior (sometimes called dispositionism) and replacing it with the more accurate account being revealed by the social sciences, such as social psychology, social cognition, cognitive neuroscience, and other mind sciences. At its core, situationism is occupied with identifying and bridging the gap between what actually moves us, on one hand, and what we imagine moves us, on the other. Recognizing that gap is critical for understanding what roles tort law (among other areas of …

Moderators Of The Relationship Between The Quality Of Leader-Member Exchange Relationship (Lm) And Organizational Citizenship Behaviors (Ocb), Jennifer Anne Lee

Theses Digitization Project

There have been many theories that have examined how leaders can be effective within an organization. The purpose of this study was to determine whether or not personality would strengthen or weaken the relationship between the quality of one's relationship with their leader (LMX) and performance outcomes (OCB). Personality did not act as a moderator. In order to test this, 127 participants of both men and women from various organizational and educational backgrounds were surveyed.

Effects Of Organizational Communication On Employee Perceptions During Organizational Change, James Kelly Doran

Theses Digitization Project

This research study examines the effects of organizational communication, a sub-dimensional construct on employee outcomes. It was proposed that organizational communication as indicated by timelines, reliability, and comprehensiveness of communication would predict the employee outcomes of intention to leave, job insecurity, and organizational cynicism in a negative direction. Participants, representing employees from several customer service organizations in Southern California experiencing orgaizational change, completed a questionaire consisting of multiple measurements in the areas of interest.

Exploring The Components Of Privacy To Predict Satisfaction And Justice In The Workplace, Matthew Patrick Cloney

Theses Digitization Project

This study investigated the existence of a new type of privacy, called e-mail privacy, in order to determine if modern technology has created a new dimension of this construct. It also examined the relationship between factors of privacy- physical, informational, and electronic mail related. Finally, this study examined the relationship between the different aspects of workplace privacy and employee outcomes. It was hypothesized that the construct of privacy would predict procedural justice and job satisfaction, and that the relationship between privacy and job satisfaction is mediated by procedural justice. A model was developed for this study to be tested with …

The Effects Of Age, Computer Self-Efficacy, Comptuer Anxiety, And Computer Experience On Training Method Preference In Employees, Jennifer Lee Cremer

Theses Digitization Project

Employeees and organizations can both benefit from work-related training opportunities. This study focused on variables that have been found to influence training motivation in regards to computer related training, specifically computer self-efficacy, computer anxiety, computer experience and age.

An Exploration Of Generation Y'S Experiences Of Offshore Fly-In/Fly-Out (Fifo) Employment, Tayla Carter

Theses : Honours

Australia is currently experiencing an ageing of its population, which has the potential to significantly impact on society, namely, employment. With the entry of Generation Y (Gen Y), the Australian workforce consists of four generations who are working increasingly longer hours. Extended working hours has been recognised as a risk factor for several undesirable consequences and is distinctive of fly in/fly out (FIFO) employment. The purpose of the review is to explore the literature which addresses the impact of FIFO employment with a following emphasis on issues surrounding Gen Y. A range of published work was incorporated from the fields …

Effects Of Leader Relationship Quality (Lmx), Supervisor Support, And Upward Influence In National Science Foundation Industry /University Cooperative Research Centers, Janet L. Bryant

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

The Industry/University Cooperative Research Center (I/UCRC) is a type of partnership between industries and universities supported by the National Science Foundation. These partnerships enable the transfer of leading-edge technology developed in universities to industrial firms. Leadership plays a powerful role in the success of these research partnerships by creating an environment that is conducive to innovation. Directors of I/UCRCs must be able to successfully lead upward, that is, develop and maintain strong relationships with the university administrators to whom they report, to obtain the necessary support to sustain the center and foster innovation. This study uses leader-member exchange (LMX) theory …

In-Car Navigation Systems: The Effects Of Landmark Specificity And Map Rotation On Spatial Knowledge And Route Acquisition, Tiffany N. Saffell

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Current in-car navigation systems do not refer to environmental landmarks when providing directions to drivers. Instead, they provide guidance by presenting drivers with distance-to-turn information. Default displays use track-up map orientations. These display conditions do not facilitate the acquisition of spatial knowledge. As a consequence, drivers using these systems are unlikely to acquire spatial knowledge needed to judge the reasonableness of the directions they are receiving, leaving them susceptible to accepting directions that are grossly incorrect and dangerous (Forbes and Burnett, 2007). Landmarks have been shown to be critical sources of information when people acquire both route and configural spatial …

Adaptive Performance: An Examination Of Convergent And Predictive Validity, Charlene K. Stokes

