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When organisations make employees redundant, they increasingly offer outplacement counselling to them, either in-house or as a service of specialised companies. Despite outplacement counsellors' importance, their work-related stress has not been studied yet. In this paper we argue that internal (in-house) outplacement counsellors have a particularly demanding job (especially because being employed by firing organisations should increase role conflicts among internal outplacement counsellors) and they should thus be more emotionally exhausted than external outplacement counsellors. Data from 98 German outplacement counsellors supported this argumentation. Mediation analyses showed that these differences were mediated by increased role conflicts, consistent with role theory arguments. The same effect was found for counsellors' job satisfaction. These results help understanding the stress that outplacement counsellors experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research has examined trust in humans and trust in automated decision support. Although reflecting a likely realization of decision support in high‐risk tasks such as personnel selection, trust in hybrid human‐automation teams has thus far received limited attention. In two experiments (N1 = 170, N2 = 154) we compare trust, trustworthiness, and trusting behavior for different types of decision‐support (automated, human, hybrid) across two assessment contexts (personnel selection, bonus payments). We additionally examined a possible trust violation by presenting one group of participants a preselection that included predominantly male candidates, thus reflecting possible unfair bias. Whereas fully‐automated decisions were trusted less, results suggest that trust in hybrid decision support was similar to trust in human‐only support. Trust violations were not perceived differently based on the type of support. We discuss theoretical (e.g., trust in hybrid support) and practical implications (e.g., keeping humans in the loop to prevent negative reactions). Practitioner points: (a)What is currently known about the topic of our study: Automated decision‐support (DS) often fueled by artificial intelligence can be perceived more negatively in selection tasks than human DSThe task context can modulate trust in automated DSDepending on the agent (human or system), trust violations can be perceived differently (b)What our Paper adds to this: In both examined contexts (selection for bonus payments; personnel selection), system DS was trusted less compared to human DSFairness issues in a decision negatively impacted trust but did not lead to different reactions based on the type of agent that produced themHybrid DS is perceived on par with human DS and better than system DS when it comes to trust (c)The implications of our study findings for practitioners: Full automation of HR related tasks can be perceived negatively, even if the task may seem suited for automationAvoid fairness issues in selection as they negatively impact trust regardless of the agent that produced themAdding a human to an automated DS (i.e., realizing hybrid DS) can alleviate negative effects on trust associated with full automation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Automated systems based on artificial intelligence (AI) increasingly support decisions with ethical implications where decision makers need to trust these systems. However, insights regarding trust in automated systems predominantly stem from contexts where the main driver of trust is that systems produce accurate outputs (e.g., alarm systems for monitoring tasks). It remains unclear whether what we know about trust in automated systems translates to application contexts where ethical considerations (e.g., fairness) are crucial in trust development. In personnel selection, as a sample context where ethical considerations are important, we investigate trust processes in light of a trust violation relating to unfair bias and a trust repair intervention. Specifically, participants evaluated preselection outcomes (i.e., sets of preselected applicants) by either a human or an automated system across twelve selection tasks. We additionally varied information regarding imperfection of the human and automated system. In task rounds five through eight, the preselected applicants were predominantly male, thus constituting a trust violation due to potential unfair bias. Before task round nine, participants received an excuse for the biased preselection (i.e., a trust repair intervention). The results of the online study showed that participants have initially less trust in automated systems. Furthermore, the trust violation and the trust repair intervention had weaker effects for the automated system. Those effects were partly stronger when highlighting system imperfection. We conclude that insights from classical areas of automation only partially translate to the many emerging application contexts of such systems where ethical considerations are central to trust processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Strikes are a recurrent phenomenon in many countries. However, research on strikes from a psychological perspective has been limited. By developing a sound measure to assess attitudes and behavioral reactions to strikes, we will be in a better position to evaluate these constructs in individuals and compare across studies. Therefore, we developed a scale to assess attitudes and behavioral reactions to strikes following classic scale development guidelines using four samples (total N = 1369; N1 = 304, N2 = 209, N3 = 443, N4 = 413). In Study 1, we used exploratory factor analysis to reduce the generated items to a scale and showed that the strike attitude and behavioral reactions scale consists of one affective factor (negative reactions towards strikes), one cognitive factor (legitimacy of strikes), and three behavioral factors (informing oneself about strikes, strike-related social network behavior, and support of strikers). Study 2 confirmed these five factors and showed acceptable psychometric properties. Study 3 supported the construct validity of the developed scale: the five factors were correlated with willingness to strike and attitudes towards unions, among other variables. Study 4 further showed that the scale can also capture attitudes and behavioral reactions towards specific strikes. Overall, these studies indicate that the strike attitude and behavioral reactions scale is a psychometrically sound measure consisting of five factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The human voice conveys plenty of information about the speaker. A prevalent assumption is that stress-related changes in the human body affect speech production, thus affecting voice features. This suggests that voice data may be an easy-to-capture measure of everyday stress levels and can thus serve as a warning signal of stress-related health consequences. However, previous research is limited (i.e., has induced stress only through artificial tasks or has investigated only short-term or extreme stressors), leaving it open whether everyday work stressors are associated with voice features. Thus, our participants (111 adult working individuals) took part in a 1-week diary study (Sunday until Sunday), in which they provided voice messages and self-report data on daily work stressors. Results showed that work stressors were associated with voice features such as increased speech rate and voice intensity. We discuss theoretical, practical, and ethical implications regarding the voice as an indicator of psychological states. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

