violence in the workplace

Final topic for I/O psychology class is violence in the workplace.

• two categories of workplace violence
• non-employee against employee
• employee against fellow employees
• level one violence (described below)
• level two violence
• argues increasingly with customers, vendors, co-workers, and management
• refuses to obey company policies and procedures
• sabotages or destroys equipment or property of employer or co-worker
• verbalizes wishes to hurt co-workers/management
• sends sexual or violent notes to co-workers or management
• sees self as victimized by management ("me vs. them")
• level three violence
• recurrent physical fights
• destruction of property
• recurrent suicidal threats
• utilization of weapons to harm others
• murder, rape, or arson
• "typical violent workers"
• does not participate in organizational events
• has few outside interests
• has worked for the company for some time
• has a history of violence
• is a white male between 25-50 years of age
• has lost or is worried about losing his/her job
• has a history of conflicts with co-workers, supervisors, or both
• has difficulty accepting authority
• commonly violates company policies and rules
• works in a company or work group with an authoritarian management style
• abuses alcohol
• justice hypothesis of workplace violence
• procedural justice
• distributive justice
• interpersonal justice
• bullying
• article
• predicting workplace aggression and violence

frustration-aggression hypothesis- argues that frustration leads to aggression; ultimately found to be too broad - aggression was only one possible response to frustration with aggression

• not all frustrated individuals act aggressively, and not all aggressive acts are a result of frustration

bullying- harassing, offending, socially excluding, or assigning humiliating tasks to a person of subordinate status repeatedly and over a long period of time

REACTION

The newest topics we covered have built off of the information we learned at the beginning of the semester. An example is the perceived justice in the workplace- this is something that is taken into consideration when determining or attempting to predict violence in the workplace. I find it so cool when all of the concepts start to intertwine. This information was interesting to learn. To the average person, most of it seems like common sense- treat someone well and they are less likely to be aggressive/violent towards you (except bullying). The article we read dispelled some myths regarding the "typical violent worker."

ANALYSIS

I have worked with aggressive individuals. A job I held a few years ago had me in a leadership role- I oversaw a staff and that did include people who were older than myself. There was one male staffer who did not take kindly to "receiving orders" from a younger female. He went out of his way to avoid my requests of him. He was disrespectful and only listened to my superior who was a male. It was so stupid because I had done nothing to cause this guy to dislike me so much. This could be seen as psychological aggression and some characteristics of level one violence.

aggression- behavior by an individual or individuals within or outside an organization that is intended to physically or psychologically harm a worker or workers and occurs in a work-related context (Schat & Kelloway, 2005)

level one violence

• refuses to cooperate with immediate supervisor
• spreads rumors and gossip to harm others
• consistently argues with co-workers
• belligerent toward customers/clients
• constantly swears at others
• makes inappropriate sexual comments 

My superior and I discussed the issue with our director and we all agreed that we wouldn't be able to change his behaviors towards me. For the rest of his time with our organization, my superior was the one who had direct contact with this individual. It was frustrating and disappointing. This guy had an "old boys club" mentality and it is more sad than anything else. I learned to not take his actions personally and do my best to lead the rest of the people who weren't sexist.

REFLECTION
After having experienced aggression in the workplace and bullying outside of the workplace that affected my ability to perform my job tasks well, I can see how devastating this can be to an organization. Organizations need to be aware of what to look out for in order to prevent these things from happening. If they do occur, they need to be on top of the situation and know how to respond accordingly in order to have a decent outcome.

job satisfaction & human factors

This week we had two topics- job satisfaction and human factors engineering.

