Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Using Normative Messages And Incentives To Improve Organizational Performance, Anna L. Conard

Masters Theses

While social norms have been a popular area of study among social psychologists, they have yet to receive much consideration from an Organizational Behavior Management (OBM) standpoint. Much of OBM research has focused on consequences and the utilization of incentives to improve organizational performance. Such research has shown incentive systems to have sustaining, long-term effects on behaviors. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the impact of normative messages and lottery incentives on organizational performance. Participants were randomly assigned to one of four experimental conditions: a) Standard Message with Lottery Incentive, b) Standard Message without Lottery Incentive, c) …

The Effect Of Motive And Coworker Liking On The Intention To Perform Organizational Citizenship Behavior, Caley M. Foster

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Organizational Citizenship Behavior (OCB) is defined as employee behavior that benefits others yet is not required by the employee’s job description. OCB can be divided into two categories: behavior that is either directed toward individuals (OCBI) or behavior that is directed toward the organization (OCBO). Researchers have posited that there are three different motives behind OCB: impression management, prosocial values, and organizational concern. Additionally, researchers have recognized the importance of coworker relationships within organizations and have suggested that the degree to which one likes his or her coworkers may serve as an additional source of motivation to engage in different …

Observing Culture: Differences In U.S.-American And German Team Meeting Behaviors, Nale Lehmann-Willenbrock, Joseph A. Allen, Annika L. Meinecke

Psychology Faculty Publications

Although previous research has theorized about team interaction differences between the German and U.S. cultures, actual behavioral observations of such differences are sparse. This study explores team meetings as a context for examining intercultural differences. We analyzed a total of 5,188 meeting behaviors in German and U.S. student teams. All teams discussed the same task to consensus. Results from behavioral process analyses showed that German teams focused significantly more on problem analysis, whereas U.S. teams focused more on solution production. Moreover, U.S. teams showed significantly more positive socioemotional meeting behavior than German teams. Finally, German teams showed significantly more counteractive …

An Examination Of Online Volunteers' Organizational And Work-Group Identification And Intent To Leave: A Case Study Of Ocef, Wei Huang

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This study examined the relationships among organizational identification,work-group identification and intent to leave of online volunteers in a nonprofit organization—OCEF. A total of 245 participants completed the online questionnaire. Consonant with previous research findings, organizational identification and work-group identification has positive relationships; however, the hypothesis that both organizational identification and work-group identification negatively predict intent to leave of online volunteers was not supported in the present study. Furthermore, the level of organizational identification and work-group identification of online volunteers were high, but did not have difference in this study.

The Predictors Of Calling And The Role Of Career Satisfaction In Working Adults, Kari Ann Leavell

Dissertations

A significant amount of time in adult life is spent working. Individuals enter into their world of work by many circumstances, including feeling called to a given career or viewing their work as a calling. The psychological construct of calling has been shown to have considerable implications for career-related outcomes, including career satisfaction. Further, satisfaction with work has demonstrated a considerable impact on more global areas such as satisfaction with and quality of life, meaning in life, and religiousness. Increased understanding of the construct of calling and its contribution to career development and career-related outcomes can clarify how individuals’ experiences …

The Effectiveness Of Gain- Versus Loss-Framed Advertisements To Minimize Hazardous Drinking Among University Students: A Test Of Regulatory Fit, Barlas Gunay

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

University binge drinking is a concern. Traditionally, social norms marketing campaigns have been employed. Regulatory focus theory – based on the premise that behavior is driven either by the motivation to maximize gains (promotion) or to minimize losses (prevention) – offers an alternative approach to crafting persuasive appeals in this population. This study investigated the effectiveness of gain-framed versus loss-framed advertisements in lowering drinking intentions in a university sample. It further explored whether the effects were moderated by regulatory focus – primed and dispositional – and trait reactance. Online surveys were completed by 208 Introductory Psychology students (51.7% female, mean …

Enhanced Simulation Of Partial Gravity For Extravehicular Activity, Steven P. Chappell, David M. Klaus

