Sabine Bergner

EEG alpha synchronization is related to top-down processing in convergent and divergent thinking

Highlights ► The functional meaning of EEG alpha synchronization was investigated. ► An experimental manipulation of internal processing demands was achieved. ► Frontal alpha synchronization is related to top-down processing. ► Alpha desynchronization is related to bottom-up processing. ► Alpha synchronization in creative thinking is attributed to top-down processing.

Broad and narrow personality traits for predicting managerial success

Research concerning the relationship between personality and job performance has been largely conducted within the framework of the broad Big Five personality traits (Costa & McCrae, 1992). In contrast, the validity of narrow traits has not been adequately addressed. We examined the extent to which narrow personality traits contribute to the prediction of managerial success beyond the Big Five. To this end, 130 managers provided personality data on the Big Five and five narrow-band personality traits. Managerial success was measured by income and promotion rate, supervisor ratings on contextual and task performance, as well as self-rating of job satisfaction. The results suggest that narrow traits add incremental validity over and beyond the Big Five for income and supervisor ratings, yet the degree to which they contribute depends on the criteria used. However, no increase in validity was registered for job satisfaction and promotion rate. The implications of these findings are discussed in the light of previous research.

Investigating Neural Efficiency in the Visuo-Spatial Domain: An fmri Study

The neural efficiency hypothesis postulates an inverse relationship between intelligence and brain activation. Previous research suggests that gender and task modality represent two important moderators of the neural efficiency phenomenon. Since most of the existing studies on neural efficiency have used ERD in the EEG as a measure of brain activation, the central aim of this study was a more detailed analysis of this phenomenon by means of functional MRI. A sample of 20 males and 20 females, who had been screened for their visuo-spatial intelligence, was confronted with a mental rotation task employing an event-related approach. Results suggest that less intelligent individuals show a stronger deactivation of parts of the default mode network, as compared to more intelligent people. Furthermore, we found evidence of an interaction between task difficulty, intelligence and gender, indicating that more intelligent females show an increase in brain activation with an increase in task difficulty. These findings may contribute to a better understanding of the neural efficiency hypothesis, and possibly also of gender differences in the visuo-spatial domain.

Sex and training differences in mental rotation: a behavioral and neurophysiological comparison of gifted achievers, gifted underachievers and average intelligent achievers

A male advantage in spatial abilities is assumed to underlie their superior performance in complex mathematical problems. In this study we investigated whether sex differences in mental rotation (MR) tasks are related to female underachievement and whether training effects of a MR training can be generalized across achievers and underachievers. Moreover, the cortical activation pattern (assessed via EEG) of gifted achievers and underachievers as well as average intelligent achievers was studied before and after a 2-week MR training. The EEG was measured in a sample of 39 male and 41 female adolescents while performing MR tasks in a 2D and 3D presentation mode. Findings suggest that sex differences in the 2D MR tasks are related to female underachievement. Overall, brighter female underachievers profited most from the training. Neurophysiologically results provide evidence that achievers and underachievers as well as brighter and less intelligent individuals show distinct cortical activation.

Taking an Interest in Taking the Lead: The Influence of Vocational Interests, Leadership Experience and Success on the Motivation to Lead: TAKING AN INTEREST

Motivation plays a crucial role in leadership, particularly when facing difficult situations and decisions. This long-term study investigates whether vocational interests predict an individual s motivation to lead (MtL). Moreover, it examines whether the link between vocational interests and MtL is mediated by the extent and success of prior leadership experiences. To this end, 471 participants (291 male, 180 female, Mage 5 22.65, SDage 5 7.95) provided information on their vocational interests. Two years later, participants rated their MtL and provided information on both the extent of their prior leadership experiences and the respective success gained from these. Results show that enterprising and conventional interests positively affect MtL two years later. Additionally, enterprising and social interests also indirectly influence a person s motivation to lead through the extent and success of prior leadership experiences: people with higher enterprising and social interests report more prior experience in leading. This experience is linked to more self-perceived leadership success, which consequently enhances these persons motivation to take on leading roles. These findings enrich theory on the antecedents and malleability of MtL. From a practitioner s view, the findings equip recruiters with information on how to search for motivated leaders and how to maintain their motivation.

