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Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

Fanning The Embers Of Discrimination At Work: Does Reward Structure Fuel Incivility?, Sam Allen Jun 2023

Fanning The Embers Of Discrimination At Work: Does Reward Structure Fuel Incivility?, Sam Allen

University Honors Theses

In recent years, there has been an uptick in public awareness of systemic and structural inequities within the workplace. Organizational reward structures (i.e., performance-based and seniority-based) act as incentives for employees' contributions toward organizational goals, but could also motivate employees' drive for gaining or maintaining social status by undermining other employees, particularly targeting people with minority status. The proposed research will study the relationship between reward structures and the perpetration of incivility by accounting for perpetrators' social dominance orientation (SDO), their motivations to protect the status quo (MPSQ), and the presence of minority race targets. We draw from SDO, status …


Psychological Safety In Startup Organizations, Jessica Barhydt Jan 2023

Psychological Safety In Startup Organizations, Jessica Barhydt

Theses and Dissertations

Psychological safety is an individually held belief that a group is safe for interpersonal risk-taking. Scholars have studied the concept primarily as a team-level construct. However, recent studies suggest that climates of psychological safety exist at the organizational level. An examination of the dynamism of the construct at the organizational level is needed: how it grows, changes, and declines. Startups, which grow and change quickly, are an excellent context to study organizational psychological safety. Through interviews, this study explored psychological safety as an organizational-level construct in startup organizations. Specifically, it examined potential commonalities between high and low psychological safety as …


Religion, Spirituality, And The Workplace: A Meta-Analytic Study On Outcomes Of Job Satisfaction, Job Performance, And Organizational Citizenship Behaviors, Juan Balcazar May 2020

Religion, Spirituality, And The Workplace: A Meta-Analytic Study On Outcomes Of Job Satisfaction, Job Performance, And Organizational Citizenship Behaviors, Juan Balcazar

Dissertations

Research indicates behavioral and attitudinal manifestations of religion and spirituality exert cross-domain impact across cognitive, intrapersonal, biological, industrial-organizational, and behavioral domains (Calman, 2008; Ngunjiri & Miller, 2004). The present study conducted a meta-analysis of both religious and spirituality (RS) as predictors on outcomes of job satisfaction, job performance, and organizational citizenship behavior. The present study seeks to delineate and distinguish religious faiths from spirituality by comparing the pooled effect size of religion studies with spirituality studies. A random effects model was analyzed for two subgroups on each dependent variable. Next, a subgroup fixed effects (plural) model was utilized to detect …


Quantifying And Qualifying The Links That Bind, Jared Dirghalli May 2018

Quantifying And Qualifying The Links That Bind, Jared Dirghalli

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Employees’ links to organizations and coworkers represent an important factor related to many work-related constructs in the Industrial-Organizational (I-O) Psychology literature. Often, I-O researchers conceptualize these employee links through either the number of workplace links or an employee’s perceived social support. However, these conceptualizations are potentially limited. Research into Social Network Analysis has investigated different quality dimensions in links (e.g., link strength and valence) which can significantly influence outcomes in social, workplace, and general well-being contexts. Thus, the present thesis project was undertaken to explore whether incorporating these quality dimensions of link strength and link valence adds any incremental utility …


The Influence Of Leader Behaviors And Individual Cultural Values On Interpersonal And Informational Justice Perceptions, David Swiderski Jan 2018

The Influence Of Leader Behaviors And Individual Cultural Values On Interpersonal And Informational Justice Perceptions, David Swiderski

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Leadership and culture are two constructs often studied along with organizational justice, however; much of the past research has focused on measuring these constructs broadly. By measuring these constructs at a more granular level, this study aims to explore the specific linkages between clarifying, supporting, and recognizing leader behaviors and their relationship with interpersonal and informational justice. Results from this study go beyond broader leadership theories by finding that clarifying, supporting, and recognizing leader behaviors are important for predicting interpersonal justice perceptions. In addition, clarifying and supporting leader behaviors were also important predictors of informational justice perceptions. No significant moderating …


Examining The Impact Of Selection Practices On Subsequent Employee Engagement, Sofia N. Rodriguez May 2017