System justification is a widely researched topic in social and political psychology. One major measurement instrument in system justification research is the General System Justification Scale (G‐SJS). This scale has been used, among others, for comparisons across social groups in different countries. Such comparisons rely on the assumption that the scale is measurement equivalent. However, this assumption has never been comprehensively tested. Thus, the present two studies assessed the measurement equivalence of the G‐SJS following classic measurement equivalence guidelines (i.e., multigroup confirmatory factor analyses) in Study 1 and using a new method for comparing larger numbers of groups in Study 2 (i.e., alignment optimization). In Study 1, we analysed the measurement equivalence in Great Britain (n = 444), Germany (n = 454), and France (n = 463). In Study 2, we used a publicly available dataset consisting of 66 samples from 30 countries (N = 13,495) to again assess the measurement equivalence of the scale. Results indicated (partial) metric equivalence, but not scalar equivalence in both studies. Overall, the studies indicate that mean comparisons across the examined countries are not warranted with the current form of the G‐SJS. The scale needs to be revised for valid cross‐country comparisons of means. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To enhance the quality and efficiency of information processing and decision-making, automation based on artificial intelligence and machine learning has increasingly been used to support managerial tasks and duties. In contrast to classical applications of automation (e.g., within production or aviation), little is known about how the implementation of automation for management changes managerial work. In a work design frame, this study investigates how different versions of automated decision support systems for personnel selection as a specific management task affect decision task performance, time to reach a decision, reactions to the task (e.g., enjoyment), and self-efficacy in personnel selection. In a laboratory experiment, participants (N = 122) were randomly assigned to three groups and performed five rounds of a personnel selection task. The first group received a ranking of the applicants by an automated support system before participants processed applicant information (support-before-processing group), the second group received a ranking after they processed applicant information (support-after-processing group), and the third group received no ranking (no-support group). Results showed that satisfaction with the decision was higher for the support-after-processing group. Furthermore, participants in this group showed a steeper increase in self-efficacy in personnel selection compared to the other groups. This study combines human factors, management, and industrial/organizational psychology literature and goes beyond discussions concerning effectiveness and efficiency in the emerging area of automation in management in an attempt to stimulate research on potential effects of automation on managers' job satisfaction and well-being at work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many companies recruit employees from different parts of the globe, and faking behavior by potential employees is a ubiquitous phenomenon. It seems that applicants from some countries are more prone to faking compared to others, but the reasons for these differences are largely unexplored. This study relates country‐level economic variables to faking behavior in hiring processes. In a cross‐national study across 20 countries, participants (N = 3,839) reported their faking behavior in their last job interview. This study used the random response technique (RRT) to ensure participants' anonymity and to foster honest answers regarding faking behavior. Results indicate that general economic indicators (gross domestic product per capita [GDP] and unemployment rate) show negligible correlations with faking across the countries, whereas economic inequality is positively related to the extent of applicant faking to a substantial extent. These findings imply that people are sensitive to inequality within countries and that inequality relates to faking, because inequality might actuate other psychological processes (e.g., envy) which in turn increase the probability for unethical behavior in many forms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines cross‐cultural differences in students' academic faking (indicated by claiming to have impossible knowledge about mathematical concepts) by relating data from the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) to the comprehensive cultural framework of the Global Leadership and Organizational Behavior Effectiveness (GLOBE) project. Data of N = 233,428 students from 41 countries showed a substantial amount of variance in academic faking between cultures. Students' academic faking was positively related to the cultural dimensions of gender egalitarianism, humane orientation, and in‐group collectivism. Additionally, the similarity between female and male students' academic faking was slightly greater in more gender‐egalitarian cultures than in less gender‐egalitarian cultures. Thus, educational stakeholders (e.g., teachers, principals, and policy‐makers) should be made aware of cross‐cultural differences in academic faking because faking gives fakers an unfair advantage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Outplacement counsellors help people who have been laid off to find a new job, and their personal characteristics are likely to determine the quality of their services. This study examined 50 German outplacement counsellors and, to anchor the description, compared them to 52 psychotherapists, because both groups share similar job-related challenges (e.g., working with people in crisis situations). Although they differed in their educational background and career history, the results demonstrated that both groups set great value upon generativity values such as helping other people and passing on knowledge, and this was particularly true for outplacement counsellors who have been laid off themselves. Both groups were also more conscientious, agreeable, and emotionally stable than a German norm sample, although outplacement counsellors were more extraverted and emotionally stable than psychotherapists. Furthermore, conscientiousness and neuroticism predicted indicators of career success for both groups. The findings have implications for the qualification of outplacement counsellors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Technological advancements allow the automation of every part of job interviews (information acquisition, information analysis, action selection, action implementation) resulting in highly automated interviews. Efficiency advantages exist, but it is unclear how people react to such interviews (and whether reactions depend on the stakes involved). Participants (N = 123) in a 2 (highly automated, videoconference) × 2 (high‐stakes, low‐stakes situation) experiment watched and assessed videos depicting a highly automated interview for high‐stakes (selection) and low‐stakes (training) situations or an equivalent videoconference interview. Automated high‐stakes interviews led to ambiguity and less perceived controllability. Additionally, highly automated interviews diminished overall acceptance through lower social presence and fairness. To conclude, people seem to react negatively to highly automated interviews and acceptance seems to vary based on the stakes. Open Practices: This study was pre‐registered on the Open Science Framework (osf.io/hgd5r) and on AsPredicted (https://AsPredicted.org/i52c6.pdf). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cultural norms of behaviour influence desirable and problematic behaviours of individuals. In particular, cultural norms should influence individuals' dishonesty. In a recent Nature study, prevalence of rule violations was introduced as a new country‐level measure of behavioural norms. However, information on individuals' actual honesty was not available due to characteristics of the experimental design. Overcoming this limitation, we show that country‐level behavioural norms are related to individual‐level knowledge overclaiming behaviour (i.e., claiming to know concepts that do not exist, a measure of individuals' actual behavioural dishonesty) among 290,954 students from 57 countries (from the 2012 PISA study). Our study represents a crucial test of the argument that cultural norms influence individual's behaviour and of the validity of the measurement of countries' prevalences of rule violations. These results imply that shaping the behaviour of today's students may result in new behavioural norms that emphasise honesty and rule adherence more strongly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to provide a deeper understanding of uncivil meeting behaviors (UMBs) by exploring their frequency, potential predictors, and perceived impact on meeting outcomes. Five forms of UMBs were identified and examined. Key situational variables (meeting characteristics) and individual differences (Big Five factors and the Dark Triad of personality) were explored as potential predictors of UMBs.Methodology: We collected data from two independent samples of meeting participants (Ns = 345, 170) via two online surveys. We used confirmatory factor analysis, correlations, hierarchical multiple regressions, and relative weight analyses to analyze the data.Findings: The findings demonstrated that attendees’ perceptions of UMBs were linked to lower ratings of meeting satisfaction and effectiveness. In particular, the ratings were most affected by the observation of attendees who did not participate actively and who showed inappropriate interpersonal behavior. Results further suggest situational variables (meeting purpose and meeting norms) and individual differences (narcissism, psychopathy, and agreeableness) as potential predictors of UMBs.Implications: By showing the consequences of UMBs on meeting outcomes and by providing insights into potential causes of engagement in UMBs, this study offers valuable input for running and leading work meetings.Originality/Value: No previous study has empirically examined how different forms of UMBs affect meeting outcomes. Additionally, the paper introduces situational and personality variables that may act as potential predictors of UMBs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Technologically advanced selection procedures are entering the market at exponential rates. The current study tested two previously held assumptions: (a) providing applicants with procedural information (i.e., making the procedure more transparent and justifying the use of this procedure) on novel technologies for personnel selection would positively impact applicant reactions, and (b) technologically advanced procedures might differentially affect applicants with different levels of computer experience. In a 2 (computer science students, other students) × 2 (low information, high information) design, 120 participants watched a video showing a technologically advanced selection procedure (i.e., an interview with a virtual character responding and adapting to applicants’ nonverbal behavior). Results showed that computer experience did not affect applicant reactions. Information had a positive indirect effect on overall organizational attractiveness via open treatment and information known. This positive indirect effect was counterbalanced by a direct negative effect of information on overall organizational attractiveness. This study suggests that computer experience does not affect applicant reactions to novel technologies for personnel selection, and that organizations should be cautious about providing applicants with information when using technologically advanced procedures as information can be a double-edged sword. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digital interviews are a potentially efficient new form of selection interviews, in which interviewees digitally record their answers. Using Potosky's framework of media attributes, we compared them to videoconference interviews. Participants ( N = 113) were randomly assigned to a videoconference or a digital interview and subsequently answered applicant reaction questionnaires. Raters evaluated participants' interview performance. Participants considered digital interviews to be creepier and less personal, and reported that they induced more privacy concerns. No difference was found regarding organizational attractiveness. Compared to videoconference interviews, participants in digital interviews received better interview ratings. These results warn organizations that using digital interviews might cause applicants to self-select out. Furthermore, organizations should stick to either videoconference or digital interviews within a selection stage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although self-report personality tests are a comparatively cheap and easy-to-administer personnel selection tool, researchers have criticized them for not predicting enough criterion-related variance. Researchers have suggested using observer-ratings of personality (e.g., as part of a reference check from a supervisor) because observer-ratings have been reported to be more predictive. However, it is theoretically and empirically unclear whether supervisors also engage in faking (the intentional distortion of responses). Study 1 explored faking among managers who were first asked to imagine that a subordinate had to leave his/her job for private reasons and then to rate the personality of the subordinate. A week later, managers rated their subordinates honestly. A repeated-measures MANOVA indicated that managers did fake. Study 2 (among supervisors of working students) replicated the above findings but also showed that there is less faking in supervisor-ratings than in self-ratings. Furthermore, we found no evidence that the validity of personality scales for predicting academic performance depends on self- versus observer-ratings or on an applicant versus an honest condition. These two studies thus show that practitioners should not equate personality ratings obtained from observers in a selection context with honest personality ratings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research addresses why organizational downsizing, given its adverse impact on both organizations and individuals, continues to be a popular management practice. Drawing on system justification theory, we argue that individuals justify downsizing to preserve the legitimacy of the prevailing social-political system. Across two studies, we surveyed a total of 527 employees and examined whether the perceived likelihood of downsizing, past experiences of layoffs, and the anticipation of future layoffs enhance individuals' justification of downsizing. We also took into account cognitive and motivational biases for justifying the status quo. Our results indicate that individuals' motivation to defend and justify downsizing may strengthen its stability within society, even though implications are largely negative for those involved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Expanding research on employment interview training, this study introduces virtual employment interview (VI) training with focus on nonverbal behavior. In VI training, participants took part in a simulated interview with a virtual character. Simultaneously, the computer analyzed participants' nonverbal behavior and provided real-time feedback for it. The control group received parallel interview training. Following training, participants