Personality and Cognitive Ability as Predictors of Typical and Maximum Managerial Performance

Despite long-established distinctions between typical and maximum performance variables on both the predictor and criterion side, little previous research has directly addressed the extent to which these distinctions translate into differential predictor-criterion relationships. Using a sample of candidates for managerial positions, we examined relations of predictors conceptually linked to typical (i.e., broad, narrow, and compound personality traits) and maximum (i.e., broad and narrow cognitive abilities) performance with corresponding criterion measures (N = 84–873). Supervisory ratings of managerial performance served as the typical performance criterion, whereas maximum performance was assessed via an assessment center. Confirmatory factor analyses supported the distinction between typical and maximum performance. Results also confirmed our hypothesis that cognitive abilities are more strongly correlated with maximum performance than with typical performance and largely supported the expectation of the opposite pattern with personality traits as predictors.     

Moderators of the Relationship Between Cognitive Ability and Performance: General Versus Context–Specific Achievement Motivation1

Despite positing a multiplicative model of performance, 3 recent studies failed to find support for a theoretically meaningful interaction between cognitive ability and trait motivation in predicting performance. We suggest that it is important to consider that these studies used trait–motivation constructs that are general in nature, rather than context–specific. Yet, existing theory and research suggests that it may be beneficial to use trait–motivation constructs that are expressly contextual, especially when investigating a multiplicative performance model. This study, therefore, compared general versus context–specific achievement motivation as moderators of the relationship between cognitive ability and performance. The proposition that only context–specific achievement motivation should interact with cognitive ability in predicting performance was supported. Implications are discussed.     

EXPLORING RELATIONS BETWEEN TYPICAL AND MAXIMUM PERFORMANCE RATINGS AND THE FIVE FACTOR MODEL OF PERSONALITY

The study tests the distinction between typical and maximum criteria with ratings of transformational leadership performance, and examines whether the criterion-related validities of the five factor model differ for the two types of criteria. Using an East Asian military sample ( n = 1,259) where multiple ratings of typical and maximum performance were obtained from different sources, we used structural equation modeling to test the typical/maximum performance distinction. Results found that typical and maximum performance are different latent constructs and that this distinction is present even after considering rating method factors (i.e., rater source, time). The importance of this distinction is shown by the fact that validities for the personality constructs were not equally predictive of both criteria: Openness was most predictive of maximum performance, Neuroticism was most predictive of typical performance, and Extroversion was predictive of both. By distinguishing typical from maximum performance constructs, relationships between personality and transformational leadership were found to be stronger than previous research suggested.     

Social Facilitation and Inhibition During Maximum Versus Typical Performance Situations

The distinction between maximum performance (“what people can do”) and typical performance (“what people will do”) has received considerable theoretical yet relatively little empirical attention. Findings from social facilitation and inhibition suggest that the relationship between performers' typical and maximum performance may not always be as straightforward as had originally been assumed. Ninety-four psychology students underwent a manipulation of their self-efficacy before doing an explaining task both under typical and maximum performance conditions. Results revealed a social inhibition effect in the maximum performance condition for participants of the low self-efficacy conditions. Implications and directions for future research are discussed.     

Transformational leadership: relations to the five-factor model and team performance in typical and maximum contexts

This study examined the 5-factor model of personality, transformational leadership, and team performance under conditions similar to typical and maximum performance contexts. Data were collected from 39 combat teams from an Asian military sample (N = 276). Results found that neuroticism and agreeableness were negatively related to transformational leadership ratings. Team performance ratings correlated at only.18 across the typical and maximum contexts. Furthermore, transformational leadership related more strongly to team performance in the maximum rather than the typical context. Finally, transformational leadership fully mediated the relationship between leader personality and team performance in the maximum context but only partially mediated the relationship between leader personality and team performance in the typical context. The Discussion section focuses on how these findings, although interesting, need to be replicated with different designs, contexts, and measures.     

