Revisiting the mediating role of leader–member exchange in transformational leadership: the differential impact model

Transformational leadership (TFL) has been proposed as an essential antecedent of leader–member exchange (LMX), which in turn affects outcomes in organizations. We extend this mediation hypothesis in two ways by proposing a differential impact model, which we test on three organizational outcomes: employee job satisfaction, employee organizational commitment, and leader effectiveness. First, we extend LMX’s mediational impact—which has previously only been tested for employee outcomes—to leader effectiveness. Second, we argue that this mediation will be stronger for outcomes that are more proximal rather than distal to dyadic relations between leader and followers (high proximity: job satisfaction; medium proximity: organizational commitment; low proximity: leader effectiveness). Meta-analytic structural equation modelling based on 132 studies revealed that LMX mediates TFL’s relationships with employee outcomes (more strongly for job satisfaction than for commitment), but not with leader effectiveness, whereas TFL showed a stronger direct link to leader effectiveness. The findings suggest that TLF and LMX contribute differentially to organizational outcomes depending on their proximity to dyadic relations between leaders and followers. The differential impact model uncovers leadership effectiveness processes, integrates influential leadership theories, and highlights the importance of distinguishing between different outcome measures and the processes facilitating them.     

Applications of a computer algebra system for teaching bivariate relationships in statistics courses

Maple, a computer algebra system, is used in undergraduate psychology courses to promote students’ conceptual learning of basic principles associated with bivariate relationships. Maple’s symbolic computation, graphic displays, and animation capabilities are used along with other classroom activities to study concepts related to (1) correlation coefficients, scatterplots, and regression lines, (2) factors that affect the magnitude of sample correlations, (3) inferential tests, and (4) prediction error. For each of the 15 Maple procedures, students select population correlation values and examine the effects of different values on computer-generated graphical representations of scatterplots, regression lines, and sample correlations. The procedures are described and examples of exercises to support their use are provided.     

Role stress reexamined: An investigation of role stress predictors

R. L. Kahn, R. P. Wolfe, R. P. Quinn, J. D. Snock, and R. A. Rosenthal (1964, Organizational Stress: Studies in Role Conflict and Ambiguity, New York: Wiley) distinguished three different types of predictor of role stress; personal, interpersonal, and organizational. Based on a sample of young professional engineers this investigation studied the relationship betwen these three types of predictor and four forms of role stress (role conflict, role ambiguity, quantitative role overload, qualitative role underload). The relationship was studied both within each predictor set and between each predictor set. Employing bivariate and multiple regression analyses, variables were identified within each predictor set which were significantly predictive of role stress. In addition, comparison was made between the sets of predictor variables selected and between each of the four role stresses that were studied. The results support the relevance of personal, interpersonal, and organizational predictors to role stress, as well as suggesting that role stress researchers should pay more attention to differentiating between varying forms of role Stress.     

An inexpensive circuit for beta,alpha, theta,or delta EEG biofeedback

An inexpensive circuit is described for EEG biofeedback or measurement. The circuit is designed to interface easily with most basic EEG machines. It taps the output from a single recording channel of the basic EEG instrument and provides the following for each EEG band (beta, alpha, theta, and delta): (a) very selective bandpass discrimination, (b) variable center frequency, (c) variable threshold at which feedback will be provided, or the measurement made, and (d) use with any biofeedback stimulus or measurement device that one wishes to switch contingent with S’s EEG rhythms.     

政治与关系视角的员工职业发展影响因素探讨

通过对16家制造型企业中的343个员工、662个同事及343个直接领导的配对数据进行实证分析,文章探讨了员工的组织政治技能、政治知觉,以及他们与直接上司的关系对于员工职业发展的关系。多层线性分析模型（HLM）结果表明：员工的政治技能有助于促进其与领导之间形成良好的关系（guanxi）,并籍此积极影响个人在组织中的职业发展,员工－领导关系是政治技能与职业发展之间的中介变量。另外,组织政治知觉影响政治技能对领导关系的作用,在政治氛围浓重的组织中,员工－领导关系更易受到员工政治技能的影响     

