Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

The Role Of Organizational Buy-In In Employee Retention, Serena Hsia

Industrial-Organizational Psychology Dissertations

This study examined the role of organizational buy-in, the acceptance and willingness to actively support and participate in the organizations plans, in the relationship between job satisfaction and intent to stay. Furthermore, this study proposed that job position would moderate the influence of organizational buy-in, as those in higher positions may be more invested in the organiation’s strategy. Two models were tested – a moderated moderation model, and a double moderated model. Support was found for the double moderated model. Organizational buy-in acted as a buffer between job satisfaction and intent to stay, such that those who have low job …

Predicting Law Enforcement Officer Turnover And Use Of Force From Variables Measured By The 2013 Law Enforcement Management And Administrative Statistics (Lemas) Survey, Ryan Lee Radmall

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Law enforcement requires comprehensive hiring and training practices in order to curb misconduct and turnover. Some of the available data suggests a shift in the dynamics of law enforcement toward a more objective approach that favors education, cognitive ability testing, a community policing orientation, and technological advances, such as body cameras, that hold enforcers of the law and the American public, accountable for misconduct and violations of the law. The utilization of various technological advances requires assessment and dynamic, comprehensive analysis. The present study examined the influence of education and the professionalization of policing hiring requirements, cognitive ability tests and …

What Do Work Value Differentiation And Profile Elevation Predict?, Jinhao Chi

Master's Theses

Using a sample of 251 college students, it was found that 1) when differentiation (D) of work values was calculated using three indices, high-low D, Iachan D, and variance D, only Iachan D positively related to indecision but high-low D and variance D did not, 2) none of the three indices of D related to career maturity, 3) work values profile elevation (PE) positively related to extraversion, openness, and negatively related to depressive symptoms and career indecision but was unrelated to career certainty and neuroticism and 4) work values PE moderated the relationship between Iachan D and career indecision. The …

A Validation Study Of The Cross Cultural Competenc E Navigator, Xiaowen Chen

Theses and Dissertations

C ross cultural competency (3C) is defined as an individual’s capability to effectively function in culturally diverse contexts, which is influenced by a set of individual antecedents. In the literature 3C has been characterized by a number of models and associated measures. In this thesis, 3C capability was described by seven distinctive antecedents, i.e. mindfulness, inquisitiveness, interpersonal skills, emotional stability, cultural knowledge, cultural experience and foreign language. A pragmatic 3C model was presented based on the literature findings, detailing the underlying mechanisms of 3C and its potential nomological network. The model attempted to reconcile three major disagreements in 3C research, …

Effects Of Pedagogical Agent Design On Training Evaluation Measures: A Meta-Analysis, Timothy J. Quesnell

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

Pedagogical agents are, "conversational virtual characters employed in electronic learning environments to serve various instructional functions" (Veletsianos & Miller, 2008). They can take a variety of forms, and have been designed to serve various instructional roles, such as mentors, experts, motivators, and others. Given the increased availability and sophistication of technology in recent decades, these agents have become increasingly common as facilitators to training in educational settings, private institutions, and the military. Software to aid in the creation of pedagogical agents is widely available. Additionally, software use and agent creation often requires little formal training, affording nearly anyone the opportunity …

Individual And Contextual Factors And The Efficacy Of An Experiential Sexism Intervention, Samantha M. Smith

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the efficacy of a sexism-focused diversity training program. More specifically, this study examined the direct and indirect relationships between individual characteristics (i.e., gender, self-efficacy, and reactance), contextual factors (i.e., organizational diversity climate) and diversity training outcomes and training transfer. To test hypotheses, graduate and undergraduate students participated in a two-stage study (baseline and intervention stages), with the intervention consisting of a 90-minute sexism-focused diversity training workshop. Data from one hundred and forty participants were retained for regression analyses. Results suggest the workshop was generally effective at reducing endorsement of sexist attitudes, improving …

Unfriend Me! Applicant Reactions To The Use Of Social Networking Information During The Hiring Process, Byron Shane Lowery

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

In today’s world, it seems everyone has a profile on at least one social networking website. Sites like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn have millions of users. As such, it should come to no surprise that information contained on these sites is being used in various ways. One of the more controversial uses of this information is to screen potential job applicants during the hiring process. Indeed, a growing trend among organizations has been to gather data on applicants in order to identify better employees. However, there is a growing concern about how applicants will react to this practice. Unfavorable reactions …

I’M Afraid To Tell You What I Really Think: An Investigation Into The Feedback Withholding Bias Mechanism And Outcomes Within Stem Settings, Deborah Lee

Dissertations

This study builds on previous research findings that White individuals who desire to not appear racist is associated with Black students failing to receive constructive feedback, compared to White students (Croft & Schmader, 2012). This Feedback Withholding Bias (FWB) may inhibit the ability for Black students to learn from constructive feedback which is important for student learning and future performance. Black male students and White male evaluators with a STEM major were the focus of this study because of the underrepresentation of Black STEM students and workers and previous research focusing on racism stereotypes impact on the FWB. The results …

