Industrial and Organizational Psychology Commons^™

A Monte Carlo Analysis Of Standard Error-Based Methods For Computing Confidence Intervals, Elayna Wichert

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The objective of this study is to empirically test existing techniques to calculate the likely range of values for a Classical Test Theory true score given an observed score. The traditional method for forming these confidence intervals has used the standard error of measurement (SEM) as the basis for this confidence interval. An alternate equation, the standard error of estimate (SEE), has been recommended in place of the SEM for this purpose, yet it remains overlooked in the field of psychometrics. It is important that the correct equation be used in various applications in personnel psychology. Monte Carlo analyses were …

Unpacking The Burnout Phenomenon: Understanding Daily Influences On Burnout, Emily Houk

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Burnout is a work-related phenomenon that is not bound to the work domain. As such, experiencing burnout can be particularly detrimental for employees because effects of burnout can spill over into other life domains. The present study serves to examine the burnout phenomenon; specifically, I examined the direct effect of daily job stress on perceptions of burnout, as well as explored daily work-related affective rumination as a mediating effect in the relationship between daily job stress and burnout. Work-related affective rumination is a mechanism that potentially helps to explain how buildup of daily job stress influences the development of burnout. …

Physician Stress: Is The Electronic Health Record To Blame?, Zack Ward

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the potential relationship between Family Medicine physician burnout and the electronic health record. To do so, this study utilized the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory to assess burnout among physicians, along with specific questions regarding usage of the electronic health record and measurement of physician perceptions of the electronic health record. Members of the Kentucky Academy of Family Physicians were sent two separate invitations to participate in the study twice over a one-month period via email.

The study yielded no significant differences in Family Medicine physician demographics and their degree of burnout, or the …

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 …

The Influence Of A Proposed Margin Criterion On The Accuracy Of Parallel Analysis In Conditions Engendering Underextraction, Justin M. Jones

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

One of the most important decisions to make when performing an exploratory factor or principal component analysis regards the number of factors to retain. Parallel analysis is considered to be the best course of action in these circumstances as it consistently outperforms other factor extraction methods (Zwick & Velicer, 1986). Even so, parallel analysis could benefit from further research and refinement to improve its accuracy. Characteristics such as factor loadings, correlations between factors, and number of variables per factor all have been shown to adversely impact the effectiveness of parallel analysis as a means of identifying the number of factors …

A Review Of Supreme Court Cases Involving Workplace Retaliation: 2006-2018, Rachel Quinn Pearson

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Employers want to reduce or eliminate claims of employee retaliation whenever possible because of associated negative organizational consequences such as legal liability, various financial costs for the organization, and negative effect on employee morale. As such, it is important to identify the factors that impact the court’s decision to rule in favor of the plaintiff or the defendant. The purpose of the present study is to identify factors driving the court’s decision, as well as to review the implications of recent Supreme Court holdings for retaliation issues. Supreme Court cases involving a claim of employee retaliation from BNSF v. White …

Perceptions Of Uncivil And Sexual Harassment Perceptions By Gender, Employment Status, And Likelihood To Sexually Harass, John Schroader

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This research examined gender and employment status (full-time worker or student) differences in perceptions of workplace sexual harassment and incivility. Previous and recent meta-analyses suggested small effects by gender. The current research introduced a method of measuring perceptions by forcing a choice of identifying a behavior as sexual harassment, incivility, or neither. The instrument was designed in this way to determine if small effects existed because males tended to have overlapping definitions of sexual harassment and incivility. Propensity to sexually harass was also measured. Results suggest no gender or employment status effects on the method, but propensity to sexually harass …

An Investigation Of The Accuracy Of Parallel Analysis For Determining The Number Of Factors In A Factor Analysis, Mandy Matsumoto

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Exploratory factor analysis is an analytic technique used to determine the number of factors in a set of data (usually items on a questionnaire) for which the factor structure has not been previously analyzed. Parallel analysis (PA) is a technique used to determine the number of factors in a factor analysis. There are a number of factors that affect the results of a PA: the choice of the eigenvalue percentile, the strength of the factor loadings, the number of variables, and the sample size of the study. Although PA is the most accurate method to date to determine which factors …

Management And Leadership Style: Is Style Influenced By Engineering Education?, Arsalan Khan