• job satisfaction
• Hawthorne effect
• value theory
• overall satisfaction
• facet satisfaction
• job descriptive index
• Minnesota satisfaction questionnaire
• intrinsic satisfaction
• extrinsic satisfaction
• article
• the job satisfaction-job performance relationship: a qualitative and quantitative review

• human factors
• input component
• output component
• human-computer interaction
• user-centered design
• shift work
• fixed shift
• rotating shift
• circadian cycle
• flextime
• compressed workweek
• articles
• wanted by the police: a good interface
• designs for working, why you bosses want to turn your new office into Greeenwich Village

job satisfaction- positive attitude or emotional state resulting from the appraisal of one's job or job experience; overall evaluation of a job, including emotions, behaviors, and thoughts

Hawthorne effect- a change in behavior or attitudes that was the simple result of  increased attention; attention affects morale and performance

human factors- approach that uses knowledge of human capabilities and limitations to design systems, organizations, jobs, machines, tools, and consumer products for safe, efficient, and comfortable human use; synonymous with human factors engineering/psychology

motivational approach- used in work design and redesign to increase productive efficiency through the modification of tasks or equipment

Reaction

These two concepts work well together. We learned about how a well-designed workplace environment (including the physical space design, tools/software design, and scheduling) can increase job satisfaction. We also discussed how difficult it is to measure job satisfaction, how that should be reconfigured to get an accurate measurement of how someone truly feels about the job. 

Human factors is one of my favorite topics and I'm really, really glad we could fit it into the schedule at the end of the semester. The two articles were excellent to acclimate classmates to the topic. I know I personally struggle with trying to explain what usability is to someone.

Analysis

With job satisfaction we talked a lot about measurement and the correlation to job performance. With my work history, I have experienced shift work and flextime. One of my campus jobs and my internship are pretty flexible with allowing me to rework my schedule (when needed) in order to accommodate class work and group projects. 

flextime- schedule in which individual workers are given discretion over the time they report to work and the time they leave work on a given day

• psychological advantages of perceiving some control over work schedule
• practical advantage of achieving a better balance between work and non-work
• benefits may depend on nature of work

I'm grateful for this because it truly allows me to enjoy the freedom of controlling my work schedule. I know I have to have in x amount of hours each week so I just reschedule accordingly. My supervisors for both understand that things come up and that I'm able to work those positions because I am a student. Personally, when I don't have to stress out about having to miss work and know I can just work at a different time, my job performance improves because I do not have that stress to worry about.

With human factors, I have second-hand experience with shift work. When my boyfriend was hired for his first career job out of college, he was hired on to work the third shift (11 p.m.-7 a.m.) after he finished training on first shift (7 a.m.-3 p.m.). 

shift work- scheduling of work into temporal shifts; common in particular occupational groups such as nurses, blue collar workers, and public safety personnel

Things in our relationship tend to go better when we are both on the same schedule (days). As soon as he switched over to third shift, we barely talked. He was five hours away and was trying to figure out how to deal with switching to a new shift.

circadian cycle- the 24-hour physiological cycle in which humans tend to be active during hours of light and inactive during hours of darkness.

He had completely turned his circadian cycle around for his job and he was not a happy camper. To make it worse, every time his company adds a new machine or program, his boss would tell him on a Friday he would be going from third to first shift Monday morning. This happened quite a bit until he finally told his boss he cannot continue to rotate shifts, especially with such short notice.

rotating shift- workers moved from shift to shift over a certain period of time

• lead to sleep disturbances-> associated with medical (ex. gastrointestinal) and psychological (anxiety and depression)

After four years of working for this company, he has acclimated to being on a different shift every so often. We discussed in class how if people have to work on a rotating shift, supervisors should give them about a month on each shift so they can properly adjust without too many physiological and psychological side effects.

Reflection
To some, human factors seems like common sense. I feel it is something that younger generations feel is inherent to every day life because they generally experience well-designed pieces. However, there are a lot of things that go into developing a quality work experience. Employers have to consider what goes into creating the best experiences for their employees- workplace environment, ergonomics, shift scheduling. All of these factors contribute to how someone feels about their job- job satisfaction. For some, this may contribute to their job performance. The article we read showed us there is conflicting data on that relationship. Also, industrial/organizational psychologists need to find better ways to measure employee job satisfaction. Maybe after we can better measure satisfaction, we can better measure it against job performance.

stress & burnout

This week we discussed topics revolving around the concept of stress, including:

• the problem of stress
• eustress
• distress
• general adaptation syndrome
• alarm reaction 
• resistance
• exhaustion
• methods of coping
• role stressors/conflict
• burnout
• levels of preventions strategy
• reducing and managing stress
• Gig
• flight attendant

eustress- type of stress that provides challenges that motivate individuals to work hard and meet their goals

general adaptation syndrome (GAS)- a nearly identical response sequence to almost any disease or trauma (poisoning, injury, psychological stress); identified by Hans Seyle

burnout- extreme state of psychological strain resulting from a prolonged response to chronic job stressors that exceed an individual's resources to cope with them

primary prevention strategy- stress prevention strategy concerned with modifying or eliminating stressors in the work environment

Reaction

This topic was well planned for this point in the semester and ironically for the events going on in my personal life. Stress caused by classes, work, personal life add up and can really cause someone to become overwhelmed and ill if they don't seek help to manage and relieve that stress. There are different types of stress but the one most damaging is distress.

distress- type of stress resulting from chronically demanding situations that produce negative outcomes

Those negative outcomes include:

• behavioral consequences (ex. absenteeism, alcohol, drugs, information processing)
• psychological consequences (ex. anxiety, depression, fatigue, depersonalization)
• physiological consequences (ex. blood pressure, digestive issues, lowered immune system)

Without management, these can consume an individual's life and cause them to not be able to function at their highest level. 

Analysis

This past week brought about a variety of issues that arose in my personal life. These issues caused me a great deal of distress that sparked behavioral, psychological, and physiological consequences. I'm still recovering from these consequences even though I have moved on to a new chapter in my life. This is a great example of why my post is late today- my memory is shot this week from dealing with everything which is a behavioral consequence of distress. In class we weren't sure which stage of memory was affected by stress- either something to do with how we encode the information or not forming cues to be able to retrieve that information later.

These things ran over into my abilities to properly function at work and in class. It's ridiculous how much stress can do to a person. After noticing how utterly down I was, my supervisor made a call to someone (social support) who could help remove me from the situation (problem-focused coping).

social support- the comfort, assistance, or information an individual receives through formal or informal contacts with individuals or groups

problem-focused coping- directed at managing or altering a problem causing the stress

It wouldn't be emotion-focused coping:

emotion-focused coping- directed at reducing the emotional response to a problem by avoiding, minimizing, or distancing oneself from the problem

because we were trying to get me completely out of the situation causing me stress not trying to change my emotional response to the stress.

I realize the stress wasn't initiated by the work environment but my stress outside of the work environment did impact my ability to perform well in my work and class tasks. However, the same concepts can apply since we are dealing with the topic of stress.

Reflection
So many components go into how to manage and prevent stress. There are many outlets for individuals to seek in order to better deal with, eliminate, or prevent stress. An example from our classroom discussion:

employee assistance program (EAP)- counseling provided by an organization to deal with workplace stress, alcohol, or drug difficulties, and problems stemming from outside the job

It is important for organizations to understand the causes and effects of stress on an individual. Because the likelihood of those overlapping into the work environment are fairly high. Organizations need to be sure to educate their supervisors and all employees to know the signs of stress and what resources are available to handle it.

motivation

This week's topics:

• motivation
• motivational theories- classic approaches
• modern approaches to work motivation
• practical issues in motivation
• Gig
• adhesives company sales rep
• article
• academy of management executive (on the folly of rewarding A, while hoping for B and more on folly)

motivation- concerns the conditions responsible for variations in intensity, quality, and direction of ongoing behavior

need- internal motivation thought to be inborn and universally present in humans (Maslow)

person as machine- metaphor suggesting that people's behaviors and actions are reflexive and involuntary and are performed without conscious awareness

person as godlike- metaphor suggesting that people are perfectly rational and intentional rather than automatic/reflexive

performance = (motivation x ability) - situational constraints

Reaction

Without certain pieces of the equation above, we will never achieve performance. There are many factors that go into each piece of the equation above. This week we focused on the motivation piece. These are the main theories that tie into motivation: Maslow's hierarchy of needs, two-factor theory, ERG theory, reinforcement theory, equity theory, and VIE theory. Each account for different things people experience in order to have needs met in order to be motivated to achieve something.