Fostering entrepreneurship in an international university collaboration

The European Union is taking action on enhancing entrepreneurship in Europe and recommends appropriate entrepreneurship training in schools and higher education institutions. Due to the globalization of businesses it seems to be appropriate to realize an international perspective on entrepreneurial issues and to develop international programmes for young entrepreneurs. In this case study, we examined an international university collaboration between two universities, one in Austria and one in the United States. The programme’s goals include the establishment of an international network for students and an awareness of the students of different cultural dimensions and entrepreneurial mindsets. Our findings show how this programme enables the students to work on their professional and behavioural skills, how these students work practice-oriented under the guidelines of experts from different entrepreneurial mindsets and how they become aware of cultural differences. Besides other aspects, it seems to be advantageous for international entrepreneurship programmes to remain open and flexible during the whole process and to offer a programme that allows students to integrate participation into their regular studies. Furthermore, it seems beneficial that students can tailor the programme to meet their specific needs.

Kompetenzgeleitete Entwicklung von Führungskräften

Kompetenzmodelle konnen eine wertvolle Basis fur die Entwicklung von Fuhrungskraften sein. Ihre unternehmensspezifische Konzeption benotigen strategisches Wissen und Feingefuhl, um ein Modell mit breiter Akzeptanz zu generieren. Der aktuelle Beitrag skizziert anhand eines Unternehmensbeispiels aus der Automobilbranche die Entwicklung und Implementierung eines Kompetenzmodells fur Fuhrungskrafte. Daran anschliesend wird exemplarisch aufgezeigt, wie die im Modell definierten Kompetenzen bei der Beurteilung von Fuhrungskraften und folglich bei der Ausarbeitung individueller Entwicklungsplane fur diese Fuhrungskrafte dienlich eingesetzt werden konnen. Der Beitrag verbindet demnach den Kompetenzmanagementansatz mit der Fuhrungskrafteentwicklung.

Führung in Expertenorganisationen

Expertenorganisationen beschaftigen hochqualifizierte Spezialisten und weisen Merkmale sowie Charakteristika auf, die sie von anderen Unternehmen masgeblich unterscheiden. Die Fuhrung in Expertenorganisationen steht daher vor besonderen Herausforderungen. Der aktuelle Beitrag strukturiert die wichtigsten Kennzeichen von Expertenorganisationen und skizziert fur die Fuhrung relevante Befunde aus der wissenschaftlichen Fachliteratur. Darauf aufbauend werden Fallbeispiele aus der universitaren Praxis diskutiert und potentielle Losungswege aufgezeigt. Der Beitrag schliest mit konkreten Handlungsempfehlungen fur die Adaptierung von Fuhrungsstrukturen, Aus- und Weiterbildung von Experten als Fuhrungskrafte sowie fur die Auswahl der Experten.

Who Overrates, Who Underrates? Personality and Its Link to Self–Other Agreement of Leadership Effectiveness

The study investigated if personality can explain why certain managers are prone to overrate or underrate their own effectiveness. Thus, the relationship between self–other agreement of effectiveness and personality was studied. In total, 214 managers completed a multisource feedback and provided personality data on the Myers–Briggs Type Indicator. Results show that more extraverted leaders overrated their effectiveness in relation to their supervisors but had more accurate perceptions when self–peer and self–subordinate ratings were compared. Leaders with an intuition preference had more accurate perceptions when comparing self and supervisor or subordinate ratings while leaders with judging preferences received lower subordinate than self-ratings. Findings show that personality partly explains why leaders overrate or underrate their effectiveness and thus can be used for understanding leaders’ careers.

How Leaders Impact the Followers’ Brain: Neural Activations Evoked by Leadership

Transformational managers lead by sharing a vision, being compassionate, thinking outside of the box, and being charismatic. Transformational leadership positively impacts followers’ per-formance and is regarded as one of the most promising leadership approaches in fast-changing environments. In this fMRI-study, we investigated the neural activations in potential followers as they were experiencing transformational leadership behavior. Forty-seven participants assessed leadership behavior in pre-scanning identification tasks and then completed comparison tasks while being scanned. Whenever a task was completed correctly, a transformational leader’s face was highlighted. If a task was completed incorrectly, a laissez-faire leader was stressed. The re-sults suggested that transformational leadership behavior elevates the activations in the reward circuitry, particularly, in the ventral striatum. The more transformational leaders were perceived to be, the higher the activations in the dorsal caudate nucleus,...