took part in mock interviews, where interviewers rated participants' nonverbal behavior, and interview performance. Analyses revealed (a) that participants of VI training showed better interview performance, (b) that this effect was mediated by nonverbal behavior, and (c) that VI training has a positive influence on interview anxiety. These results have important practical implications for applicants, career counseling centers, and organizations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a globalised world, more and more organisations have to select from pools of applicants from different cultures, often by using personality tests. If applicants from different cultures were to differ in the amount of faking on personality tests, this could threaten their validity: Applicants who engage in faking will have an advantage, and will put those who do not fake at a disadvantage. This is the first study to systematically examine and explain cross‐cultural differences in actual faking behavior. In N = 3,678 employees from 43 countries, a scenario‐based repeated measures design (faking vs. honest condition) was applied. Results showed that faking differed significantly across countries, and that it was systematically related to countries’ cultural characteristics (e.g. GLOBE's uncertainty avoidance, future orientation, humane orientation, and in‐group collectivism), but in an unexpected way. The study discusses these findings and their implications for research and practitioners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Faking, the intentional distortion of answers to personality tests, is likely a complex process. In particular, participants in previous research have mentioned that they used different kind of strategies to appear more hirable, including systematically more extreme or more midpoint responses. However, quantitative evidence is still lacking. An experiment was conducted in which 327 students (173 women, 153 men, 1 not indicated; M age = 22.1 yr., SD = 2.8) were randomly assigned to two groups. Hypothetical job advertisements primed the participants into believing that the hiring company preferred a person with either a "strong" (Strong Character group) or a "well-balanced" character (Well-balanced Character group). The participants filled out 40 items that were chosen from four established questionnaires as neither socially desirable nor undesirable. The responses to these items were used to calculate two extreme response measures and one midpoint response measure. The Strong Character group used extreme scores more often than the Well-balanced Character group (and the midpoint scores less often), independently of mean differences. This suggests that fakers use more sophisticated strategies than is often assumed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we investigated job stressor ratings through Lazarus' transactional stress theory and the usefulness of supervisor ratings as an alternative to employee self-reports. Based on the finding that negative affectivity (NA) causes incumbents to over-report job stressors, we hypothesized that supervisors may also be affected by their NA when appraising an incumbent's job stressors. Building upon the literatures on judgement processes and social-cognitive information processing, we further hypothesized that stressor observability is an important boundary condition. Specifically, we hypothesized that the impact of NA on both self- and supervisor-reported job stressors should increase as stressor observability decreases. Moreover, we hypothesized that incumbent and supervisor ratings would converge less as stressor observability decreases. Data from 260 incumbent-supervisor dyads showed that stressor observability reduced the impact of supervisor NA on supervisor ratings (but not the impact of incumbent NA on incumbent stressor ratings). Further, as hypothesized, incumbent and supervisor ratings showed less convergence the less observable the stressor was. The results highlight the importance of personal and situational factors in the stressor appraisal process – an issue that advances both research and practice in the field of stressor ratings. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

There is a large number of different personality tests used by practitioners for selection purposes, many of which are promoted by commercial test publishers and do not measure the Big Five. The present study examined one particular promotion factor used by at least one successful personality test: the influence of a link between the brain and personality on the decision for or against a personality test. This factor was chosen as past research has demonstrated the seductive appeal of neuroscience information on judgments in other areas. Three samples consisting of human resource practitioners, business management students, and psychology students rated two versions of a fictitious personality test, one with neuroscience information and one without. Contrary to our expectations, the personality test with neuroscience information was rated more negatively than the same test without this information. Human resource practitioners in particular reacted negatively, whereas psychology students were not influenced by our manipulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A question that continues to worry practitioners and researchers is how much recruiters can trust self-reported measures of personality. Several models of faking assume that applicants differ in their motivation to fake, but field evidence regarding these differences is still rare. For the current field study, we exploited a unique setting: The examination for compulsory military service in Switzerland. We were able to show that differences in the military service motivation of Swiss conscripts (N= 918) were associated with faking good or faking bad, respectively. In particular, military service motivation was related to self-admitted faking, mean personality scores, and increased correlations between personality dimensions, which supports faking models that stress the importance of motivational differences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study unites two perspectives concerning the determinants of job insecurity perceptions that exist in the literature and that resemble the classical nature-nurture debate. On the 'nurture' side, we investigated the company performance and type of contract, while we focused on negative affectivity and locus of control on the 'nature' side. In addition to demonstrating the known main effects of the respective predictors, we examined the proportional reduction in prediction error for both predictor types. Based on Lazarus' stress model, we also hypothesized interactive effects between the environmental and person-related predictors. Multilevel analyses of 640 employees from 50 companies revealed that all four variables significantly and incrementally predicted job insecurity in the hypothesized direction. Interestingly, the person-related variables contributed more than twice as much to the reduction in prediction error in job insecurity perceptions when compared with the environmental variables. Among the hypothesized interaction effects, only locus of control significantly interacted with type of contract in predicting job insecurity perceptions (employees on a temporary contract experienced a steeper incline in job insecurity perceptions with increasing levels of external locus of control relative to employees on a permanent contract). We discuss implications for the conceptualization of job insecurity as well as practical implications. Practitioner points The study shows that the person-related variables negative affectivity and locus of control weigh more heavily in the reduction in prediction error in job insecurity perceptions