No full-text available
To read the full-text of this research,
you can request a copy directly from the author.
Work Psychology
Abstract
Work psychology was born over a century ago as part of applied psychology. The field of work psychology can be divided into three major subject areas: 1. the performance of work tasks; 2. the impact of work on the person; and 3. human work in a system context. The following topics are discussed: theory and research in work psychology; the professional activities of work psychologists; new developments in work; challenges for work psychology; and the future of work psychology. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
The present paper provides a conceptual and empirical examination regarding the relevance of the construct curiosity for work-related outcomes. Based on a review and integration of the literature regarding the construct itself, the construct is conceptually linked with performance in the work context. Using a confirmatory research strategy, a sample (N = 320) with requirements that reflected this conceptual link was chosen. Results from a concurrent validation study confirmed the hypothesis regarding the significance of curiosity for job performance (r = .34). Furthermore, incremental validity of curiosity above twelve cognitive and non-cognitive predictors for job performance suggest that curiosity captures variance in the criterion that is not explained by predictors traditionally used in organizational psychology. It is concluded that curiosity is an important variable for the prediction and explanation of work-related behavior. Furthermore, given the dramatic changes in the world of work, the importance is likely to raise, rather than to decline, which has important implications for organizational theories and applied purposes, like personnel selection.
In addition to the person–environment fit model (J. R. French, R. D. Caplan, & R. V. Harrison, 1982) and the demand–control model (R. A. Karasek & T. Theorell, 1990), a third theoretical concept is proposed to assess adverse health effects of stressful experience at work: the effort–reward imbalance model. The focus of this model is on reciprocity of exchange in occupational life where high-cost/low-gain conditions are considered particularly stressful. Variables measuring low reward in terms of low status control (e.g., lack of promotion prospects, job insecurity) in association with high extrinsic (e.g., work pressure) or intrinsic (personal coping pattern, e.g., high need for control) effort independently predict new cardiovascular events in a prospective study on blue-collar men. Furthermore, these variables partly explain prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors (hypertension, atherogenic lipids) in 2 independent studies. Studying adverse health effects of high-effort/low-reward conditions seems well justified, especially in view of recent developments of the labor market.
This study aims to examine whether the relationship between overtime and well-being is influenced by the voluntary vs. involuntary (i.e., compulsory) nature of overtime work and by the presence or absence of rewards for overtime. We also explored the prevalence of these types of overtime and how they were related to work and personal characteristics. A survey was conducted among a representative sample of Dutch full-time employees (N=1612). AN(C)OVA was used to compare rewarded and unrewarded, voluntary and involuntary overtime workers on personal and work characteristics, fatigue, and work satisfaction. Most overtime workers were rewarded (62%). About half of the sample (n=814) could be classified as either voluntary or involuntary overtime workers, or as having “mixed reasons” to work overtime. Voluntary and unrewarded overtime workers had a relatively high income and favourable job characteristics. Involuntary overtime work was associated with relatively high fatigue and low satisfaction, especially for involuntary overtime workers without rewards who can be considered a burnout risk group. Voluntary overtime workers were non-fatigued and satisfied, even without rewards. It can be concluded that control over overtime and rewards for overtime are important for well-being. Moderate overtime work may not be a problem if it is done voluntarily. Moreover, the negative effects of compulsory overtime work may be partly offset by fair compensation for the extra work.
The objective of this book is to contribute to the understanding and the improvement of an emerging new kind of multi-locational work, i.e. mobile virtual work (MVW). The starting point is knowledge work as practice – the ways in which work is actually done in different situations and contexts – as the base for design and development of workplaces, i.e. physical, virtual and social work spaces. The distribution and mobilization of activities in organizations has increased dramatically over the last decade and will continue to do so as these organizations seek to reduce costs, get closer to their customers, ally themselves with other companies and engage the best talent wherever it may be. This book explores the present and likely future developments of the nature of work. The aim is to introduce the concepts of ”distributed”, “mobile” and “multi-locational” work (dWork) and suggest the product and service needs based on the introduction of these flexible forms of work. This book explores and shows many of the challenges and needs that new work creates to the employees. The book is done in collaboration with MIT researchers and sponsored by three spearhead companies: Nokia, Nordea and Senate Properties.