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Leadership Development Programs (LDPs) programs are employed by firms globally in different multiple manners that are aimed at accelerating the development and growth of highly capable candidates. Among these candidates, depending on the particular LDP, may be those possess engineering skills typically afforded through engineering education as measured by completion of an engineering degree. Infrastructure reductions might be afforded corporations if multiple LDPs could be supplanted with one program such as an Engineering Leadership Development Program. In practice, however, economic constraints limited the total sample population of this category to 67 (48 with engineering degrees and 15 without). Employing SPSS …

The Underlying Dynamics Of Student Engagement On Thesis Completion, Nikolaj Sivek

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Engagement is an increasingly important construct in organizational and educational settings. Research indicates that engagement is positively related to satisfaction, commitment, and performance in the workplace. This study investigated the relationship of Total Engagement to complete a thesis with Self-Determination Theory individual motivational constructs, the personality constructs of Psychological Capital and Core Self-Evaluations, and the experiential construct of Flow Propensity. The results indicated significant relationships between all constructs and engagement. Further, Psychological Capital and Flow Propensity explained 55% of the variance in Total Engagement to complete a thesis.

Christian Nonprofit Ceos:Ethical Idealism, Relativism, And Motivation, Sharlene Garces Baragona

Dissertations

Strong ethical character and the ability to inspire others form crucial areas for leadership effectiveness, particularly in nonprofits. This study explored the relationship between ethical ideologies (idealism and relativism) and inspirational motivation of Christian nonprofit CEOs affiliated with the Christian Child and Family Services Association. The Ethics Position Questionnaire of Forsyth (1980), the Bass and Avolio (2004) Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire Leader Form (5X Short) – Inspirational Motivation, and a demographic questionnaire comprised the 30-item survey for this study. The participants’ responses were collected either online or on paper and were analyzed using Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient. The response rate was …

Insecurity Threat And Its Implications For Leadership Preference, Allen Lee

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

I investigated insecurity threat and its implications for employee leadership preferences. Preferences for three types of leadership style were examined: charismatic, relationship-oriented, and task-oriented leadership. It was anticipated that individuals’ salient work values would predict leadership preference more strongly after insecurity threat than under control conditions. Two different types of threats were investigated in comparison to a neutral control condition.

Results showed that there were no statistically significant differences in leader ratings between threat conditions. My results suggest that threat does not significantly influence preference for charismatic or task-oriented leaders. Work values did not significantly predict a preference for a …

A Review Of Court Cases Involving Cognitive Ability Testing And Employment Practices: 1992-2015, Nicholas H. Morris

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This review is an extension of a study by Shoenfelt and Pedigo (2005). The purpose of this review is to help form an understanding of how the courts handle cases where an organization has used a cognitive ability test to select employees and consequently faced charges. Cognitive ability testing is the best known predictor of job performance for a wide range of jobs. However, cognitive ability testing also is known to lead organizations to select fewer members of protected groups, such as African Americans, Hispanics, and women. The cases that were reviewed were identified in the LexisNexis database. In order …

Participation In Organizational Health And Wellness Programs, Sarah C. Adams

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Health and wellness programs are being utilized by organizations at growing rates. Research on health and wellness programs is typically confined to the program of a single organization and the employees participating in that specific program. Typically, this research examines the outcomes of health and wellness programs in organizations, such as return on investment in terms of medical costs, as well as improvements in the health of the employees. However, little information is known about those who choose to participate in health and wellness programs and the characteristics that may influence their participation.

This study examined the relationship between demographic …

Training Evaluation Investigating Core Self-Evaluations And Perceptions Of Training Transfer, Thomas P. Patterson

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Although training evaluation is understood as an important way of determining the effectiveness of a training program, additional research in the area of training transfer and core self-evaluations (CSE) could provide insight on measuring the effectiveness of training programs. Training transfer differences and CSE were examined in training courses offered in a workforce development program. The goals of the study were to: (1) evaluate the validity of using CSE as a means of predicting perceptions of transfer, (2) test the previous findings that utility reactions measures are a stronger predictor of transfer than affective reactions measures, (3) determine which type …

A Review Of Court Cases Involving Discrimination In Physical Ability Testing: 1992-2015, Casey L. Biggs

