Industrial and Organizational Psychology Commons^™

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 …

Exploring The Use Of Non-Cognitive Factors In Predicting College Academic Outcomes, Ashley D. Cooper

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The present study evaluated the incremental utility of a blended model of cognitive and non-cognitive variables versus a cognitive-only set of variables to predict academic success among new college students. Traditional cognitive predictors include high school grade point average and ACT scores. The non-cognitive factors of interest were grit, goal orientation, and academic self-efficacy. It was hypothesized that the blended model would demonstrate stronger predictive validity than cognitive predictors alone, grit would be associated with goal orientations and academic self-efficacy, and that academic self-efficacy would mediate the relationship between other non-cognitive predictors and academic success outcomes. The results from archival …

Cognitive Ability And Computer Simulation, Charles C. Buford

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

General Mental Ability (GMA) is the single strongest predictor of future work performance currently available. Tests of GMA used for selection purposes carry potential for adverse impact if used as a primary tool for employee selection; however, a factor of GMA known as Fluid Intelligence (Gf) should represent a more equitable assessment construct. Computer simulations appear to offer some beneficial attributes for selection purposes, but potential negative effects of GMA assessment may carry over to the new medium. In this study, I successfully used a computer simulated game to approximate two tests of Gf with a study of both pilot …

Examination Of Personality Characteristics Among Cybersecurity And Information Technology Professionals, Sarah E. Freed

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

An influx of cyber-attacks throughout the past decade has resulted in an increase in demand for cybersecurity professionals. However, the rapid growth of this field has led to a general lack of knowledge regarding the characteristics of individuals and job roles of cybersecurity professionals. This study addresses this gap in the existing literature by evaluating personality characteristics among information technology and cybersecurity professionals. Following an analysis of the facets of the IPIP NEO short form, it was discovered that cybersecurity professionals scored significantly different on Trust, Intellect, Vulnerability, Self-Consciousness, Assertiveness, and Adventurousness when compared to other information technology professional indicating …

What Keeps Managers Awake At Night?, Hari Krishnan

Asian Management Insights

As the talent acquisition landscape undergoes dramatic change and the lines between the disciplines of recruiting and marketing continue to blur, how can talent leaders stay ahead of their game?

Leaders’ Facial Features As A Potential Source Of Information For Prospective Team Members, Lay See Ong, Guihyun Grace Park, Michal Franc, Norman P. Li

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

We examined how facial features of team-leaders influence the perception of the team’s social environment by prospective team-members. Finding: highly dominant-looking leaders are related to perceptions of high-vertical and low-horizontal team mobility. We highlight the significance in understanding how these members perceive the team since teams are vital to organizations.

The Effect Of Group Level Factors On Affective Convergence In Teams: An Agent Based Model, Chaunette Marie Small

Theses and Dissertations

Previous research supports the idea that affective convergence occurs in teams. The phenomenon of group affect has been well documented, however the group level conditions through which affective convergence emerges has received very little research. The current study helps to fill this gap by using agent-based modeling to examine affective convergence under varying group conditions. Agent-based modeling is a recently developed approach to research that uses the power of computers to model individual level behaviors and examine group level emergent constructs. The current study examined display rule presence, display rule breadth, social influence, interdependence, and team size on affective convergence. …

Is ‘How’M I Doin’?’ A Universal Question? Unpackaging Cultural Differences In Feedback Seeking, Rana Gaby Moukarzel

Theses and Dissertations

The feedback literature is based on the premise that given a favorable context and a drive to reduce uncertainties, all individuals should seek self-relevant performance information. However, this framework has only been empirically examined using Western samples and has failed to consider the influence of the broader context, with the exclusion of Sully de Luque and Sommer’s (2000) cultural framework. The purpose of this project was to integrate extant culture theory into the feedback seeking literature for a more comprehensive framework, and a more global understanding of cultural contingencies surrounding the feedback seeking process. Findings revealed the universality of feedback …

A Model Of Hospitality Employee Engagement, Hee Jung Kang

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This study focuses on employee's state-like psychological resources by investigating individual and organizational antecedents to employee engagement and valued human resource outcomes. The purpose of this study was to develop and test a theoretical model that explains the interrelationships among six constructs and to explore the mediating effects of employee engagement. Structural Equation Modeling using AMOS (18.0) statistical software was used to test the full structural model (measurement and structural model) of the hypothesized relationships among the variables with a sample of hospitality employees. The findings supported all hypothesized relationships except the direct relationship between employee engagement and turnover intention. …

