David S. DeGeest

The impact of research synthesis methods on industrial–organizational psychology: The road from pessimism to optimism about cumulative knowledge

This paper presents an account of the impact that research synthesis methods, in the form of psychometric meta-analysis, has had on industrial/organizational (I/O) psychology. This paper outlines the central contributions of psychometric meta-analysis in providing a method for developing cumulative knowledge. First, this paper describes the concerns and the state of the field before the development of meta-analytic methods. Second, the paper explains how meta-analysis addressed these concerns. Third, the paper details the development of psychometric meta-analysis through VG research and describes how the use of psychometric meta-analysis spread to other topic areas in the field. Finally, the paper presents illustrative example literatures, such as training and leadership, where meta-analysis had crucial impacts. Copyright

Gender differences in personality predictors of counterproductive behavior

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to examine gender differences in personality predictors of a specific form of workplace aggression: counterproductive work behaviors directed at individuals (CWB‐I).Design/methodology/approach – Students (n=212) who were part‐time employees working at least 15 hours per week completed a measure of the five‐factor model (FFM) personality traits and two circumplex personality traits (Calmnesss and Pleasantness), as well as a measure of CWB‐I. Hierarchical regressions and tests of mean differences were used to examine hypotheses pertaining to gender differences in personality predictors of interpersonal aggression.Findings – Results generally supported the hypotheses as shown by the significant interactions between gender and personality traits in predicting CWB‐I. Agreeableness and Pleasantness significantly (negatively) predicted CWB‐I among males, but not females. Emotional Stability significantly (negatively) predicted CWB‐I among females, but not males.Research lim...

Channeled Autonomy: The Joint Effects of Autonomy and Feedback on Team Performance Through Organizational Goal Clarity

Past research suggests that autonomy has highly variable effects on team performance, and that one explanation for this pattern of findings is that autonomous teams fall into a state of disorder where they lack clarity regarding the goals of the broader organization. Following this perspective, the authors develop a model proposing that performance feedback coupled with high autonomy enables teams to have greater clarity of the organization’s goals, which in turn increases team performance. This model was tested on 110 teams in a defense industry manufacturing firm in South Korea using mediated-moderation techniques. Results indicate that highly autonomous teams that receive a high degree of performance feedback outperform other teams because of their heightened level of organizational goal clarity. In contrast, highly autonomous teams that receive low levels of feedback perform at the lowest levels compared to other teams because of a lack of organizational goal clarity. The authors discuss the implications of these findings for theory, research, and practice.

Power of the Circumplex: Incremental Validity of Intersection Traits in Predicting Counterproductive Work Behaviors

This study examines the role of the circumplex model of personality in predicting counterproductive work behaviors (CWBs). Drawing on the fidelity‐bandwidth principle, we investigate the hypotheses that each of the three sets of circumplex traits representing the intersections of conscientiousness–agreeableness, conscientiousness–emotional stability, and agreeableness–emotional stability will account for significant incremental variance over five‐factor model (FFM) traits in predicting CWBs. Results indicated the circumplex traits contribute incremental variance over the FFM traits, are relatively more important than the FFM traits, and account for 1.5–2.0 times more variance in the total R2 associated with CWBs. Collectively, these findings show that circumplex traits capture unique information not explained by FFM traits, and this information leads to a better understanding of the dispositional nature of CWBs.

A Rigorous Test of the Fit of the Circumplex Model to Big Five Personality Data: Theoretical and Methodological Issues and Two Large Sample Empirical Tests.

Our objective was to apply the rigorous test developed by Browne (1992) to determine whether the circumplex model fits Big Five personality data. This test has yet to be applied to personality data. Another objective was to determine whether blended items explained correlations among the Big Five traits. We used two working adult samples, the Eugene-Springfield Community Sample and the Professional Worker Career Experience Survey. Fit to the circumplex was tested via Brownes (1992) procedure. Circumplexes were graphed to identify items with loadings on multiple traits (blended items), and to determine whether removing these items changed five-factor model (FFM) trait intercorrelations. In both samples, the circumplex structure fit the FFM traits well. Each sample had items with dual-factor loadings (8 items in the first sample, 21 in the second). Removing blended items had little effect on construct-level intercorrelations among FFM traits. We conclude that rigorous tests show that the fit of personality data to the circumplex model is good. This finding means the circumplex model is competitive with the factor model in understanding the organization of personality traits. The circumplex structure also provides a theoretically and empirically sound rationale for evaluating intercorrelations among FFM traits. Even after eliminating blended items, FFM personality traits remained correlated.

The Benefits of Benefits

A pressing but understudied issue is the high incidence of new venture failure. We propose a model of how motivation-enhancing human resource (MHR) practices mediate the effects of initial human and financial resources of a founding team on firms’ decisions to remain in operation. In this model, we also propose that MHR practices have effects on firm survival that change over time. We test our model with a sample of 1,100 firms tracked for 7 years. We found support for a model where MHR practices partially mediate the effects of initial firm resources and human capital on firm survival. We also found that the effects of MHR practices change over time such that their positive effects on survival become stronger. We conclude with a research agenda and recommendations for how nascent firms can promote survival.A pressing but understudied issue is the high incidence of new venture failure. We propose a model of how motivation-enhancing human resource (MHR) practices mediate the effects of initial human and financial resources of a founding team on firms’ decisions to remain in operation. In this model, we also propose that MHR practices have effects on firm survival that change over time. We test our model with a sample of 1,100 firms tracked for 7 years. We found support for a model where MHR practices partially mediate the effects of initial firm resources and human capital on firm survival. We also found that the effects of MHR practices change over time such that their positive effects on survival become stronger. We conclude with a research agenda and recommendations for how nascent firms can promote survival.

Power of the Circumplex: Incremental validity of intersection traits in predicting counterproductive work behaviors: Power of the Circumplex

This study examines the role of the circumplex model of personality in predicting counterproductive work behaviors (CWBs). Drawing on the fidelity‐bandwidth principle, we investigate the hypotheses that each of the three sets of circumplex traits representing the intersections of conscientiousness–agreeableness, conscientiousness–emotional stability, and agreeableness–emotional stability will account for significant incremental variance over five‐factor model (FFM) traits in predicting CWBs. Results indicated the circumplex traits contribute incremental variance over the FFM traits, are relatively more important than the FFM traits, and account for 1.5–2.0 times more variance in the total R2 associated with CWBs. Collectively, these findings show that circumplex traits capture unique information not explained by FFM traits, and this information leads to a better understanding of the dispositional nature of CWBs.