Journal of Human Performance in Extreme Environments

Prior studies of human locomotion under simulated partial gravity have hypothesized that energy expenditure is increased in lunar gravity, as compared to that of Mars. This may be due to subjects having to expend excess energy for stability and posture control in the lower gravitational field. The physiological cause of this suspected ‘‘wasted energy’’ during locomotion in low gravity remains to be determined. This paper outlines factors to be considered for these analyses and enhancements to the simulation method that will enable assessment of inertial stability and associated metabolic cost. A novel simulation technique is proposed for assessing the effects …

The Impact Of Trainee Characteristics On Transfer Of Training Over Time, Kristina N. Bauer

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Given that organizations invest a considerable amount of time and money into the training and development function, it is imperative that trainees transfer the learned material back to the job and continue to use the knowledge/skills. Yet, most studies have not assessed the transfer process over time (i.e., maintenance). Based on the lack of empirical investigation of maintenance, the current study had two goals: (1) to identify which factors are most important for skill maintenance (2) to identify when factors are most important to skill maintenance. To these ends, a model was developed and tested that examines the trainee characteristics …

Pay Satisfaction And Work-Family Conflict Across Time, Devasheesh P. Bhave, Amit Kramer, Theresa M. Glomb

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

On the basis of justice and exchange theories, the authors propose that employees offset their levels of work–family conflict (WFC) with their levels of pay satisfaction. Results based on two waves of data indicate that pay satisfaction has a negative relationship with WFC after controlling for actual pay and other work-related and family-related variables. Analysis of pay satisfaction dimensions reveals that satisfaction with benefits and pay structure are negatively related to WFC, whereas satisfaction with pay level and pay raise are not. Number of dependents and level of education moderate the relationship between pay satisfaction and WFC; specifically, having more …

The Effects Of Leader Behavior On Follower Ethical Behavior: Examining The Mediating Roles Of Ethical Efficacy And Moral Disengagement, Noel Palmer

College of Business: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Recent ethical scandals in organizations are often cited when pointing to leaders as the culprits who foster corruption in their organization; however, little empirical work examines the individual processes through which leaders may influence follower ethical decision-making and behavior. Drawing from principles of social cognitive theory and self-efficacy theory (Bandura, 1986, 1997), moral self-regulatory capacities are presented as a means by which leaders may influence followers. Specifically, I hypothesize that leader influence on follower (un)ethical behavior is mediated through follower ethical efficacy beliefs and moral disengagement processes. I also suggest that ethical efficacy interacts with ethical leadership to influence behavior. …

Advancing Our Understanding Of Team Motivation: Integrating Conceptual Approaches And Content Areas, Guihyun Grace Park, Matthias Spitzmuller, Richard P. Deshon

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Although research on team motivation has been one of the fastest growing research domains in organizational science, progress in this domain has been hampered by a lack of integrative reviews. Thus, we develop a theoretical framework in this article to summarize and discuss different conceptual approaches to team motivation for the following six content areas: team design, team needs, team goals, team self-regulation, team efficacy, and team affect. Our framework organizes previous research according to two dimensions. First, we assess the degree of interdependence between team members’ motivational states, differentiating between models that conceptualize team motivation as functionally equivalent to …

Help-Negation Among Telephone Crisis Support Workers: Impact On Personal Wellbeing And Worker Performance, Coralie J. Wilson

Coralie J Wilson

Telephone crisis supporters (TCSs) provide front line mental health support to callers in crisis. TCSs often support callers with suicidal thoughts, depression and anxiety, and the caller’s experience of the call will influence whether they will seek help from a crisis support service in the future. Despite their important role, little information on TCSs’ mental health and help-seeking behaviour exists – a structured literature search returned only 2 studies. This paper presents the results of the first study in a national research program that is aiming to inform the future training, preparation, supervision, and support of frontline health professionals who …

Testing And Expanding An Emotion-Centered Model Of Workplace Aggression: The Moderating Effects Of Perceived Intensity And Social Support In The Workplace, Josh Allen