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Organizations that employ physically demanding jobs want to ensure their selection procedures distinguish qualified applicants from unqualified applicants. However, such selection tools typically result in adverse impact against various protected groups and often lead to litigation. Various factors influence the court’s decision to rule in favor of the plaintiff or the defendant. The purpose of the present study is to identify those factors. The ADA (1990) created strict guidelines for plaintiffs and defendants to follow to be credible in a discrimination case. This study will specifically determine the impact of the ADA guidelines and three additional factors that influence court …

Using Critical Incidents: The Development Of A Behaviorally Based Training Program For Supervisor Citizenship Behavior And Feedback Skills, Jody J. Lecheler

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

It has been argued (Greer, 2013) that supervisors are a critical component in organizational effectiveness. Supervisors are required to hold many roles within the organization (Evans, 1965). Specifically, employees often see supervisors as representatives of the organization, while the organization depends on supervisors to maintain production (Greer, 2013). Many supervisors also fill a variety of other organizational roles such as mentor, trainer, motivator, disciplinarian, evaluator, and leader (Evans, 1965). For these reasons, effective supervisors are crucial to organizational success. The present study developed a behaviorally based training program for supervisors for a poultry processing organization. The training program content included …

Examining Quality Of Hire As A Function Of Person-Organization And Person-Job Fit At "Pharmco", Leah L. Palmer

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

In response to the millennial job-hopping fad and increasingly low retention rates organizations are facing, it is more important than ever that the best-fit candidate is chosen for the position and the organization. There are two common ways fit is typically defined: person-organization (P-O) fit is the congruence between an employee and the characteristics of a company; person-job (P-J) fit is the match between an employee’s knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) and the requirements of the job in the organization (Edwards, 1991; Kristof, 1996). A large pharmaceutical company developed a quality of new hire criterion measure as a function of …

Organizational Use Of Social Networking In Employment Actions, Cameron R. Lile

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This study examined federal court cases related to the use of social media websites (e.g., Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, LinkedIn) in various employment practices (e.g., selection, promotion, employee monitoring, layoffs). Court cases were identified using various online databases in an attempt to create an exhaustive list of cases to be used to better understand the role that social media has played in organizational settings and the legal implications of its use. The results of this study show that there were a significant number of cases involving termination and Facebook, and organizations prevailed in court significantly more than the defendant did. The …

An Examination Of The Perceived Fairness Of Pregnancy Leave Practices, Pamela N. Wheeler

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

As the number of women entering postsecondary education continues to increase (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2014), universities will be tasked with ensuring that their pregnancy leave policies and practices are aligned with the principles of organizational justice. When organizations are aware of the perceptions of both decision makers and those affect by decisions, they are able to alter policies and practices in a way that promotes perceptions of fairness. The present study examines department head and faculty member perceptions of pregnancy leave practices in a university setting. This study is a replication/follow-up of two studies conducted in 2005 and …

The Effect Of Stress And Perceived Social Support On Job Satisfaction: A Comparison Between U.S Born And Foreign-Born Faculty, Lisa Owen

Dissertations

Research indicates that academic work-stress is a significant and growing problem for faculty members. General work-stress studies suggest that social support may buffer the negative impact of stress on faculty job satisfaction. To date, little research has been conducted in this area. Even fewer studies have examined the potential differences between U.S.-born and foreign-born faculty members regarding these variables. This quantitative, non-experimental multivariate study utilized a survey to assess academic stressors, perceived departmental social support, and job satisfaction at a large U.S. university. The surveyed institution consisted of 807 full-time faculty members. The three-week survey yielded a response rate of …

Professional Opinion On The Use Of Interest Inventories In Employee Selection, Amy Mandelke

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Although interest inventories have a long history in the field of career counseling, vocational interests have received limited attention in Industrial-Organizational (I-O) psychology. To assess the potential utility of interest inventories in the field of I-O psychology, 82 I-O psychologists with expertise in employee selection and equal employment opportunity law completed a survey assessing their expert opinion on the utility of interest inventories for employee selection decisions. Opinion on potential legal liability and discriminatory impact of the use of interest inventories was also assessed. Hypothesis 1, which stated a majority of respondents would indicate they have little to moderate knowledge …

Examining The Interaction Between Leadership Style And Organizational Justice And Its Effect On Organizational Commitment, Job Satisfaction, And Work Stress, Gregory Lucas Kedenburg