Examining The Impact Of Selection Practices On Subsequent Employee Engagement, Sofia N. Rodriguez

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Employee engagement is often defined as the vigor, dedication, and absorption one feels about and/or displays within their job. It has long been asserted that engagement is highest for employees who “fit” better with their work. Applicants determine their anticipated levels of fit throughout the selection process. Therefore, it is crucial that the information organizations provide will allow applicants to make accurate assumptions of fit to increase the probability that the vacancy will be filled by an applicant best suited for the position. This study was designed to identify if the practices used during organizations’ selection processes influence the accuracy …


Combined Influence Of Personality And Leader Member Exchange On Task And Citizenship Performance, Jennifer B. Scroggins May 2016

Combined Influence Of Personality And Leader Member Exchange On Task And Citizenship Performance, Jennifer B. Scroggins

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

As organizations continue to focus on improving their effectiveness, research suggests that employee performance should be an obvious consideration due to the significant influence employee behavior can have on organizational outcomes. The present study evaluated the relationship between the personality traits of Conscientiousness and Agreeableness, Leader Member Exchange (LMX), and two basic types of performance: task performance and organizational citizenship behavior (OCB). Insights into how personality and LMX impacts employee performance has implications for both employee selection and organizational design. Using a sample composed of students and non-students (N = 215), results support a positive relationship between LMX, conscientiousness, and …


The Benefits Of Lunch Breaks, Joseph Dipilato Iv Jan 2016

The Benefits Of Lunch Breaks, Joseph Dipilato Iv

Honors Theses

The question as to whether or not taking breaks from work is beneficial for improving employee productivity has not been thoroughly examined, as it is still a fairly new topic of discussion. This thesis project sought to compile evidence to support the claim that breaks are indeed useful for this purpose. A review of the literature found not only information that directly supports this assertion, but also information that shows the numerous negative side-effects of not taking breaks from work. Certain workplace factors that influence break-taking behaviors were also discussed. For the purpose of providing modern-day companies several means by …


The Impact Of Team Social Role Performance On Team Cohesion And Team Performance, Graham H. Lowman May 2015

The Impact Of Team Social Role Performance On Team Cohesion And Team Performance, Graham H. Lowman

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

This study examined the relationships between team social role performance, team cohesion, and team performance. The team social roles examined were those identified by Mumford, Campion, and Morgeson (2006): Cooperator, Communicator, and Calibrator. The Group Environmental Questionnaire (GEQ) developed by Carron, Widmeyer, and Brawley (1985) provided the measure of team cohesion on the individual and group levels. Performance reports from the GLO-BUS business simulation game provided team performance scores. Results indicated that mean team social role performance and the standard deviation of team social role performance are significantly correlated and predictive of team cohesion. In addition, results indicated a non-significant …


Created Equal? Comparing Disturbing Media Outcomes Across Occupations, Christine Nicole Gundermann Jan 2015

Created Equal? Comparing Disturbing Media Outcomes Across Occupations, Christine Nicole Gundermann

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The present study was conducted in order to compare outcomes across distinct occupations that are exposed to disturbing media. Using four previously researched samples, I compared results across negative and positive outcomes such as STSD, burnout, social support, and growth. Samples included employees in roles within federal law enforcement and military legal professions. Results indicated that there were some significant differences between occupations on levels of STSD, burnout, and social support. In addition, results showed all samples measuring growth were scoring within the mid-range of scores, indicative of some growth potential. These results also showed that exposure type (Indirect, Combined …


Bumps Along The Long And Winding Road: Factors Related To Truck Driver Turnover And Job-Induced Tension, Layla Rhiannon Mansfield Jul 2014

Bumps Along The Long And Winding Road: Factors Related To Truck Driver Turnover And Job-Induced Tension, Layla Rhiannon Mansfield