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this thesis was to examine the mediating effects of job-related negative emotions on the relationship between workplace aggression and outcomes. Additionally, the moderating effects of workplace social support and intensity of workplace aggression are considered. A total 321 of working individuals participated through an online survey. The results of this thesis suggest that job-related negative emotions are a mediator of the relationship between workplace aggression and outcomes, with full and partial mediation supported. Workplace social support was found to be a buffering variable in the relationship between workplace aggression and outcomes, regardless of the source of aggression …

The Effects Of Sexual Orientation And Behavioral Style On Perceptions Of Men's Leadership Potential And Effectiveness, Kristin Elizabeth Mann

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

This study addressed a gap in the industrial-organizational psychology research by investigating perceptions of LGBTQ leaders in the workplace. Specifically, it investigated the theory that gay men and heterosexual women experience similar scrutiny and resulting discrimination when in leadership roles. Participants were 363 psychology students who evaluated an applicant for a managerial position. Participants scored the candidate’s leadership potential (hirability) and effectiveness based upon his resume, biography, and short video interview. The candidate’s sexual orientation (gay, heterosexual, control) and behavioral style (agentic/masculine, communal/feminine) were manipulated, for a resulting 2 x 3 research design. By integrating gender and leadership theories with …

Attributions And The Evaluation Of Dynamic Performance, Michael B. Harari

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As research into the dynamic characteristics of job performance across time has continued to accumulate, associated implications for performance appraisal have become evident. At present, several studies have demonstrated that systematic trends in job performance across time influence how performance is ultimately judged. However, little research has considered the processes by which the performance trend-performance rating relationship occurs. In the present study, I addressed this gap. Specifically, drawing on attribution theory, I proposed and tested a model whereby the performance trend-performance rating relationship occurs through attributions to ability and effort. The results of this study indicated that attributions to ability, …

The Relationship Between Job Structure, Burnout, And Coping Methods Among Public School County Bus Drivers, Bus Aides, Mechanics, And Clerical Workers, Monica Restrepo

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between the structure of jobs and burnout, and to assess to what extent, if any this relationship was moderated by individual coping methods. This study was supported by the Karasek's (1998) Job Demand-Control-Support theory of work stress as well as Maslach and Leiter's (1993) theory of burnout. Coping was examined as a moderator based on the conceptualization of Lazarus and Folkman (1984).

Two overall overarching questions framed this study: (a) what is the relationship between job structure, as operationalized by job title, and burnout across different occupations in support services …

An Examination Of Psychological Meaningfulness, Safety, And Availability As The Underlying Mechanisms Linking Job Features And Personal Characteristics To Work Engagement, Holly Jacobs

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The present study tested a nomological net of work engagement that was derived from its extant research. Two of the main work engagement models that have been presented and empirically tested in the literature, the JD-R model and Kahn’s model, were integrated to test the effects that job features and personal characteristics can have on work engagement through the psychological conditions of meaningfulness, safety, and availability. In this study, safety refers to psychological perceptions of safety and not workplace safety behaviors. The job features that were tested in this model included person-job fit, autonomy, co-worker relations, supervisor support, procedural justice, …

Work Design Characteristics As Moderators Of The Relationship Between Proactive Personality And Engagement, Damon Thomas Drown

Dissertations and Theses

This study examines which and how trait relevant work design characteristics moderate the relationship between proactive personality and engagement. Proactive personality is defined as an individual's tendency to intentionally and directly affect change in their environment (Bateman & Crant, 1993; Crant, 2000). Previous research has been primarily focused on the positive aspects of proactive personality; to fill this gap, I used trait activation theory (Tett & Burnett, 2003) to identify which work characteristics will activate proactive personality to affect engagement and developed specific hypotheses about which work characteristics will attenuate the proactive personality engagement relationship. In the study I identified …

A Theory-Driven, Longitudinal Evaluation Of The Impact Of Team Training On Safety Culture In 24 Hospitals, Katherine J. Jones, Anne M. Skinner, Robin High, Roni Reiter-Palmon

Psychology Faculty Publications

Effective teamwork facilitates collective learning, which is integral to safety culture. There are no rigorous evaluations of the impact of team training on the four components of safety culture—reporting, just, flexible and learning cultures. We evaluated the impact of a year-long team training programme on safety culture in 24 hospitals using two theoretical frameworks.

