Tag: human resource management

Balancing on the Tightrope of Ideal Turnover

Topic: Staffing, Turnover Publication: Academy of Management Journal (APR 2009) Article: Searching for the optimal level of employee turnover: A study of a large U.K. retail organization Authors: W.S. Siebert, N. Zubanov Reviewed by: Katie Bachman There are two ways to think about turnover. Some will tell you that turnover is bad

Eyes on the prize

Topic: Leadership, Personality, Performance Publication: Journal of Applied Psychology (MAY 2009) Article:  The role of goal-focused leadership in enabling the expression of conscientiousness Authors: A.E. Colbert, L.A. Witt Reviewed By: Larry Martinez Colbert and Witt take the stance that goal-directed leadership tactics (being very directive about goals) creates an environment that allows

Brains before Beauty…OR…Beauty and the Best

Topic: Self Efficacy Publication: Journal of Applied Psychology (MAY 2009) Article:  Does it pay to be smart, attractive, or confident (or all three)?  Relationships among general mental ability, physical attractiveness, core self-evaluations, and income. Authors: T.A. Judge, C. Hurst, L.S. Simon Reviewed by: Larry Martinez Who among us would be surprised

Beware the Turnover Bug: It’s Contagious!

Topic: Employee Satisfaction, Motivation, Turnover Publication: Academy of Management Journal (JUN 2009) Article: Turnover contagion: How coworkers’ job embeddedness and job search behaviors influence quitting. Author: W. Felps, T.R. Mitchell, D.R. Hekman, T.W. Lee, B.C. Holtman, W.S. Harman Reviewed By: Benjamin Granger There is a HUGE body of research literature on the predictors and causes of employee turnover (better grab two cups of coffee before reading all of these articles!). Most of the research has investigated either individual-level explanations (e.g., low job satisfaction) or economic

Ashes, Ashes, Organizations All Fall Down!

Topic: Change Management, Organizational Reputation Publication: Academy of Management Journal (DEC 2008) Article: Good fences make good neighbors: A longitudinal analysis of an industry self-regulatory institution Author: M.L. Barnett, A.A. King Reviewed By: Katie Bachman In these “interesting” economic times, it seems like every company is struggling to overcome challenges within their organizations. Bad news: You need to be worried about what your competitors struggle with too! In a recent article in the Academy of Management Journal, Barnett and

Coffee Break, Anyone?

Topic: Wellness Publication: Monitor on Psychology Article: Caffeine’s wake-up call. Blogger: Larry Martinez We all have that one person in the office who just can’t function properly until they’ve had their cup of coffee in the morning (maybe it’s you).  And who doesn’t get a boost out of a candy

Can Personality Predict Turnover?

Topic: Turnover Publication: Personel Psychology Article: Understanding the impact of personality traits on individuals’ turnover decisions: a meta-analytic path model. Blogger: Katie O’Brien Apparently, it can!  While the rest of us who study turnover have been looking mostly at environmental influences that lead people to quit, Ryan Zimmerman has been

Don’t know what “it” is…but they’ve got it

Topic: Leadership, Motivation Publication: The Leadership Quarterly Article: Speech imagery and perceptions of charisma: The mediating role of positive affect Blogger: James Grand The qualities that define charismatic leaders such as Martin Luther King, Jr., Henry Ford, and Winston Churchill have intrigued organizational scholars for years. Research such as that

Probing the Mind of an Interviewer

Topic: Assessment, Interviewing Publication: Journal of Occupational & Organizational Psychology Article: Fit perceptions in the employment interview: The role of similarity, liking, and expectations. Blogger: Benjamin Granger To better understand how interviewers make hiring decisions, Garcia, Posthuma, and Colella (2008) present a study published in a recent issue of the Journal

A Closer Look at the Role of Work Centrality in Work-Family Conflict

Topic: Work-Life Balance Publication: Journal of Management (2008) Article: The moderating effect of work-family centrality on work family conflict, organizational attitudes, and turnover behavior. Blogger: Benjamin Granger Ever miss a child’s ball game for work? The conflict between an employee’s work role and family role is known as work-family conflict (WFC). When work