Thomas G. Reio

The Threat of Common Method Variance Bias to Theory Building

The need for more theory building scholarship remains one of the pressing issues in the field of HRD. Researchers can employ quantitative, qualitative, and/or mixed methods to support vital theory-building efforts, understanding however that each approach has its limitations. The purpose of this article is to explore common method variance bias as one of the possible major threats to the validity of quantitative research findings upon which significant theory building relies. Common method variance has been shown to introduce systematic bias into a study by artificially inflating or deflating correlations, thereby threatening the validity of conclusions drawn about the links between constructs. Both procedural design and statistical control solutions are provided to minimize its likelihood in studies with monomethod designs. Finally, editors and reviewers are called upon to support knowledge-building about how best to handle common method variance bias in quantitative studies.

Human resource management systems and firm performance

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to test a model where human resource inputs (e.g. motivation, employee skill) and human resource processes/practices (e.g. training and development; profit sharing) are hypothesized to contribute uniquely and positively to organizational outputs, i.e. job performance and firm performance.Design/methodology/approach – The cross‐sectional study consisted of 350 business professionals (91 percent managers; 9 percent consultants) from a midwestern US professional organization who took a battery of survey measures via the internet.Findings – After statistically controlling for the background variables (organizational type, size and status), the hierarchical regression analyses demonstrated that both the human resource inputs and process/practice variables explained statistically significant variance in each of the nine regression models. The effect size in each model was medium to large.Originality/value – The findings illustrate the considerable utility of researchers an...

The Employee Engagement Landscape and HRD How Do We Link Theory and Scholarship to Current Practice

The Problem. Employee engagement strategies are widely applied in practice, yet the construct remains underdeveloped in the human resource development (HRD) literature. This underdevelopment in the HRD scholarly community, combined with high levels of interest in the HRD practitioner community, highlights the need for closing the gap in theory, scholarship, and practice. To develop and support possible engagement-related interventions, HRD researchers and practitioners must be at the forefront of the emerging engagement conversation. The Solution. This article provides a definition and framework of employee engagement within the context of HRD, specifically in the areas of theory, scholarship, and practice. In addition, this article provides an overview of articles related to the latest thinking, research, and strategy development for generating employee engagement in practice found within this special issue. The Stakeholders. The intended audience for this article includes HRD scholars, scholar-practitioners, and practitioners interested in the development and use of employee engagement as an organizational performance and workplace culture -building strategy.

Employee Engagement and Well-Being: A Moderation Model and Implications for Practice

Poor workforce engagement can be detrimental to organizations because of the ensuing decrease in employee well-being and productivity. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the degree to which psychological workplace climate was associated with personal accomplishment, depersonalization, emotional exhaustion, and psychological well-being, and whether employee engagement moderated these relations. A sample of 216 health care employees from the United States, Canada, and Japan completed an online survey. Regression results suggested that psychological workplace climate was significantly related to each outcome variable; engagement moderated relations between workplace climate and each of the four dependent variables. ANOVA results revealed that high engagement group employees demonstrated higher psychological well-being and personal accomplishment, whereas low engagement group employees exhibited higher emotional exhaustion and depersonalization.

From motivation to organizational commitment of volunteers in non-profit sport organizations: The role of job satisfaction

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the mediating role of job satisfaction in the relationship between volunteers’ motivation and affective commitment in non‐profit sport organizations.Design/methodology/approach – A mail survey was conducted with a sample of 214 individuals who volunteered at 22 non‐profit sport organizations in a Midwestern state of the USA.Findings – Results from structural equation modeling analysis supported the partial mediation role of job satisfaction. The values factor of volunteers’ motivation had a significant direct impact on affective commitment, and job satisfaction partially mediated the relationship between values and affective commitment.Research limitations/implications – Although volunteer motivation influences the level of organizational commitment, volunteers who are motivated by their values would be more satisfied with their volunteer experience and consequently be more committed to the non‐profit sport organization.Originality/value – Little research ...