Contents: Distributed and Mobile Workplaces, How Work Takes Place – Notes on Distributed Work Environments, Organizing Distributed Work and Collaboration, Technology in Distributed and Mobile Work
The out-of-the-loop performance problem, a major potential consequence of automation, leaves operators of automated systems handicapped in their ability to take over manual operations in the event of automation failure. This is attributed to a possible loss of skills and of situation awareness (SA) arising from vigilance and complacency problems, a shift from active to passive information processing, and change in feedback provided to the operator. We studied the automation of a navigation task using an expert system and demonstrated that low SA corresponded with out-of-the-loop performance decrements in decision time following a failure of the expert system. Level of operator control in interacting with automation is a major factor in moderating this loss of SA. Results indicated that the shift from active to passive processing was most likely responsible for decreased SA under automated conditions.
Much of the research into telephone call centres has focused on the coercive employment systems which are adopted in these organizations. This appears to contrast with the high levels of customer service and satisfaction which are often required for them to be successful. Our research, which is based on two case studies of call centres studied in depth, challenges this 'satanic mills' image. We explore the ways in which both companies sought to balance the pressures in the product and labour markets and employee needs to develop strategies which combined elements of commitment and control. They developed sophisticated human resource practices, which resembled the high commitment management approach, while, at the same time, maintaining a highly controlled and measured work environment. Consequently, there was a greater alignment between their HR practices and control systems, the needs of employees and the high quality of interactions with customers expected. This suggests that high commitment practices are not automatically associated with extensive employee discretion, as has been argued in the manufacturing sector. HR practices of this kind can be used to offset some of the worst features of call centre working. These findings illustrate the variety of HR practices in call centres and suggest some possible reasons for this diversity.
Abstract. Against the background of a growing awareness of time among researchers, this articles sets out to assess the current position of time in applied psychological theory and research. A critical analysis of recent publications in The Journal of Applied Psychology and Applied Psychology, An International Review reveals that with some noticeable exceptions, the role of time in human behavior is still largely neglected. It is posited that this state of affairs can be explained by a conceptual bias among researchers, which makes them think in terms of "what is" rather than "what happens." A proposal is made for an alternative way of conceptualizing, designated as temporalism, which starts from the concept of phenomenon, which is defined dynamically and operationalized with the help of time. A plea is made for a research strategy that comprises the identification of the dynamic features of phenomena, an analysis of their temporal relations, and an assessment of long term stability and changes of temporal parameters. It is argued that such an approach leads to theoretical innovations and to a substantial expansion of possibilities for intervention. This is illustrated by a discussion of three prototypical patterns of development referred to as improvement, bifurcation, and relapse, which underlie a broad range of practical problems known from social and organizational settings. Finally, attention is directed to the role that time plays when psychological knowledge is applied to such practical problems. It is concluded that time should not only be addressed in the study of behavior of other people but also in the complex interactions between psychologists and clients involved in the application of psychology. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved) (journal abstract)
This article presents a constrained review of human factors issues relevant to adaptive automation (AA), including designing complex system interfaces to support AA, facilitating human–computer in-teraction and crew interactions in adaptive system operations, and considering workload associated with AA management in the design of human roles in adaptive systems. Unfortunately, these issues have received limited attention in earlier reviews of AA. This work is aimed at supporting a general the-ory of human-centered automation advocating humans as active information processors in complex system control loops to support situation awareness and effective performance. The review demon-strates the need for research into user-centered design of dynamic displays in adaptive systems. It also points to the need for discretion in designing transparent interfaces to facilitate human awareness of modes of automated systems. Finally, the review identifies the need to consider critical human–human interactions in designing adaptive systems. This work describes important branches of a developing framework of AA research and contributes to the general theory of human-centered automation.
Over the past three decades, industrial/organisational (I/O) research on goals md self-regulation has flourished. Beginning with the seminal work by Locke, Latham, and their colleagues showing the positive influence of difficult and specific goals on task performance, multiple streams of research have emerged to investigate both the determinants and consequences of goals and self-regulation processes on work-related behaviors and outcomes (see, e.g. Locke, Shaw, Saari, & Latham, 1981; Vancouver, 2000, for reviews). In a review of this work, Vancouver and Day (2005) suggest that although organisational researchers have sought evidence for external and criterion-related validity, less attention has been given to the construct and internal validity of key variables and concepts, such as goals, self-efficacy, feedback, discrepancy, and self-efficacy. In a related vein, Vancouver and Day (2005) conclude that although I/O intervention studies based on the goal/self-regulation perspective show generally positive effects, such studies are insufficient for understanding how specific aspects of the goal/self-regulation process relate to enhanced performance. In this short note, I consider these concerns about goal/self-regulation research in I/O psychology from three perspectives: (1) scientific progress, (2) applications, and (3) the goals of I/O research.
