Industrial and Organizational Psychology Commons^™

Positive Organizational Leadership: Some Recent Findings In Positive Organizational Scholarship, Lawrence Chan

M.A. in Leadership Studies: Capstone Project Papers

The study of positivity is multifaceted, with roots across psychology, philosophy, and more recently organizational behavior (Csikszentmihalyi, 1997; 2014). This review article highlights the framework from which the study of positivity originates, and then explores positive behaviors in the workplace that have correlated to increases in fulfillment, productivity, engagement, and leadership capacity (Cameron & Dutton, 2003). This essay reveals core components of positive organizational scholarship (POS), notably the interaction of positivity within job demands and job resources, positive employee engagement, and positive deviance, and uncovers some recent findings of these POS components in empirical research and application within human resource …

Special Issue - Call For Papers: Applications Of Judgment And Decision Making To Problems In Personnel Assessment, Edgar E. Kausel, Alexander T. Jackson

Personnel Assessment and Decisions

No abstract provided.

Content Of Qualitative Feedback Provided During Structured, Confidential Reference Checks, Cynthia A. Hedricks, Disha Rupayana, Leigh Puchalski, Chet Robie

Personnel Assessment and Decisions

The present study used text analytics software to examine the unstructured (or qualitative) data provided by job references during confidential, multi-rater reference checks. With respect to both work-related strengths and areas of improvement, job references more frequently provided words or short phrases relating to “soft skills” such as working with others and communication as opposed to “hard skills” such as computer programming or mathematics. While some commonalities across jobs were found to exist, the frequency of identified categories for both work-related strengths and areas of improvement did differ across jobs.

Investigating Three Approaches Of Using Personality To Predict Competency-Based Performance, Blaine Gaddis, Brandon Ferrell

Personnel Assessment and Decisions

Organizations often use competencies to drive human capital initiatives such as recruitment, selection, training, and promotion. To serve such organizations, practitioners now offer various competency-based research solutions incorporating personality assessments to predict these competencies. Each approach begins by mapping competencies from an organization’s model to scientific models backed by synthetic and content validity evidence to align personality dimensions with each competency. This helps determine which personality dimensions drive performance for each competency. In this paper, we compare scale-based profiles, subscale-based algorithms, and scale-based algorithms to investigate the consistency of scores across methods and how effective each method is in predicting …

Critical Analytic Thinking Skills: Do They Predict Job-Related Task Performance Above And Beyond General Intelligence?, Sara Beth Elson, Robert Hartman, Adam Beatty, Matthew Trippe, Kerry Buckley, John Bornmann, Elaine Bochniewicz, Mark Lehner, Liliya Korenovska, Jessica Lee, Les Servi, Alison Dingwall, Paul E. Lehner, Maurita Soltis, Mark Brown, Brandon Beltz, Amber Sprenger

Personnel Assessment and Decisions

Employers and government leaders have called attention to the need for critical thinking skills in the workforce, while business trends toward evidence-based decision making also highlight the increasing importance of the critical thinking skill set. Although studies have examined the relationship of critical thinking to behaviors or job performance, many have missed a key component: incremental predictive validity of critical thinking beyond cognitive ability. The current study defines critical thinking, presents results from a test development effort in which the conceptual definition was operationalized as a measure of critical analytical thinking skills for government analysts, and presents results of a …

Creating Test Score Bands For Assessments Involving Ratings Using A Generalizability Theory Approach To Reliability Estimation, Charles Scherbaum, Marcus Dickson, Elliott Larson, Brian Bellenger, Kenneth Yusko, Harold Goldstein

Personnel Assessment and Decisions

The selection of a method for estimating the reliability of ratings has considerable implications for the use of assessments in personnel selection. In particular, the accuracy of corrections to validity coefficients for unreliability and test score bands are completely dependent on the correct estimation of the reliability. In this paper, we discuss how generalizability theory can be used to estimate reliability for test score bands with assessments involving ratings. Using selection data from a municipal entity, we demonstrate the use of generalizability theory-based compare the implications of its use in test score banding compared to the traditional approach.