Relationships Among Nursing Burnout, The Big Five Personality Factors, And Overall Self-Concept: The Impact Of Assessing Common Method Variance, Matthew Thomas Ecie

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the extent to which common method variance (CMV) impacted many of the relationships between personality traits and the construct of burnout among registered nurses. It was hypothesized that once CMV was calculated and controlled for, relationships between personality traits and burnout would be weakened. Data were collected from working registered nurses (N = 274) and from BSN student nurses (N = 8). Scales measuring the IPIP Big Five, burnout, hardiness, core self-evaluation, optimism, and stress in general were combined to create a survey questionnaire. Results indicated burnout among nurses was significantly …

Competency-Based Versus Task-Based Job Descriptions: Effects On Applicant Attraction, Candace Leann Hawkes

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

In order for organizations to attract applicants, they need to ensure they are using attractive recruitment materials. Previous research has failed to examine the effect of varying types of job description formats on applicants’ level of attraction to an organization. This study examined applicants’ attraction to organizations based on competency-based and task-based job descriptions. A total of 258 participants were from a Southeastern university, representing three different majors. The job descriptions were individualized based on academic major. Participants read both competency and task-based job descriptions and rated their attraction to each organization. The Big Five and Love of Learning measures …

Challenge And Hinderance Stressor Appraisals, Personal Resources, And Work Engagement Among K-12 Teachers, Isaac Benjamin Thompson

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Stress has long been conceptualized as consisting of two factors, eustress, or good stress, and distress, or bad stress (Selye, 1956). The occupational stress literature identifies challenge stressors as those associated with favorable outcomes, and hindrance stressors as those associated with negative outcomes (Cavanaugh, Boswell, Roehling, & Boudreau, 2000). The current study had three objectives: 1) to investigate occupational level stressor appraisal by K-12 teachers, 2) to explore how the perception of the availability of resources influences individual level stressor appraisal, and 3) to test differential outcomes of challenge and hindrance stress. Results indicate that K-12 teachers appraise workload as …

Personal Factors That Influence Meaning And Prioritizatin In Work-Nonwork Roles, Lindsay Ware Benitez

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The importance an individual places on one role over another is captured by a person’s identity salience, which can affect how work and nonwork roles are viewed and how one allocates time and resources to these roles. Within the literature there is a need to further understand what personal factors may influence the development of a person’s identity salience and ultimately contribute to the choices people make surrounding work and nonwork domains. The present study was designed to assess the impact of four higher order values that contribute to a person’s identity salience. Also examined was the potential impact of …

A Resource Management Perspective On Work Design, Whitney Lane Huskey

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Chronic, negative, uninterrupted stress, specifically in the workplace, can lead to a variety of health issues as well as decreased job satisfaction and increased intentions to turnover within an organization. An important part of managing this negative stress is identifying the specific factors that contribute to it. The present study focuses on the negative consequences of occupational stress by identifying the work design characteristics that influence an individual’s perception of resource drain or gain and, ultimately, occupational stress. It is hypothesized that positive task characteristics, knowledge characteristics, social characteristics, and work context associated with the work environment will negatively correlate …

Understanding Organizational Wellness: The Impact Of Perceived Organizational Support, Motivation, And Barriers On The Effectiveness Of Wellness Programs, Aaron Owsley Manier

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Organizational wellness programs can serve as a powerful tool for organizations to improve the health and well-being of employees. As organizational wellness grows in popularity and implementation, organizations should seek to understand employee perceptions of these programs to maximize their effectiveness and use. The present study examined the effect of perceived organizational support of wellness, core self-evaluation, and motivation/interest for wellness programs on wellness program use and satisfaction. This effect was tested with barriers to use and participative wellness design as possible mediators. Motivation and interest had a strong and direct effect on program use and satisfaction, while both organizational …

