Brenton M. Wiernik

Age and environmental sustainability: A meta-analysis

Purpose – Research has shown that individuals of different ages hold different environmental attitudes and perform environmental behaviors of different kinds and to varying degrees. The strength and direction of age-effects observed across studies has been inconsistent, however. This study aims to examine the relationship between age and a variety of environmental sustainability-related psychological variables using meta-analytic techniques. Design/methodology/approach – Relationships between age and environmental concern, environmental values, attitudes toward environmental behaviors, environmental awareness, environmental knowledge, environmental motives, environmental intentions, and pro-environmental behaviors were examined. Data from relevant studies between 1970 and 2010 were meta-analyzed to determine the magnitudes of relationships between age and environmental variables, and to investigate whether effects generalize across studies. Findings – Most relationships were negligibly small. Small but ge...

Age and Employee Green Behaviors: A Meta-Analysis

Recent economic and societal developments have led to an increasing emphasis on organizational environmental performance. At the same time, demographic trends are resulting in increasingly aging labor forces in many industrialized nations. Commonly held stereotypes suggest that older workers are less likely to be environmentally responsible than younger workers. To evaluate the degree to which such age differences are present, we meta-analyzed 132 independent correlations and 336 d-values based on 4676 professional workers from 22 samples in 11 countries. Contrary to popular stereotypes, age showed small positive relationships with pro-environmental behaviors, suggesting that older adults engaged in these workplace behaviors slightly more frequently. Relationships with age appeared to be linear for overall, Conserving, Avoiding Harm, and Taking Initiative pro-environmental behaviors, but non-linear trends were observed for Transforming and Influencing Others behaviors.

A meta-analytic investigation of demographic differences in protean, boundaryless, and proactive career orientations

Purpose The protean and boundaryless career concepts have dominated recent career research. Demographic groups are posited to differ on these “new career orientations,” with implications for career development and social equity. The purpose of this paper is to test these hypotheses by systematically reviewing research on demographic differences in new career orientations. Design/methodology/approach This paper meta-analyzes demographic differences in protean, boundaryless, and proactive career orientations using data from 29,605 individuals (74 samples). Findings Demographic differences in new career orientations are generally negligible to small, with organizational mobility preferences showing the largest differences across demographic characteristics. Age showed curvilinear relations with new career orientations. National economic development moderated new career orientation-educational level relations. Research limitations/implications Results support the construct validity of “proactive career orientation” as a unifying construct encompassing protean and psychological mobility boundaryless orientations (cf. Wiernik and Kostal, 2017). Future research should continue to explore career development in diverse economic/cultural contexts. Practical implications Small demographic differences suggest that potential benefits of new career orientations are not limited to members of particular groups. Age and education relations were large enough to indicate that large population segments may benefit from additional interventions to support career mobility and development. Originality/value This paper uses meta-analytic techniques to investigate demographic differences in career orientations with larger samples than possible in a single primary study. The meta-analytic design permitted investigation of a variety of methodological and cultural/economic moderators not previously considered in career orientation research.

Intraindividual Personality Profiles Associated With Realistic Interests

Investigations of the link between the Big Five personality traits and vocational interests have typically found no consistent relationships between personality traits and Realistic interests. The present article uses intraindividual criterion profile analysis in two studies to identify patterns in the relationships between personality traits and Realistic interests not found by previous investigations. In the first study, personality scores from two inventories were used to predict Realistic overall, basic, and occupational interests for 574 adults. Realistic–Producing interests were driven by high intraindividual Openness and low Extraversion. Realistic-Adventuring interests were marked by low intraindividual Agreeableness and high Extraversion. The Intellect aspect of Openness, not the Experiencing aspect, drove the Openness–Producing relationship. In the second study, reanalysis of 19 additional samples from the literature confirmed the important role of Openness to Intellect, but not Experiencing, in driving Producing interests. Gender moderated profile pattern shapes. Generally, personality profile pattern, not absolute levels of traits, drove the validity of personality traits in explaining Realistic vocational interests.

Sustainability: implications for organizations

This chapter reviews conceptualizations of sustainability for organizations at both the individual and firm levels, with a focus on environmental sustainability. We discuss the structure of sustainable actions performed by organizations and employees, measurement issues, and antecedents and consequences of sustainability. We also review implications for organizations seeking to manage their employees toward better environmental performance.

Abstract: Cluster Analysis of Distributions: Development and Demonstration of a Method.

In this study, we develop an extension of cluster analysis to enable the comparison of objects across the entirety of multiple score distributions, rather than merely the distribution means. Although this procedure has many potential uses, one area of particular interest is its application in the development of test norms for psychological assessment batteries.

Pro-environmental behavior

Environmental sustainability is one of the most pressing issues facing societies today. Employees play a key role in contributing to organizational environmental performance. This article describes the domain of employee green behaviors (pro-environmental behaviors at work), distinguishes them from related constructs, provides an overview of determinants, and reviews interventions designed to support them.