Geo-collaborative systems address the computational support to situations where people are working in different locations, gathering geographically-related data in the field and sharing knowledge. We propose a conceptual framework identifying the design issues that fundamentally set the stage for eliciting the requirements of geo-collaborative systems. The conceptual framework has five elements: places, teams, tasks, artifacts and geo-referenced knowledge. We also highlight two important relationships between some of these elements: (1) a task-artifact relationship, related with the need to increase the organizational decision making abilities through concerted efforts; and (2) an artifact-knowledge relationship, related with the need to support mechanisms for jointly understanding geo-referenced data. The conceptual framework was applied to the development of a groupware tool aiming to increase the productivity of the geological mapping process followed by a national agency with competence in this area. The paper describes in detail how the conceptual framework influenced the groupware design. The obtained results indicate that the framework can focus the designers on the human aspects of geo-collaboration and guide them through the initial design stages.
This position paper introduces the emerging concept of work engagement: a positive, fulfilling, affective-motivational state of work-related well-being that is characterized by vigour, dedication, and absorption. Although there are different views of work engagement, most scholars agree that engaged employees have high levels of energy and identify strongly with their work. The most often used instrument to measure engagement is the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale, a self-report instrument that has been validated in many countries across the world. Research on engagement has investigated how engagement differs from related concepts (e.g., workaholism, organizational commitment), and has focused on the most important predictors of work engagement. These studies have revealed that engagement is a unique concept that is best predicted by job resources (e.g., autonomy, supervisory coaching, performance feedback) and personal resources (e.g., optimism, self-efficacy, self-esteem). Moreover, the first studies have shown that work engagement is predictive of job performance and client satisfaction. The paper closes with an account of what we do not know about work engagement, and offers a brief research agenda for future work.
The aim of this study was to enhance (i) insight in the relationship between different types of employment contract and the quality of working life, health and well-being, and (ii) our causal understanding of these relationships by comparing employees whose contract type changes across time.
Analyses were based on a two-year prospective cohort study. Cross-sectional analyses were based upon a sample of 2,454 Dutch employees (2004). Longitudinal data were available for 1,865 respondents (2004-2006). We distinguished among 5 contract types, and subgroups of 'Upward' (i.e., towards permanent employment) and 'Downward' (towards temporary employment) movers across time. Data were analysed with analysis of variance and cross table analysis.
Cross-sectionally, we found differences between contract types in quality of working life: generally permanent employees had better jobs, whereas temporary agency workers and on call workers had more 'bad work characteristics'. We also found a difference in health behaviour (smoking) and that psychological health was worst among temporary agency workers. In longitudinal analyses we found some evidence that a positive change in employment contract was associated with a better quality of working life and better psychological health, whereas the opposite was true for a negative contract change.
The quality of working life, health and well-being are unequally distributed over employment contract groups. Temporary agency workers and on-call workers deserve special attention in terms of job design and human resource management.
We tested whether behavioural manifestations of mental fatigue may be linked to compromised executive control, which refers to the ability to regulate perceptual and motor processes for goal-directed behaviour. In complex tasks, compromised executive control may become manifest as decreased flexibility and sub-optimal planning. In the study we use the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) and the Tower of London (TOL), which respectively measure flexibility (e.g., perseverative errors) and planning. A simple memory task was used as a control measure. Fatigue was induced through working for 2 h on cognitively demanding tasks. The results showed that compared to a non-fatigued group, fatigued participants displayed more perseveration on the WCST and showed prolonged planning time on the TOL. Fatigue did not affect performance on the simple memory task. These findings indicate compromised executive control under fatigue, which may explain the typical errors and sub-optimal performance that are often found in fatigued people.
Organizational climates have been investigated separately at organization and subunit levels. This article tests a multilevel model of safety climate, covering both levels of analysis. Results indicate that organization-level and group-level climates are globally aligned, and the effect of organization climate on safety behavior is fully mediated by group climate level. However, the data also revealed meaningful group-level variation in a single organization, attributable to supervisory discretion in implementing formal procedures associated with competing demands like safety versus productivity. Variables that limit supervisory discretion (i.e., organization climate strength and procedural formalization) reduce both between-groups climate variation and within-group variability (i.e., increased group climate strength), although effect sizes were smaller than those associated with cross-level climate relationships. Implications for climate theory are discussed.