Justice Perceptions Of Team Disciplinary Actions In The Workplace, Austin Lee Rettke

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This scenario study examined fairness perceptions of rule violations and punishment in an organizational team setting. Participants read one of 16 scenarios in which an integral team member violates an organizational rule and subsequently is punished. Participants then answered 12 items assessing perceptions of fairness for the punished employee and for the non-punished team members, and the likelihood the punishment will deter future misconduct for the punished employee and for the teammates. This study examined two levels of misconduct severity (moderate and severe), two levels of punishment severity (moderate and severe), two types of punishment distribution (consistent and conditional), and …

How A Conducive Environment And Susceptible Followers Influence Toxic Leadership Behaviors In The Air Force: An Examination Of The Toxic Triangle Theory, Rachel S. Beightel

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this thesis was to determine what characteristics of the Air Force’s environment and Airmen perpetuate toxic leadership behaviors. This survey study was designed, using the toxic triangle theory, to evaluate the toxic leadership behaviors, susceptible follower traits, and conducive environment characteristics participants have experienced in the Air Force. The study applied ordinary least squares path analysis to determine the influence susceptible followers and characteristics of a conducive environment have on toxic leadership behaviors in the Air Force. Results revealed that collusive followers have a direct influence on toxic leadership. While only two characteristics of a conducive environment …

Unlocking The Potential In Your Workforce Data, Quality Improvement Center For Workforce Development

Other QIC-WD Products

Communicating complex ideas to diverse stakeholders is central to reliable decision making. Stakeholders may vary greatly in their interest, familiarity, or expertise with data regarding a policy, program, or practice. Well-designed data visualizations provide a platform for engaging stakeholders in ways that are tailored to their interest, familiarity, and expertise. However, research indicates that visualizations are not always designed effectively to reliably motivate users to understand and ultimately use the data in their decision-making (Evergreen, 2011; Cawthon & Moere, 2007). Thoughtful and engaging visualizations demand the stakeholders’ attention and can facilitate the comprehension of findings (Hillstrom & Yantis, 1994; Treisman, …

Gender Differences In Development Center Performance In A Healthcare Organization, Samuel Lawson

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Over the past 50 years, the assessment center has evolved into a tool used for making selection and job placement decisions, as well as for identifying development areas among incumbents to promote skill and competency development where gaps exist. The present study examined the latter, that of development centers, to address potential gender differences in performance on a variety of exercise and competency areas within a development center context. Research efforts were also directed toward the exercises and competencies themselves and the relationships between them. Multiple regression analyses were conducted to investigate exercise-competency relationships, while t-tests were conducted to investigate …

Zero Textbook Cost Syllabus For Psy 4185 (Psychology Of Training And Development), Michael Covell

Open Educational Resources

This course is designed to provide students with an understanding of training and development as a tool for improving organizational performance. Topics include (a) understanding the components of a needs analysis; (b) designing training programs to capitalize on our current understanding of how adults learn; (c) understanding training and development within the context of the modern workplace; and (d) understanding how to evaluate the utility of training and development interventions.

A Study Of The Soft Skills That Contribute To The Success Of Newly Graduated Business Students In The Workplace, Promeet Jaswant Singh

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

This quantitative study is focused on assessing the soft skills that newly graduated business students possess. Using the first and only skills inventory in the United States that has been endorsed by Department of Labor, the study seeks to determine what sets employees apart based on their level of performance on the job. The main purpose was to assess and interpret the soft skills that employees bring to the workplace soon after graduating. The population for the current study was human resources professionals from a variety of industry sectors in the state of Minnesota. The businesses represented a range of …

Self-Concept Orientation And Organizational Identification: A Mediated Relationship, Chun (Grace) Guo, Jane K. Miller, Melissa S. Woodard, Daniel Miller, Kirk D. Silvernail, Mehmet Devrim Aydin, Ana Heloisa Da Costa Lemos, Vilmante Kumpikaite, Sudhir Nair, Paul F. Donnelly, Robert D. Marx, Linda M. Peters

WCBT Faculty Publications

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to test a mediated model of the relationship between self-concept orientation (individualist and collectivist) and organizational identification (OrgID, Cooper and Thatcher, 2010), with proposed mediators including the need for organizational identification (nOID, Glynn, 1998) as well as self-presentation concerns of social adjustment (SA) and value expression (VE, Highhouse et al., 2007). Design/methodology/approach: Data were collected from 509 participants in seven countries. Direct and mediation effects were tested using structural equation modeling (AMOS 25.0). Findings: Individualist self-concept orientation was positively related to VE and collectivist self-concept orientation was positively related to nOID, VE and …

Senior Executives’ Basic Psychological Need Satisfaction And Psychological Well-Being: Is It Different At The Top?, Marcus B. Mueller, Geoff P. Lovell

WCBT Faculty Publications

Senior executives’ decisions can have a substantial impact on their own lives, their families, their organizations’ workers and employees, and society. This quantitative study (1) investigated the relationship between basic psychological need satisfaction (BPNS) at work and psychological well-being (PWB) in 142 senior executives as antecedent of their decision making and (2) compared the results to two other managerial level samples of 260 managers and 445 employees. The results have implications for theory and practice. Our findings contribute the new theoretical perspectives of differences in the relationship between BPNS at work and PWB by managerial level and senior executives’ gender …

