A research project submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of MA by coursework and Research Report in the field of Industrial Psychology in the Faculty of Humanities, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg July 2017 / Workplace bullying is an unfortunate occurrence within organisations and has become a prevalent area of interest. However, research on workplace bullying and specifically its effect on work engagement within a South African context is rare. Additionally, research on the relationship between workplace bullying and personality traits is limited to the Big Five personality traits. This research thus broadened its range from the Big Five personality traits and focused on neuroticism, assertiveness, optimism, pessimism and hardiness. The research further assessed the moderating effect of personality on the relationship between workplace bullying and work engagement. The sample consisted of 200 white collar employees over the age of 18 that was obtained using a volunteer, snowball sampling method. The responses were obtained using survey methodology, which led to the cross-sectional nature of the study. Analyses of results were completed using a Pearson’s product moment correlation analysis and a moderated multiple regression analysis. The results from the Pearson’s product moment correlation mainly supported the hypotheses, however there were findings that countered the hypotheses, mainly assertiveness as this proved to be the most unexpected finding. The results from the moderated multiple regression showed that only neuroticism and pessimism moderated the relationship between workplace bullying and work engagement as opposed to assertiveness, optimism and hardiness that did not. The findings of this research thus contribute to the limited body of South African research investigating different personality types moderating the relationship between workplace bullying and work engagement. / XL2018

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For many Latino immigrant children the transition from adolescence to adulthood and more specifically from high school to college or the workforce can be a daunting experience. Scholars have identified contextual factors such as family, culture, and access to academic and financial resources contribute significantly to the academic and career decision making of Latino immigrant youths (Chaves et al., 2004). Vocational psychology research literature has been criticized for the exclusion of diverse populations, particularly inner city youth (Medvide & Blustein, 2010) from career development theories. Using consensual qualitative research (CQR), the current study broadens the understanding of the career development of Latino immigrant youth by gathering 15 participant narratives from current NYC high school students. These interviews were audio recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using CQR methods (Hill, Knox, Thompson, Williams, Hess, & Ladany, 2005). The results of the study illustrate how culture, family support, access to financial and academic resources, and perceived barriers impact the career decision-making of Latino immigrant youth. More specifically, results indicate Latino immigrant youth highly value family relationships and teacher support in their career decision-making, and feel these supports are essential for their career success. Additionally, participants’ internalization of their social status and access to financial and academic resources critically influence their career decisions. Recommendations for research and clinical practice were presented with an emphasis on expanding multicultural competency and culturally responsive counseling interventions provided to students and families in order to reinforce students’ academic, social, and cultural strengths.

Chan, How Weng Wynne. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2009. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 30-37). / Abstract also in Chinese. / Abstract --- p.i / 摘要 --- p.iii / Table of Content --- p.iv / List of Tables --- p.vi / List of Figures --- p.vii / Chapter CHAPTER 1. --- INTRODUCTION --- p.1 / Background --- p.1 / Display rule --- p.4 / Emotional labor strategies --- p.5 / Empathy --- p.7 / Work engagement --- p.8 / Chapter CHAPTER 2. --- METHOD --- p.13 / Participants and procedures --- p.13 / Measures --- p.14 / Data analysis --- p.16 / Chapter CHAPTER 3. --- RESULTS --- p.18 / Descriptive Analyses --- p.18 / Structural Equation Modeling --- p.21 / Chapter CHAPTER 4. --- DISCUSSION --- p.23 / Implications --- p.25 / Limitations --- p.28 / Chapter CHAPTER 5. --- CONCLUSION --- p.29 / References --- p.30 / Appendix --- p.38

Li, Tsz Wai Gloria. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2009. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 34-40). / Abstracts in English and Chinese; appendix in Chinese. / Abstract --- p.i / 摘要 --- p.iii / Table of Content --- p.V / Lists of figures --- p.vii / Lists of tables --- p.viii / Chapter CHAPTER 1. --- INTRODUCTION --- p.1 / Background of Work Engagement --- p.2 / Work Engagement and JD-R Model --- p.2 / Personal Resources and JD-R Model --- p.4 / Buffering Effects of Job and Personal Resources --- p.6 / Work Engagement and Employee Performance --- p.7 / Chapter CHAPTER 2. --- METHOD --- p.10 / Sample and Procedure --- p.10 / Instruments --- p.11 / Analysis Strategies --- p.13 / Chapter CHAPTER 3. --- RESULTS --- p.15 / Descriptive Analyses --- p.15 / Confirmatory Factor Analyses --- p.17 / Hypotheses Testing --- p.17 / Chapter CHAPTER 4. --- DISCUSSION --- p.23 / Main Effects of Job Demands and Job Resources --- p.23 / Job Demands as Eustress --- p.24 / Resources as Enhancers --- p.26 / Linking Antecedents to Job Performance: The Role of Work Engagement --- p.27 / Chapter CHAPTER 5. --- PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS --- p.30 / Chapter CHAPTER 6. --- LIMITATIONS AND FUTURE RESEARCH --- p.32 / References --- p.34 / Appendix --- p.41