Dissertations and Theses

Voluntary turnover rates among truckload carriers are extremely high, ranging from 50% to more than 100% annually (Griffin & Kalnbach, 2002), furthermore, long-haul truck drivers operate in a stressor-filled environment, which exerts enormous adverse influence not only their well-being but also on their intent to quit. This study explores the relational aspects of the driver's work environment to highlight how the relationships that a driver has with their organization, supervisor, and dispatcher can explain turnover and job-induced tension. Drawing on Social Exchange Theory, Conservation of Resources Theory, and concepts from Hirschman's (1970) theoretical framework of Exit, Voice, and Loyalty, this …


Overseas Assignments: Expatriate And Spousal Adjustment In The U.S. Air Force, Andrew R. Hayes Jan 2014

Overseas Assignments: Expatriate And Spousal Adjustment In The U.S. Air Force, Andrew R. Hayes

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The present study examined the relationship between cultural intelligence (CQ), expatriate and spousal/partner adjustment, and satisfaction with an overseas military assignment at a NATO Air Force base. Cultural Intelligence was measured using the Cultural Intelligence Scale (CQS) by Ang, et al. (2007). Expatriate adjustment was measured using the Expatriate Adjustment scale by Black & Stephens (1989). Spouse/partner adjustment was measured using the Spouse Adjustment scale by Black & Stephens (1989). Satisfaction was measured with a 5-item scale developed by the researchers. All data was collected via an online survey. There were 178 Airmen respondents and 89 spouse/partner respondents. Significant, positive …


Work Design Characteristics As Moderators Of The Relationship Between Proactive Personality And Engagement, Damon Thomas Drown Jun 2013

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 …


Integrating Leader Fairness And Leader-Member Exchange In Predicting Work Engagement: A Contingency Approach, Fangyi Liao-Holbrook Jan 2013

Integrating Leader Fairness And Leader-Member Exchange In Predicting Work Engagement: A Contingency Approach, Fangyi Liao-Holbrook

Dissertations and Theses

Growing research attention has been devoted to understanding the implications of work engagement with an emphasis on its motivational mechanism linking its antecedents to consequences. Findings from such research efforts could inform intervention efforts. Integrating organizational justice theories within the leadership framework, this study examined the effects of supervisory interactional justice and supervisory procedural justice on subordinates' work engagement. Based on survey responses from 352 Chinese employees collected at two time points with three months in-between, moderated regression analyses were conducted to test hypotheses that there is a direct positive effect of supervisory interactional justice and supervisory procedural justice on …


The Impact Of Transformational Leadership On The Relationship Between Organizational Learning Culture And Employee Outcomes, Leanne Marie Tortez Jan 2013

The Impact Of Transformational Leadership On The Relationship Between Organizational Learning Culture And Employee Outcomes, Leanne Marie Tortez

Theses Digitization Project

Research in leadership has emphasized the importance of factors like organizational culture, empowerment, and employee innovation. The current study sought to address these topics by considering the contribution of organizational learning culture to employee outcomes, such as psychological empowerment and innovative behaviors, while investigating the moderating effect of transformational leadership. Participants consisted of 387 employed men and women from various organizational backgrounds.


Teamwork Knowledge, Skills, And Abilities, Preference For Teamwork, And The Interaction Of Task Interdependence As Predictors Of Team Performance, Rhiannon Jane Kirchner Jan 2013

Teamwork Knowledge, Skills, And Abilities, Preference For Teamwork, And The Interaction Of Task Interdependence As Predictors Of Team Performance, Rhiannon Jane Kirchner

Theses Digitization Project

This purpose of this study is to provide both researchers and organizations with relevant information to define predictors of team performance and ultimately, make more accurate hiring decisions regarding the selection of positions that require teamwork. Research shows that about half of U.S. organizations utilize teams, because of this use of teamwork, a significant amount of research in the field of industrial and organizational psychology has focused on uncovering those variables that best predict team performance.


The Role Of Ethics In Employee Behavior, Jacqueline Karen Kott May 2012

The Role Of Ethics In Employee Behavior, Jacqueline Karen Kott

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Past research has related the perceived ethical norms of the work environment to certain employee behaviors. The present study focuses on two general types of employee behaviors: organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) and counterproductive work behavior (CWB). It was hypothesized that ethical relativism moderates these two relationships. Self-report data was collected among 108 employees of a southeastern manufacturing company through a series of surveys. Correlational and moderated regression analyses were used to test the hypotheses. Results did not support that ethical norms affect employee behavior. Future research directions and implications for organizational settings are addressed.