compared with the environmental variables company performance and type of contract. Above this, external locus of control was more strongly related to job insecurity perceptions among employees on a temporary contract, compared with employees on a permanent contract., To reduce job insecurity perceptions, managers should try to decrease temporary contract arrangements and take employees' personality dispositions into account (e.g., when assigning employees to work teams). By doing so, employees with extremely high negative affectivity and a strong external locus of control might be 'positively' affected by other team members (with less severe levels on these traits)., Moreover, managers should try to reduce any negative cues about future employment prospects that employees could interpret the wrong way. Instead, managers should try to give positive feedback concerning employment (if this fits the situation at hand) and/or verbalize negative messages with an unambiguous interpretation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] We focus on the question of whether using the internet at work has positive aspects. [•] Employees with many nonwork demands used the internet more often for private reasons. [•] Personal internet use was not correlated with work–nonwork balance. [•] The guiding work/family border theory was only partially supported. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Many practitioners fear that applicants will fake if they are asked to fill out a personality test. Although this fear has inspired much research, it remains unknown what applicants think when they fill out a questionnaire. Thus, we conducted a qualitative interview study that was guided by grounded theory principles. We interviewed (a) real applicants directly after filling out a personality test; (b) real applicants who had filled out a personality test in their past job hunt; (c) hypothetical job applicants whom we asked to imagine being an applicant and to fill out a personality test; and (d) hypothetical applicants who had much experience with personality tests. Theoretical saturation was achieved after interviewing 23 people. A content analysis showed that much is going on in applicants' minds - that which is typically subsumed under the expression 'faking' actually consists of many facets. In particular, participants assumed that the interpretation of their responses could be based on (a) the consistency of their responses; (b) the endorsement of middle versus extreme answers; and (c) a certain profile, and these assumptions resulted in corresponding self-presentation strategies. However, these strategies were not used by all participants. Some answered honestly, for different reasons ranging from honesty as a personality trait to the (false) belief that test administrators can catch fakers. All in all, this study questions whether measuring mean changes in classical faking studies captures all important facets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Job attitudes and performance are correlated, but which comes first? Despite a long-lasting debate regarding this question, the potential ordering of the job attitude-job performance relationship and its ideal timing of measurement over time remains unclear. Based on the hedonic treadmill theory and the endowment/contrast model, we develop arguments as to why the influence of performance on subsequent attitudes might be less persistent over time than vice versa and we suggest a strategy to determine the ideal period for measurement time lags. We contrasted both temporal directions within a data set of 755 employees from the retail banking division of a large bank, nested in 34 business units, for the period of 2005-2008, allowing for a controlled environment and consistent data capturing over time. We studied the relationship of organizational commitment aggregated to the business unit level with two business unit performance indicators (financial achievement and customer satisfaction). Results indicated that organizational commitment had a more persistent influence on performance at the business unit level than vice versa. Consistent with prior research, this suggests that job attitudes may come first, and that practitioners might be well advised to aim to improve job attitudes in order to boost performance. Practitioner Points Our study suggests a potential answer to the chicken-and-egg problem (i.e., the temporal ordering of the job attitude-job performance relationship): Our theory and data suggest that the influence of performance on subsequent attitudes might be less persistent over time than vice versa., Our study sheds new light onto which timely dimensions are involved in the job attitude-job performance relationship: While the impact of performance on attitudes diminishes after 1 year, the impact of attitudes on performance lasts up to 3 years., Our results may be relevant for practitioners when it comes to evaluating the benefits of human resource initiatives and adding dollar values to the discussion around attitudinal changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Applicants usually try to put their best foot forward during personnel selection. Although past research has revealed meaningful individual differences in applicants' self-presentation in personality tests (often called 'faking'), it only concentrated on main effects and ignored the interaction of interindividual and intraindividual differences. Based on impression management theory, we hypothesized that interindividual differences in applicants' impression motivation interact with intraindividual differences in the perceived relevance of personality facets (applicants' cognitive schema). Results of hierarchical linear modeling analyses showed that both impression motivation and cognitive schema significantly affected self-presentation. Furthermore, for participants with high levels of impression motivation, cognitive schema showed a stronger impact on self-presentation than for those with low levels of impression motivation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

More and more organizations have applicants who come from different cultural backgrounds, and according to new research, these cultural backgrounds matter for applicants' self-presentational behavior (i.e., faking). If applicants come from China, can organizations assume that they will present themselves modestly, as suggested by Chinese norms? Or should organizations assume that there will be much self-presentational behavior due to the high unemployment rate, at least among Chinese graduates? To answer this question, we obtained data from 307 Chinese applicants on their self-presentational behavior, using the randomized response technique to ensure anonymity. We compared these data with similar data sets from the United States, Switzerland, and China. Contrary to the proposed modesty hypothesis in Chinese samples, perhaps due to high unemployment, self-presentation was as prevalent in Chinese samples as in American samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Do US findings on applicants' self-presentational behavior generalize to other countries? We argue that applicants in some countries are less motivated to present themselves favorably than applicants in others because countries vary in their unemployment rate (leading to differences in competition between job applicants) and their endorsement of modesty values, influencing their beliefs regarding self-presentation. Using the randomized response technique, we obtained prevalence data on applicants' self-presentational behavior from Iceland and Switzerland and compared them with previously published US results. The prevalence rates of self-presentational behavior were fairly comparable in Iceland and Switzerland but significantly lower than in the