Can't We All Just Get Along? The Impact Of Goal Orientation On The Coach-Athlete Relationship And Coach-Athlete Communication, Meredith J. Nordbrock

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Research has demonstrated that the coach-athlete relationship is one of the key interpersonal factors that influences outcomes such as performance (Sánchez, Borrás, Leite, Battaglia, & Lorenzo, 2009), satisfaction with performance (Jowett & Don Carolis, 2003), and dropout rates (Fraser-Thomas, Côté, & Deakin, 2008). However, relatively little is known about the factors necessary to achieve and/or maintain a high-quality coach-athlete relationship. Building upon Jowett and Poczwardowski’s (2007) integrated research model, this study of 355 coach-athlete dyads explored how congruence (i.e., similarity, fit) of goal orientation (GO) impacted the quality of the coach-athlete relationship and coach-athlete communication. Specifically, it was hypothesized that …

Academic And Mental Health Functioning In College Students With Chronic Medical Conditions, Casey Lawless

Honors Capstone Projects - All

As medical technologies continue to improve, what used to be considered terminal illnesses are now becoming chronic medical conditions. Studies have consistently shown that children and adolescents with chronic illnesses are more absent from school than their healthy peers (Fowler, Davenport, & Garg, 1992; Taras & Potts-Datema, 2005), and perform poorly in school despite having equitable intelligence levels (Sexson & Madan-Swain, 1993). However, despite thorough documentation of this phenomenon in younger children, there is a lack of research on the effects of chronic illness among college students. The aim of this study was to examine the impact of chronic illness …

Shared Leadership In Dangerous Environments: Testing A Model For Military Teams Using Mixed Methods Research, Alex J. Ramthun

Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education and Communication: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Scholarship

In a field study, the dissertation examined the influence of shared leadership on team performance for 51 military combat teams in a simulated dangerous environment. To simulate the dangerous context, the study employed amilitary tactical urban fighting complex, paintball weapons, role players, and a dynamic combat scenario. Using social network analysis techniques and after controlling for team diversity and combat experience, the study found the density measure of shared leadership to be positively and significantly related to team performance, accounting for 40% of the variance in team performance. This research also found both the centralization measure and density/centralization interaction effect …

Attitudes Toward Science (Ats): An Examination Of Scientists' And Native Americans' Cultural Values And Ats And Their Effect On Action Priorities, Adam T. Murry

Dissertations and Theses

Science has been identified as a crucial element in the competitiveness and sustainability of America in the global economy. American citizens, especially minority populations, however, are not pursuing science education or careers. Past research has implicated `attitudes toward science' as an important factor in the public's participation in science. I applied Ajzen's (1991) Theory of Planned Behavior to attitudes toward science to predict science-related sustainability-action intentions and evaluated whether scientists and Native Americans differed in their general attitudes toward science, cultural values, and specific beliefs about science. Analyses revealed that positive attitude toward science and the cultural value of individualism …

Factors Influencing Worker Morale: Evaluating Provider Demographics, Workplace Environment And Using Ests, David A. Patterson Silver Wolf (Adelv Unegv Waya) Phd, Catherine N. Dulmus Phd, Eugene Maguin Phd, Maria Cristalli

Brown School Faculty Publications

Objectives: Mental health organizations are strongly encouraged to implement empirically supported treatments (ESTs), however little is known about their working environments. The present study investigated how provider demographics, workplace environment and whether ESTs were used affected the worker morale. Methods: Front-line workers (N = 1,273) from 55 different programs in a single, large organization completed a measure of organizational culture and climate (OCC) and worker morale. A multilevel regression analysis used worker demographics to predict worker morale at level 1 and EST use and OCC scales to predict program level worker morale. Results: Worker morale was significantly negatively correlated with …