A Multifaceted View Of Ceo Compensation And Performance: A Case Study, John Nirenberg

Journal of Sustainable Social Impact

This case addresses CEO pay, a topic that annually stimulates the question of whether or not executive compensation is based on performance or something else and why it is so high in absolute terms. The societal impact of the new class of executives among the largest companies in the United States set apart from the rest of the world in a cocoon of wealth and privilege inflames resentment among workers, widens an already unfathomable distance between those at the top and the rest of us, and endangers the social amity among citizens of the polity . Positive social change might …

Exploring The Preparedness Of Novice (Student) Paramedics For The Mental Health Challenges Of The Paramedic Profession: Using The Wisdom Of The Elders, Lisa Holmes

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This study investigates the preparedness of novice (student) paramedics for the mental health challenges of the paramedic profession and identifies the coping strategies used by veteran paramedics to successfully meet these challenges. The lived experience of veteran paramedics is utilised to provide this important assistance.

Initially, two surveys were developed and administered to 16 course coordinators and 302 students of the 16 accredited undergraduate degree paramedicine courses across Australia and New Zealand, to identify the perceived need (for preparation) within the curriculum. In addition, the anticipations, confidence and fears of novice (student) paramedics, course coordinators and veteran paramedics were also …

From Play To Performance: Building An Effective Organization, Jessica N. Selee, Jade Johnson, Jocelyn N. Murray, Anna Samuelson, Jasmine Li, Andrew Lacanienta, Mat D. Duerden, Mark Widmer

Marriott Student Review

Under the Mentored Experience Grant, six students studies the impact that non-work activities (recreation or leisure) have on individual contributors or organization. Some employees refrain from participating in Leisure-at-Work (LAW) due to lack of time or skill, to cliques, to differing preferences, or fear of negative connotations. Employees report that LAW increases productivity, establishes and enriches social interactions, improves communication, attracts and retains employees in a company, and facilitates a culture of engagement, trust, and camaraderie. At the conclusion of our analysis, we identified areas of future research and recommendations for best practice.

Creating The Context For Effective Culture Work, Matthew Berberich

River Cities Industrial and Organizational Psychology Conference

A culture that embraces change, responds quickly to changing needs and connects everyone at every level as business owners is an exciting future for companies and employees. In this culture leaders learn to unleash the unique potential in each individual to solve problems never solved before. The opportunity for positive impact goes far beyond our daily work. It spills into every area of our lives and in tangible ways impacts the world. Performance metrics and engagement only put you in line for this door to the future. The door can get locked when organizations become lulled into thinking “good-enough” by …

Decision Making: Do People With Dark Triad Traits Utilize Advice?, Elizabeth D. Mcnamara, Alexander T. Jackson, Aneeqa T. Thiele, Stacey M. Stremic, Satoris S. Howes Dr., Michael Hein, Mark C. Frame

River Cities Industrial and Organizational Psychology Conference

This research study seeks to gain a better understanding of the effects of the dark triad (narcissism, Machiavellianism, psychopathy) on advice taking. This research examined whether or not the dark triad traits result in working professionals being more or less likely to accept advice when making a decision. Past research has shown that outcomes are generally more favorable when the person who is making the decision takes the advice of another person into consideration. Despite this fact, I hypothesized that people with higher narcissistic or psychopathic traits will not accept advice when making a decision. Additionally, I hypothesized that Machiavellians …

The Ultimate Culture Change Learning Session, Tim Kuppler

River Cities Industrial and Organizational Psychology Conference

Awareness of the importance of culture is growing at a fast rate but there is no consistent understanding about how to effectively evolve culture with a direct and sustainable impact on performance. This awareness-understanding gap helps to explain why most organizations report they don’t understand their culture and believe change is needed. Culture crises (Uber, etc.) gain widespread exposure and superficial tips and keys dominate the popular press. Leaders and change agents often feel lost in the wilderness as they try to piece together improvements that will impact culture. This will likely be the most performance-focused culture educational session you …

Testing, Retesting And Selecting The Right Job Applicant, Singapore Management University

Perspectives@SMU

Allowing applicants to retake a test can help increase the likelihood of hiring the best person for the job

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 …

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 …

Video Killed The Interview Star: Does Picture-In-Picture Affect Interview Performance?, Ryan G. Horn, Tara S. Behrend

