Showing papers on "Job performance published in 2015"

Organizational Citizenship Behavior

Abstract: Organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) refers to discretionary, nonrequired contributions by members to the organizations that employ them. Evidence indicates that job satisfaction is more closely related to such contributions than to productivity in core job tasks. Other data suggest that personality also is more likely to predict such discretionary behaviors rather than task productivity. Various typologies and dimensions of OCB have been posited, but the most parsimonious structure consists of two major dimensions, roughly analogous to discretionary help and support to particular persons and discretionary levels of conformity to organizational rules. Compelling findings support the hypothesis that unit level OCB indeed predicts various criteria of organizational effectiveness. Cross-cultural research in OCB has begun and is proceeding at an accelerating pace, with indications that the structure of what is perceived as OCB varies somewhat across cultures. Moreover, some forms or levels of intended OCB might prove dysfunctional for either the organization or the individual or both.

Employee Green Behavior: A Theoretical Framework, Multilevel Review, and Future Research Agenda

Abstract: We propose a conceptual model based on person–environment interaction, job performance, and motivational theories to structure a multilevel review of the employee green behavior (EGB) literature and agenda for future research. We differentiate between required EGB prescribed by the organization and voluntary EGB performed at the employees’ discretion. The review investigates institutional-, organizational-, leader-, team-, and employee-level antecedents and outcomes of EGB and factors that mediate and moderate these relationships. We offer suggestions to facilitate the development of the field, and call for future research to adopt a multilevel perspective and to investigate the outcomes of EGB.

Why does self-reported emotional intelligence predict job performance? A meta-analytic investigation of mixed EI.

Abstract: Recent empirical reviews have claimed a surprisingly strong relationship between job performance and self-reported emotional intelligence (also commonly called trait EI or mixed EI), suggesting self-reported/mixed EI is one of the best known predictors of job performance (e.g., ρ = .47; Joseph & Newman, 2010b). Results further suggest mixed EI can robustly predict job performance beyond cognitive ability and Big Five personality traits (Joseph & Newman, 2010b; O'Boyle, Humphrey, Pollack, Hawver, & Story, 2011). These criterion-related validity results are problematic, given the paucity of evidence and the questionable construct validity of mixed EI measures themselves. In the current research, we update and reevaluate existing evidence for mixed EI, in light of prior work regarding the content of mixed EI measures. Results of the current meta-analysis demonstrate that (a) the content of mixed EI measures strongly overlaps with a set of well-known psychological constructs (i.e., ability EI, self-efficacy, and self-rated performance, in addition to Conscientiousness, Emotional Stability, Extraversion, and general mental ability; multiple R = .79), (b) an updated estimate of the meta-analytic correlation between mixed EI and supervisor-rated job performance is ρ = .29, and (c) the mixed EI-job performance relationship becomes nil (β = -.02) after controlling for the set of covariates listed above. Findings help to establish the construct validity of mixed EI measures and further support an intuitive theoretical explanation for the uncommonly high association between mixed EI and job performance--mixed EI instruments assess a combination of ability EI and self-perceptions, in addition to personality and cognitive ability.

Workaholism vs. work engagement: the two different predictors of future well-being and performance.

Abstract: Purpose This study investigated the distinctiveness of two types of heavy work investment (i.e., workaholism and work engagement) by examining their 2-year longitudinal relationships with employee well-being and job performance. Based on a previous cross-sectional study by Shimazu and Schaufeli (IndHealth47:495–502,2009)andashortertermlongitudinal study by Shimazu et al. (Ind Health 50:316–21, 2012 ;m easurement interval=7 months), we predicted that workaholism predicts long-term future unwell-being (i.e., high ill-health and low life satisfaction) and poor job performance, whereas work engagement predicts future well-being (i.e., low illhealth and high life satisfaction) and superior job performance. Method A two-wave survey was conducted among employees from one Japanese company, and valid data from 1,196 employees was analyzed using structural equation modeling. T1–T2 changes in ill-health, life satisfaction, and job performance were measured as residual scores, which were included in the structural equation model. Results Workaholism and work engagement were weakly and positively related to each other. In addition, and as expected, workaholism was related to an increase in ill-health and to a decrease in life satisfaction. In contrast, and also as expected, work engagement was related to increases in both life satisfaction and job performance and to a decrease in ill-health. Conclusion Although workaholismandworkengagementare weakly positively related, they constitute two different concepts. More specifically, workaholism has negative consequences across an extended period of 2 years, whereas work engagement has positive consequences in terms of well-being and performance. Hence, workaholism should be prevented and work engagement should be stimulated.