教师组织认同、工作满意感与情感承诺的关系

组织认同是社会认同的一种特殊形式,是与组织具有一致性或从属于组织的知觉。通过对545名教师施测Mael和Tetrick组织认同问卷、工作满意感问卷和情感承诺问卷,结果发现:(1)个体的组织认同水平能够正向的预测其工作满意感水平;(2)个体的组织认同水平能够正向的预测其情感承诺水平;(3)个体的工作满意感能够部分中介其组织认同对于情感承诺的预测作用。     

组织信任氛围对任务绩效的作用途径

通过问卷调查与结构方程建模分析组织信任对于员工工作绩效的影响途径。203名被试和他们的上司参与了问卷调查。结果分析采用潜变量路径分析方法。我们构建多组模型与构思模型,通过两个阶段的检验,分析了组织信任的作用机制。结果表明：组织信任作用于心理安全感,而心理安全感通过两条独立途径影响工作绩效,分别是工作聚焦与工作改进。心理安全感能够促进员工针对工作的不断改进的行为和探索新工作方法的意愿,同时也有利于员工集中精力在工作上,从而提高个人工作业绩     

The Effects of Graphing a Second Observer’s Data on Judgments of Functional Relations in A–B–A–B Graphs

Collection of interobserver agreement data and reporting the results with summary statistics are standard practices in single-case research. An alternative to summary statistics is plotting the second observer’s data on the same graph as the primary observer. In this study, we evaluated whether plotting the second observer’s data differentially influenced the judgments about functional relations for A–B–A–B designs. Participants were graduate students and experts. Results suggested that (a) experts made more accurate judgments than graduate students, (b) raters made more accurate judgments for graphs with 1 rather than 2 primary data paths, and (c) raters were not influenced differentially in their judgments of functional relations by the presence or absence of the second observer’s plotted data. In addition to standard hypothesis testing, equivalence testing was performed and showed accuracy of judgments was equivalent for graphs with and without the second observers’ data being added.     

Evoked prior learning experience and approach to learning as predictors of academic achievement

Background. In separate studies and research from different perspectives, five factors are found to be among those related to higher quality outcomes of student learning (academic achievement). Those factors are higher self‐efficacy, deeper approaches to learning, higher quality teaching, students’ perceptions that their workload is appropriate, and greater learning motivation. University learning improvement strategies have been built on these research results. Aim. To investigate how students’ evoked prior experience, perceptions of their learning environment, and their approaches to learning collectively contribute to academic achievement. This is the first study to investigate motivation and self‐efficacy in the same educational context as conceptions of learning, approaches to learning and perceptions of the learning environment. Sample. Undergraduate students (773) from the full range of disciplines were part of a group of over 2,300 students who volunteered to complete a survey of their learning experience. On completing their degrees 6 and 18 months later, their academic achievement was matched with their learning experience survey data. Method. A 77‐item questionnaire was used to gather students’ self‐report of their evoked prior experience (self‐efficacy, learning motivation, and conceptions of learning), perceptions of learning context (teaching quality and appropriate workload), and approaches to learning (deep and surface). Academic achievement was measured using the English honours degree classification system. Analyses were conducted using correlational and multi‐variable (structural equation modelling) methods. Results. The results from the correlation methods confirmed those found in numerous earlier studies. The results from the multi‐variable analyses indicated that surface approach to learning was the strongest predictor of academic achievement, with self‐efficacy and motivation also found to be directly related. In contrast to the correlation results, a deep approach to learning was not related to academic achievement, and teaching quality and conceptions of learning were only indirectly related to achievement. Conclusions. Research aimed at understanding how students experience their learning environment and how that experience relates to the quality of their learning needs to be conducted using a wider range of variables and more sophisticated analytical methods. In this study of one context, some of the relations found in earlier bivariate studies, and on which learning intervention strategies have been built, are not confirmed when more holistic teaching–learning contexts are analysed using multi‐variable methods.     

Awareness of Hospital Environment and Organizational Commitment

Abstract

This research examined possible differences between physicians and nurses in their commitment to their hospital and the relationship of their organizational commitment to their awareness of both the internal and the external environments of the organization. Data came from a public hospital in India. Questionnaires were developed for the measurement of the two predictor variables (awareness of the organization's internal environment and awareness of the organization's external environment) and the one predicted variable (organizational commitment). The results indicated significant differences in organizational commitment across hierarchies. The nurses' organizational commitment was predicted by their awareness of internal environment; the physicians' organizational commitment was predicted by their awareness of external environment.     

Ignoring information in binary choice with continuous variables: When is less “more”?

