Accuracy decomposition and team decision making: Testing theoretical boundary conditions.

The purpose of this study was to examine the implications of accuracy decomposition (D. Gigone & R. Hastie, 1997) for team decision making. Specifically, the authors tested the generalizability of the multilevel theory of team decision making (J. R. Hollenbeck et al., 1995), across various components of accuracy. The authors also tested the generalizability of this theory across different levels of staff-member specialization. Results from a study with 420 individuals in 105 teams demonstrate that the validity of the multilevel theory generalizes across specialization levels but fails to generalize across different components of decision accuracy. The authors concluded that this theory is best conceptualized as a theory of achievement accuracy, rather than mean bias or variability bias. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychological collectivism: A measurement validation and linkage to group member performance.

The 3 studies presented here introduce a new measure of the individual-difference form of collectivism. Psychological collectivism is conceptualized as a multidimensional construct with the following 5 facets: preference for in-groups, reliance on in-groups, concern for in-groups, acceptance of in-group norms, and prioritization of in-group goals. Study 1 developed and tested the new measure in a sample of consultants. Study 2 cross-validated the measure using an alumni sample of a Southeastern university, assessing its convergent validity with other collectivism measures. Study 3 linked scores on the measure to 4 dimensions of group member performance (task performance, citizenship behavior, counterproductive behavior, and withdrawal behavior) in a computer software firm and assessed discriminant validity using the Big Five. The results of the studies support the construct validity of the measure and illustrate the potential value of collectivism as a predictor of group member performance. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Trust, trustworthiness, and trust propensity: A meta-analytic test of their unique relationships with risk taking and job performance.

The trust literature distinguishes trustworthiness (the ability, benevolence, and integrity of a trustee) and trust propensity (a dispositional willingness to rely on others) from trust (the intention to accept vulnerability to a trustee based on positive expectations of his or her actions). Although this distinction has clarified some confusion in the literature, it remains unclear (a) which trust antecedents have the strongest relationships with trust and (b) whether trust fully mediates the effects of trustworthiness and trust propensity on behavioral outcomes. Our meta-analysis of 132 independent samples summarized the relationships between the trust variables and both risk taking and job performance (task performance, citizenship behavior, counterproductive behavior). Meta-analytic structural equation modeling supported a partial mediation model wherein trustworthiness and trust propensity explained incremental variance in the behavioral outcomes when trust was controlled. Further analyses revealed that the trustworthiness dimensions also predicted affective commitment, which had unique relationships with the outcomes when controlling for trust. These results generalized across different types of trust measures (i.e., positive expectations measures, willingness-to-be-vulnerable measures, and direct measures) and different trust referents (i.e., leaders, coworkers). (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Justice at the millennium: A meta-analytic review of 25 years of organizational justice research.

The field of organizational justice continues to he marked by several important research questions, including the size of relationships among justice dimensions, the relative importance of different justice criteria, and the unique effects of justice dimensions on key outcomes. To address such questions, the authors conducted a meta-analytic review of 183 justice studies. The results suggest that although different justice dimensions are moderately to highly related, they contribute incremental variance explained in fairness perceptions. The results also illustrate the overall and unique relationships among distributive, procedural, interpersonal, and informational justice and several organizational outcomes (e.g., job satisfaction, organizational commitment, evaluation of authority, organizational citizenship behavior, withdrawal, performance). These findings are reviewed in terms of their implications for future research on organizational justice. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Conscientiousness, goal orientation, and motivation to learn during the learning process: A longitudinal study.

Conscientiousness and goal orientation were examined as (a) predictors of motivation to learn and (b) moderators of reactions to performance levels during the learning process, using an Expectancy X Valence framework. Learners (N?=?103) participated in a 6-week course in which an objective performance goal was assigned. Results indicated that conscientiousness and learning orientation were positively related to motivation to learn both initially and after performance feedback was given, whereas performance orientation was negatively related to motivation to learn at those 2 time periods. In addition, learning and performance orientation moderated the relationships between performance levels during the learning process and subsequent expectancy and valence. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Looking ahead in times of uncertainty: The role of anticipatory justice in an organizational change context.

Our study drew on past theorizing on anticipatory justice (D. L. Shapiro & B. L. Kirkman, 2001) and fairness heuristic theory (K. Van den Bos, E. A. Lind, & H. A. M. Wilke, 2001) to build and test a model of employee reactions to a smoking ban. The results of a longitudinal study in a hospital showed that employee levels of preban anticipatory justice were predicted by their global sense of their supervisor’s fairness. The combination of anticipatory justice and global supervisory fairness then predicted the experienced justice of the ban 3 months after its implementation, with the effects of the 2 predictors dependent on perceptions of uncertainty and outcome favorability regarding the ban. Finally, experienced (interpersonal) justice predicted significant other ratings of employee support for the ban. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Do powered toothbrushes contaminate toothpaste with metals?

Replaceable brush units of powered toothbrushes (PTBs) can contain metal parts made of nickel and chromium bearing alloy. These alloy ingredients have allergenic potential, and may contaminate toothpaste and the mouth during use. Here I quantify metals abraded from PTBs. A leading brand of PTB was used in a simulated intraoral environment with three leading brand toothpastes, and post-brushing samples were analysed for iron, chromium, nickel, molybdenum, and manganese by certified laboratories using standard methods. Results showed tartar control toothpaste abraded most metal, and caused discolouration of toothpaste slurry. Discolouration of toothpaste slurry, as a useful indicator of metal abrasion, was limited to one toothpaste brand, and not useful across brands.     

Conscientiousness, autonomy fit, and development: A longitudinal study.

The authors examined employee development and its relationship with Conscientiousness and person-environment fit (in terms of needs and supplies of autonomy). They hypothesized that Conscientiousness would be positively associated with development but only when employees felt that the autonomy supplied by the organization did not fit their needs. In other words, whereas Conscientiousness could supply the dispositional resources for development, misfit was needed to create the need for development. The results supported the authors' predictions. Conscientiousness was positively related to development but only when employees were misfits with respect to autonomy. Employee involvement in development activities was then linked to subsequent fit. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Computer-assisted communication and team decision-making performance: The moderating effect of openness to experience.

This study examined the effects of computer-assisted communication on team decision-making performance as a function of the team's openness to experience. 79 teams performing a multiple-cue probability learning task were randomly assigned to 1 of 2 experimental conditions: (a) verbal communication or (b) computer-assisted communication (which combined verbal and computerized communication). The results indicated that access to computer-assisted communication improved the decision-making performance of teams, but only when the teams were high in openness to experience. This effect was observed using both global openness and more specific openness facets, as well as a variety of team-level aggregation strategies. Moreover, the beneficial effects of openness in computer-assisted conditions were mediated by the efficiency with which teams integrated verbal and computerized forms of communication. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Does the Justice of the One Interact With the Justice of the Many? Reactions to Procedural Justice in Teams.

This article reported the results of 2 studies that examined reactions to procedural justice in teams. Both studies predicted that individual members' reactions would be driven not just by their own procedural justice levels but also by the justice experienced by other team members. Study 1 examined intact student teams, whereas Study 2 occurred in a laboratory setting. The results showed that individual members' own justice interacted with others' justice, such that higher levels of role performance occurred when justice was consistent within the team. These effects were strongest in highly interdependent teams and weakest for members who were benevolent with respect to equity sensitivity. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)