Two longitudinal studies investigated the issue of match between job stressors and job resources in the prediction of job-related strain. On the basis of the triple-match principle (TMP), it was hypothesized that resources are most likely to moderate the relation between stressors and strains if resources, stressors, and strains all match. Resources are less likely to moderate the relation between stressors and strains if (a) only resources and stressors match, (b) only resources and strains match, or (c) only stressors and strains match. Resources are least likely to moderate the relation between stressors and strains if there is no match among stressors, resources, and strains. The TMP was tested among 280 and 267 health care workers in 2 longitudinal surveys. The likelihood of finding moderating effects was linearly related to the degree of match, with 33.3% of all tested interactions becoming significant when there was a triple match, 16.7% when there was a double match, and 0.0% when there was no match. Findings were most consistent if there was an emotional match or a physical match.
In any investigation of a causal relationship between an X and a Y, the time when X and Y are measured is crucial for determining whether X causes Y, as well as the true strength of that relationship. Using past research and a review of current research, we develop a set of XY configurations that describe the main ways that causal relationships are represented in theory and tested in research. We discuss the theoretical. methodological, and analytical issues pertaining to when we measure X and Y and discuss the implications of this analysis for constructing better organizational theories.
This book presents the latest work in the area of naturalistic decision making (NDM) and its extension into the area of macrocognition. It contains 18 chapters relating research centered on the study of expertise in naturalistic settings, written by international experts in NDM and cognitive systems engineering. The objective of the book is to present the reader with exciting new developments in this field of research, which is characterized by its application-oriented focus. The work addresses only real-world problems and issues. For instance, how do multi-national teams collaborate effectively? How can surgeons best be supported by technology? How do detectives make sense of complex criminal cases? In all instances the studies have been carried out on experts within their respective domains. The traditional field of NDM is extended in this work by focusing on macrocognitive functions other than decision making, namely sense-making, coordination and planning. This has broadened the scope of the field. The book also contains a theoretical discussion of the macro-micro distinction. Naturalistic Decision Making and Macrocognition will be relevant to graduate students, researchers and professionals (including professionals and researchers in business, industry and government) who are interested in decision making, expertise, training methods and system design. The material may be used in two ways: theoretically, to advance understanding of the field of naturalistic decision making; and practically, to gain insight into how experts in various domains solve particular problems, understand and deal with issues and collaborate with others. © Jan Maarten Schraagen, Laura G. Militello, Tom Ormerod and Raanan Lipshitz 2008.
Team collaboration involves many operational tasks such as team decision-making or course of action selection, developing shared understanding, and intelligence analysis. These operational tasks must be performed in many situations, often under severe time pressure, with information and knowledge uncertainty, large amounts of dynamic information and across different team characteristics. Recent research in this area has focused on various aspects of human collaborative decision-making and the underlying cognitive processes while describing those processes at different levels of detail, making it difficult to compare research results. The theoretical construct of 'macrocognition in teams' was developed to facilitate cognitive research in team collaboration, which will enable a common level of understanding when defining, measuring and discussing the cognitive processes in team collaboration. Macrocognition is defined as both the internalized and externalized mental processes employed by team members in complex, one-of-a-kind, collaborative problem solving. Macrocognition in Teams provides readers with a greater understanding of the macrocognitive processes which support collaborative team activity, showcasing current research, theories, methodologies and tools. It will be of direct relevance to academics, researchers and practitioners interested in group/team interaction, performance, development and training. © Michael P. Letsky, Norman W. Warner, Stephen M. Fiore and C.A.P. Smith, 2008. All rights reserved.
This is a book about mobile virtual work. The objective is to contribute to the understanding and the improvement of an emerging new kind of work arrangement, i.e. mobile virtual work (MVW). Until now no systematic in-depth studies of this phenomenon have been available. The book has grown from several workshops that brought together experts from a wide range of areas. Through their cooperation a state of the art overview could be constructed of areas and aspects related to MVW: from ergonomic requirements to diffusion of mobile work systems, from implications for distributed cooperation to knowledge management for mobile employees. The book is not primarily about technologies and tools, although many mobile systems will play a role in the studies presented. Its special merit is that it contains many concrete case studies. That means that MVW is described and analysed with an eye both on theoreticians and practitioners.
