Strategic item selection to reduce survey length: Reduction in validity?

The practical constraints of conducting rigorous research in applied settings often limit the ability to include well-validated, but lengthy, measures in survey designs. In the current study we tested the utility of using a strategic item selection process to alleviate this issue. We evaluated the measurement and structural model fit of items selected using a strategic item selection format and assessed the predictive validity of those abbreviated scales. We also compared fit and predictive validity to the full version item sets to assess the comparability of the abbreviated scales. Results indicated that measurement models and structural models for the a priori items produced similar fit when compared with full version items across both measures. When comparing the proportion of variance explained in the criterion, there were no differences between the strategically selected items and the full versions of the scales. We conclude that the a priori selection of items based on previous research may be a useful technique for developing short measures of psychological constructs that mitigate practical, analytical, and methodological issues associated with lengthy surveys. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Work flexibility or nonwork support? Theoretical and empirical distinctions for work–life initiatives.

Although scholars and practitioners tout the merits of various work–life initiatives, little research has been conducted to determine (a) whether broad categories of initiatives exist, and (b) whether these categories are predictive of work experiences or outcomes. We postulate 2 general types of work–life initiatives: work flexibility and nonwork support. Study 1 provides a systematic review of 385 research articles. Some research focused on specific work flexibility initiatives (e.g., flextime, telecommuting), but almost no research focused on specific nonwork support benefits (e.g., time off, dependent care). Most research confounded work flexibility and nonwork support by creating an aggregate index typically weighted toward nonwork support. This means that consulting psychologists and other practitioners may have difficulty applying research results to solve real organizational problems around work–life issues. Study 2 provides an exploratory assessment of our 2-factor model (N = 328). Results indicate initial internal validity for our 2-factor solution. Participation in work flexibility had direct associations with work-to-life conflict, work engagement, and life satisfaction, along with indirect associations with life satisfaction and psychological strain. Nonwork support possessed only a direct, negative association with life satisfaction. Implications for consulting psychologists, other practitioners, and future research are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

How are evaluations of positive and negative experiences related to the intensity of affect in workgroups?

This study explored appraisals and attributions that workgroup members make regarding events that elicit affective reactions. Fifty-nine employees in workgroups in an organization completed a survey in which they described group experiences, appraisals associated with those experiences, and attributions for those experiences. The results suggested that the intensity of affective experiences in workgroups is linked to group goals and group process. Additionally, for positive experiences, individuals were as likely to attribute credit for positive experiences to others within and outside the group as they were to themselves. In contrast, individuals were much more likely to attribute blame for negative experiences to others within the group than they were to themselves or others outside the group. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effects of member mood states on creative performance in temporary workgroups.

Previous individual-level research suggests that positive mood promotes creative problem solving (A. M. Isen, 2000). The current study built on these results to investigate group-level phenomena. Temporary workgroups (N=57) were induced to experience positive, neutral, or negative mood before engaging in a creative production task. The results indicated that positive mood increased creative performance and implementation efficiency, whereas negative mood had no effect. Regarding group process, positive and neutral mood created a stronger task focus, whereas negative mood created a stronger relationship focus within the group, but this effect did not influence group performance. Implications for future research on the role of mood in group creativity and process are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Promoting creativity in temporary problem-solving groups: The effects of positive mood and autonomy in problem definition on idea-generating performance.

The current study examined the effect of mood and autonomy in problem definition on the idea-generating performance of temporary workgroups. Groups (N=54) were randomly assigned to a mood (positive vs neutral) and autonomy (high vs low) condition and asked to brainstorm ways to improve university student life. It was found that positive mood increased the originality of ideas and that problems that provided low autonomy led to a greater number of ideas. Mood and autonomy interacted to affect group satisfaction. Furthermore, positive mood led to the identification of more important domains for improvement in the high-autonomy condition. Implications for future research using temporary problem-solving groups are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The path to a healthy workplace: A critical review linking healthy workplace practices, employee well-being, and organizational improvements.

This review synthesizes much of the previous research since 1990 linking healthy workplace practices in organizations to employee well-being and organizational improvements. Based on the review, both a direct and an indirect link between healthy workplace practices and organizational improvements are proposed. Five general categories of healthy workplace practices were identified in the literature: work-life balance, employee growth and development, health and safety, recognition, and employee involvement. Previous research also suggests that the link between these practices and employee and organizational outcomes is contingent on the effectiveness of communication within the organization and the alignment of workplace practices with the organizational context. Finally, a discussion of some limitations of previous research and recommendations for future work in the area of healthy workplace practices are provided. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Healthy workplace practices and employee outcomes.

The current study explored the relationship between employee satisfaction with different workplace practices (i.e., employee involvement, growth and development, work-life balance, recognition, health, and safety) and employee outcomes (i.e., organizational commitment, emotional exhaustion, mental well-being, and turnover intentions). A total of 152 university faculty and staff completed a web-survey. Overall, regression results indicated that satisfaction with healthy workplace practices was predictive of employee outcomes. In addition, satisfaction with employee involvement practices played a central role in predicting employee outcomes, whereas satisfaction with the other healthy workplace practices was somewhat less influential. Overall, our results suggest that organizations may increase some of the benefits of different healthy workplace programs for employees if they rely on employee involvement in program development. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Do prospective workday appraisals influence end-of-workday affect and self-monitored performance?

The current study uses self-regulation as the basis for a model that examines the influence of three types of workday appraisals (resource, task, and response). At the beginning of their workday, a total of 170 faculty, graduate students, and staff of a university completed appraisal ratings of their anticipated workday tasks, resources, and responses. At the end of the workday, they completed assessments of positive and negative affect and self-monitored performance. Results suggested that resource appraisals of control and skills were predictive of task appraisals of difficulty, threat, and ambiguity. Task appraisals were then predictive of both response appraisals, in terms of anticipated support and effort, and self-monitored performance at the end of the day. Anticipated effort and self-monitored performance were both positively related to positive affect at the end of the day. Anticipated support and self-monitored performance were both negatively related to negative affect at the end of the day, while threat task appraisals were positively related to negative affect. Implications of the results for workplace interventions are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)