Personnel Assessment and Decisions

Although technology-mediated selection interviews have become more prevalent in practice, research on this phenomenon has failed to keep pace. One pressing need is to understand the dimensions upon which technology-mediated interviews might differ from one another. Particular aspects of synchronous video technology may negatively affect interviewees and those negative effects may be exacerbated by the evaluative nature of the interview. We explored this question by investigating the effects that one such aspect, the picture-in-picture window, has on interviewees. This study used a 2 (picture-in-picture vs. no picture-in-picture) x 2 (evaluative framing vs. non-evaluative framing) between-subjects experimental design to test the …

Timeliness Is Key To The Candidate Experience, Ann Marie Ryan, Abdifatah Ahmed Ali, Terry Hauer, Jillyan French-Vitet

Personnel Assessment and Decisions

Effective talent attraction is a competitive advantage for organizations. This study examined the spillover effect of recruitment delays on signals important for organizational attraction. A diverse sample of 563 candidates evaluated their most recent recruitment experience. Using moderated regression and relative importance analysis, timeliness dissatisfaction dampened the positive effects of organizational prestige and opportunity to perform although these effects are greater earlier in the recruitment process. We discuss the contributions of this study and provide recommendations for recruitment practice.

Using O*Net To Develop A Framework Of Job Characteristics To Potentially Improve The Predictive Validity Of Personality Measures, Jeremy Burrus, Jason D. Way

Personnel Assessment and Decisions

It has long been theorized that we can improve prediction of job-related behavior from measures of personality by identifying job characteristics that allow for the expression of individual differences (e.g., Mischel, 1968). Using O*NET data, the current paper develops a framework for job characteristics that could improve the extent to which we can predict behavior from personality. More specifically, it investigates relationships between Work Styles, Generalized Work Activities, and Work Context variables. Job characteristics varied in importance as a function of four Work Styles composites: achievement, people orientation, stability, and attention to detail, and the relationships were largely …

Stop Interrupting Me! Examining The Relationship Between Interruptions, Test Performance And Reactions, Amie D. Lawrence, Ted B. Kinney, Matthew S. O'Connell, Kristin M. Delgado

Personnel Assessment and Decisions

Unproctored testing (UIT) is common, and mobile testing is increasing rapidly, which means applicants are completing assessments in a variety of test environments. Little is known about how differences in the test environment affect candidate test performance and reactions. This study examines interruptions in the UIT test environment to better understand what interruptions candidates are experiencing and how they influence candidate outcomes. The results show that candidates are being interrupted in a UIT context. Interrupted candidates scored lower on test performance and reported less favorable applicant reactions. Interruptions happen and they do matter. Implications for organizations and practitioners are discussed.

A Phenomenological Case Study Of Transformative Learning In A Non-Traditional Diversity Training Program, Ame Lambert

Human Resource Development Theses and Dissertations

Rapidly changing demographics and globalization has spurred a plurality of organizations to invest millions of dollars annually in diversity training, with the primary aim of improving the experiences of underrepresented employees. However, the results of diversity training to date have not proven encouraging. Positive outcomes of diversity training have generally been confined to increased awareness and improved attitudes towards diversity, with implicit and explicit prejudice and behavior remaining unchanged. The aim of this study was to understand the transformational learning experiences of participants in a non-traditional diversity training program and the impact of their transformational learning on their behavior.

A …

Future Directions In Personality, Occupational And Medical Selection: Myths, Misunderstandings, Measurement, And Suggestions, Eamonn Ferguson, Filip Lievens

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

This paper has two objectives: (1) presenting recent advances in personality theory whereby personality traits are conceptualized within a framework that focuses on the dynamic interactions of behaviour, biology, context, and states, and (2) discussing the implications of these developments for measurement and medical selection. We start by presenting evidence that traits are no longer regarded as stable deterministic predictors of behaviour. Instead, traits are found to change across generations, the life span, and in response to environmental contingencies. Thus, there is an urgent need to explore how traits change as function of medical education. Second, drawing on recent theory …

An Interrogation Of Turnover Antecedents At An Automobile Manufacturer In Northwest Ohio, Emily Boyle

Honors Projects

The manufacturing industry is one of the largest industries in Northwest Ohio. With the growing influence of Lean/Six Sigma manufacturing systems, the industry is becoming much more automated and team-oriented. The manufacturing facility in question is a Tier 1 and 2 automotive manufacturer that is a part of one of the largest global companies in this sector and uses many Lean and Six Sigma processes across three shifts. In recent years, this company has seen a trend of high turnover and it is a constant point of contention for both supervisors and Human Resources. The current study aimed to determine …