This volume is the first comprehensive history of task analysis, charting its origins from the earliest applied psychology through to modern forms of task analysis that focus on the study of cognitive work. Through this detailed historical analysis, it is made apparent how task analysis has always been cognitive.
This article discussed emotion work as a neglected area in organizational stress research. Emotion work (emotional labour) was defined as the emotional regulation required of the employees in the display of organizationally desired emotions. Based on the existing literature on emotion work and action theory, emotional regulation requirements (sub-scales: the requirement to express positive emotions; the requirement to express and handle negative emotions, the requirement to be sensitive to clients' emotions, and the requirement to show sympathy), emotional regulation possibilities (control), and emotional regulation problems (emotional dissonance) were differentiated. Questionnaires were developed and applied in a sample of employees in a handicapped children's home (N = 83), in the hotel business (N = 175) and employees working in call-centres (N = 250). Scales showed satisfactory reliabilities. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses revealed minor problems with discriminant validity of the scales. Construct validation showed that the emotion work scales were both positively and negatively related with psychological health.
An execution of computerized task was analyzed in simulated office environment 1 . Work of subjects in half of the cases was interrupted. Interrupting tasks varied in complexity. The main task was interrupted at different points. It was shown that (1) interruptions decreased accuracy of performance and increased the number of task related actions, but the time spent for the execution of the main task did not change; (2) more complicated interrupting tasks intensify subjects' activity, consume more time for the resumption of the main task, but lead to a significant decrease in the number of errors; (3) the more difficult was a subtask in the moment of interruption, the more elaborated behavioral strategies were used in the condition of interference. Results were interpreted in the framework of Leontiev's Activity Theory. Interruption can be determined as a certain event, which interferes with work process and results in the cessation and suspension of human activity. Brief external interference is often considered as an everyday stressor with negative impact on the effectiveness of performance. Under condition of interruption people look for ways of overcoming its negative influence. Their choice depends, first, on external conditions (for example, type of interruption) and secondly on internal conditions (for example, personality traits and current functional state). In the framework of a multifactoral investigation of the impact of interruptions on computerized task performance, carried on in the Laboratory of Work Psychology of Moscow State University, various effects were demonstrated (1). In this study performance of a routine computerized task was interrupted by additional tasks of different complexity. Impacts of two independent external factors were analyzed: presence/absence of interruption, and the complexity of interrupting task. Among dependent variables there were parameters of task performance, behavioral patterns, current emotional and psychological states, personality traits, cognitive processes. In this article we present the results concerning quality of performance and behavioral strategies. Experimental paradigm was based on Leontiev's Activity Theory (2) which presumes, human activity has a complicated structure which includes external (behavioral) and internal (mental) planes and various levels of their actualization. This structure depends on different factors. Any changes of conditions result in changes in macro- and/or microstructure of activity. We suppose that interruptions cause structural changes in the activity flow (Hypothesis 1) and that this effect depends on the complexity of an additional task (Hypothesis 2), and at the moment of interference in the performance of the main task (Hypothesis 3).
R apid environmental changes and recent
technological advances have triggered
and accelerated the use of virtual teams. A
virtual team is a collection of individuals
who are geographically or otherwise dispersed,
and who collaborate via communication
and information technologies in order
to accomplish a specific goal. A growing
number of organizations are adopting virtual
team systems to meet needs such as
globalization, higher productivity, cost savings,
and improved customer service. In
spite of the rapid proliferation of virtual
teams, very little attention has been paid to
how they can function effectively. Theories
on team processes have often been based on
work conducted in nonvirtual teams. However,
recent studies on virtual teams demonstrate
that the way virtual teams manage
internal conflict is critical to their success.
Therefore, exploring what leads to conflict in
virtual teams, and how it can be resolved,
would not only contribute to the body of
literature on conflict resolution but also help
virtual teams enhance their effectiveness.
Thus, the purpose of this paper is to explore
sources of conflict in virtual teams and
develop conflict resolution systems for such
teams. In this paper, first the definition and
the characteristics of a virtual team are
addressed. Second, sources of conflict in
virtual teams are identified. Third, virtual
negotiation and mediation systems are introduced
as conflict resolution mechanisms for
virtual teams. Finally, ways of training conflict
resolution skills in virtual settings are
suggested.
