Katherine A. Karl

Job Values in Today's Workforce: A Comparison of Public and Private Sector Employees

Unlike workers in the ′70s and ′80s who valued interesting work above everything else, the results of this study suggest todays workers place the highest value on good wages and job security. A comparison of public and private sector workers revealed private sector workers place the highest value on good wages, while public sector workers valued interesting work the most. No significant difference was found between public and private sector employees in the importance placed on job security. These results suggest employers need to keep in touch with current employee values in order to design jobs, reward systems, and human resource policies that will result in maximum job satisfaction and productivity. These results also suggest that reward systems may not be equally effective in both the public and private sectors.

Examining Students’ Intended Image on Facebook: “What Were They Thinking?!”

The present article examines factors that influence why students post information on their social network profile which employers would find inappropriate. Results show that many students make a conscious attempt to portray a particular image and, as predicted, their intended image was related to whether they posted inappropriate information. Those who believed they portrayed a hardworking image were unlikely to post inappropriate information, whereas students who felt they portrayed an image that was sexually appealing, wild, or offensive were most likely to post such information. Limitations, implications for business education, and directions for future research are discussed.

Who's Posting Facebook Faux Pas? A Cross-Cultural Examination of Personality Differences

This study examines culture and personality differences in student reports of the likelihood that they would post various types of information on their Facebook profiles. As predicted those high on conscientiousness, agreeableness, and emotional stability proved significantly less likely to report posting problematic content (e.g., substance abuse, sexual content) on their profile. Those who scored high on Compulsive Internet Use indicated a greater likelihood to post such profile information. Consistent with our expectations, our cross-cultural analysis revealed that US students were more inclined than German students to post problematic information to their Facebook site. Implications of these results and recommendations for future research are discussed.

How Does Workplace Fun Impact Employee Perceptions of Customer Service Quality

This study examined the link between workplace fun, employee satisfaction, and perceptions of customer service quality. Our results showed that employees who experienced fun in the workplace had greater satisfaction with their job and that the relationship between workplace fun and job satisfaction was greater for those who placed a high value on workplace fun. Additionally, we found that satisfied employees believed that their organization provided customer service that was reliable, responsive, and empathetic, and that employees were knowledgeable and able to instill confidence in customers. Implications of our findings for service organizations and suggestions for future research are also discussed.

“Friending” Professors, Parents and Bosses: A Facebook Connection Conundrum

The ever-growing popularity of Facebook has led some educators to ponder what role social networking might have in education. The authors examined student reactions to friend requests from people outside their regular network of friends including professors, parents, and employers. We found students have the most positive reactions to friend requests from their mother or boss. Possible educational uses for Facebook, recommendations on Facebook etiquette for business educators, and directions for future research are discussed.

Cyberbullying victimization

Study sampled 572 young adults at three universities (two in U.S. and one in Australia).Risky social networking practices were strong predictors of cyberbullying victimization.Personality variables of extroversion and openness were significant predictors of cyberbullying victimization. This study examines the impact of risky social network site practices (SNS) and individual differences in self-disclosure and personality on the likelihood of cyberbullying victimization among young adult Facebook users. Results from 572 respondents show that posting indiscreet or negative content, having Facebook friends who post such content, and number of Facebook friends were all strong predictors of cyberbullying victimization. In addition, most of the personality variables examined (conscientiousness, extroversion, agreeableness, emotional stability, self-disclosure) were significant predictors of at least some of these risky SNS practices. However, only extroversion and openness were significant predictors of cyberbullying victimization. Implications for individuals and organizations are provided.

Student Incivility A Domain Review

A review of the literature was conducted on student incivility in higher education, with an eye toward implications for instructors in business. The incivility construct is defined in the context of numerous associated concepts that have been studied in the higher education literature. Evidence is shared about the prevalence of student incivility and its causes, both student- and instructor-related, with a targeted focus on establishing what is known (and not known) based on prior empirical research. Ultimately, practical strategies for instructors as well as meaningful, theoretically grounded directions for future research are outlined.

An Examination of the Perceived Fairness of Workplace Romance Policies

Fairness perceptions regarding several workplace romance policies (i.e., no action, counsel, verbal reprimand, written warning, transfer, terminate) applied to different types of couples (e.g., lateral vs. hierarchical) in a variety of situations (e.g., couples performance improves vs. declines) were examined. We found the counsel policy was perceived more fair than any other policy. Stricter workplace romance policies (verbal reprimand, written warning, transfer) were perceived fair when the couples performance declined or the romance was highly visible. Taking no action was perceived more fair than any other policy when the couples performance improved. These results and others are discussed.

The Art and Science of 360° Feedback

The article reviews the book “The Art and Science of 360° Feedback,” by Richard Lepsinger and Anntionette D. Lucia.

City employee perceptions of the impact of dress and appearance: You are what you wear

This study focuses on city employees and their perceptions regarding the importance of dress and appearance in the public sector workplace. Using the impression management literature and self-presentation theory, we examine the impact of mode of dress worn (casual, business casual, formal business) on their self-perceptions of creativity, productivity, trustworthiness, authoritativeness, friendliness, and competence. We also examine their beliefs regarding the impact of employee appearance on customer perceptions of service quality. Our results suggest that “you are what you wear.” Respondents felt more competent and authoritative when wearing either formal business or business casual, more trustworthy and productive when wearing business casual, and least friendly and creative when wearing formal business attire. Respondents also believed that uniforms had a positive impact on customer perceptions of overall service quality, and that tattoos, athletic wear, unconventional hairstyles or hair color, sweat pants, facial piercings, revealing clothing and clothing with tears, rips or holes had a negative impact. Implications and directions for future research are discussed.