Psychology

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Subject: search.filters.subject.Organizational behavior

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    Addressing Follower Motivation Within the Kelley Typology of Followership Using Significance Quest Theory
    (2022) Forgo, Emily Elizabeth; Hanges, Paul J; Psychology; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
    This thesis sought to build upon the Kelley typology of followership by examining the motivational factors that affect follower behavior in follower-leader interactions that the original theory did not explore. The motivational mechanism I argued accounted for differences in follower behavior was Significance Quest theory. This thesis examined whether the interaction between the activation of an individual’s significance quest and the closeness to a network perceived as valuable to them would influence follower behavior. Additional factors, such as narratives valued by the network and regulatory focus orientation, are also explored. Partial support was found for two hypotheses. Implications and future directions of these findings are discussed.
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    APPLICANT REACTIONS TO ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE SELECTION SYSTEMS
    (2022) Bedemariam, Rewina Sahle; Wessel, Jennifer; Psychology; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
    Practitioners have embraced the use of AI and Machine Learning systems for employeerecruitment and selection. However, studies examining applicant reactions to such systems are lacking in the literature. Specifically, little is known about how job applicants react to AI-based selection systems. This study assessed fairness perceptions of hiring decisions made by AIdriven systems and whether significant differences existed between different groups of people.  To do so, a two-by-two experimental study where participants in a selection scenario are randomly assigned to a decision-maker condition (human vs AI) and outcome variability condition (hired vs rejected) was utilized. The results showed that the condition had a significant effect on the interactional justice dimension. The interaction effect of outcome and condition had an impact on job-relatedness, chance to perform, reconsideration opportunity, feedback perceptions, and interactional justice. The three-way interaction of outcome, race and condition influences general fairness reactions and emotional reactions. Given these findings, HR personnel should weigh the pros and cons of AI, especially towards applicants that are rejected.
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    DEVELOPMENT AND INITIAL VALIDATION OF A MEASURE OF CONFIDENCE AT SELF-ADVOCACY AT WORK
    (2021) Moturu, Bhanu Priya; Lent, Robert W; Psychology; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
    The purpose of the present study was to develop and validate a measure of confidence at self-advocacy at work (CASA-W). CASA-W is designed to assess one’s confidence at advocating for themselves in workplaces. Data were collected through Qualtrics from 200 full-time employees using Prime Panels as the recruitment platform. Results of the exploratory factor analysis indicated that the CASA-W consists of two underlying factors with a total of 18 items. The CASA-W total and subscale scores produced adequate internal consistency reliability estimates. Convergent and construct validity was supported by the relationship between CASA- W scores and measures of workplace self-efficacy (i.e., voice self-efficacy, occupational self-efficacy), proactive personality, and perceived organizational support. In terms of criterion-related validity, the CASA-W correlated as expected with measures of self-advocacy behaviors (voice, career initiative, job change negotiation) and outcomes of self-advocacy (organizational rewards growth, hierarchical status, career satisfaction). The CASA-W was also found to account for unique variance in each of the behavior and outcome variables after controlling for demographic variables, proactive personality, and perceived organizational support. Implications for theory, future research, and practice were discussed.
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    Desire for Unmitigated Communion as a Predictor of Partner Relationship Quality and Life Satisfaction
    (2021) Ryan, Joshua Everett; Lemay, Edward; Psychology; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
    The current research conceptualizes and examines a previously unexplored desire in interpersonal relationships: the desire for unmitigated communion from relationship partners. Unmitigated communion refers to the tendency to exhibit concern for others to the exclusion of one’s own needs (Helgeson & Fritz, 1998). While prior research has associated unmitigated communion with interpersonal relationship outcomes, little work has been done in examining whether people desire unmitigated communion from close relationship partners, and what effects these desires may have on others. In the current research, I posit that people sometimes desire their partner’s unmitigated communion, and investigate various potential antecedents and consequences of this desire. Throughout 4 studies, I developed a Desire for Unmitigated Communion scale and investigated its psychometric properties, including internal consistency and latent factor structure (Studies 1 and 3), test-retest reliability (Study 2), and incremental validity (Study 4). Results suggested items assessing people’s desire for a partner’s sacrifice, worry, and dependence reflected a single latent construct, which I refer to as the desire for unmitigated communion. The scale exhibited questionable test-retest reliability in Study 2, and predicted a partner’s relationship satisfaction and feelings of harmonious passion in Study 4. I also assessed predictors and antecedents for this desire in Studies 3 and 4. Results from Study 3 revealed that psychological entitlement, attachment anxiety, and beliefs that sacrifice and devotion are healthy independently predicted increased desire for unmitigated communion. Results from Study 4, a cross-sectional dyadic study, further revealed that the desire for unmitigated communion helped to explain the relationship between a variety of factors (psychological entitlement, attachment anxiety, attachment avoidance, devotion beliefs) and a partner’s relationship commitment. Results also revealed that participant’s desire for unmitigated communion predicted reduced relationship satisfaction and harmonious passion for their close relationship partners, primarily when partners were low in actual unmitigated communion, relative to when they were high in unmitigated communion. Implications of these results are discussed.