Investigating contingencies: an examination of the impact of span of supervision and upward controllingness on leader-member exchange using traditional and multivariate within- and between-entities analysis

Using a sample of 150 bank employees, span of supervision and subordinate use of influence tactics were examined as moderators of relationships between leader-member exchange (LMX) and subordinate performance and organizational commitment. Raw score analyses indicate that moderators are present. Span of supervision and upward controlling influence tactics moderate relationships between LMX and both performance and commitment. However, using multiple relationship analysis and multivariate within- and between-entities analysis to assess the level of analysis results in some discrepant findings. These discrepancies are discussed, as are implications for future LMX research.     

Person—Situation Predictors of Maximum and Typical Performance

We examined the main and interactive effects of general mental ability (GMA) and perceived organizational support (POS) on typical performance and maximum performance. Data from two field samples (96 programmers and 181 cash vault employees) empirically supported distinguishing between typical performance and maximum performance. GMA was related to maximum performance but not to typical performance, and POS was related to two out of three measures of typical performance. Interactive effects of GMA and POS were detected in both samples for maximum performance outcomes but not found for typical performance outcomes.     

Working hard and working smart: motivation and ability during typical and maximum performance

The distinction between what people can do (maximum performance) and what they will do (typical performance) has received considerable theoretical but scant empirical attention in industrial-organizational psychology. This study of 138 participants performing an Internet-search task offers an initial test and verification of P. R. Sackett, S. Zedeck, and L. Fogli's (1988) model of typical versus maximum performance: Motivation--in the form of direction, level, and persistence of effort exerted--rose significantly under the maximum performance condition. Consequently, the correlation between motivation--in the form of direction and level of effort--and performance diminished, whereas the correlation between ability--in the form of declarative knowledge and procedural skills--and performance increased under the maximum performance condition. Overall, results confirm the general propositions of the model. Implications for the generalizability of these findings, theory, practice, and directions for future studies of typical and maximum performance are discussed.     

Task performance influences general self-efficacy,even without increases in the skills required to achieve success

ABSTRACT

The current article tests whether task performance influences general self-efficacy without increases in the skills required to achieve success. To do so, an experimental design is applied in which participants predict a random future event, and the relationship between prediction task performance and self-efficacy is observed. This article also tests whether this specific performance/self-efficacy relationship is moderated by (a) perceived illegitimacy of predicting the future and (b) self-assessed ability to predict the future. The results show that prediction task performance indeed influences general self-efficacy, and neither of these two moderators has a significant effect on this relationship. Therefore, performance on a low-stakes task does influence general self-efficacy—at least temporarily. More importantly, task performance is shown to influence self-efficacy even without increases in the skills required to achieve success.     

Autobiographical memory specificity, psychopathology, depressed mood and the use of the Autobiographical Memory Test: a meta-analysis

Reviewing the literature on autobiographical memory overgenerality, as measured by a cueing task like the Autobiographical Memory Test (AMT), gives a diffuse view of the moderating role of depression. This meta-analysis is an attempt to investigate the role of depression in the specificity of autobiographical memory, while accounting for the role of patient and task variables as possible moderators. Meta-analytic techniques are used to synthesize data from 14 studies on the recall of specific autobiographical memories in psychiatric and non-psychiatric samples. The results confirm the relationship between overgenerality and depression. The psychiatric patients are less specific than their non-clinical controls. It is not possible to establish that this result is solely due to a (co-morbid) diagnosis of depression. Self-reported depressed mood is also related to an impairment of autobiographical memory specificity. The way of presenting cues, audio taping responses and the maximum available amount of time to respond, are moderators of AMT performance.     

