Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

The Need For Purpose: The Desire For Meaningful Direction As A Fundamental Human Motivation, Jose A. Espinoza Mogollon

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The present research investigated the hypothesis that humans have an innate and fundamental need for purpose. This need is defined as a pervasive drive for a sense of meaningful direction and the experience of progress toward associated objectives. First, theoretical development of the need for purpose is presented, along with a review of the existing research literature covering evidence for the need for purpose’s fulfillment of well-established criteria for evaluating needs. This review is followed by three empirical studies developing a measure assessing satisfaction and frustration of purpose, examining an initial nomological network of the construct, and testing whether purpose …

The Attitudinal And Motivational Consequences Of Personality Differences In Teams, Kyle A. Cameron

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

In our team-based world of work, understanding the effects of team member differences is critical. This research examined the effects of personality congruence (i.e., (dis)similarity) on individual team members’ satisfaction with the team and autonomous motivation. The potential role of psychological need fulfillment as a mediator of the relation between personality congruence and these outcomes was also considered.

Multilevel polynomial regression with response surface analysis provided no evidence for a congruence pattern relating any of the HEXACO model of personality’s six domains to individual satisfaction with the team, autonomous motivation, or any of the psychological needs. Supplemental analyses revealed a …

Improving The Accuracy Of References: The Effects Of Felt Accountability On Personality Ratings, Cullen W. D. Mccurrach

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

References are a useful preemployment assessment for gathering unique personality information about job applicants. However, despite the capacity for external observers to provide valid personality ratings, references tend to be less accurate than similar preemployment assessments. This problem is important to address, since almost all organizations use references of some kind when hiring. This study attempted to improve the accuracy of the personality ratings provided in references by using two novel interventions believed to improve referees’ felt accountability to the hiring organization. These interventions included (a) a more elaborative rating format that asked participants to provide the reasons underlying each …

More Than Just Shying Away From Conflict: The Relationship Between Social Anxiety And Workplace Incivility, Jocelyn Brown

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

For individuals who experience social anxiety, the workplace presents unique obstacles as they fear the social interactions. In particular, these individuals may struggle with workplace incivility. This study used questionnaires and vignettes to determine if the severity of social anxiety is related to heightened reports of social anxiety in their own workplace as well as increased negative valance associated with incivility events. In addition, the influence of various forms of self-efficacy and social support at work was measured. It was found that social anxiety increased reports of incivility at work. Self-efficacy had a nonsignificant influence and social support at work …

Individual Differences And Social-Comparative Feedback, Kabir N. Daljeet

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The purpose of the overall program of research was to investigate whether there are individual differences that facilitate the acceptance of, or preferences for, social-comparative performance feedback. In doing so, we aimed to establish how individual differences could be leveraged to mitigate the negative reactions that some individuals experience in response to social-comparative feedback (Feeney, Goffin, & Schneider, 2016; Roch et al., 2007). Likewise, we sought to determine whether individual differences were associated with a preference for social-comparative feedback. The results of the first study (N = 255) advanced a novel experimental design and found that, with limited exception, …

Timber! How Loss Of Trust Contributes To The Downfall Of Narcissistic Leaders, Jennifer Lynch

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Individuals higher in grandiose narcissism are motivated to maintain a grandiose self-view, which can be accomplished through self-promotion and self-defence (Back et al., 2013). Drawing from the dual-process model of narcissistic admiration and rivalry, the current study examined how these forms of narcissism differentially relate to changes in perceived leader effectiveness. As well, I tested whether trust mediated these relationships. The final sample included 165 participants in 42 teams followed from team formation to dissolution, gathering data at four time points. During their lifecycle, the teams worked on a design project. Support was found for narcissistic rivalry corresponding to a …

Finding Teams That Fight Fair: Exploring Trajectories Of Team Conflict Over Time, Natasha E. Ouslis

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Disagreements are a reality for teams. Yet how and when teams experience conflict may impact their chances of success. We know relatively little about how team conflict emerges over time, especially for project-based teams. Disagreements over personal topics, logistics, and contributions have been consistently damaging to team performance (De Dreu & Weingart, 2003; O’Neill, Allen, & Hastings, 2013). The implications of task-based conflict over time, however, are inconsistent and poorly understood. To resolve these questions, I conducted three studies examining how conflict developed over the lifetimes of 272 engineering design project teams. Study 1 explored the measurement and patterns of …

Intergroup Leadership: Two Paths To Encourage Positive Intergroup Behaviours, Zhuo Li

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

An intergroup context can lead to decreased intentions to engage in positive intergroup behaviours. The current study examined the effect of a leader promoting an intergroup relational identity when there are potential tensions between groups. I used randomized between-subject experimental procedures. Participants (N = 281) were randomly assigned to work with outgroup members under a “collective” or “intergroup” leader. The main manipulation controlled for leader rhetorical focus. In the collective condition, the leader emphasized similarities. In the intergroup condition, the leader acknowledged contributions from both groups. Results showed that in the intergroup condition, participants were more likely to engage …

Sustainable Coping Among Experienced 911 Operators, Lisa Vanderloop

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Research has identified 911 operators to be at great risk for developing post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, anxiety, and burnout. In light of this finding, there is a need for preventive practices as well as and interventions for this population of emergency personnel. In the present study, the focus is on individual coping strategies of those with on-the-job experience.

To explore the coping strategies used by 911 operators, this study focused on a sample population of experienced workers. Data was gathered through qualitative semi-structured interviews conducted with a diverse sample of 911 operators from a Canadian police service. The interview data …