This book unifies relevant aspects of engineering, operations analysis, human factors, and psychology and discusses the basis of integrated systems design.
The report surveys the most critical human factor problems in the design of an air-navigation and traffic-control system, indicates applicable existing psychological knowledge, and points out the direction for future research. The chapter headings are as follows: I. Objectives; II. The Air-Traffic Control Problem; III. Some Basic Questions in Designing an Air-Navigation and Traffic-Control System; IV. A General Approach to the Human Operator as Part of a Communication System; V. Visual Information Displays; VI. Problems of Direct Vision from Aircraft; VII. Voice Communication; VIII. System Research, Analysis, and Evaluation; IX. Putting Human-Engineering Data to Use. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Reviews German versions of Action Regulation Theory (ART) and empirical work research in work psychology that was published in German since 1987 and is explicitly based on or related to ART. The main aspects discussed are as follows: instruments of task analysis, strain and stress, occupational training, task redesign, mental regulation of work activities, activity latitude, behavioral economy, and errors as nonattainment of a goal. It is suggested that the integrative power of ART will bridge interrelated gaps between cognition and motivation and between basic and more applied approaches. The latter could occur by fostering a dialog between general (cognitive, emotional) psychology and the "applied disciplines" (e.g., W. Bungard and T. H. Herrman; 1993). Perhaps its most challenging German contribution may be to promote a humanist reunification of various disciplines within psychology. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
To describe and conceptualize new forms of work and organization a questionnaire survey in service organizations (n = 845), and a telephone survey among workers (n = 1168) were held. New concepts are introduced to identify the types of work and organization found, i.e. "Information Service Organization" (ISO) and "Mental Information Work" (MIW). ISOs are characterized by activities such as collecting, storing, and processing data; advising people; and informing people. They also make a lot of use of IT (computers, programs) and electronic network connections. Most ISOs appear to be traditional in terms of working hours and places of work. MIW is a form of knowledge work characterized by mental manipulations of information; IT is often used. Flexi-time is relatively frequent in MIW, but most people work on a fixed place of work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of European Work & Organizational Psychologist is the property of Psychology Press (UK) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
An assessment of past and current literature on work motivation shows that multiple goal
management and the dynamics of goal directed behavior have been neglected to a large
extent. We propose a dynamic model of multiple goal management with lower and higher
ordered self-regulation processes. Our model addresses the interdependence between goal
processes related to different goals, resources allocation issues due to limited personal resources, and critical issues in goal management. From the model, we derive propositions to guide future research. We close with potential implications for theory and managerial
practice, and we put forward essential questions to be addressed in future research.
(from the chapter) This chapter reviews literature on work performance published during the 1990s and late 1980s. The literature covered by this review is very broad. In conducting the literature review, the author has concentrated on work performance , that is the performance of people carrying out tasks with the purpose of some kind of economic exchange, typically employees of firms or public organizations. This means that the author focuses on studies involving adult workers, and discards studies involving children, students, or patients. The focus is on studies dealing with real-life work tasks and simulation of some tasks. (chapter)
The author provides a definition of work performance and presents a general model, based on a self-regulation view of human activity, which identifies the key elements of performance. Next, the author presents 5 theoretical perspectives on performance, based on different self-regulation theories, all compatible with the general model. These perspectives are: action regulation, energetic regulation, emotional regulation, vitality regulation, and self-image regulation. These theoretical perspectives are used for structuring the subsequent review of empirical findings on work performance. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved) (chapter)
Modern society places a variety of temporal demands on people's activities. Organizations require workers to be present and ready to work at particular times, to execute their work in synchrony with others, to keep a certain pace or rhythm, and to complete their work within certain deadlines. Thus, in order to perform well, people at work must ‘deal’ with time in an effective manner. In personal settings there are time demands as well, and people have to take these into account when scheduling household and family duties, social encounters, and leisure activities. Many people live busy lives and struggle between job and family obligations (Koch & Kleinmann 2002; Major, Klein & Ehrhart 2002). The fact that more and more people must balance their careers and home situation (Jones, Burke & Westman 2006; Cooper 2005) may explain why time management is such an important issue in popular discourse, and why it keeps demanding attention from management and scholars. Time management has been a popular topic since the 1960s, when it was introduced as a method for managers to increase work performance and effectiveness (e.g. Drucker 1967). It is intuitively appealing to many people, and much propagated by trainers and consultants, but has hardly been investigated scientifically. Currently we have a very limited understanding of what time management is and how people can successfully ‘manage their time’. Although researchers have proposed some conceptualizations and tried to disentangle some aspects of the way in which people deal with time in work situations, much is still unclear or simply unknown. In this chapter we will discuss the notion of time management, review the literature, discuss time management techniques, and propose a future research agenda.