Too much emphasis in the past has been placed on the appropriate 'type' of validity. That is, researchers typically relied on one of either criterion or content validity to support the uses of a test. This dissertation is a validation study of a police officer entrance examination and follows a construct validation approach which is in line with a unitarian doctrine of validity, using several lines of evidence. Specifically, important predictor and criterion constructs are identified and interrelated in a person-job characteristics matrix. Significant relationships were found supporting the use of the test. Several issues related to validation are discussed as well as the need to develop taxonomic systems to assist in the selection and classification of individuals in an employment setting / acase@tulane.edu

In an attempt to understand inequalities in the workplace, Kanter (1977) proposed that the experience of role uncertainty resulted in a tendency for managers to surround themselves with similar others. This dissertation extended Kanter's idea to a more macro level by investigating the possibility that objective levels of environmental uncertainty surrounding an organization could result in homogeneity within upper echelon groups. Specifically, I predicted that objective measures of environmental uncertainty would be associated with less race, gender and age diversity in Top Management Teams (TMTs) and Boards of Directors (BODs). Contrary to expectations, environmental uncertainty was not related to either race or age diversity. However, as hypothesized, environmental uncertainty was positively and significantly related to gender diversity in both TMTs and BODs. Possible explanations for the lack of significant effects for race and age gender are offered. Theoretical and practical implications of the detected relationship between environmental uncertainty and upper echelon gender diversity are discussed / acase@tulane.edu

This study examined the relationship between group racial composition and group performance by manipulating individual perceptions of group racial composition using single gender, virtual teams communicating via the Internet. This unique methodology separated the actual racial composition of the group from its perceived racial diversity. I also explored the role of conflict as an intervening variable in the relationship between group racial diversity and group performance. Consistent with previous research, results supported a significant relationship between perceived racial diversity and interpersonal conflict. However, other hypothesized relationships failed to reach statistical significance, including the interaction effect of perceived and actual racial diversity on group performance of a decision making task / acase@tulane.edu

This study examined the relationships among the closeness of performance monitoring, employees' perceived personal control, and employees' reactions. It was hypothesized that closer performance monitoring would restrict employees' personal control perceptions through its effect on employee control over work pace and procedures, perceived supervisory trust, and perceived privacy. In turn, low levels of perceived personal control were hypothesized to produce employee reactions that can be termed 'dysfunctional' from an organizational perspective; this prediction stemmed from a reactance theory framework. Finally, perceived supervisory support was hypothesized to mitigate the negative reactions to restricted personal control because employees with supportive supervisors were expected to make more positive attributions about the reasons for the restrictive conditions. Limited support was found for the hypotheses relating closeness of monitoring to perceived personal control and those relating perceived personal control to employee reactions. No support was found for the hypothesized moderating role of perceived supervisory support This research advanced the understanding of close performance monitoring by demonstrating that close monitoring can result in reduced levels of employees' control over work pace and employees' perceptions of privacy at work. It showed that perceived personal control at work was positively determined by perceived supervisory trust as well as perceived privacy. And it revealed a tendency for 'strategic' employee behaviors to be associated with low levels of perceived personal control. Based on these findings, researchers interested in the effects of close performance monitoring are urged to consider the important role that perceived personal control might play in predicting undesirable employee reactions to the monitoring system / acase@tulane.edu

To attempt to understand why employees engage in unethical behavior within their organizations, I investigated the relationship between accountability, organizational justice, and unethical behavior in two studies. Contrary to research that organizational justice is negatively related to unethical behavior that has the potential to harm organizations (e.g., Greenberg, 1990), I predicted, based on social exchange theory (e.g., Blau, 1964), that organizational justice would be positively related with unethical behavior that has the potential to benefit organizations. Consistent with the accountability (e.g., Brief, Dukerich, & Doran, 1991) and obedience (Milgrim, 1974) literatures, it was hypothesized that accountability would be positively related with unethical behavior. Finally, I predicted that accountability and organizational justice would interact to determine unethical behavior such that the relationship between organizational justice and unethical behavior is stronger when accountability is lower. It was found that interactional justice and accountability, for one dependent variable in a laboratory study, both were positively related to unethical behavior. On the whole, however, limited support was found for these hypotheses in a laboratory and a field study. Possible explanations for the lack of significant effects and the implications of these results are discussed / acase@tulane.edu