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This thesis examines the constructs of organizational commitment, job satisfaction, and work stress, and the extent to which they are affected by perceptions of organizational justice and leadership styles. Much of the literature related to these topics focuses on exploring the relationship between either justice and commitment or leadership and commitment, with very little research investigating the way that justice and leadership combine to affect outcome variables such as commitment, satisfaction, and stress. This study reviewed the literature that details these topics in order to facilitate the understanding necessary to then focus on the relationship between commitment, organizational justice, and …

The Adaptation Of A Situational Judgement Test To Measure Leadership Knowledge In The Workplace, Ebo K. A Osam

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

In recent times, situational judgment tests (SJTs) have emerged as an instrument of choice in organizations. This emergence is partly due to the high costs associated with developing and conducting high fidelity simulations such as assessment centers, coupled with the recent economic downturn affecting many organizations. The current study sought to validate an SJT as a low cost, alternate form of assessing leadership within an organizational context. A content validation study was carried out by retranslating items into eight dimensions and calibrating item responses. This study resulted in a content valid measure of leadership knowledge. Future studies should focus on …

Testing A Multi-Level Mediation Model Of Workgroup Incivility: The Role Of Civility Climate And Group Norms For Civility, Jessica Johnston-Fisher

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The purpose of this study was to test a multi-level mediation model of incivility. Specifically, it was proposed that predictors of workplace incivility at the individual, group, and organizational level would be related to each other and negative individual outcomes. It was also proposed that the relationship between these predictors and outcomes would be mediated by workplace incivility victimization. Two hundred twenty eight participants completed an online survey through Amazon’s Mechanical Turk. Results indicated that variables at all three levels (i.e., civility climate, group norms for civility, and individual characteristics) were related to one another and predictive of negative individual …

A Beautiful Mind: Examining The Effects Of Emotional Intelligence And Physical Attractiveness On Employee Evaluations, Tessa Seidler

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The current paper describes the concepts of emotional intelligence (EI) and physical attractiveness in relation to their impact on applicant evaluations. As EI has been shown to be linked to work outcomes including job performance, job satisfaction and interpersonal relationships, and as physical attractiveness has been found to influence rater decisions and perceptions of intellectual competence, an examination of these constructs in concert was the focus of the current study. Results found that, on average, attractive employees, older employees, and male employees were rated higher on several dimensions than their counterparts. There was no support for rater EI being linked …

The Perceived Relevance Of Training In Industrial/Organizational Psychology At The Terminal Master's Level, Seth A. Kline

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The purpose of this study was to replicate and expand upon the survey research by Erffmeyer and Mendel (1990) on the perceived relevance of graduate training in industrial-organizational (I-O) psychology at the terminal master’s level. A review of the literature discussed core competencies, as well as the advantages of internship experiences and thesis requirements. Results indicated that graduates view their training as well targeted towards knowledge and skills they regard as useful at their internship, first job, and current position. Results also indicated that graduates viewed their internship experiences as highly beneficial and worthwhile experiences, regardless of their supervisor. Results …

Construct Validity Analysis Of The Organizational Cohesion Scale, Kristen Ruga

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Organizational cohesion is a multifaceted construct that has been defined and assessed in a multitude of ways. For the purpose of this study, the researcher has defined organizational cohesion as the extent to which employees within an organization feel a sense of unity with one another. Practitioners are often faced with uncertainty regarding the necessary assessment materials when trying to evaluate organizational cohesion. An easily accessible and valid scale had yet to be created to measure organizational cohesion. The Organizational Cohesion Scale (OCS) is an eight-item assessment of an employee’s perception of the cohesion they have experienced with their peers …

The Relationship Between Perceived Servant Leadership Constructs And Collective Self-Esteem, Leann D. Howell

Dissertations

Following Greenleaf’s (1977) seminal work in servant leadership, much has been written on the definition of servant leadership, but very little written on what it does. At the center of this research is a focus on how followers perceive servant leadership constructs/attributes, and the relationship between that perception and collective selfesteem as it relates to organizational membership. The central question guiding this research is: “Is there a relationship between perceived servant leadership constructs and collective self-esteem?” Followers’ perceptions of servant leadership constructs as defined by Patterson (2003) were investigated utilizing the Servant Leadership Assessment Instrument (SLAI) developed by Dennis (2004). …

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.