Productive Behavior In Organizations 1n342p

Organizational Psychology: A Scientist-Practitioner Approach Jex, S. M., & Britt, T. W. (2014) Productive Behavior in Organizations

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Defining Productive Behavior • Employee behavior that contributes to the goals of the organization • Three common forms:

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Job Performance • Linked to behaviors associated with jobrelated tasks • Distinguished from other related (effectiveness, utility, productivity, efficiency) • Critical to clearly define the criterion

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Models of Job Performance • Aimed at identifying performance dimensions common to all jobs • Several dimensional models: – In- versus extra-role performance – Campbell’s eight-dimensional framework – Murphy’s four-dimensional model

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Campbell’s eight-dimensional framework

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Murphy’s four-dimensional model

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Measurement of Job Performance • Various methods exist: – Paper/pencil, job skills, hands-on, simulations, task ratings, and general/global ratings – Ratings are generally the most popular • Focus on evaluating performance-related behaviors • Indirect is more common than direct • Murphy’s list of performance assessment options • Good measurement must overcome many threats: – Measurement/rater error – Restricted range in ratings – Instability of performance over time • Efforts to reduce error in ratings – Behaviorally anchored rating scales – Rater training – Multiple methods • Distinction between: – Typical or normal performance – Maximum or peak performance 7

Restriction in Performance Ratings • The problem is in low variability among employees when using the rating data • Artifactual restriction versus true restriction • Possible reasons for this restriction: – “Survival of the fittest” – Organizational standards are too low – High performance is not consistently valued – Low performance is often excused – Resources are unevenly distributed or limited 8

Instability in Job Performance Over Time

• Challenge of assessing employee performance when it changes over time (i.e., when it is not stable) – Comment 5.4

• Possible reasons for instability: – Changes in employee’s knowledge – Changes in the job’s characteristics

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Determinants of Job Performance • At a general level, a person’s performance on the job is due to a combination of: – Ability – Motivation – Situation

• Several other models have expanded upon this general idea • Figure 5.1 provides a summary 10

Determinant of Job Performance

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Predictor of Job Performance

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General Mental Ability • Person’s capacity for information processing and understanding • Shown to for 25%+ of variance in performance across most jobs – Especially when job is complex • May be associated with job performance via a person’s job-related knowledge • Narrow cognitive abilities may be better predictors than GMA • Potential adverse impact of GMA tests • Emotional intelligence as a predictor of performance – May be especially important in jobs requiring emotional labor 13

Job Experience • Shown to relate positively to job performance over many jobs • As with GMA, seems to link to performance via job-related knowledge • Diminishing returns • May be important to consider both density and timing of past job experiences

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Personality • Recent resurgence of interest here • Several specific traits have shown consistent positive relationships with performance: – Conscientiousness – Extraversion – Agreeableness – Openness to experience • Emerging considerations for predicting performance: – Bandwidth: Trait versus facet level – Potential curvilinear relationships – Contextualizing personality to the job • Composite traits related to performance – Core self-evaluations – Psychological capital – Proactive personality 15

Organizational Citizenship Behaviors • Behaviors that go beyond those required for (or rewarded in) the job • Organ’s classification: – Altruism – Courtesy – Sportsmanship – Conscientiousness – Civic virtue

• Main reasons for OCB: Positive affect, equity, and disposition/personality 16

Major Antecedents of OCB

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Special Issues in OCB Research • How is OCB linked with employee and organization performance and effectiveness? • Does OCB  effectiveness or vice versa? • The construct validity of OCB • What role do employee expectations play? • Will OCB remain a viable construct in the future? 18

Innovation in Organizations • Productive behavior in which useful novelty is created and applied within an organization • Research is considering the influence of employee and organization factors (separately and together) on the development of innovation • Employee attributes that matter: Specific skills, metaskills, personality characteristics, and motivation necessary for creativity • Organizational determinants: – Technical vs. istrative innovation – Strategies for increasing organizational innovation: Hiring, training, influencing motivation 19

Adaptive Performance • Behaviors employees perform in challenging and changing work contexts • Eight types of adaptive performance • Examples: – Handling emergencies or crisis situations – Handling work stress – Solving problems creatively – Dealing with uncertain and unpredictable situations 20