IntroductionIntegral Design ConceptsPerformance-oriented Job Design and the Design of Organizational DevelopmentCase Study ICase Study IIConclusions
References
A BRUSH WITH HISTORYTHE CONCEPT OF COPINGMEASURING COPING STRATEGIESREFINEMENTS TO COPING CHECKLISTSCOPING CHECKLISTS AND THE PROCESS OF COPINGWHERE TO FROM HERE?CONCLUSIONS
This paper introduces the Community Assessment Toolkit (CAT) as a method for the assessment of Communities of Practice (CoPs) and provides an overview of its construction and applicability. It shows that the methodology is based on current theories with regard to CoPs and group dynamics. The method was also tested in practice through a pilot and a study among members of 7 communities of practice (N=271) in order to enable reliability tests and scale analysis. The method is unique in the sense that it provides feedback on the overall performance of CoPs on the individual, group and organizational level. The systematic nature of the CAT questionnaire enables comparisons between communities both within and between organizations. The CAT may be used for further scientific research into CoPs as well as for the analysis of community effectiveness for companies. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
In any investigation of a causal relationship between an X and a Y, the time when X and Y are measured is crucial for determining whether X causes Y, as well as the true strength of that relationship. Using past research and a review of current research, we develop a set of X,Y configurations that describe the main ways that causal relationships are represented in theory and tested in research. We discuss the theoretical, methodological, and analytical issues pertaining to when we measure X and Y and discuss the implications of this analysis for constructing better organizational theories.
Error management training explicitly allows participants to make errors. We examined the effects of error management instructions (“rules of thumb” designed to reduce the negative emotional effects of errors), goal orientation (learning goal, prove goal, and avoidance goal orientations) and attribute x treatment interactions on performance. A randomized experiment with 87 participants consisting of 3 training procedures for learning to work with a computer program was conducted: (a) error training with error management instructions, (b) error training without error management instructions; and (c) a group that was prevented from making errors. Results showed that short-and medium-term performance (near and far transfer) was superior for participants of the error training that included error management instructions, compared with the two other training conditions. Thus, error management instructions were crucial for the high performance effects of error training. Prove and avoidance goal orientation interacted with training conditions.
There is a need for an assessment tool which reliably distinguishes levels of participant performance in virtual environments (VEs) built within virtual reality (VR) systems. Such screening might be of potential users amongst a company's staff or might be carried out by human factors experimenters prior to the start of experiments in order to provide a base-line of participant competences. The Nottingham Tool for Assessment for Interaction in Virtual Environments (NAÏVE) comprises a set of VE tasks and related tests, with appropriate performance criteria levels, covering the main aspects of navigation (viewpoint) control and object manipulation and operation. Trials with test participants enabled performance levels to be set to distinguish good, adequate and poor performers and tests to be distinguished according to whether performance in the general population is evenly spread or is skewed towards success or failure.
This study examines the development of trust and cooperation in computer-mediated and face-to-face teams. Fifty-two, three-person teams worked on a mixed-motive task over a 3-week period using computer-mediated or face-to-face interaction. Results showed that trust started lower in computer-mediated teams but increased to levels comparable to those in face-to-face teams over time. Furthermore, this pattern of results also held for teams that switched from face-to-face to electronic media and vice versa. Content analysis showed that high levels of inflammatory remarks were associated with slow trust development in computer-mediated teams. The results challenge prevailing assumptions about how trust develops in distributed teams and suggest modifications to established theories of computer-mediated communication.