Stress And Coping As A Function Of Experience Level In Collegiate Flight Students, Jennifer Kirschner, John Young, Richard Fanjoy

Journal of Aviation Technology and Engineering

Aviation as an industry requires a high degree of precision at all times. Large amounts of stress have been known to decrease performance to undesirable levels. While stress reactions and the coping skills used after encountering stressful situations differ from person to person, generalities can be made by comparing differences between groups. A large number of pilot applicants receive initial training within a university flight program each year. In order to better understand the perceived stress level and the coping skills used by these students, the current research project administered a perceived stress test and a coping skills inventory to …

Direct V. Indirect Exposure To Trauma: An Insight To Officer Coping Mechanisms, Marybel Cortez

McNair Scholars Research Journal

Police officers serve a vital role in our communities and face particularly acute trauma and stress in the execution of their jobs. Therefore, it is critical to fully understand how police officers react in these situations. Studies have shown that officers endure a distinctive source of stress and are presented with the risk of exposure to traumatic events. Chopko & Schwartz (2012) surveyed 183 officers and found that more than 30% displayed symptoms of PTSD; however, this study focused on direct exposure to trauma. The current study expands this previous research to study the effects of indirect experiences of trauma. …

The Effect Of Job Performance Aids On Quality Assurance, Erik David Fosshage

Open Access Theses

Job performance aids (JPAs) have been studied for many decades in a variety of disciplines and for many different types of tasks, yet this is the first known research experiment using JPAs in a quality assurance (QA) context. The objective of this thesis was to assess whether a JPA has an effect on the performance of a QA observer performing the concurrent dual verification technique for a basic assembly task. The JPA used in this study was a simple checklist, and the design borrows heavily from prior research on task analysis and other human factors principles. The assembly task and …

Measurement Invariance Of The Wong And Law Emotional Intelligence Scale Scores: Does The Measurement Structure Hold Across Far Eastern And European Countries?, Nele Libbrecht, Alain De Beuckelaer, Filip Lievens, Thomas Rockstuhl

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

In recent years, emotional intelligence and emotional intelligence measures have been used in a plethora of countries and cultures. This is also the case for the Wong and Law Emotional Intelligence Scale (WLEIS), highlighting the importance of examining whether the WLEIS is invariant across regions other than the Far Eastern region (China) where it was originally developed. This study investigated the measurement invariance (MI) of the WLEIS scores across two countries, namely Singapore (N= 505) and Belgium (N= 339). Apart from items measuring the factor use of emotion, the measurement structure underlying the WLEIS ratings was generally invariant across both …

Does The Perception Of Psychosocial Factors Increase The Risk Of Pesticide Exposure Among Seasonal Hispanic Farmworkers?, Donna L. Levesque, Ahmed A. Arif

Walden Faculty and Staff Publications

BACKGROUND:

Migrant farmworkers are prone to several psychosocial stressors.

OBJECTIVE:

To investigate the effect of perceived psychosocial factors on pesticide exposure among seasonal migrant Hispanic farmworkers in North Carolina, USA.

METHODS:

A cross-sectional interview survey of 187 seasonal migrant farmworkers of Mexican descent, identified from labor camps located in rural counties in North Carolina, was conducted using nonprobability purposive sampling approach. Multivariable ordinal logistic regression analysis was used to determine the relationship between perceived control over the harmful effects of pesticide exposure, lack of social support, and the impact of anxiety on perception of pesticide exposure.

RESULTS:

More than 20% …

Use Of Task Clarification, Feedback, And Recognition To Increase Desired Behaviors Within An Organization’S Permit To Work System - Analysis Of Data Previously Collected As An Organizational Consultant, Tarek Abousaleh

Dissertations

The term ‘culture’ can be used to describe both a ‘social culture’ and a ‘work culture’. A social culture can be defined behaviorally as a pattern of overt and covert behaviors that are consequated by the verbal community and the contingency specifying rules that facilitate behavior independent of any first hand experience. It is this community that defines which behaviors are reinforced, extinguished, or punished. Similarly, a work culture can be defined as a pattern of overt and covert behaviors that are consequated by the work community (leadership, employees, self, etc.) and the contingency specifying rules that facilitate behavior/performance independent …

Workload Transitions And Stress: Changes Over Time, Erik G. Prytz

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Workload transitions are situations where operators are suddenly confronted with levels of workload substantially different from previously established levels. Workload transitions may affect the operators' state of stress and coping behaviors but previous research has not conclusively demonstrated the nature of those. The first goal of the current work was to investigate the discrepant findings of the previous literature. Two experiments were conducted where participants were asked to perform a digit detection task that suddenly shifted between low and high event rates (i.e., low and high workload, respectively). The first experiment used a large magnitude transition that resulted in a …