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the present study was twofold: 1) to examine the convergent validity of the two foremost measurement methods, subjective and objective, used to assess adaptive performance; and 2) to examine the predictive validity of variables across measurement methods using a path model framework. Specifically, various dispositional traits are posited to influence adaptive performance through the mediating mechanisms of stress appraisals and self-efficacy. Beyond examining the potential causal paths associated with predictors, the study included a commensurate focus on adaptability as an outcome and addressed the measurement issues that surround adaptive performance. Participants (N = 275) in teams of …

How Openness To Experience And Prejudicial Attitudes Shape Diversity Training Outcomes, Suzanne L. Dean

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated the effectiveness of diversity training on a diversity training outcome measure when considering participant levels of Openness to Experience, sexism, and racism. Because past literature has demonstrated a positive relationship between Openness to Experience and training outcomes and a negative relationship between prejudicial attitudes and diversity training outcomes, these variables were treated as main effects in Multiple Regression equations. This study demonstrated that diversity awareness training increases participant understanding of legal issues related to workplace diversity. However, diversity training outcomes were not greatly affected by implicit or explicit prejudicial attitudes or Openness to Experience.

Narcissism, Over-Optimism, Fear, Anger, And Depression: The Interior Lives Of Corporate Leaders, Jayne W. Barnard

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

The Dynamics Of Workplace Harassment And Revenge: Mediation And Moderation Effects, Qiang Wang

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the mediating role of rumination, state anger, and blame attribution, and the moderating role of trait forgiveness in the relationship between workplace harassment and revenge behavior. Results based on a sample of 310 employed students suggested that workplace harassment is positively associated with both major revenge and minor revenge. Also, the multiple mediation test showed that rumination, state anger, and blame attribution completely mediate the proposed relationships between workplace harassment and both types of revenge behavior. In addition, as proposed, trait forgiveness moderated the relationship between two internal states (i.e., state anger and blame attribution) and major …

The Moderating Influence Of Stress Appraisals And Affect On Performance Under Fatigue, Regina M. Schmidt

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

This study demonstrated that in a group of seventeen active duty soldiers, performance on an attack combat simulation significantly degraded after approximately 30 h of sleep deprivation. In addition, individual differences were identified, as approximately half of the participants maintained performance throughout the sleep deprivation period, while other participants degraded in performance. The main objective of this study was to test the efficacy of micro-level cognitive performance and subject state factors to account for this dichotomy in performance that was particular to the last testing session. Results showed that performance on a decision making test with rapid reaction time constraints …

Analytic-Holistic Thinking, Information Use, And Sensemaking During Unfolding Events, Mei-Hua Lin

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

In complex domains such as commerce, military operations, transportation, and humanitarian efforts, practitioners are sometimes overwhelmed by uncertain, contradictory, and dynamic information. They must obtain, organize, interpret, and use this information often under time pressure and high stakes during sensemaking. While sensemaking is a gateway to information management, sensemaking also depends on information management; the gathering and use of information provides the raw material for sensemaking. These processes work together to help people understand complex situations but are vulnerable to cultural as well as individual variation in cognition. This study investigated individual cognitive and personality differences that may affect information …

A Construct Validation Of The Neutral Objects Satisfaction Questionnaire (Nosq), Kevin J. Eschleman

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

The current study is a construct validation of the Neutral Objects Satisfaction Questionnaire (NOSQ). The study includes tests of convergent and discriminant validity. Specifically, the NOSQ had more empirical overlap with affective-oriented dispositions (i.e., positive affectivity, negative affectivity, neuroticism, extraversion, trait anxiety, trait anger, trait depression, and cheerfulness) than with cognitive-oriented dispositions (i.e., need for cognition, general self-efficacy, and locus of control). In addition, the NOSQ had greater empirical overlap with the aforementioned affective-oriented dispositions than with a measure of temporal affect (i.e., mood). Correlations between the NOSQ and both job satisfaction and job cognitions were also compared, but no …

Exploring Team Dynamics: The Evolution Of Coordination In A Complex Command And Control Environment, Daniel H. Schwartz

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

The present study explores the dynamic and emergent behavior of two teams, separately working through a synthetic task environment representing a battle management command and control domain under two levels of organizational centralization. While the manipulation of centralization had minimal effects on overall performance, evidence suggested that the need to seek authorization for actions from a central authority was a source of frustration. Both teams adapted over time, changing patterns of coordination to better meet the task demands. The results are discussed in the context of the concepts of normal accidents, high reliability organizations, and self-organization in complex organizations. Specific …

Multi-Uav Control: An Envisioned World Design Problem, Mona T. Stilson

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Predator Unmanned Aerial Vehicle assets are in high demand in the theater of operations for supporting the Global War on Terror and this demand is expected to increase. This work involved exploratory case study research into the envisioned world design problem of networked Predator multi-UAV control, as a candidate for meeting higher Predator sortie requirements without the need for a one for one increase in pilots. The concept involves the development of a potential new position for controlling multiple UAVs, called the Multi-Aircraft Manager (MAM). The goal was to analyze work requirements and develop representational models of the structure of …