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    Managing my Racial Identity at Work: The When, Why, and How of Racial Identity-based Impression Management in Organizations
    (2019) Wheeler, Jasmine; Gelfand, Michele; Psychology; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
    In the past 10 years, burgeoning research has merged social identity theory and impression management theory to examine how individuals manage their distinct social identities such as race (Roberts, 2005; Roberts, Settles, Jellison, 2008; Robert sand Cha, 2014). This extension of impression management theory is especially relevant for Black employees who are often stigmatized because of their racial group membership and must determine the extent to which they either express or suppress their racial identity at work. Therefore, this research seeks to understand when, how, and why Black employees engage in racial identity-based impression management (RIM) and the organizational outcomes related to using these strategies. Additionally, this research seeks to understand majority group reactions to minorities RIM strategy use. Therefore, RIM strategy use was examined across four studies. Qualitative interviews and a construct validation study revealed two forms of RIM, Passive (distancing strategy) and Active (expressive strategy), in study 1. Study 2 revealed that diversity climate and racial centrality interact to predict Active RIM. Black employees whose race is central to them were more likely to engage in Active RIM in positive climates for diversity. Active RIM strategy use also interacted with racial centrality to predict authenticity at work. When race was less central to their identity, Black employees felt less authentic engaging in Active RIM. In turn, authenticity was found to predict important job outcomes such as satisfaction and stress. An experimental follow-up study revealed that diversity climate did not affect RIM strategy use among Black employees, however Black employees evaluated organizations more favorably in terms of diversity climate and were more interest a pursuing a job with an organization described as having a positive climate for diversity. Lastly, in study 4, majority group members evaluated Black employees differently as a function of an organization’s diversity climate and a target’s RIM strategy, due to perceived norm violation. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.
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    The Impact of Race on Newcomer Knowledge Utilization
    (2017) Crosby, Brandon; Gelfand, Michele; Psychology; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
    The experiences of newcomers in groups and organizations have been studied for decades in organizational psychology. Touted for their abilities to produce innovation and give outside perspectives, successful newcomers are highly sought-after by many organizations. Unfortunately, newcomers are often met with resistance when attempting to influence more established group members. While this has been studied in organizational psychology, the literature has largely ignored the potential role of race in these interactions. This research sought to fill this void by examining the effects of race on the ability to influence established group members. This research hypothesized that the relationships between race and knowledge utilization would be explained by trust, as White newcomers are expected to be more trusted on an affective and cognitive level. In addition, these studies examined the role of selection as a moderator. Selecting a newcomer may make a newcomer appear more trustworthy and desirable and may balance out the effects of race. In Study 1, the race of the newcomer had no impact on how much they were trusted, nor the participants’ willingness to utilize the information the provided. In Study 2, White newcomers were trusted more and were more likely to get the participants to change their minds. Finally, Study 3 found that participants were more likely to be persuaded by a White newcomer as compared to a Black newcomer. However, when the group selected a Black newcomer, they were just as likely as the White newcomer to influence the established group members. These findings show that the act of choosing a newcomer may ameliorate ingroup or racial biases against minority newcomers.
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    THE ETHNIC ETHICAL LEADER: HOW PERCEPTIONS OF A LEADER'S ETHNICITY AND GENDER ALTER PERCEPTIONS OF THEIR ETHICALITY
    (2014) Muhammad, Rabiah Sahara; Hanges, Paul J; Psychology; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
    The present dissertation examines the role of ethnicity and gender on perceptions of a leaders' ethicality. Based on the literature of social information processing, people are recognized as leaders when the content of a perceiver's prototype matches the target's characteristics, attributes, and behaviors (CABs). With this dissertation, I add to the existing literature by testing whether categorizing someone as a leader is associated with perceptions of their ethicality. The goal of this dissertation is to examine if the most salient leadership CABS reported in the extant leadership literature are those that may be more consistent with stereotypes of White males than other demographic groups. I hope to examine if leaders may be perceived as less ethical as a function of their race or gender due to a mismatch between the perceiver's leadership prototype and the target's leadership CABs. Four studies were conducted to investigate these issues, with a focus on perceptions of leader's ethicality. In Study 1, participants generated the necessary CABS to describe leaders of different ethnicities, genders and contexts and rated these CABS on how much they fit with the idea of the leader. Study 2 exposed participants to a resume that had a description of a leader that varied in the leader's gender and ethnicity (White, Black, and Hispanic). Study 3 was a within-subject experiment that utilized an implicit assessment of participant's attitudes regarding the ethicality the leaders with an Implicit Attitude Test. In study 4, a between-subject design was used to test the role of context in influencing the salience of the ethnic/gender leadership prototypes. Specifically, the situational context (occupation) and ethnicity (specifically Black) were manipulated and MBA students rated the ethicality of the leader. This dissertation represents the first empirical investigation of leader ethicality through the lens of ethnicity and gender.