Linking dimensions of social media use to job performance

Abstract: Social use of technology positive indirect effect on employees' job performance.Cognitive use of technology positive indirect effect on employees' job performance.Hedonic use of the technology direct negative impact on routine performance.Hedonic use of the technology indirect positive impact on innovative performance. Organizations are increasingly adopting new technologies, such as social media, that afford employees a repertoire of uses not simply focused on work, but also on socialization and entertainment. Knowledge regarding the impact of such diverse technologies on job performance, however, is currently limited. This study adopts a technology use lens to study the effect of three categories of social media use - social, hedonic, and cognitive - on job performance, as mediated by three dimensions of social capital. The research was conducted via a large-scale survey within a multinational Information Technology company. Social and cognitive uses of technology were empirically shown to have a positive, albeit indirect, effect on employees' routine and innovative job performance. Hedonic use of the technology, while having a direct negative impact on routine performance was shown to positively contribute to the development of social ties, leading to a mitigating positive influence on innovative performance. This interesting positive side of hedonic use, along with all findings from our study, are discussed and used to offer insights to future research and practice.

Integrating Personality and Social Networks: A Meta-Analysis of Personality, Network Position, and Work Outcomes in Organizations

Abstract: Using data from 138 independent samples, we meta-analytically examined three research questions concerning the roles of personality and network position in organizations. First, how do different personality characteristics-self-monitoring and the Big Five personality traits-relate to indegree centrality and brokerage, the two most studied structurally advantageous positions in organizational networks? Second, how do indegree centrality and brokerage compare in explaining job performance and career success? Third, how do these personality variables and network positions relate to work outcomes? Our results show that self-monitoring predicted indegree centrality across expressive and instrumental networks and brokerage in expressive networks after controlling for the Big Five traits. Self-monitoring, therefore, was especially relevant for understanding why people differ in their acquisition of advantageous positions in social networks. But the total variance explained by personality ranged between 3% and 5%. Surprisingly, we found that indegree centrality was more strongly related to job performance and career success than brokerage. We also found that personality predicted job performance and career success above and beyond network position and that network position partially mediated the effects of certain personality variables on work outcomes. This paper provides an integrated view of how an individual's personality and network position combine to influence job performance and career success.

Identifying Organizational Identification as a Basis for Attitudes and Behaviors: A Meta-Analytic Review

Abstract: Organizational identification has been argued to have a unique value in explaining individual attitudes and behaviors in organizations, as it involves the essential definition of entities (i.e., individual and organizational identities). This review seeks meta-analytic evidence of the argument by examining how this identity-relevant construct functions in the nexus of attitudinal/behavioral constructs. The findings show that, first, organizational identification is significantly associated with key attitudes (job involvement, job satisfaction, and affective organizational commitment) and behaviors (in-role performance and extra-role performance) in organizations. Second, in the classic psychological model of attitude-behavior relations (Fishbein & Ajzen, 1975), organizational identification is positioned as a basis from which general sets of those attitudes and behaviors are engendered; organizational identification has a direct effect on general behavior above and beyond the effect of general attitude. Third, the effects of organizational identification are moderated by national culture, a higher-level social context wherein the organization is embedded, such that the effects are stronger in a collectivistic culture than in an individualistic culture. Theoretical and practical implications of the findings and future research directions are discussed.

The bright side of emotional labor

Abstract: Emotional labor (expressing emotions as part of one's job duties, as in “service with a smile”) can be beneficial for employees, organizations, and customers. Meta-analytical summaries reveal that deep acting (summoning up the appropriate feelings one wants to display) generally has positive outcomes. Unlike surface acting (faking emotions), deep acting does not harm employee well-being, and deep acting is positively related with job satisfaction, organizational commitment, job performance, and customer satisfaction. Emerging research also suggests that a third form of emotional labor, natural and genuine emotional labor, is a frequently used emotional labor strategy that has positive effects for both employees and customers. We examine how identity processes shape how employees experience emotional labor, and we maintain that when employees identify with their roles, emotional labor augments and affirms their identity. Person-job fit is an important moderator that influences whether emotional labor enhances or hinders employee well-being. Emotional labor may also have positive outcomes when organizations grant more autonomy and adopt positive display rules that call for the expression of positive emotions. Recent research also indicates that emotional labor strategies may improve leadership effectiveness. Research opportunities on the bright side of emotional labor are abundant.