Flow management systems such as supply chain (SC) systems involve multiple operators managing elements of automation. The success of such multi-operator multi-automation systems depends not only on individual operator's appropriate use of automation, but also on cooperation between operators. Inappropriate reliance on automation may be a critical factor hindering cooperation and sharing automation-related information may improve reliance and promote cooperation. A computational model was developed to investigate how individual operator's use of automation influences cooperation between individuals. The model consists of an extension of the decision field theory [Busemeyer, J.R., Townsend, J.T., 1993. Decision field theory: a dynamic cognitive approach to decision making in an uncertain environment. Psychological Review 100(3), 432–459] that simulates the dynamics of an individual's trust and reliance on automation and a game theoretic framework that simulates the dynamics of cooperation between individuals in an iterated Prisoners’ Dilemma game. Simulation experiments with this model were conducted to test the following hypotheses in the context of a two-manufacturer one-retailer SC system: (1) inappropriate use of automation will hinder cooperation; (2) sharing information regarding the performance of automation will directly improve reliance on automation and reduce unintentional competitive behavior; and (3) sharing information regarding the reliance on automation will lead to a more charitable interpretation of the other's intent to cooperate or compete and therefore promote cooperation. The simulation results show that inappropriate reliance on automation undermines cooperation and sharing information of automation performance and reliance improves cooperation. The degree of improvement in cooperation by sharing such information is greatest in situations in which automation recovers from faults.
This editorial introduces a special issue of the Journal of Organizational Behavior on positive organizational behavior (POB). POB emphasizes the need for more focused theory building, research, and effective application of positive traits, states, and behaviors of employees in organizations. We argue that in order to make a substantive contribution to organizational science, POB will need to show the added value of the positive over and above the negative. In addition, the emerging concept of employee engagement is briefly introduced. The papers in the special issue describe exciting positive organizational behavior studies that each tap into an interesting direction in which POB research might go. Copyright copyright 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Journal of Organizational Behavior is the property of John Wiley & Sons, Inc. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
In addition to the person-environment fit model (J. R. French, R. D. Caplan, & R. V. Harrison, 1982) and the demand-control model (R. A. Karasek & T. Theorell, 1990), a third theoretical concept is proposed to assess adverse health effects of stressful experience at work: the effort-reward imbalance model. The focus of this model is on reciprocity of exchange in occupational life where high-cost/low-gain conditions are considered particularly stressful. Variables measuring low reward in terms of low status control (e.g., lack of promotion prospects, job insecurity) in association with high extrinsic (e.g., work pressure) or intrinsic (personal coping pattern, e.g., high need for control) effort independently predict new cardiovascular events in a prospective study on blue-collar men. Furthermore, these variables partly explain prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors (hypertension, atherogenic lipids) in 2 independent studies. Studying adverse health effects of high-effort/low-reward conditions seems well justified, especially in view of recent developments of the labor market.
Systematic and quantitative management of work-related fatigue within workplaces has been a challenging task due to a lack of useful tools. A previous paper provided background and development of a work-related fatigue modelling approach. The current paper outlines model evaluations using sleep deprivation experiments and recommendations of work scheduling. Previous studies have reported cumulative effects of sleep restriction (4-5 h per night) on a number of measures. Model predictions were correlated against psychomotor vigilance task lapses (r = 0.92) and reaction time responses (slowest 10%, r = 0.91) as well as sleep latency (r = -0.97). Further correlations were performed on four measures from a 64 h continuous sleep deprivation study; that is objective vigilance (r = -0.75) as well as subjective performance (r = -0.75), sleepiness (r = 0.82) and tiredness (r = 0.79). Evaluation against current scheduling recommendations illustrated consistency with the literature with the exception that forward rotation did not provide benefits over backward rotation. The results indicate that model predictions correlate well across a range of objective and subjective measures. This relationship also appears to hold for cumulative and continuous sleep deprivation protocols. Future studies will also focus on field-based evaluation.
The Observer 3.0 (Noldus, 1991) was used as the base for a time-saving fine analysis of animal behavior. A PC controlled a shuttlebox and a shuttlebox control unit. Learning behavior was recorded on videotapes by an S-VHS camcorder with vertical interval time code (VITC), which was used to generate an observational data file (ODF). The observational system was enhanced by automatically recorded status signals from the PC as event markers on the soundtrack of the videotape. These signals were used to subdivide a training session into numbered trials during generation of the ODF. They were later used for a PC-aided fine analysis of behavioral events, such as attention responses (AR) and orienting responses (OR) during shuttlebox learning. In this way, a large number of both automatically inserted PC event markers and manually inserted, key-defined behavioral events were registered and analyzed effectively in a semiautomatic fashion. The system is illustrated with an analysis of shuttle-box avoidance data from gerbils (Meriones unguiculatus).