Psychological Contracts In The Workplace: A Mixed Methods Design Project, Kate J. Mcinnis Feb 2012

Psychological Contracts In The Workplace: A Mixed Methods Design Project, Kate J. Mcinnis

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Employee perceptions of psychological contracts were explored in a mixed methods design project. Although psychological contract research has been popular since its inception over 50 years ago, the field makes a number of assumptions about how employees truly experience psychological contracts (Conway & Briner, 2009). The primary goal of the present research was to identify how psychological contracts should be measured and theorized to reflect the natural experiences and language of employees. In Study 1, I examined a number of the theory’s assumptions by asking employees in interviews about their psychological contract experiences. A descriptive phenomenological approach allowed me to …


The Mediating Effects Of Perceived Person Organizational Support And Perceived Person Supervisor Support On The Relationships Among Person-Organization Fit, Person-Supervisor Fit, And Organizational Commitment, Steven Mark Crocker Jan 2012

The Mediating Effects Of Perceived Person Organizational Support And Perceived Person Supervisor Support On The Relationships Among Person-Organization Fit, Person-Supervisor Fit, And Organizational Commitment, Steven Mark Crocker

Theses Digitization Project

For the present study we are primarily interested in the match between individuals' characteristics and their work environments. This match between individuals' characteristics and their work environment is known as person-environment (PE) fit. The current study's aim was to integrate and build upon the PE fit literature by investigating the relationship between various forms of PE fit and two forms of organizational commitment with a proposed mediation of perceived organizational support (POS) for PO fit and perceived supervisor support (PSS) for PS fit. Two hundred and twenty-four participants who had been employed by their organization for at least six months, …


Dispositional Predictors Of Psychological Contract Perceptions, Karen Louise Grab Jan 2012

Dispositional Predictors Of Psychological Contract Perceptions, Karen Louise Grab

Theses Digitization Project

This study seeks to look at the impact of dispositional factors, specifically the Big 5 personality traits, on psychological contracts. Using a series of multiple regressions and moderated linear regressions, this study analyzed the predictive value of personality traits on psychological contract type, breach and violation, and whether exchange or creditor ideologies moderate these relationships. This study consisted of 223 adult, full-time employees who worked at least 30 hours per week and had been with their current organization for at least 6 months. The sample observed and analyzed were recruited through online requests via social networking websites and via email.


Evaluating Commensurability And Validity Of Work-Family Conflict, Enrichment, And Culture Measures In Low Income Populations, Kimberly Anne French Jan 2012

Evaluating Commensurability And Validity Of Work-Family Conflict, Enrichment, And Culture Measures In Low Income Populations, Kimberly Anne French

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of this research is to examine the adequacy of our current work-family constructs and measures for studying under-represented populations by evaluating the commensurability and construct validity of three major work and family measures, conflict, enrichment, and cultre, when applied to the unique population of low income families.


Identifying Organizational Factors That Moderate The Engagement-Turnover Relationship In A Healthcare Setting, Stevie Ann Collini Jan 2012

Identifying Organizational Factors That Moderate The Engagement-Turnover Relationship In A Healthcare Setting, Stevie Ann Collini

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

It is essential for organizations to understand how turnover functions within their business and the potential other organizational factors have on affecting turnover, in order to know how to leverage these factors to effectively reduce turnover and the costs associated with it. The present study examined the relationship between employee engagement and turnover in clinical departments within a healthcare setting and the effects other organizational factors, such as respect, diversity, diversity climate and mission fulfillment have on that relationship. The results of the study demonstrate that although the relationship between engagement and turnover is significant, that none of the variables …


The Roles Of Self-Efficacy And Self-Deception In Cheating On Unproctored Internet Testing, Christopher Adam Wedge Jan 2012

The Roles Of Self-Efficacy And Self-Deception In Cheating On Unproctored Internet Testing, Christopher Adam Wedge

