Jennifer D. Bragger

When Success Breeds Failure: History, Hysteresis, and Delayed Exit Decisions

The effects of feedback equivocality, information availability, and prior decision-making history on escalation and persistence were investigated. Replicating the findings of J.L. Bragger, D.H. Bragger, D.A. Hantula, and J.P. Kirnan (1998), this study found that participants receiving equivocal feedback on their decisions invested more money and invested across more opportunities; those who could purchase information invested fewer resources than did participants who did not have the opportunity to purchase information. There was an inverse linear relationship between the percentage of opportunities in which participants purchased information and the delay to exit decisions and total resources invested. Six weeks earlier, some participants took part in a more profitable investment scenario, and prior experience led to later increased investing when participants were faced with failure, even above that invested in a preceding, succeeding scenario. These results are consistent with an equivocality theory account of escalation.

The Effects of the Structured Interview on Reducing Biases Against Pregnant Job Applicants

Some research has been conducted on the discrimination faced by pregnant women in the workplace. Few studies, however, have specifically investigated how this bias is manifested in employment or hiring decisions. The current study was designed to examine possible bias during structured interviews. Participants watched a videotaped scenario in which candidates were interviewed for a job. The 2 × 2 × 2 experimental conditions were varied to represent a structured or an unstructured interview, a pregnant or nonpregnant interviewee, and the open position of either a high school teacher or sales representative. Results indicate an overall bias against pregnant women and suggested that the structured interview reduces this bias.

The Value of Workplace Safety: A Time-Based Utility Analysis Model

Abstract The economic impact of a combined behavioral and ergo-nomic safety intervention in two self-insured manufacturing organizations over four years was assessed through use of utility analysis. Overall utility of the safety intervention programs for both organizations was positive, with rates of return of direct costs in workers compensation exceeding 10:1 in some cases. These data are among the first to address the economic costs and benefits of safety interventions, and show that whereas safety interventions can be costly and payoffs sometimes delayed, the long-term economic impact can be substantial.

Giving Nonselective Downsizing a Performance Review

The failures of performance management (PM) systems are well known, as is the popularity of downsizing as a corporate strategy. We suggest that the factors integral to the success of PM, such as employee–organization trust, manager–employee communication, goal setting, and reinforcement contingencies, are undermined by organizational downsizing. Broken PM systems increase the likelihood of future downsizing, yet make it difficult to conduct performance-based downsizing. With proper encouragement by HRD professionals and the correct use of employee-centered PM, which may include performance-based downsizing, organizations may break this cycle. Suggested practical implementations include the use of Daniels’s (1985) concept of Performance Management and of Pfeffer and Sutton’s (2006) concept of evidence-based management to (a) implement alternative cost reduction techniques (b) implement contingent PM, that may integrate performance-based downsizing (c) develop HRD specialists and managers to develop and evaluate these integrated systems and (d) reevaluate PM competencies and processes after downsizing has occurred.

Slips and falls in stores and malls: Implications for community‐based injury prevention

Summary An empirical analysis of the behavioral ecology of slip, trip, and fall accidents in grocery stores and shopping malls is presented. The store data set comprised 36 consecutive months of data collected from a chain of grocery stores in the Midwestern USA and the mall data set included 24 consecutive months of data collected from 22 malls across the continental USA, with a concentration in the southern region. Analyses showed that the majority of the slip, trip and fall accidents occurred on the inside of the establishments, on the same level, and resulted from a water or liquid spill or food item on the floor. Design deficiencies accounted for the least amount of occurrences and cost of the accidents, while housekeeping and inspection deficiencies accounted for the bulk of the accidents. Data‐based recommendations for slip, trip and fall injury‐prevention strategies in these public places, focusing on management action, are offered.

The Relationship between Student Leaders' Constructive Development, Their Leadership Identity, and Their Understanding of Leadership.

The purpose of our research was to use Day, Harrison, and Halpin’s, (2009) theory of leadership development as a premise to investigate how students’ constructive development is related to their leader identity development and understanding of leadership. Baxter Magolda’s Model of Epistemological Reflection (MER, 1988, 2001) was used to understand constructive development, Komives, Owen, Longerbeam, Mainella, & Osteen’s Leadership Identity Development (2005) to determine leader identity, and Drath’s principles of leadership (2001) to determine understanding of leadership. Fifty junior and senior college student leaders filled out the MER and participated in an interview about their leadership experiences. Interviews were coded according to the above constructs of leader identity development and leadership understanding. Although there was a relationship between leader identity development and understanding of leadership, no relationship was found between these two constructs and Journal of Leadership Education DOI: 10.12806/V15/I1/R2 Volume 15 Issue 1 Research 16 constructive development. Findings suggest that most of the student leaders still depend on others to help them construct reality. Furthermore, many believe that because they are in a leadership role, they are leaders while others are not.

Student Organizations as Avenues for Leader Learning and Development

This chapter describes theory and research demonstrating that the experiences students have within student organizations, and the people with whom they interact within those organizations, are powerful triggers for leader learning and development.