A Job Demands–Resources Approach to Public Service Motivation

Abstract: This article uses job demands-resources theory to build a model of public service motivation (PSM). Public service motivation determines how employees in the public sector deal with their daily job demands and resources. Highly motivated public servants are able to deal with their job demands and prevent exhaustion. Additionally, because of their sense of calling, they are motivated to mobilize their job resources to stay engaged and perform well. However, if job demands are consistently high and job resources are consistently low, highly motivated public servants will lose their psychological resources, resulting in lower PSM. Reduced PSM, as a consequence, may strengthen the loss cycle of job demands and exhaustion and weaken the gain cycle of job resources and engagement. Public service managers and employees may use this model to optimize their work environment on a day-to-day basis.

The job crafting intervention: effects on job resources, self-efficacy, and affective well-being

Abstract: This quasi-experimental field study examines the effects of an intervention designed to boost job resources, affective well-being, and self-efficacy via job crafting behaviour. Employees (n = 39) in a Dutch police district received a 1-day training, after which they worked towards self-set crafting goals for a period of 4 weeks. The intervention concluded with a half-day reflection session in which learning points were consolidated. Participating in the intervention was expected to boost job resources such as opportunities for development and leader–member exchange (LMX), as well as enhance self-efficacy and positive affect and to reduce negative affect. Repeated measures ANOVAs did not yield significant results. However, pre–post comparison tests showed that the intervention group reported less negative affect as well as increased self-efficacy, developmental opportunities and LMX in the post-measure compared with the pre-measure. The control group (n = 47) showed no significant changes from pre- to post-measure. In addition, in weeks during which individuals sought more resources, they also reported more developmental opportunities, LMX, and positive affect. Although further research is needed, the job crafting intervention seems to have potential to enable employees to proactively build a motivating work environment and to improve their own well-being

Engaging leadership in the job demands-resources model

Abstract: Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to integrate leadership into the job demands-resources (JD-R) model. Based on self-determination theory, it was argued that engaging leaders who inspire, strengthen, and connect their followers would reduce employee’s levels of burnout and increase their levels of work engagement. Design/methodology/approach – An online survey was conducted among a representative sample of the Dutch workforce (n=1,213) and the research model was tested using structural equation modeling. Findings – It appeared that leadership only had an indirect effect on burnout and engagement – via job demands and job resources – but not a direct effect. Moreover, leadership also had a direct relationship with organizational outcomes such as employability, performance, and commitment. Research limitations/implications – The study used a cross-sectional design and all variables were based on self-reports. Hence, results should be replicated in a longitudinal study and using more objective measures ...

Leader narcissism and follower outcomes: The counterbalancing effect of leader humility.

Abstract: [Correction Notice: An Erratum for this article was reported in Vol 100(4) of Journal of Applied Psychology (see record 2015-29666-001). The last name of the second author was misspelled in the Online First version of the article. All versions of this article have been corrected.] In response to recent calls to theorize and examine how multiple leader characteristics may work together in their effects, the current research examines how leader narcissism and humility interact to predict perceived leader effectiveness and follower (i.e., direct-report) job engagement and performance. Although an examination of leaders who are narcissistic yet humble may seem oxymoronic and even paradoxical, researchers have suggested that seemingly contradictory personal attributes may exist simultaneously and may actually work together to produce positive outcomes. Results from survey data from followers and leaders working for a large health insurance organization showed that the interaction of leader narcissism and leader humility is associated with perceptions of leader effectiveness, follower job engagement, and subjective and objective follower job performance. Together, these results suggest that narcissistic leaders can have positive effects on followers when their narcissism is tempered by humility.