Thinking About Workplace Engagement: Does Supervisor and Coworker Incivility Really Matter?

The Problem. This study investigated the frequency with which employees (N = 272) in a computer sciences company in the United States were the target of supervisor and coworker incivility as well as the link between this incivility and worker engagement. Participants completed a paper-and-pencil survey consisting of the Workplace Engagement Scale (Shuck) and modified versions of the Workplace Incivility Scale (Cortina, Magley, Williams, & Langhout). The Solution. Results indicated that 78% of the participants had experienced supervisor incivility and 81% had experienced coworker incivility during the past year. MANOVA analysis revealed that females had experienced more coworker incivility and males had experienced more supervisor incivility. Hierarchical regression analyses indicated that after controlling for gender and age, both incivility variables were negative predictors of safety and availability engagement. Specifically, coworker incivility more powerfully predicted safety engagement whereas supervisor incivility was more closely linked with availability engagement. Recommendations for HRD research and practice are discussed. The Stakeholders. Stakeholders include workplace supervisors/managers, HRD professionals, HR managers, organizational leaders, and employees.

Regression Commonality Analysis: A Technique for Quantitative Theory Building

When it comes to multiple linear regression analysis (MLR), it is common for social and behavioral science researchers to rely predominately on beta weights when evaluating how predictors contribute to a regression model. Presenting an underutilized statistical technique, this article describes how organizational researchers can use commonality analysis to more completely interpret their regression effects and thereby inform theory. Using an empirical example from published literature, readers will see how regression commonality analysis can uncover important theoretical relationships that might be left undetected by only examining beta weights.

Measurement Invariance: A Foundational Principle for Quantitative Theory Building

This article describes why measurement invariance is a critical issue to quantitative theory building within the field of human resource development. Readers will learn what measurement invariance is and how to test for its presence using techniques that are accessible to applied researchers. Using data from a LibQUAL+TM study of user perceptions of service quality, we demonstrate how measurement invariance can threaten the validity of group comparison tests and ensuing theoretical conclusions. Moreover, we identify how measurement invariance can uncover important relationships in data that would otherwise go left unnoticed.

Supervisor and Coworker Incivility: Testing the Work Frustration-Aggression Model

The purpose of this study was to test the association among situational constraints, emotional reactions, behavioral responses, and their distal outcomes in the workplace through two modified versions of the Fox-Spector (1999) work frustration-aggression model. Demographics (age, gender) and personality traits (emotional stability, thrill seeking), incivility, and two organizational outcomes (organizational commitment and employee satisfaction) were added to the original model. The paper-and-pencil survey battery, consisting of eight scales, was completed by 507 participants. Models were tested with path-analytic procedures. After controlling for the demographic and personality variables, situational constraints, frustration, and supervisor and coworker incivility predicted less organizational commitment and employee satisfaction. The frustration and incivility variables served as mediators between situational constraints and the dependent variables in the models. Human Resource Development (HRD) researchers and practitioners are provided with insights into incivility behavior where HRD leveraging can make a difference in organizational commitment and workplace satisfaction.

Exploratory Factor Analysis Implications for Theory, Research, and Practice

The Problem Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) serves many useful purposes in human resource development (HRD) research. The most frequent applications of EFA among researchers consists of reducing relatively large sets of variables into more manageable ones, developing and refining a new instrument’s scales, and exploring relations among variables to build theory. Because researchers face a number of decisions when conducting EFA that can involve some subjectivity (e.g., factor extraction method, rotation), poor analytic decisions regarding how the EFA should be conducted (e.g., number of factors to extract) can produce misleading findings to the detriment of these efforts, especially theory building. The Solution Steps must be taken to improve the quality of the decision making associated with conducting EFAs if sound theory building and research related to this statistical method is to continue. Higher quality EFAs facilitate higher quality theory building and research. The Stakeholders HRD theorists, researchers, and scholar-practitioners are the intended audience of this article. In particular, those interested in refining measures and theory building would benefit most from being exposed to best EFA decision-making practices.