Taxonomy of moderators that govern explicit memory in individuals with intellectual disability: Integrative research review

This integrative research review aims to discover moderators that influence explicit memory performance of individuals with intellectual disability (ID). We reviewed 47 explicit memory studies (since 1990) that were conducted in populations with ID. We suggest a taxonomy of moderators related to the participants, encoding and retrieval stages, where only an interrelation between the three dictates memory performance. We found that individuals with nonspecific ID can achieve the same level of recognition as individuals with typical development (TD) with the same chronological age when all encoding moderators are favorable. Recognition tests facilitate recollection more than free recall in all etiologies. The performance of individuals with ID was poorer than that of individuals with TD in all auditory memory tasks. Spatial location memory varied with task demands, practice, intention, age and intelligence. We conclude with suggestions for further research and educational implications.     

Work engagement: Further reflections on the state of play

In this article we further reflect on the “state of play” of work engagement. We consider, clarify, and respond to issues and themes raised by eight preeminent work engagement researchers who were invited to respond to our position article. The key themes we reflect upon include: (1) theory and measurement of engagement; (2) state and task engagement; (3) climate for engagement versus collective engagement; (4) the dark side of engagement; (5) where job crafting may go wrong; and (6) moderators of the engagement–performance relationship. We conclude that engagement can sensibly be conceptualized as a positive and high arousal affective state characterized by energy and involvement; that there may be additional dimensions that might usefully be included; that we need to more fully understand the day-to-day and moment-to-moment temporal dynamics and implications of engagement; that a “climate for engagement” will influence individual and organizational outcomes; that although engagement is at heart a positive construct, the “dark side” of engagement needs to be acknowledged and understood; that “job crafting” provides a potentially powerful way for employees to manage their engagement; and that we need to gain a better understanding of the moderators that influence the way that engagement is related to performance. We also outline some practical implications that follow from our conclusions.     

SATISFACTION, CITIZENSHIP BEHAVIORS, AND PERFORMANCE IN WORK UNITS: A META-ANALYSIS OF COLLECTIVE CONSTRUCT RELATIONS

This paper offers theoretical development clarifying the structure and function of collective job satisfaction and uses meta-analytic methods ( k  = 73) to examine the satisfaction–performance relationship when both constructs are construed at the work unit level. Overall, our results suggest that the relationship between unit-level job satisfaction and unit-level performance is significant (ρ= .34). Specifically, significant relationships were found between unit-level job satisfaction and unit-level criteria, including productivity, customer satisfaction, withdrawal, and organizational citizenship behaviors (OCB). Furthermore, the satisfaction-performance relationship was moderated by the strength of unit consensus, performance criteria, industry type, and whether the sample was U.S. based. Although these moderators were identified, collective satisfaction positively predicted performance across all levels of moderators. In addition, results indicate that unit-level OCB has a moderately strong relationship with unit-level performance. Only limited support was found for the notion that OCB is a route through which satisfaction has an impact on performance. We elaborate on these findings and attempt to provide a more clear direction for future research in this area.     

Understanding The Curvilinear Relationships between LMX Differentiation and Team Coordination and Performance

The leader–member exchange (LMX) literature argues that leaders develop different quality dyadic relationships with members in the same team (i.e., LMX differentiation). Research has generally not found support for a linear (i.e., main effect) relationship between LMX differentiation and team performance; rather, moderators typically determine whether the relationship is significantly positive or negative. Examining linear effect moderators alone, however, does not account for (a) potential curvilinear (i.e., inverted U‐shaped) effects, (b) explanatory mechanisms of how LMX differentiation influences team performance, or (c) moderators of curvilinear effects. Integrating social identity theory with LMX differentiation research, we propose inverted U‐shaped relationships between LMX differentiation and both team coordination (as a mediator) and team performance (as an outcome), and we examine both team size and team power distance orientation as moderators. Using data from 928 employees in 145 teams in 3 organizations, we found an inverted U‐shaped relationship between LMX differentiation and team coordination, which, in turn, partially mediated LMX differentiation's inverted U‐shaped relationship with team performance. Larger teams, or those with higher team power distance orientation, benefit more from LMX differentiation. By integrating social identity theory with LMX differentiation research, we enhance the understanding of the processes by, and conditions under, which LMX differentiation affects team performance both positively and negatively.     