Personal Characteristics And The Impact Of Transformational Leadership Behaviors On Follower Outcomes, Charles N. Thompson

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Transformational leadership has emerged as the dominant model for understanding how leaders impact affective and behavioral responses of their followers. The current study investigated the extent to which follower core self-evaluation (Judge et al., 1997) and affect-based trust in leadership impact the relationship between transformational leadership behaviors and work outcomes, such as follower job satisfaction, satisfaction with the leader, perceptions of job core characteristics, and organizational citizenship behaviors. Follower core self-evaluation was found to moderate the relationship between transformational leadership behaviors and follower job satisfaction and satisfaction with the leader. Affect-based trust in the leader was found to fully mediate …

Measuring Configural Spatial Knowledge With Alternative Pointing Judgments, Lisa J. Douglas

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Configural spatial knowledge has been tested by having people point from one object to another or by having them sketch maps from memory. Several different pointing judgments have been used, but these judgments appear to differ both in superficial characteristics and in their implied theoretical mental model of spatial representation. This experiment compares two different pointing judgments: judgments of relative direction, based on a quasi-Euclidean model of spatial representation; and object-based judgments, based on an object reference model of spatial representation. Results supported the object reference model. Object-based judgments were more accurate, were made with more confidence and had shorter …

The Co-Mentoring Project: Overview And Outcomes, Renee A. Zucchero

Faculty Scholarship

The Co-mentoring Project matched developmental psychology students with older adult volunteers for an intergenerational learning experience. Students conducted a biopsychosocial life review to increase understanding of older adult development and the continuity in lifespan development. Each student developed a summary paper containing the older adult's life history, a developmental analysis, and personal reflection. A project description, including the scholarship of teaching and learning, and an overview of its outcomes are presented. The project goal was accomplished; students positively evaluated learning outcomes and displayed a significant increase in knowledge about older adults and aging. Implications for college instructors are discussed. (Contains …

The Whistleblower In The Workplace: The Influence Of The Personal Characteristics Of Individuals Who Have Blown The Whistle In One Australian Context, Sharan Kraemer

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Whistleblowing is not a new phenomenon but recent technological advances, which make corrupt behaviour difficult to hide, have exposed whistleblowingg as a burgeoning problem on several levels: international, national and local. Whistleblowing presents problems not only for the organisation which must deal with the offender, contain any damage to its reputation and manage the problems that enabled the corrupt behaviour in the first place; but it presents problems for the whistleblower. While ultimately an organisation may benefit from a whistleblower's action, the whistle blower's journey is rarely without sacrifices. Individual whistleblowers must call upon personal strengths to report misconduct despite …

Benchmarking The Board-Executive Director Relationship Of The Fayette Foundation, Jodie Butler Markey

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

The Fayette Foundation is a young, nonprofit organization in Lexington. Although it has only been incorporated for four years, it has already raised over one million dollars to fulfill the organization’s mission. The executive director has been with the organization for two years and believes that a strong relationship with the board is important for the success of the organization. As a result, the executive director would like to find out how to maximize the effectiveness of the board-executive director relationship.

The research question asks what makes an effective board-executive director relationship, as well as which elements of the organization …

Reducing Adolescents' Perceived Barriers To Treatment And Increasing Help-Seeking Intentions: Effects Of Classroom Presentations By General Practitioners., Coralie J. Wilson

Coralie J Wilson

The Building Bridges to General Practice (BBGP) program is an outreach initiative (written by the first author). It aims to reduce young peoples’ perceived knowledge- and belief-based barriers to engaging in treatment and to increase their behavioral intentions to consult a general medical practitioner (GP) for physical and psychological problems. By increasing intentions, the BBGP program aims to increase actual consultations with a GP for both types of problem. The current paper is the first of a series that report results from a larger multi-cite research project, developed and led by the first author, which examines the impact of BBGP …

Reducing Adolescents' Perceived Barriers To Treatment And Increasing Help-Seeking Intentions: Effects Of Classroom Presentations By General Practitioners., Coralie J. Wilson

Frank Deane

The Building Bridges to General Practice (BBGP) program is an outreach initiative (written by the first author). It aims to reduce young peoples’ perceived knowledge- and belief-based barriers to engaging in treatment and to increase their behavioral intentions to consult a general medical practitioner (GP) for physical and psychological problems. By increasing intentions, the BBGP program aims to increase actual consultations with a GP for both types of problem. The current paper is the first of a series that report results from a larger multi-cite research project, developed and led by the first author, which examines the impact of BBGP …