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    CROSS-CULTURAL COMPETENCE TRAINING EFFECTIVENESS: THE IMACT OF TRAINING TRANSFER AND PREDICTORS OF TRANSFER
    (2013) Feinberg, Emily Greene; Hanges, Paul; Psychology; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
    In order to better understand the many inconsistencies found in previous research on cross-cultural competence (3C) training effectiveness, this study investigated the impact of training transfer (i.e., the extent to which training concepts are applied to the job context) on cross-cultural success outcomes. Predictors of training transfer, unique to 3C training setting, were also examined. Specifically, individual characteristics, such as personality (i.e., openness to experience, tolerance for ambiguity), cultural motivation, and previous international experience, in addition to climate for transfer (home and host organizations), were discussed as important factors that will likely impact the extent to which training transfer occurs. Hypotheses were tested in a sample of Peace Corps volunteers (N=101) who were completing a cross-cultural training course in preparation for foreign assignment. Results found support for training transfer main effects, as well as cultural motivation and home organization climate for transfer as significant predictors of transfer. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.
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    Pro-Environmental Behaviors in the Workplace: Is Concern for the Environment Enough?
    (2012) Nag, Monisha; Ostroff, Cheri; Psychology; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
    Although there has been some research on corporate social responsibility and sustainable practices in organizations, individuals' pro-environmental behaviors (PEBs) in the workplace have not received much attention. A primary goal of this study was to gain a better understanding of the factors related to PEBs in the workplace and to further our understanding of the relationship between environmental attitudes and PEBs within the organizational context. Contextual factors, including psychological climate for PEBs, perceptions of leader support for PEBs, home climate for PEBs, and role overload, as well as individual differences, including individuals' norms regarding the environment and sense of guilt repair for failing to act in an environmentally responsible manner, were examined. Moreover, two types of PEBs were distinguished: PEBs easily engaged in and PEBs that require a cost to self. A commons dilemma perspective was applied to better understand the relative importance of contextual and individual difference variables in relation to the different types of PEBs, and which factors are more likely to influence individuals' environmental attitude - PEBs relationship in the workplace. Results suggested that psychological perceptions of climate for PEBs, perceptions of home climate for PEBs, and personal norms regarding the environment were most strongly related to the extent to which individuals engaged in both types of PEBs in the workplace. Guilt repair was positively related to the extent to which individuals were willing to engage in PEBs at work despite incurring a cost. Finally, psychological perceptions of climate for PEBs and role overload adversely affected the relationship between individuals' environmental attitude and PEBs at work.
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    Promotion-focused and Prevention-focused? Regulatory Focus Ambidexterity and its Effects on Team Processes and Outcomes
    (2012) Imai, Rin (Lynn); Gelfand, Michele J; Psychology; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
    Regulatory Focus Theory (Higgins, 1997, 1998), which states that individuals have distinct processes through which they approach desired end-states, has generated a tremendous amount of research activity in recent years. This literature shows that whether an individual pursues a goal with either a promotion focus or a prevention focus has important psychological consequences. However, research has focused largely on the individual-level, and not the team-level consequences of regulatory focus. Furthermore, the paradigm of contrasting the predominantly promotion-focused from the predominantly prevention-focused has precluded researchers from understanding the role of ambidextrous individuals who are simultaneously promotion-focused and prevention-focused. Accordingly, the goal of this dissertation was to examine whether having a higher proportion of certain regulatory focus types in the team (i.e., predominantly promotion-focused, predominantly prevention-focused, and ambidextrous types) is advantageous for team creativity and team timeliness, as well as the team processes that lead to each outcome. It was proposed that 1) teams with a higher proportion of predominantly promotion-focused types are more likely to attain team creativity as well as the processes that lead to it (i.e., placement of goal importance on creativity, idea generation, and task conflict), and 2) teams with a higher proportion of predominantly prevention-focused types are more likely to attain team timeliness as well as the processes that lead to it (i.e., placement of goal importance on timeliness and adoption of an early team pacing style). This dissertation also explored whether teams with higher proportion of ambidextrous types are more likely to attain higher team creativity and team timeliness, as well as the team processes that lead to these outcomes, relative to teams with lower proportions of such individuals. Based on a lab study of 89 simulated project teams, it was found as expected, that teams with higher proportions of ambidextrous types achieved greater team creativity than teams with lower proportions of such individuals. It was also found unexpectedly, that teams with higher proportions of ambidextrous types placed less importance on timeliness as a goal at the outset of the team task. In all, hypotheses were largely unsupported. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed along with directions for future research.