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The proliferation of online employee selection testing is causing a growing concern for the possibility of cheating. This study examines the interrelationships between personality factors and cheating behavior on unproctored selection testing. Past research has indicated that individuals with high specific self-efficacy are less likely to cheat. It was hypothesized that high levels of both general self-efficacy (GSE) and specific self-efficacy (SSE) predict lower rates of cheating overall. Additionally, Chance et al.'s (2001) study on self-deception demonstrated that students who cheat experience inflated confidence for future performance; this study extends this research by examining the effect cheating has on an …


Time And Proximity As Factors Of Quality Mentorship, Brandon Keith Patrick Jan 2011

Time And Proximity As Factors Of Quality Mentorship, Brandon Keith Patrick

Theses Digitization Project

This study examined the impact of time and proximity on the quality of formal mentor program in organizations. The study proposed that a quality formal mentor program will be one where the mentor and protégé are close in proximity and that the time the mentor spends with the protégé will lead to higher career-related and psychosocial outcomes.


The Relationship Between Core Self-Evaluations, Self-Regulation, Need Supply Fit And Job Satisfaction: A Comprehensive Model, Amanda Marie Deane Jan 2010

The Relationship Between Core Self-Evaluations, Self-Regulation, Need Supply Fit And Job Satisfaction: A Comprehensive Model, Amanda Marie Deane

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of this project will explain how core self-evaluation is related to job satisfaction both directly and indirectly via the following mechanisms: emotional generalization, perception, and motivation.


The Influence Of Cultural Perspectives And Conflict Resolution On Employee Perceptions Of Leadership Effectiveness, Cynthia Lorraine Owens Jan 2008

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.


Transformational Leadership And Group Outcomes: The Mediating Effects Of Social Identification And Empowerment, Kevin Michael Karlak Jan 2007

Transformational Leadership And Group Outcomes: The Mediating Effects Of Social Identification And Empowerment, Kevin Michael Karlak

Theses Digitization Project

Collective efficacy, group helping behaviors, and group cohesion are group outcomes that have demonstrated pervasive effects on group performance. These group outcomes are important because of the strong relationships that have been established among these variables. Transformational leadership has shown to greatly foster these outcomes. The purpose of this thesis was to investigate the relationship between transformational leadership styles and organizational group outcomes in the workplace.


Organizational Policies, Organizational Social Support, And Work-Family Conflict: The Mediating Role Of Motivation Orientation, Christie Lynn Crimaldi Jan 2007

Organizational Policies, Organizational Social Support, And Work-Family Conflict: The Mediating Role Of Motivation Orientation, Christie Lynn Crimaldi

Theses Digitization Project

The current study examines the relationship between organizational support and work-family/family-work conflict. This study hopes to add to the literature by looking at individual differences as a possible mediator in the relationship between various sources of support and conflict between work and family.


An Evaluation Of How Organizational Culture Can Perpetuate A Formal Mentoring Relationship, Daniel J. Rieker Mar 2006

An Evaluation Of How Organizational Culture Can Perpetuate A Formal Mentoring Relationship, Daniel J. Rieker

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to investigate how an organization's culture can have an effect on formal mentoring. Specifically, this thesis sought to determine if perceptions among gender, ethnicity, and organizational position differ for mentoring and organizational culture. Additionally, this thesis sought to determine if any correlations may exist between organizational culture and formal mentoring overall.


Influence Of Organizational Culture On The Relationship Between Psychological Contracts And Organizational Citizenship Behavior, Jennifer M. Carbajal Mar 2006

Influence Of Organizational Culture On The Relationship Between Psychological Contracts And Organizational Citizenship Behavior, Jennifer M. Carbajal

Theses and Dissertations

The issue of what antecedents of organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) and psychological contracts (PC) employees form with their organization has also been of interest as they have many implications on an employee's extra-role behavior, specifically OCBs. This research investigates the relationship between types of PCs (a) relational and (b) transactional and the propensity to perform (a) altruism and (b) compliance OCB. Furthermore, the influence of organizational culture (OC) dimensions (a) internal orientation and (b) external orientation on this relationship was explored. The results show that transactional PCs were negatively related to both dimensions of OCB. Relational PCs were positively related …