Does Reflection Mitigate Negative Emotions Following Work Performance Feedback?, Rebecca J. Factor

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This study examined if reflection could mitigate negative emotion following negative work performance feedback. Initial research has found that reflection is beneficial for learning, but it has seldom been tested if reflection can mitigate negative emotion associated with negative feedback. Participants were tasked with completing open-ended questions based on a workplace training manual, and then received negative work performance feedback. Feedback was presented in either absolute terms, or relative to others’ performance. Afterwards, in one condition, participants completed a reflection activity, while in another condition, participants simply completed a time filler task. Participants’ emotions were then measured. Results indicated that …

Creativity And Innovation Through The Job Demands-Resources Model, Nathan Haugejorde Bjornberg

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Organizational innovation is key to organizations’ financial performance and long-term success (Anderson, Potočnik, & Zhou, 2014; Bowen, Rostami, & Steel, 2010). Employees drive organizational innovation through their creativity and innovation, making the understanding of how to influence these behaviors especially important. Previous research has stressed the importance of the work environment and individual differences in supporting creativity and innovation (Byron & Khazanchi, 2011; Hammond, Neff, Farr, Schwall, & Zhao, 2011; Hülsheger, Anderson, & Salgado, 2009; Hunter, Bedell, & Mumford, 2007), but results have been unclear about how this occurs (Hennessey & Amabile, 2010). This study used the job-demands resources model …

Work Ethic, Turnover, And Performance: An Examination Of Predictive Validity For Entry-Level Employees, Christina Banister

Dissertations

Work ethic is continually cited as a top factor in hiring new employees (Flynn, 1994; Shimko, 1990; VanNess, Melinsky, Buff, & Seifert, 2010). Research on the relationship between work ethic and job performance has typically shown positive results in a variety of contexts (Meriac & Gorman, 2017; Miller et al., 2002). The purpose of this study was to examine dimensions of work ethic and its relationship with turnover and contextual performance in an often-neglected segment of the workforce: entry-level employees. Data were collected from a large fast food franchise, including work ethic, turnover data, and supervisor-rated job performance. In Study …

Women’S Experience Of Incivility In Professional Occupations: The Roles Of Gender Representation And Occupational Commitment, Christina Politis

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The aim of the current study was to examine the role of gender representation and occupational commitment in shaping women’s experiences of workplace incivility, which was compared to men. Participants included 550 professional employees (45% female) who provided demographic information about their work units and completed a series of questionnaires including ones measuring workplace incivility, affective occupational commitment (AOC) and burnout. The analyses revealed that gender representation in the work unit predicted perceived overt incivility but not covert incivility or overall incivility for the females in the sample, but not for males. The predicted indirect effect of gender representation on …

The Effects Of Social Power Bases Within Varying Organizational Cultures, Ayanna Cummings

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This study focuses on social power in the context of organizational culture and how this relationship impacts outcomes of follower compliance and trust. Power is the ability to direct or influence the behavior of others or a course of events (Handgraaf, et al., 2008). There are six different types of social power, including informational, referent, legitimate, coercive, rewarding, and expert (Fontaine & Beerman, 1977). Each type of social power may lead to varying psychological outcomes, such as compliance, satisfaction, and agreement. To date, the empirical literature has not fully addressed the issue of whether one type of power is more …

An Experimental Investigation Of Emotional Labor Display Rules And Performance In A Human Resources Sexual Harassment Interview Simulation, Jolie M.B. Terrazas

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Human Resource (HR) professionals are expected to engage in emotional labor (EL), or, management and control of their own emotions and emotional expression, during sexual harassment (SH) investigations. This EL expectation, or display rule (DR), is dynamic and complex requiring suppression of emotions and expressions of neutral empathy and is thus termed a dynamic neutral-empathic DR. Prior research shows that DRs in other occupations function as job demands that can deplete employees’ personal resources and negatively affect performance. The current study investigates the impact of the dynamic neutral-empathic DR by testing a process model that was developed via an …

Perceptions Of Asian American And Female Leadership Candidates: The Impact Of Descriptive And Prescriptive Stereotyping, Jane I. Lim

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Although Asian Americans and women tend to be relatively well represented in professional roles, they continue to be underrepresented in executive-level leadership positions. This paper examined a combination of factors believed to contribute to the shortage of Asian American and female leaders in organizations – in particular, descriptive and prescriptive stereotyping. Thus, the current study examined how participants responded to an Asian American or White, male or female applicant being considered for a leadership role. All targets were qualified, but varied on levels of warmth and/or dominance. Overall, it was hypothesized that the Asian American and female candidates behaving counterstereotypically …

