- Browse by Author
Browsing by Author "Devine, Dennis J. (Dennis John)"
Now showing 1 - 7 of 7
Results Per Page
Sort Options
Item The Creation and Validation of the Activation-Valence Affective Traits Survey (AVATS)(2012-07-03) Coskunpinar, Ayca; Cyders, Melissa A.; Devine, Dennis J. (Dennis John); Stewart, Jesse C.Aim: The goals of the current studies were to (a) create a measure of affective traits that can assess both the discrete and the underlying dimensions of affective traits and (b) examine the reliability and validity of the scale in two independent samples. Participants: Participants were undergraduate students at a large, public US mid-western university (Study 1 N = 616; Study 2 N = 510). The mean age for Study 1 was 21.10 (SD = 5.05) and 21.02 for Study 2 (SD = 4.96). Design: Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were conducted to examine internal factor structure of the scale. A series of correlational, reliability, and hierarchical regression analyses were conducted to examine convergent, divergent, and criterion-related validity of the new scale. Findings: Activation-Valence Affective Traits Survey (AVATS) had good reliability and adequate construct, convergent, and discriminant validity as a measure of affective traits. Conclusions: This study introduces a new scale for measuring affective traits that offers more information on both the categorical and dimensional conceptualizations of affective traits, which also has predictive utility in relation to problem-related alcohol consumption.Item Development and Testing of an Intervention to Improve Group Decision-Making Effectiveness in a Hidden Profile Scenario(2010-04-12T17:47:41Z) Donovan, Angela S.; Devine, Dennis J. (Dennis John); Williams, Jane; Bond, Gary R.Research has repeatedly shown that when groups whose members have varying expertise are combined to make a decision, they tend to discuss common information at a higher rate than unique information, hindering their ability to make the best decision. In response to these findings and the fact that organizations are increasingly using groups rather than individuals to make important decisions, a new intervention was developed based on past research to help groups make better decisions and discuss more unique information. The intervention was developed through three phases to determine which techniques were most powerful. The formal evaluation of the intervention was tested on a total of 228 undergraduate students (44 groups of four and 52 individuals). Groups were randomized into an experimental condition, receiving the intervention, or a control condition. Groups participated in a hidden profile business simulation acting as the top management team of a fictional Hollywood movie studio. Information was distributed so that there was common and unique information for each group. Groups given the intervention made significantly better decisions, shared more unique information, and performed significantly better than individuals. Unique information sharing was positively related to performance and the unique information given to one group member mediated the relationship between the condition and performance. In addition, this study revealed that within the inventory of unique information, different types of information may be more critical in reaching the best possible decision than others. Future research aims and implications are discussed.Item The Effects of Job Characteristics on Citizenship Performance(2012-08-27) Cavanaugh, Caitlin Maureen; Hazer, John; Williams, Jane R.; Devine, Dennis J. (Dennis John)The study of job performance has been a high priority for organizational researchers and practitioners alike. Models of performance have acknowledged that it is affected by both individual differences and environmental factors and also that behaviors outside the job description, called citizenship performance, have value. Despite these acknowledgements, researchers have placed much more emphasis on understanding the influence of individual differences (rather than environmental characteristics) on citizenship performance. Counter to the emphasis on individual differences, the current study sought to evaluate the relationships between environmental characteristics and citizenship performance in the context of the Job Characteristics Model (JCM) and to determine whether the relationships could be both theoretically and empirically understood. Additionally, the relative importance of the environmental variables in the JCM were evaluated and compared to well-known individual difference predictors of citizenship performance. Finally, the current study sought to provide initial evidence for different patterns of relationships between the JCM variables and the three facets of citizenship performance. Undergraduate students employed for at least 20 hours per week were recruited for participation (n = 379) in a cross-sectional study, and data were analyzed using structural equation modeling and regression. Generally, model tests revealed that the JCM as configured performed poorly, though the variables did predict citizenship performance. When job satisfaction was added as another mediator in the model, results were slightly better. Regarding incremental validity, JCM variables were able to explain variance above and beyond the individual difference variables, providing additional support for the importance of the environment in understanding behavior. One implication of this is that practitioners may be able to justify changes to the work environment in an effort to increase citizenship performance. Future research should continue to explore the environment’s effects on citizenship.Item Employment specialists' competencies as predictors of employment outcomes.