When can a single variable be more accurate in binary choice than multiple sources of information? We derive analytically the probability that a single variable (SV) will correctly predict one of two choices when both criterion and predictor are continuous variables. We further provide analogous derivations for multiple regression (MR) and equal weighting (EW) and specify the conditions under which the models differ in expected predictive ability. Key factors include variability in cue validities, intercorrelation between predictors, and the ratio of predictors to observations in MR. Theory and simulations are used to illustrate the differential effects of these factors. Results directly address why and when “one-reason” decision making can be more effective than analyses that use more information. We thus provide analytical backing to intriguing empirical results that, to date, have lacked theoretical justification. There are predictable conditions for which one should expect “less to be more.”     

协作抑制的作用机制：来自编码阶段的证据

协作抑制是指当人们在一个记忆小组中一起提取信息的时候,小组提取的信息总量比等量个体提取的信息总量要少。本研究采用经典的协作抑制研究范式和两次提取任务,考察编码方式和学习次数对协作提取任务的影响,进一步将考察协作抑制的产生机制作为总研究目的。结果表明,编码方式相同条件下出现协作抑制,而编码方式不同条件下协作抑制消失,显示协作抑制的出现与否依赖于认知条件的改变;无论是学习一次还是学习两次,在第一次小组提取中出现协作抑制,而在第二次个人提取中协作抑制消失,在使用困难学习材料时也得到同样的研究结果。研究结果支持协作抑制的提取策略破坏假说。     

授权风险考量与授权行为：领导－成员交换和集权度的作用

授权能够有效提升员工绩效和组织利益, 但中国企业管理者不授权现象比比皆是。本研究从授权风险的角度探讨管理者不愿授权的原因, 并检验领导－成员交换(LMX)和组织集权度的调节作用。通过17家企业收集到的157位管理者与471位下属的配对资料, HLM分析结果显示：任务绩效、组织利益风险考量与管理者授权行为负相关, 且这种负向关系还受到LMX的强化; 此外, 组织集权度在权力地位、组织利益风险考量与授权行为的负向关系中具有显著的调节作用。     

Locus of control as a mediator of the association between attachment and children’s mental health

Locus of control—the expectation that one is in control of one’s outcomes in life—is linked to well-being. The authors explored one of the possible antecedents of locus of control such as secure children’s attachment. The hypothesis was that locus of control acts as a mediator of the association between children’s attachment and their mental health, in terms of depression, anxiety (internalizing problems), and aggression (externalizing problems). Participants were 206 children with ages ranging from 8 to 14 years. The authors obtained data from teachers as well as by self-report. Structural equations modelling yielded significant results for both a direct path from insecure attachment to internalizing problems and an indirect pathway in which locus of control functions as a mediating variable between children’s attachment and internalizing problems. Although the data were consistent with the mediated pathway with regard to internalizing problems, different findings emerged for aggression. Insecure attachment was a significant predictor of aggressive behavior, while locus of control was not a mediator between attachment and aggressive behavior. The authors’ findings confirm the mediating role of the locus of control between attachment and internalizing problems, but not between attachment and externalizing ones.     

Cross-modal transitivity in a California sea lion (Zalophus californianus)

The ability of an experimentally experienced female California sea lion to form transitive relations across sensory modalities was tested using a matching-to-sample procedure. The subject was trained by trial-and-error, using differential reinforcement, to relate an acoustic sample stimulus to one member from each of two previously established visual classes. Once the two auditory–visual relations were formed, she was tested to determine whether untrained transitive relations would emerge between each of the acoustic stimuli and the remaining stimuli of each 10-member visual class. During testing, the sea lion demonstrated immediate transfer by responding correctly on 89 % of the 18 novel transfer trials compared to 88 % on familiar baseline trials. We then repeated this training and transfer procedure twice more with new auditory–visual pairings with similar positive results. Finally, the six explicitly trained auditory–visual relations and the 56 derived auditory–visual relations were intermixed in a single session, and the subject’s performance remained stable at high levels. This sea lion’s transfer performance indicates that a nonhuman animal is capable of forming new associations through cross-modal transitivity.     