United States. These results caution against using the same hiring strategy for all applicants from different cultures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Much is known about the general correlates of job insecurity but less about whether the strength of these correlations differs between countries. In order to fill this gap in the literature, the current study explored the correlates of job insecurity as a function of the cultural value of uncertainty avoidance. Specifically, using two samples from countries with very different uncertainty avoidance orientations (Switzerland and the US), we tested whether the relationships of job insecurity with job satisfaction, organisational commitment, and turnover intention are stronger in the Swiss sample. As expected, Swiss respondents scored higher in uncertainty avoidance than their US counterparts. Contrary to expectations, however, the results showed that the relationships between job insecurity and outcomes were stronger in the US than in Switzerland. Substantial differences in the social safety net within the two countries are discussed as a plausible explanation of this finding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The scientist–practitioner gap in personnel selection is large. Thus, it is important to gain a better understanding of the reasons that make organizations use or not use certain selection procedures. Based on institutional theory, we predicted that six variables should determine the use of selection procedures: the procedures' diffusion in the field, legal problems associated with the procedures, applicant reactions to the procedures, their usefulness for organizational self-promotion, their predictive validity, and the costs involved. To test these predictions, 506 HR professionals from the German-speaking part of Switzerland filled out an online survey on the selection procedures used in their organizations. Respondents also evaluated five procedures (semi-structured interviews, ability tests, personality tests, assessment centers, and graphology) on the six predictor variables. Multilevel logistic regression was used to analyze the data. The results revealed that the highest odd ratios belonged to the factors applicant reactions, costs, and diffusion. Lower (but significant) odds ratios belonged to the factors predictive validity, organizational self-promotion, and perceived legality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the effects of job insecurity on four organizationally important outcomes: in-role behaviour, organizational citizenship behaviour, turnover intention, and absenteeism. A model is tested in which job insecurity is simultaneously a hindrance and a challenge stressor. In particular, job insecurity is proposed to have a predominantly harmful effect on performance, turnover intention, and absenteeism, and it is argued that these effects are mediated by (reduced) work attitudes. In addition, job insecurity is also assumed to affect these behaviours in the opposite way (i.e. a suppressor effect) because job insecurity might motivate employees to make themselves more valuable to the organization by working harder and being less absent. The model is tested with a sample of 136 German non-managerial employees. Data from supervisors (i.e. in-role behaviour and organizational citizenship behaviour), the company's personnel files (i.e. absenteeism), and self-reports (i.e. job insecurity, work attitudes, turnover intention, in-role behaviour, and organizational citizenship behaviour) were used. Structural equation modelling showed that a model that included both negative and positive effects fitted the data best. The negative effect was stronger than the positive effect. The results show that the effects of job insecurity are more complex than previously assumed. In addition, the results also extend previous research into hindrance and challenge stressors because they show that stressors should not be categorized as either hindrance or challenge. Instead, it might be more appropriate to conceptualize hindrance and challenge as two dimensions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphology is allegedly widely used in personnel selection in Europe. This is a myth: a widespread but false belief. We explored this myth in five studies. Study 1 established that job ads rarely require handwritten letters. Study 2 showed that handwritten letters serve multiple purposes but are seldom used for handwriting analysis. In Study 3, job market actors overestimated the frequency with which handwritten letters are subjected to graphological analysis. In Study 4, we showed experimentally that people expect graphology to be used when job ads require submission of a handwritten letter. Study 5 showed that advice books may transmit the myth. The myth may foster tolerant attitudes toward graphology, thereby facilitating its persistence in selection practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In selection procedures like assessment centers (ACs) and structured interviews, candidates are often not informed about the targeted criteria. Previous studies have shown that candidates' ability to identify these criteria (ATIC) is related to their performance in the respective selection procedure. However, past research has studied ATIC in only one selection procedure at a time, even though it has been assumed that ATIC is consistent across situations, which is a prerequisite for ATIC to contribute to selection procedures' criterion-related validity. In this study, 95 candidates participated in an AC and a structured interview. ATIC scores showed cross-situational consistency across the two procedures and accounted for part of the relationship between performance in the selection procedures. Furthermore, ATIC scores in one procedure predicted performance in the other procedure even after controlling for cognitive ability. Implications and directions for future research are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The lens of behavioral decision theory offers a new perspective for research on time management. The basic idea of this approach is that people discount future consequences of their time management decisions, meaning that they work on tasks with smaller but sooner outcomes rather than on tasks with larger but later outcomes. The authors performed 2 experimental studies to test whether people are sensitive to differences in the discounted utility of time management decisions. In Experiment 1, they used vignettes of typical time management situations; Experiment 2 was a laboratory simulation (an in-basket task that was part of a training assessment). Participants in both studies were German students. As expected, manipulating the discounted utility of options resulted in different time management decisions. In Experiment 1, reactions to time management situations were judged as less likely if the reactions had lower discounted utilities. In Experiment 2, people spent less time on an interruption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Being able to work on several tasks at the same time (multitasking) is an important performance aspect of many jobs. Recent research findings pointed out the important role of working memory for multitasking performance in general. To understand more about the role of working memory in predicting the speed and the error aspect of multitasking performance, this research was based on a newly developed and well-elaborated multidimensional model of working memory (Oberauer, Süß, Wilhelm, & Wittmann, 2003). Its 3 dimensions are storage in the context of processing, coordination, and supervision. In addition, attention and reasoning were controlled when predicting multitasking speed and error. A multitasking scenario, a battery of working memory tests, a battery of reasoning