A Meta-Analysis of the Relationship Between Rater Liking and Performance Ratings

This meta-analysis reviewed the magnitude and moderators of the relationship between rater liking and performance ratings. The results revealed substantial overlap between rater liking and performance ratings (ρ = .77). Although this relationship is often interpreted as indicative of bias, we review studies that indicate that to some extent the relationship between liking and performance ratings potentially reflects “true” differences in ratee performance. Moderator analyses indicated that the relationship between liking and performance ratings was weaker for ratings of organizational citizenship behaviors, ratings made by peer raters, ratings in nonsales jobs, and ratings made for development; however, the relationship was strong across moderator levels, underscoring the robustness of this relationship. Implications for the interpretation of performance ratings are discussed.     

An examination of age and cognitive test performance across job complexity and occupational types

In this study, job complexity and occupational type were examined as potential moderators of the relationship between age and cognitive ability. Data included general, verbal, and numerical ability scores for 21,646 individuals in the General Aptitude Test Battery (GATB) data base. These individuals comprised 102 unique samples and 10 major occupational groups. Differences in the relationship between age and cognitive ability test scores were observed across occupational types but not for different levels of job complexity. Findings were discussed in terms of a need for research that examines specific life and work experiences and how such experiences may influence an individual's cognitive abilities across the life span.     

Psychological measures as predictors of pilot performance: a meta-analysis

The purposes of this study were to review the validity evidence for psychological measures used in pilot selection and to detect possible moderators for the relationship between predictors and pilot performance. A total of 66 independent samples from 50 studies were located and included in the meta-analysis. The best predictors of pilot performance were previous training experience (.30) and combined indexes, a combination of several cognitive and/or psychomotor tests (.37). The next best predictors were tests measuring cognitive (.24) and psychomotor/information-processing abilities (.24), as well as aviation information (.24) and biographical inventories (.23). The personality, intelligence, and academic tests yielded lowest mean validities (.14, .16, and .15, respectively). The analysis indicated that moderators might be operating for all test categories except academics, and the effect of several moderators were examined.     

3~6岁汉语儿童语言能力与错误信念理解关系的元分析

本研究综合了来自中国大陆1581名3~6岁儿童的语言能力与错误信念关系的19个研究的数据, 通过元分析考查了二者相关的强度, 并分析了影响相关强度的因素, 包括所测量的语言能力及研究使用的错误信念任务的差异等。结果显示当控制了儿童的年龄后, 语言能力和错误信念之间存在中等强度的相关; 研究中所测查的语言能力的类型、使用的错误信念的测量任务的类型不会对语言能力和错误信念的关系强度产生影响。     

When flexibility helps: Another look at the availability of flexible work arrangements and work–family conflict

Despite the positive press given to flexible work arrangements (FWA), empirical research investigating the link between the availability of these policies and work–family conflict is largely equivocal. The purpose of the present study was to begin to reconcile these mixed results through more precise measurement and the examination of moderators. Using a sample of employed women, we found that FWA relate more highly to work interference with family (WIF) than to family interference with work (FIW) and that temporal flexibility (flextime) has a stronger relationship with WIF than does spatial flexibility (flexplace). Additionally, we found family responsibility significantly moderated these relationships, such that the relationship was stronger for those with greater family responsibility. Practical and theoretical implications are discussed.     

Using the Steers-Rhodes (1984) framework to identify correlates of employee lateness

Based on a sample of factory workers, this field study examined correlates of employee lateness. The framework provided by Steers and Rhodes (1984) was used to identify variables related to voluntary and involuntary lateness. Both motivation and ability to be on time were found to be important determinants of lateness as well as joint moderators in explaining lateness. The negative job satisfaction-lateness relationship suggested that a proportion of lateness behavior represented a response to an aversive work environment.