Comparing dependent robust correlations

Let r₁ and r₂ be two dependent estimates of Pearson's correlation. There is a substantial literature on testing H₀ : ρ₁ = ρ₂, the hypothesis that the population correlation coefficients are equal. However, it is well known that Pearson's correlation is not robust. Even a single outlier can have a substantial impact on Pearson's correlation, resulting in a misleading understanding about the strength of the association among the bulk of the points. A way of mitigating this concern is to use a correlation coefficient that guards against outliers, many of which have been proposed. But apparently there are no results on how to compare dependent robust correlation coefficients when there is heteroscedasicity. Extant results suggest that a basic percentile bootstrap will perform reasonably well. This paper reports simulation results indicating the extent to which this is true when using Spearman's rho, a Winsorized correlation or a skipped correlation.     

Novel methods for analyzing multifaceted personality scales: sense of coherence and depression as an example

Multifaceted personality scales assess multiple related facets or dimensions and, as such, they are typically made up of correlated subscales. In some cases, the degree of correlation among subscales can be so high as to render the use of standard procedures for evaluating a subscale's relative importance (e.g., beta weights or bivariate correlations) dubious. In such cases of high predictor multicollinearity, researchers are faced with few viable options and, in response, many turn to multiple regression when examining predictor-criterion associations (for example, interpreting semipartial correlations and incremental variance estimates). In an effort to broaden researchers' options and thereby allow for greater interpretive clarity, z tests for comparing dependent zero-order correlations and R. G. Malgady's (1987) methods for comparing two dependent semipartial correlations and for comparing dependent semipartial and zero-order correlations are proposed as additional techniques for analyzing predictor (or subscale) criterion associations in the context of predictor collinearity. Worked examples of both techniques are provided, using a dataset on sense of coherence and depression. Finally, relevant computer programs for implementing the aforementioned techniques are noted.     

The statistical analysis of concurrent detection ratings

The concurrent detection task is a powerful method for assessing interactions in the processing of two sensory signals. On each trial, a stimulus is presented that is composed of one, both, or neither signal, and the observer makes a detection rating for each stimulus. A classical bivariate signal-detection analysis applies to these data, but is limited by its inability to differentiate certain types of sensory interactions from more cognitive components, and by the lack of an associated testing procedure. The present paper presents an alternative analysis, based on the contingency table of sensory ratings. Six classes of effect can be distinguished and tested: (1) simple response bias, (2) detection of the two signals, (3) interference of each signal on the response to the other signal, (4) sensory and response correlation, (5) bivariate response biases, and (6) higher order association. Complete computational detail is provided.     

基于多元回归的调节效应分析

在心理学和其他社科研究领域,大量实证研究建立调节模型,以分析自变量对因变量关系的影响机制,但在基于多元回归的调节效应分析实践中仍存在不足。我们回顾了均值中心化在基于多元回归的调节效应分析中的作用,均值中心化不影响乘积项(即调节效应)的检验,仅对一阶项(即主效应)的检验有影响。讨论了简单斜率的检验方法,建议在调节变量为连续变量时,使用Johnson-Neyman法进行简单斜率检验;在调节变量为类别变量或研究者对某个调节变量值感兴趣时,使用选点法。并用一个实际例子演示如何进行调节效应分析。随后展望了调节效应检验的拓展方向。     

The Relationship Between Recalled Self-esteem as a Child and Current Levels of Professional Burnout among Anglican Clergy in England

This study links and tests three strands of theory concerned with explaining individual differences in levels of professional burnout in general and among religious professionals in particular. These three strands concern the significance of current self-esteem, recalled self-esteem as a child, and personality. Data were provided by a sample of 1,278 male stipendiary parochial clergy working in the Church of England who completed the modified Maslach Burnout Inventory (specially designed for use among clergy), and the short-form Revised Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (designed to measure the personality dimensions of extraversion, neuroticism and psychoticism), together with a semantic differential index of recalled self-esteem as a child. The bivariate correlation coefficients demonstrated significant associations between more positive self-esteem as a child and lower levels of professional burnout (higher personal accomplishment, lower emotional exhaustion and lower depersonalisation). The bivariate correlation coefficients also demonstrated significant associations between personality and professional burnout. Multiple regression analyses, however, demonstrated that the association between recalled self-esteem as a child and professional burnout largely disappeared after controlling for the personality variables. The conclusion is drawn that knowledge about the personality profile of clergy functions as a more secure predictor of susceptibility to professional burnout than knowledge about recalled self-esteem as a child.