Employee well-being in organizations:Theoretical model, scale development, and cross-cultural validation

Abstract: Summary In this study, we explore the theoretical model and structural dimensions of employee well-being (EWB) in organizations. Specifically, using both qualitative and quantitative methods, we find that EWB comprises three dimensions: life well-being, workplace well-being, and psychological well-being. We establish the reliability and validity of the newly developed EWB scale through a series of quantitative studies, which indicate that EWB is significantly correlated with affective organizational commitment and job performance based on the data collected from multiple sources at two points in time. We find that EWB has measurement invariance (configural invariance) across Chinese and American contexts. We also discuss the theoretical contributions of these findings to cross-cultural organizational behavior studies, along with the practical implications of our results. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Locus of Control and Job Search Strategies

Abstract: Standard job search theory assumes that unemployed individuals have perfect information about the effect of their search effort on the job offer arrival rate. We present an alternative model that assumes that each individual has a subjective belief about the impact of her search effort on the job arrival. These beliefs depend in part on an individual's locus of control. We estimate the impact of locus of control on job search behavior using a data set of newly unemployed individuals in Germany. Consistent with our theoretical predictions, we find evidence that individuals with an internal locus of control search more and that individuals who believe that their future outcomes are determined by external factors have lower reservation wages.

Job crafting and job performance: A longitudinal study

Abstract: In this three-wave study (N = 288), we examined whether job crafting intentions and work engagement led to actual job crafting behaviours and, in turn, to higher levels of prospective work engagement and job performance. We used the Job Demands-Resources model as a theoretical framework and defined job crafting as the self-initiated changes that employees make in their job demands and resources. One month after reporting their job crafting intentions, respondents rated their actual job crafting behaviours. Again one month later, they rated their levels of work engagement, in-role performance, and organizational citizenship behaviour towards individuals (OCBI). Results of structural equation modelling showed that job crafting intentions and work engagement significantly related to actual job crafting, which, in turn, related to higher levels of work engagement, while controlling for job characteristics. Results further showed that engaged employees performed better on their in-role tasks but did not perfor...

Mindfulness at Work: A New Approach to Improving Individual and Organizational Performance

Abstract: In recent years the concept of mindfulness has become increasingly popular, and with good reason. A growing body of research indicates that mindfulness provides a number of physical, psychological, and even performance benefits. As a result, some organizations have started offering mindfulness programs to their employees. But despite growing interest, mindfulness has received little attention from the industrial–organizational community. In this article, we provide an overview of what mindfulness is, where the concept came from, how it has been utilized and studied to date, and what its application in the work setting is. We also propose new directions for researchers and practitioners.

Job insecurity and job performance : the moderating role of organizational justice and the mediating role of work engagement

Abstract: Organizational justice has been shown to play an important role in employees’ affective and performance outcomes particularly in uncertain contexts. In this study, we investigated the interaction effect of job insecurity and organizational justice on employees’ performance, and examined the mediating role of work engagement from the perspective of uncertainty management theory. We used 2-wave data (Study 1) from a sample of 140 Chinese employees and 3-wave data (Study 2) from a sample of 125 Chinese employees to test our hypotheses. In Study 1, we found that when employees perceived low levels of organizational justice, job insecurity was significantly negatively related to job performance. In contrast, we found that job insecurity was not related to job performance when there were high levels of organizational justice. Study 2 again supported the interaction of job insecurity and organizational justice on job performance. Furthermore, it was found that work engagement mediated the interaction effect. The results of the mediated moderation analysis revealed that job insecurity was negatively associated with job performance through work engagement when organizational justice was low

Leader-member exchange, work engagement, and job performance

Abstract: Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the process through which leader-member exchange (LMX) is related to followers’ job performance. Integrating the literature on LMX theory and resource theories, the authors hypothesized that the positive relationship between LMX and employee job performance is sequentially mediated by job resources (autonomy, developmental opportunities, and social support) and employee work engagement. Design/methodology/approach – In total, 847 Dutch police officers filled out an online questionnaire. Multilevel structural equation modeling was used to test the hypothesized relationships and to account for the nesting of employees in teams. Findings – Employees in high-quality LMX relationships work in a more resourceful work environment (i.e. report more developmental opportunities and social support, but not more autonomy). This resourceful work environment, in turn, facilitates work engagement and job performance. Research limitations/implications – Because of the res...