(2010-05-25T20:16:20Z) Taylor, Amanda Christine; Bond, Gary R.; McGrew, John H., 1953-; Rand, Kevin; Devine, Dennis J. (Dennis John)Employment specialist competencies were examined as predictors of employment outcomes for consumers with severe mental illness participating in supported employment. Using a cross-sectional correlational design a variety of self-report and supervisor-rated performance measures were examined for their association with three consumer employment outcomes (e.g., the percentage of consumers on an employment specialist's caseload that were competitively employed, the percentage of consumers on an employment specialist's caseload that were employed 90 consecutive days, and the rate in which consumers dropped out of employment services). Six mental health agencies with a total of 57 employment specialists and 14 supervisors from across the nation participated in the study. Competitive employment rates ranged among employment specialists from 0% to 80%. Higher supervisor-rated job performance, supervisor-rated employment specialist efficacy, percentage of work time spent in the community during the past month, and number of contacts with consumers during the past month were related to improved consumer employment outcomes. However, employment specialist attitudes, knowledge of supported employment, conscientiousness, and self-efficacy were unrelated to employment outcomes. This study is one of the first of its kind to examine employment specialist competencies as they relate to supported employment for consumers with severe mental illness. While supported employment is a great improvement over traditional vocational programs, further examination of employment specialist competencies could hold the key to unlocking employment success for many more consumers.Item Examining the Influence of Affect on Workplace Motivation(2011-03-09) Watson, Brooke N.; Devine, Dennis J. (Dennis John); Williams, Jane R.; Ashburn-Nardo, LeslieResearch has repeatedly shown that when individuals anticipate they are capable of achieving positive outcomes, see outcomes as important, and feel they are on-track toward achieving desired outcomes they are more likely to have higher motivation and approach those tasks. Pleasant mood states have also been shown to influence behavioral motivation outcomes. Organizations have recognized the importance of managing and motivating employees in the workplace. In the current study, mood states were either manipulated in one of two experimental conditions or remained baseline in a control condition for 253 participants. Participants were randomly assigned into one of the three conditions, but all participated in a business game simulation whereby they assumed the role of the President of a Hollywood movie studio. Individuals that reported more pleasant mood states were more likely to approach tasks with the perception that they could achieve positive outcomes. They were also more likely to devote more effort and sustain effort devoted to tasks longer than participants that reported more negative affective states. Several mediating implications for the influence of mood states on behavioral outcomes were noted. Overall, the results did not suggest significant support that mood or affect influenced performance above and beyond motivation. Future research aims and implications are discussed.Item Predicting Job Adaptability: A Facet-Level Examination of the Relationship Between Conscientiousness and Adaptive Performance with Autonomy as a Moderator(2012-08-27) Crowley, Megan L.; Hazer, John; Williams, Jane R.; Devine, Dennis J. (Dennis John)Change has become a prevalent feature of today’s organizations, resulting in an increased demand for workers who are able to adapt to the dynamic nature of the environment. Recently, many have suggested that traditional models of job performance should be expanded to include an adaptive performance dimension. Research in this relatively new domain has focused on defining adaptive performance and understanding how it may be predicted. This study contributes to these efforts by testing the personality trait of conscientiousness as a predictor of adaptive performance, with both constructs being studied at their domain and facet levels. The incremental validity of conscientiousness over cognitive ability is also examined, and autonomy is investigated as a moderator of the conscientiousness-adaptive performance relationships. A sample of 212 undergraduate students who work at least 20 hours per week participated in the study by completing an online survey and a cognitive ability assessment. Conscientiousness was supported as a good predictor of adaptive performance overall. However, the predictor-outcome results did vary over the domain and facet levels, emphasizing the importance of studying both levels. At the two-facet level of conscientiousness, the achievement motivation facet was shown to have stronger relationships with the adaptive performance dimensions compared to the dependability facet. At the six-facet level of conscientiousness, the three achievement motivation facets and one dependability facet (i.e., dutifulness) were significantly related to all eight performance dimensions, but the other two dependability facets (i.e., orderliness and cautiousness) were not significantly related to all of the adaptive performance dimensions. Conscientiousness did provide significant incremental validity over cognitive ability at the domain level and for almost all of the facet-level relationships, but cognitive ability was not related to adaptive performance or any other study variables. Autonomy was supported as a moderator with 16 significant interactions uncovered at the facet level. However, these significant interactions only involved three (i.e., interpersonal, learning, and cultural) of the eight adaptive performance dimensions. Overall, these results supported the conscientiousness-adaptive performance relationship and contributed new findings to the adaptive performance domain that have implications for employee selection and performance management.Item The Relationship between Perceptions of Due Process and Satisfaction with a Merit Pay System(2011-03-09) Grayson, Allison L.; Williams, Jane R.; Hazer, John; Devine, Dennis J. (Dennis John)Organizations continuously look to improve the implementation and ultimate success of organizational change. One way to facilitate organizational change is to effectively manage employee reactions to that change. Previous research has examined the use of a due process approach, specifically in relation to the performance appraisal systems. Past results have indicated that meeting the due process criteria for adequate notice, fair hearing and judgment based on evidence positively influences employee perceptions of the performance appraisal system, organizational justice, and other key variables. The current study expands on these findings by applying the due process approach to the implementation of a merit pay system. With the main goals of a merit pay system being to retain and motivate employees, successful implementation is key. The current study measured perceptions of due process over three measurement periods during the implementation of a new merit pay system. Results demonstrated that the due process components are meaningful in the implementation of a merit pay system. Perceptions of due process predicted system satisfaction and organizational justice perceptions both within and across measurement time periods.