Mutual Performance Monitoring In Virtual Teams, Nathan Haugejorde Bjornberg

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

The use of virtual teams in organizations has become commonplace (SHRM, 2012). While a great deal of research on teamwork exists, much of it has focused on collocated teams. Spatial and temporal separations inherent in virtual teams make working together as a team more difficult. This research examined a teamwork process previously unexplored within virtual teams -- mutual performance monitoring. An experimental intervention was conducted and outcomes at both the individual and team levels of analysis were examined. A total of 161 participants were assigned to work together in 47 teams on a decision-making task. Participants communicated and worked together …

Examining The Operant Function Of Feedback: Evaluation Of The Temporal Location Of Feedback, Elian Aljadeff-Abergel

Dissertations

Despite the common use of feedback in most training settings, it is not yet clear what behavioral function feedback serves. Most researchers consider feedback to function as a consequence and advocate for its immediate delivery in the form of “on the spot” supervision or after-session conferencing. The literature suggests that when compared, “on the spot” supervision is found more effective than after session conferencing. In spite these findings, most supervisors are still implementing after-session conferencing. This is probably due to the limited feasibility of performing “on the spot” supervision when supervising teachers implementing whole class or small group instruction. One …

Gender Stereotypes In Leadership: How Threatening Are They?, Valerie N. Streets

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Women's persistent underrepresentation in management has prompted a considerable body of research to better understand how gender stereotyping contributes to this disparity. One possible explanation for the impact of stereotyping on women in management is stereotype threat (i.e., the risk of confirming negative stereotypes as true). Experimental research concerning stereotype threat as it affects women within the domain of leadership has been limited, with no published study specifically manipulating stereotype threat and testing effects on subsequent leadership performance. This thesis expands upon the current literature by replicating classic stereotype threat experimental designs and applying such a design to a leadership …

Family Incivility And Job Performance: A Moderated Mediated Model Of Psychological Distress And Core Self-Evaluation, Sandy Lim, Kenneth Tai

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

This study extends the stress literature by exploring the relationship between family incivility and job performance. We examine whether psychological distress mediates the link between family incivility and job performance. We also investigate how core self-evaluation might moderate this mediated relationship. Data from a 2-wave study indicate that psychological distress mediates the relationship between family incivility and job performance. In addition, core self-evaluation moderates the relationship between family incivility and psychological distress but not the relationship between psychological distress and job performance. The results hold while controlling for general job stress, family-to-work conflict, and work-to-family conflict. The findings suggest that …

Business Psychology: Building An Interdisciplinary Bridge From The Ground Up, Raymond L. Forbes, Brenda Jones, Kristan Jones

All Faculty and Staff Scholarship

This paper describes the building of an innovative multi-disciplinary, outcomes-based, master’s degree program that integrates the fields of Business and Psychology. Historically, Business and Psychology have ranked among the top five majors chosen by undergraduate students. The program is theory-to-practice oriented and teaches the traditional disciplines of business including: economics, finance, marketing, human resources, strategy, and management from a human perspective. The Business Psychology program primarily emphasizes qualitative versus quantitative-oriented teaching methods. Students of the program analyze individual, group, and organizational level business issues through the application of both traditional and new brain-based tools. Individual and professional developments are also …

The Mediating Effect Of General Organizational Means-Efficacy In The Relationships Between Organizational Context And Employee Attitudes, Kevin Cobb

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The current study examines the mediating role of General Organizational Means‑efficacy (GOME) in the relationships between organizational context and employee attitudes. The organizational context consists of leadership support, centralization, and emphasis on training and development; and employee attitudes consist of job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and career outcomes. The purpose of this study is to reveal what contextual factors in an organization may affect employees’ perceptions of resources available and in turn affects employee attitudes. Structural equation modeling was used to analyze these relationships, and it was found that leadership support and an emphasis on training and development were positively related …

Suggested Practices For Making I-O Connections: Let’S Build Bridges And Grow I-O!, Joseph A. Allen, Tara S. Behrend, Suzanne T. Bell, Victoria J. Smoak

Psychology Faculty Publications

It may come as no surprise, but there are an awful lot of people who have no idea what I-O pychology is or what I-O psychologists do. Common reactions from new acquaintances include, “Ooo, I could really use some help organizing my home and be a more industrious person” or “Wow, that’s a mouthful” or “No really, what do you do for a living?” Perhaps even more alarming is the number of students across universities who aren’t introduced to I-O—even if they are psychology majors! We are struck by the number of prospective graduate students who tell us that they …