The role of employee HR attributions in the relationship between high‐performance work systems and employee outcomes

Abstract: Although research has shown that the use of high-performance work systems (HPWS) is associated with employee outcomes, our knowledge of the meanings employees attach to HPWS systems and how these shape employee outcomes is still limited. This study examines the signalling impact of enacted HPWS on HR well-being and HR performance attributions, and how these influence happiness- and health-related outcomes. Using multilevel data (1,065 employees nested within 150 work units) obtained from multiple sources (line managers and employees), our results show that coverage of HPWS was positively associated with the two HR attributions. In addition, HR well-being attributions were associated with higher levels of commitment and lower levels of job strain. HR performance attributions were associated with higher levels of job strain. The findings of this study highlight the importance of taking into account how employees attach meaning to enacted HPWS in order to predict employee outcomes.

Ethical leadership: meta-analytic evidence of criterion-related and incremental validity.

Abstract: This study examines the criterion-related and incremental validity of ethical leadership (EL) with meta-analytic data. Across 101 samples published over the last 15 years (N = 29,620), we observed that EL demonstrated acceptable criterion-related validity with variables that tap followers' job attitudes, job performance, and evaluations of their leaders. Further, followers' trust in the leader mediated the relationships of EL with job attitudes and performance. In terms of incremental validity, we found that EL significantly, albeit weakly in some cases, predicted task performance, citizenship behavior, and counterproductive work behavior-even after controlling for the effects of such variables as transformational leadership, use of contingent rewards, management by exception, interactional fairness, and destructive leadership. The article concludes with a discussion of ways to strengthen the incremental validity of EL. (PsycINFO Database Record

Challenge versus hindrance job demands and well‐being: A diary study on the moderating role of job resources.

Abstract: The present study among 158 primary school teachers in Croatia integrated the challenge-hindrance stressor framework in job demands–resources (JD–R) theory. We hypothesized that hindrance job demands would be negatively related to well-being and that job resources could buffer this relationship. In addition, we hypothesized that challenge job demands would be positively related to well-being and that job resources would boost this relationship. The study employed a quantitative daily diary methodology. Teachers filled out a background questionnaire and a daily diary booklet for three to five consecutive workdays (N = 438 occasions). Results of multilevel analyses showed that daily hindrance job demands had a negative relationship with daily positive affect and work engagement. Daily job resources buffered this relationship. In contrast, daily challenge job demands had a positive relationship with positive affect and work engagement. Daily job resources boosted this relationship. We discuss the implications of these findings for JD–R theory and practice. Practitioner points High daily job resources foster employee's daily work engagement and positive affect at work particularly when daily challenge demands are high. High daily job resources buffer the negative impact of high daily hindrance demands on daily work engagement and positive affect at work. Guidelines are proposed to enhance teachers' and school principals' education and training, as well to contribute to the more optimal workplace design for teachers

Organizational identification, work engagement, and job satisfaction

Abstract: Purpose – Organizational identification refers to a person’s sense of belonging within the organization in which they work. Despite the importance of organizational identification for work-related attitudes and organizational behavior, little research has directly examined the mechanisms that may link these. The purpose of this paper is to provide an understanding of how organizational identification relates to job satisfaction. Design/methodology/approach – Adopting a social identity perspective, the authors present and test two models that describe work engagement and its constituent dimensions (vigor, dedication, absorption) as mediating the relationship between organizational identification and job satisfaction. Findings – Bootstrapped mediation analyses provided support for full mediation whereby there is an indirect (via work engagement) and positive effect of organizational identification on job satisfaction. Analyses also provided support for the mediating effects of the three dimensions of work e...

Job Crafting in Changing Organizations: Antecedents and Implications for Exhaustion and Performance

Abstract: The present study addressed employee job crafting behaviors (ie, seeking resources, seeking challenges, and reducing demands) in the context of organizational change We examined predictors of job crafting both at the organizational level (ie, perceived impact of the implemented changes on the working life of employees) and the individual level (ie, employee willingness to follow the changes) Job crafting behaviors were expected to predict task performance and exhaustion Two-wave longitudinal data from 580 police officers undergoing organizational changes were analyzed with structural equation modeling Findings showed that the degree to which changes influence employees' daily work was linked to reducing demands and exhaustion, whereas employee willingness to change was linked to seeking resources and seeking challenges Furthermore, while seeking resources and seeking challenges were associated with high task performance and low exhaustion respectively, reducing demands seemed to predict exhaustion positively Our findings suggest that job crafting can act as a strategy of employees to respond to organizational change While seeking resources and seeking challenges enhance employee adjustment and should be encouraged by managers, reducing demands seems to have unfavorable implications for employees

Ostracism, Self-Esteem, and Job Performance: When Do We Self-Verify and When Do We Self-Enhance?