tests, and 2 attention tests were administered to 135 participants. As expected working memory was the best predictor of multitasking performance, followed by reasoning and attention. Working memory components showed a differential validity when predicting multitasking speed and multitasking error: Multitasking speed was predicted mainly by coordination, and multitasking error mainly by storage in the context of processing. Thus, this study provided a deeper insight into the relevant abilities of multitasking. Implications for personnel selection are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explored predictors of multitasking performance. Based on cognitive psychology research, attention and working memory were assumed to be predictors. Fluid intelligence, polychronicity (as the preference for multitasking and the belief that their preference is the best way to handle things), and Extraversion were argued to be additional predictors. Multitasking performance was measured with the scenario"Simultaneous capacity/Multi-tasking (SIMKAP)"(n = 122). Hierarchical multiple regression analyses revealed that working memory was the most important predictor in addition to attention and fluid intelligence. The latter two constructs contributed significantly to the explained variance, but to a lesser extent. Polychronicity was not a significant predictor, nor was Extraversion. Implications for personnel selection and for time management are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research explored the effect of presenting participants an anchor, which is a salient standard of comparison, before asking them to estimate the amount of time they believe they will need to complete a task (expected duration estimation). Such anchors can be assumed to be common in real-life situations, e.g., duration suggestions made by work colleagues. Participants were 32 students (M age = 23.1 yr., SD =3.2; 28 women) who received course credit for participating. In the presence or absence of one of two anchors they had to estimate how much time they would need to work on a catalogue task. Actual time needed for the task was also measured. As predicted, analysis showed that estimates of expected duration were distorted in the direction of the anchors, i.e., estimations were assimilated into the presented anchor value. The implications for time management are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article addresses the effects of choice bracketing on time management decisions of procrastinators and nonprocrastinators. Behavioral decision making theory predicts that time discounting influences time management choices: People discount the future costs of procrastinating and therefore choose to do other, more enjoyable things. Differences in the steepness of discounting can consequently differentiate between procrastinators and nonprocrastinators. However, if choices are bracketed together, people prefer improving sequences. Choice bracketing seems to induce a shift from positive to negative discounting (preferring positive outcomes to occur later rather than sooner). If procrastinators have to choose between sequences of academic tasks that are bracketed together, the shift from positive to negative time discounting might not be strong enough to induce negative discounting because of their steep discounting. This idea was tested in two studies in which students had to make choices between sequences of academic tasks. As predicted, procrastinators showed a preference for improving sequences to a lesser extent than nonprocrastinators. Study 2 also showed that manipulating the strength of choice bracketing influences the likelihood of finding a preference for improvement. This supports the usefulness of linking procrastination research with behavioral decision making research and allows for practical implications. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Applicants seem to react negatively to artificial intelligence‐based automated systems in personnel selection. This study investigates the impact of different pieces of information to alleviate applicant reactions in an automated interview setting. In a 2 (no process information vs. process information) × 2 (no process justification vs. process justification) between‐subjects design, participants (N = 124) received respective information and watched a video showing an automated interview. Testing mediation effects via different applicant reaction variables indicated that process justification is better than process information which can even impair applicant reactions. However, information did not increase organizational attractiveness compared to not receiving any information. This study sheds light on what type of information contributes to positive and negative applicant reactions to automated systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Having a job constitutes one of the most potent means of attaining 'masculine' goals such as status, success, and material rewards. In the present research, we examine whether masculinity, both as a country‐level value and an individual orientation, moderates the relationship between job insecurity and job attitudes. In Study 1, we draw on cross‐cultural data of 20,988 employees from 17 countries. We find that job insecure individuals from countries with higher masculinity values show stronger decrements in job satisfaction (but not commitment). Shedding light on the underlying mechanism, we show that the moderating effect of masculinity is transmitted through two social job characteristics, perceived supervisor interpersonal justice and coworker support. We then constructively replicate the moderating effect of masculinity in Study 2. In a one‐country sample of 319 employees, individual masculinity orientations likewise strengthen the negative relationship between job insecurity and job satisfaction. Our research highlights that country‐level and individual masculinity orientations yield comparable effects in the job insecurity appraisal process, and provides insight into how cultural values can be enacted at the individual level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study is an updated survey examining individual assessor beliefs and practices related to faking in the individual assessment context. The responses from a mix of quantitative and qualitative survey questions were compared across individual assessors from the original 2005 sample (n = 77) and an updated 2020 sample (n = 78). Results suggest that single stimulus personality assessments are still the predominant form of personality assessment in use, but many individual assessors employ other types of personality assessments such as forced‐choice. In 2020, individual assessors do not appear to be heavily concerned about the effects of faking on their recommendations, do not believe that a large number of candidates fake, and believe that even fewer candidates successfully fake. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Whereas helping is costly for the helper, it is beneficial for the person who requests help. However, there is only scarce evidence on the relative costs and benefits of helping and this evidence is mixed. In addition, hardly any research investigates how these costs and benefits can be manipulated. With a laboratory experiment, we first examined how helping affects the performance of the helper, the help requester, and the dyad. Second, we investigated whether quiet hours that structure time into spans with interruptions and spans without interruptions decrease the costs of helping while keeping its benefits. We found that the requester's performance was higher and the helper's performance lower when help requests were permitted at any time rather than when no help was allowed. However, overall performance fell short of being significantly higher with help at any time. In addition, the helper's performance failed to be higher with quiet hours compared to interruptions at any time. Instead, both the helper's and the requester's performance were lower with quiet hours, resulting also in a lower overall performance. In search of an explanation, our data indicate that structuring time into spans with and without interruptions might generate costs of their own that could be reduced by setting fewer but longer spans without interruptions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research on faking behavior and underlying intentions has mostly employed an intraindividual perspective, stressing the role of individual-level predictors. Inspired by theoretical arguments (e.g., from socioecological psychology) and cross-cultural studies, we hypothesize and demonstrate that in addition to individual-level predictors, there are also regional differences in faking intentions (within a country) and systematic links to regional-level features. Specifically, we tested and compared individual- and region-level predictors of applicant faking intentions (N = 4860 MTurk workers) across the largest 50 Metropolitan Statistical Areas of the USA using multi-level techniques. We found individual-level effects of conscientiousness, competitive worldviews, and religiosity on individual-level faking intentions. On the regional level, macro-psychological conscientiousness was negatively associated with the average faking intentions in a region, while macro-psychological competitive worldviews (i.e., the prevailing competitive worldviews in a region) showed a positive relationship. Additionally, macro-psychological competitive worldviews predicted individual-level faking intentions even when controlling for individual-level competitive worldviews. No effects were found for regional parameters such as the economic situation of a region. We discuss implications for research and personnel selection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several faking theories have identified applicants' cognitive ability (CA) as a determinant of faking—the intentional distortion of answers by candidates—but the corresponding empirical findings in the area of personality tests are often ambiguous. Following the assumption that CA is important for faking, we expected applicants with high CA to show higher personality scores in selection situations, leading in this case to significant correlations between CA and personality scores, but not in nonselection situations. This meta‐analysis (66 studies, k = 115 individual samples, N = 46,265) showed this pattern of results as well as moderation effects for the study design (laboratory vs. field), the response format of the personality test, and the type of CA test. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although research demonstrates that self‐verification striving can have positive outcomes in the hiring process, it remains unclear how this drive to present oneself authentically manifests in candidates' behavior during job interviews. We examine whether self‐verifying behavior, including revelation of negative information about the self, is related to success in job interviews. Study 1 showed that self‐verification striving among 112 MBA students predicted their self‐verifying behavior during mock job interviews, which in turn led to success in converting interviews into actual offers 6 months later. Using a sample of 102 recent job seekers, Study 2 showed that self‐verification striving was associated with the extent to which candidates disclosed negative information about themselves during real job interviews, ultimately predicting their interview success. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent research has highlighted competitive worldviews as a key predictor of faking—the intentional distortion of answers by candidates in the selection context. According to theoretical assumptions, applicants' abilities, and especially their cognitive abilities, should influence whether faking motivation, triggered by competitive worldviews, can be turned into successful faking behavior. Therefore, we examined the influence of competitive worldviews on faking in personality tests and investigated a possible moderation of this relationship by cognitive abilities in three independent high school and university student samples (N1 = 133, N2 = 137, N3 = 268). Our data showed neither an influence of the two variables nor of their interaction on faking behavior. We discuss possible reasons for these findings and give suggestions for further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent research has shown that many text‐based situational judgment test (SJT) items can be solved even when the situational descriptions in the item stems are not presented to test takers. This finding challenges the traditional view of SJTs as low‐fidelity simulations that rely on 'situational' (context‐dependent) judgment. However, media richness theory and construal level theory suggest that situation descriptions presented in a richer and more concrete format (video format) will reduce uncertainty about inherent requirements and facilitate the perception that the situation is taking place in the here and now. Therefore, we hypothesized that situational judgment would be more important in video situation descriptions than in text situation descriptions. We adapted a leadership SJT to realize a 3 (situation description in the item stem: video vs. text vs. none) × 2 (response format: video response options vs. text response options) between‐subjects design (N = 279). Participants were randomly assigned to one of the six conditions. The removal of video‐based situation descriptions in item stems led to an equivalent decrease in SJT scores as the removal of text‐based situation descriptions in item stems (video‐based version: Cohen's d = 0.535 vs. text‐based version: Cohen's d = 0.531). SJT scores were also contingent on the presentation format of both situation descriptions and response options: The highest scores were observed when situation descriptions and response options were presented in the same format. Implications for SJT theory and research are discussed. Practitioner points: The presentation format did not moderate the effect of omitting situation descriptions in SJTs – that is, the context dependency of SJT performance did not increase when the SJT was administered in a video‐based rather than a text‐based format.The elimination of situation descriptions in item stems had a medium effect on overall test scores: SJT scores were significant lower without situation descriptions in comparison to SJT scores with situation descriptions (video‐based version: Cohen's d = 0.535 vs. text‐based version: Cohen's d = 0.531).It is important to match the stimulus and response formats in SJTs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Applicants from different cultures vary in their self‐presentation behavior during job interviews. This study investigates self‐presentation behavior in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the second largest economy in the Arab world. Specifically, it examines self‐presentation behavior of applicants from the UAE and compares it to the behavior of American, European, and Chinese applicants from previous studies. The randomized response technique was used to gather self‐presentation prevalence data of 111 UAE applicants regarding self‐presentation behavior in their last job interview. Prevalence rates were lower than those from the United States and from China but higher than those from Iceland and from Switzerland. Results indicate that though UAE culture values modesty, UAE applicants still engage in distinct self‐presentation behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]