Thinking Bigger And Better About "Bad Apples": Evolutionary Industrial/Organizational Psychology And The Dark Triad, Peter K. Jonason, Serena Wee, Norman P. Li

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

The focal article by Guenole (2014) correctly contends that industrial–organizational (I–O) psychology has been overly reliant on the Big Five or the five-factor model (Benet-Martínez & John, 1998). Although popular and useful, the Big Five also tends to be limited in two important ways. The Big Five is a set of atheoretically derived, descriptive adjectives, and it tends to better tap “positive” aspects of people's personality over “negative” or “darker” sides. A number of authors have highlighted the importance of examining “darker” aspects of people's personality both outside (Jonason, Li, Webster, & Schmitt, 2009; Lee & Ashton, 2005; Paulhus & …

Refining The Evidence-Based Practice Attitude Scale (Ebpas): An Alternative Confirmatory Factor Analysis, David A. Patterson Silver Wolf (Adelv Unegv Waya) Phd, Catherine N. Dulmus Phd, Eugene Maguin Phd, Nicole Fava

Brown School Faculty Publications

Barriers to adopting evidence-based practices into real-world mental health organizations have received considerable attention and study. One particular attempt is Aarons’s Evidence- Based Practice Attitude Scale (EBPAS), which measures a worker’s attitudes toward adopting new treatments, interventions, and practices. This study follows Aarons’s work by conducting a confirmatory factor analysis of the EBPAS administered in a large child and family human service agency in New York state (N = 1,273). Replicating Aarons et al.’s four-factor model of the EBPAS, the authors found that, within the model, the pattern of factor loadings that was apparent in previous investigations held for their …

Preventing And Responding To Workplace Bullying: Best Practices Guidelines, Worksafe New Zealand

University of Nebraska Public Policy Center: Publications

BULLYING IS A WORKPLACE HAZARD

Workplace bullying is a significant hazard in New Zealand. It affects people physically and mentally, resulting in increased stress levels, decreased emotional well-being, reduced coping strategies and lower work performance.

Employers who don’t deal with it risk breaching the: Employment Relations Act 2000 (ERA), Health and Safety in Employment Act 1992 (HSE Act), Human Rights Act 1993 (HRA), Harassment Act 1997 (HA).

BULLYING IS BAD FOR BUSINESS

Its effects can reduce productivity and disrupt workplaces through: impaired performance, increased absence, low morale, more mistakes and accidents, loss of company reputation, resignations and difficulty recruiting, poor …

Coaching: What Business And Social Researchers Need To Know About It, Raymond L. Forbes

All Faculty and Staff Scholarship

This paper explores the historical and current world of organizational coaching. Coaching is offered as a means of assistance to aid organizational leaders in effectively responding to the stressful external and internal demands associated with their positions or ones to which they aspire. Coaching is also discussed as a vehicle for improving individual and team performance as well as for actualizing a leader’s inherent potential. This work draws heavily upon current literature and practice in both the leadership and coaching fields. It also provides a review of relevant theory, contrasts the roles of leader and manager, defines executive coaching, and …

Benefits Of A Multi-Generational Workforce: Perceptions Of Age-Friendly Work Environments, Aneeta Alysha Noorani

Online Theses and Dissertations

Age-friendly workplaces (1) emphasize mutual respect and inclusion at work and (2) provide comprehensive support for employees of all ages by utilizing a combination of policies, procedures, settings, and/or structures to (3) remove the barriers that segregate by age group and (4) encourages participation of all employees regardless of their age. The current study explored the idea of an age-friendly workplace by developing a measure of an age-friendly workplace and examining its influence on employees. The Age-Friendly Work Environment Scale was developed to assess the extent to which employees view their organizations to manage employees of different ages effectively. Using …

Psychological Contract Breach By The Supervisor, Darrell Scott Kelly

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

My study examined the effect of psychological contract breach by a supervisor on employee job outcomes (OCBs, CWBs, and job satisfaction). Also, I tested the moderating effects of the quality of a relationship between an employee and his or her supervisor, and an employee and his or her organization, on the psychological contract breach - job outcomes relationship. I found minimal support that employees distinguish between their supervisors and their organizations when assessing psychological contract breach. Also, I found no support that relationship quality had any moderating effects. However, I did find that LMX-I and LMX-O might measure the same …