Abstract: Self-esteem level has been positioned as a key mediating mechanism accounting for the effects of ostracism on behaviors, invoking the notion that individuals seek to verify their self-perceptions by behaving in a way that is consistent with those self-perceptions. However, evidence supporting the relation of ostracism and self-esteem level to behavioral outcomes has been mixed. We argue that such mixed effects arise because individuals may engage in behaviors alternately to verify their self-perceptions (suggesting a relation between self-esteem level and behavioral outcomes) or to self-enhance (suggesting no relation between self-esteem level and behavioral outcomes). Within this framing, the question becomes: When do we self-verify and when do we self-enhance? To that end, we position contingent self-esteem--or the extent to which individuals base their self-worth on outcomes in a particular domain--as a determining factor in whether we self-verify or self-enhance, and present a moderated mediation model to account for varying relations between ostracism and job performance. Our predictions regarding self-verification and self-enhancement motivation are fully supported across two field samples using multi-wave, multi-source study designs. Theoretical and practical implications for self-verification and self-enhancement motivation, as well as negative interpersonal behaviors at work, are discussed

Mindfulness at Work: Antecedents and Consequences of Employee Awareness and Absent-mindedness

Abstract: The present study examines antecedents and consequences of two aspects of mindfulness in a work setting: employee awareness and employee absent-mindedness. Using two samples, the study found these two aspects of mindfulness to be beneficially associated with employee well-being, as measured by emotional exhaustion, job satisfaction, and psychological need satisfaction, and with job performance, as measured by task performance, organizational citizenship behaviors, and deviance. These results suggest a potentially important role of mindfulness at the workplace. The study also found that organizational constraints and organizational support predicted employee mindfulness, pointing to the important role that the organizational environment may play in facilitating or hindering mindfulness at the workplace. The results further suggest that employee awareness and absent-mindedness are different constructs that have distinct nomological networks. Implications and future directions are discussed.

Consequences of abusive supervision: A meta-analytic review

Abstract: While a plethora of studies have examined the relationships between abusive supervision and outcomes, there is a lack of a comprehensive and systematic framework that integrates the consequences and moderators of abusive supervision. We fill the void in the abusive supervision literature through conducting a quantitative review. Based on a meta-analysis of 119 independent samples (N = 35,239), we found that abusive supervision was related to subordinates’ attitudes, well-beings, organizational justice perceptions, workplace behaviors, performance, and family-related outcomes. In addition, we found that power distance moderated the relationships of abusive supervision with subordinates’ workplace behaviors and performance in Asia and North America. In addition, the relationships between abusive supervision and its consequences were contingent on subordinates’ age, organizational tenure, and time spent with supervisors, and research design. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

Productive and counterproductive job crafting: A daily diary study.

Abstract: The present study aims to uncover the way daily job crafting influences daily job performance (i.e., task performance, altruism, and counterproductive work behavior). Job crafting was conceptualized as "seeking resources," "seeking challenges," and "reducing demands" and viewed as strategies individuals use to optimize their job characteristics. We hypothesized that daily job crafting relates to daily job demands and resources (work pressure and autonomy), which consequently relate to daily work engagement and exhaustion and ultimately to job performance. A sample of 95 employees filled in a quantitative diary for 5 consecutive working days (n occasions = 475). We predicted and found that daily seeking resources was positively associated with daily task performance because daily autonomy and work engagement increased. In contrast, daily reducing demands was detrimental for daily task performance and altruism, because employees lower their daily workload and consequently their engagement and exhaustion, respectively. Only daily seeking challenges was positively (rather than negatively) associated with daily counterproductive behavior. We conclude that employee job crafting can have both beneficial and detrimental effects on job performance.