Does The Career Adaptation Process Change As A Function Of An Employee's Age Or Employment Gaps? An Investigation Of Relationships Among Personal Resources, Contextual Factors, Coping Behaviors, And Career Success, Hilal Erkovan

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The goal of the current research was to enhance understanding of the career adaption process by developing and testing a new psychological framework by integrating three contemporary career theories (i.e., Protean, Boundaryless, and Social Cognitive Career (SCCT) theories). All of these career theories emphasize adaptability and agency as central constructs and stress career self-management as part of having a contemporary mindset because taking control of your career is important. To understand the adaptation process, antecedents and consequences of job-related coping behaviors, which are defined as cognitive and behavioral efforts to manage specific external and/or internal demands, were investigated. The model …

Understanding Workplace Incivility Experiences And The Moderating Role Of Mindfulness, Rima C. Tarraf

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Rude treatment at work can lead to many negative consequences, as evidenced by the wealth of research available. This dissertation, addressed two important questions that have yet to receive adequate attention. First, how does an employee experience incivility, and second, what is a practical and cost-effective way of mitigating the negative outcomes associated with incivility and promoting positive ones? Incivility research has mainly employed quantitative methods to understand incivility experiences. Using qualitative methods however, would complement the knowledge and potentially move the field of inquiry in new directions. As such, the goal of Study One was to obtain a narrative …

Proactive Workplace Bullying In Teams: Test Of A Rational And Moral Model Of Aggression, Anthony S. Colaneri

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

This study tested part of a recently developed theoretical model of proactive workplace aggression put forth by Dixon, Chang, and Johnson (2015). The model postulates distinct motives underlying why perpetrators will morally justify their aggressive behavior, dependent upon the relative in/out-group status and relative hierarchical status of the target. Participants from Amazon’s MTurk community were shown one of four vignettes that described a team workplace scenario where the participant was presented with the choice to act aggressively toward a coworker in order to help facilitate the team’s goal. All four of the model’s dyadic perpetrator-target relationships were represented, but the …

The Influence Of Beliefs And Gender On Choosing, And Feeling Like You Belong In Engineering, Julia Mcmenamin

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

After decades of research and interventions, the gender gap in STEM fields has narrowed, and even closed in some sub-fields, such as the life sciences. This trend toward gender parity has plateaued, however, in engineering. Efforts to encourage young women to study engineering often portray the field as affording opportunities for collaboration and helping others. The success of such efforts rests, arguably, on the accuracy of the assumption that women value these qualities in a career. It also depends on the degree to which women’s perceptions of the field of engineering reflect this portrayal. For the present study, measures of …

Investigation Of The Predictive Validity Of Implicit And Explicit Measures Of Integrity, Andrew C. Schneider

MSU Graduate Theses

The present study examined the incremental predictive validity of two overt-based Implicit Association Tests (IATs) and three personality-based IATs for behavior related to integrity and character. The overt-based IATs assess attributes related to self and honesty. The personality-based IATs assess attributes related to the “dark triad” of personality – Machiavellianism, subclinical narcissism, and subclinical psychopathy. A temptation manipulation provided opportunities for subjects to lie, cheat, and steal on a number finding task, to receive a greater financial reward. In addition to the five IATs, subjects also completed five explicit (self-report) overt and personality-based integrity measures. Findings did not support the …

Cognitive Origin Of Reported Goals, Nikolas M. Pate

MSU Graduate Theses

Goal setting theory assumes that goals that drive self-regulation exist in ‘goal structures’ and that asking participants to report their goals draws from these pre-existing structures. This study tested this assumption of pre-existing goals against the notion that goals are generated by goal-setters at the time they are requested to report their goals. A model of working memory was used to differentiate between goals existing in memory or goals generated on the spot. Participants were 211 students from a large Midwestern public university, randomly assigned to one of two groups. The experimental group participants reported their career goals while also …

College For The Sake Of What? Promoting The Development Of Wholly Educated Students, Michael P. Yoder

Industrial-Organizational Psychology Dissertations

There is increasing pressure on institutions of higher education to accurately measure student success. What was once thought of as a way to develop students holistically via a liberal arts degree, higher education is now often regarded as a means to an end: a well-paying job. Lost in the drive for quantifiable data is the holistic development of individuals who are capable of interacting with and influencing the world around them. Thus, higher education struggles to respond to market pressures while maintaining a focus on wholly developing individuals. In this research study, it is proposed that student “success” should include …

A Longitudinal Examination Of Personality At Work: Examining The Relationship Between Variability In Personality And Job Performance And Turnover Intentions, Ryan Joseph Hirtz

Dissertations

The present study examined the relationship between variability in personality and important organizational outcomes, including multi-faceted job performance and turnover intentions. Furthermore, this study tested the mediating effects of self-esteem, anxiety, leader-member exchange, and job satisfaction. Finally, various situational contingencies were examined as a potential source of Big Five personality states. Experience sampling methodology was used to repeatedly measure working participants’ state personality over the course of two weeks. Self and other (i.e., coworker or supervisor) performance ratings were collected.

Results showed that variability in a general factor of personality had statistically significant relationships with anxiety, leader-member exchange, job satisfaction, …

Understanding The Effects Of Regulatory Focus On Proactive Behavior, Brian P. Waterwall

Doctoral Dissertations

Over the past decade, motivation research has focused on what motivates employees to engage in behaviors that fall outside of ones' job/task requirements and bring about meaningful change in the organization's environment, proactive behaviors (Bateman & Crant, 1993; Crant, 2000). Recently, regulatory focus theory has received considerable research attention because of its potential to explain additional variance in behavior beyond other motivational constructs. Regulatory focus theory suggests that during goal striving, people will display behaviors associated with their current motivational state. Drawing from prior research examining motivation and behavior, I propose and test a model that examines the effects of …

An Integrated Model Of Attitude Theory And Applicant Faking Behavior, Matthew Doyle Pita

Theses and Dissertations

Applicant faking behavior (AFB) on personality measures has been a long-standing challenge for both researchers and practitioners. Applicant faking behavior is widely defined as a deceptive act that is intended to create a favorable impression (Goffin & Boyd, 2009). The research in this area has evolved with heightened focus on bolstering its theoretical foundation and establishing a consistent and effective operationalization of AFB. This research utilizes archival data from a within-subject design with a sample of job applicants; a procedure that has been recognized as the “gold standard” of the AFB literature (Ryan & Boyce, 2006). Structural Equation Modelling resulted …

Emotional Labor In A Computer-Mediated Environment, Christa P. Bupp

Theses and Dissertations

As more organizations enter into a global economy, the use of computer-mediated communication (CMC) becomes a necessary component for survival. However, the effects of CMC on employees and customers is still not well understood. Although research on work-related emotions has been flourishing in the last several years (Brief & Weiss, 2002), there have been relatively few studies done on emotions in a computer-mediated environment and even less done on emotional labor in a computer-mediated environment. The purpose of the present research is to examine emotional regulation strategies in a computer-mediated environment. Affective events theory (AET) is utilized as an overarching …

Emotional Display Rule Conflict In Student Affairs And Services Administrators, Tessly Ann Dieguez

Theses and Dissertations

This study examines a proposed model in which display rule conflict occurs when employees’ personal emotional display rule goals or values (operationalized as student customer orientation and individual-level power distance) are inconsistent with the emotional display rule goals of their department or culture (operationalized as department-level student customer orientation and country-level power distance, respectively). No significant effects of the interaction between personal and department-level student customer orientation or personal and department-level power distance on display rule commitment were found. Results did show that display rule conflict has a negative effect on display rule commitment. Further, display rule conflict predicted emotional …

Feedback Environment Intervention: Changing The Performance Management Paradigm From Systems To People, James R. Gallo

Theses and Dissertations

For years, empirical research has supported the claims that an organization’s feedback environment is related to numerous beneficial outcomes for employees and organizations. While we have a valid and reliable way to measure this feedback environment, we don’t know much about how to intervene in organizations to create a favorable feedback environment. This research study attempted to improve an organization’s feedback environment through a planned change intervention and therefore to create new institutionalized group norms often prevalent in a favorable feedback environment. The goal of the intervention was to train employees on the seven dimensions of the feedback environment and …

Conceptual Model Of Career Counseling For Better Preparing Students For The Transition From School To Work, Brian Christopher Preble

STEMPS Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to design a conceptual model of career counseling for high school counselors to assist students with the school-to-work transition. A framework addressing the nature and substance of interactions and activities that support workforce preparation was needed. Qualitative research was conducted. Four focus groups comprised of unemployed individuals searching for work, gainfully employed artisans and skilled technicians, managers and employers from business and industry, and high school counselors were held to collect data. Two coders established intercoder agreements and a kappa was calculated to determine interrater reliability. Economic data obtained from interviews with business specialists …

Threat Or Challenge? Intensified Job Demands And The Moderating Effect Of Differentiated Transformational Leadership, Benjamin Bass

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Over the past 30 years, industrialized democracies have experienced major economic change due to globalization, economic instability, and rapid technological innovation. To remain viable, organizations maximize flexibility through strategies like downsizing, just-in-time inventory, and temporary labor. Consequently, employees face heightened responsibility, variable workloads, and rising job insecurity. While these demands are stressful, at times, some may represent an exciting challenge. Recently, researchers started studying how the long-term intensification of work affects employees via intensified job demands. This dissertation builds on their efforts by exploring short-term job demand intensification. Specifically, the transactional model of stress and the job demands-resources model were …