Analysis

In one of my more recent jobs, my motivation was to do the best job I could and to run down the clock. I wanted to get things done well and fill my entire shift because if there were not enough things to be done, people would get sent home early. When I gave my boss a quality performance, he was more likely to reward me with not being sent home early even if there were few things to be completed. These could be considered incentives.

incentives- situational factors that direct behavior to achieve goals that satisfy needs

My boss needed specific tasks performed, he wanted them done well. The incentive to meet what my boss needed accomplished was the possibility of not being sent home early. If you did things well, my boss knew you would be capable of staying later and working alone. The reward was getting those precious extra hours.

Reflection
A lot of things play into this concept- motivation. Factors on both the employer and employee's side need to be considered when setting up the rewards system for an organization. Like the other topics we cover, there are many things that need to be considered and could go wrong. The article we read discussed the various follies experienced in different situations. With careful planning, organizations can have meaningful rewards systems for their members. Occasional evaluation of this system should be performed in order to maintain a quality system that is appreciated.

diversity

"Culture is more often a source of conflict than a synergy. Cultural differences are a nuisance at best and often a disaster." Geert Hofstede, Emeritus Professor, Masstricht University

This week's topics:

• multicultural and cross-cultural issues in I/O psychology
• diversity
• models
• assimilation
• protection
• value
• Hofstede's five dimensions
• individualist vs. collectivist cultures
• power distance
• uncertainty avoidance
• masculinity vs. femininity
• long-term vs. short-term orientation
• merging organizations
• ethnocentrism
• polycentrism
• regiocentrism
• geocentrism
• Gig
• tofu manufacturer
• merchandise handler
• article
• affirmative action: psychological contributions to policy

diversity- differences in demographic characteristics; also includes differences in values, abilities, interests, and experiences

• can be predicated on attributes that are easy to detect (surface-level), or on attributes that are less detectable (underlying)
• can be distinguished on the basis of attributes that are related to tasks compared with those that are more relationship oriented

multinational- diversity of nationalities

multicultural organizations- characterized by full structural and formal integration, minimal prejudice or discrimination, minimal subgroup differences in organizational attachment, and low levels of conflict; one culture reflecting the mixture of diversity in an organization rather than several mini cultures reflecting the different elements in the mixture

REACTION
Diversity is a touchy subject that organizations must handle carefully. There are too many things that can be distorted and taken out of context. Even the best intentions may not turn out to be politically correct. There is a lot for organizations to consider both ethically and legally.

ANALYSIS
In one job, I have had to handle incoming applications for various positions. We consider everyone who applies. It always comes down to what skills each person brings to the table. There are so many applications turned in that do not meet the specified requirements and we have no choice but to hire someone else. Another consideration is how well they can communicate with people since most of these jobs are customer-service oriented. Diversity issues are never a factor when making these types of decisions. These go back to the concept of affirmative action.

affirmative action- program that acknowledges that particular demographic groups may be underrepresented in the work environment; provides specific mechanisms for reducing this underrepresentation

• promise equal opportunities (not outcomes)
• specialized recruiting programs intended to reach underrepresented groups in the workforce
• specialized pre- or posthire training to develop job-related KSAOs
• mentoring programs for underrepresented groups 
• planned developmental opportunities such as assignment to particular teams and departments
• specialized performance feedback programs

We have to afford equal opportunities to everyone by allowing them to apply and be considered. That does not mean every minority person who applies is guaranteed a job.

REFLECTION
These are hot-button topics. People get very heated when they debate these issues. Some feel that in the end majorities are being discriminated against. It's a difficult subject for I/O psychologists to handle. Careful steps need to be taken in order to maintain justice and fairness within organizations.

Compensation

This week's topics:

• job evaluation
• comparable worth
• the law
• article
• beyond money: toward an economy of well-being

job evaluation- method for making internal pay decisions by comparing job titles to one another and determining their relative merit by way of these comparisons

compensable factors- factors in a job evaluation system that are given points that are later linked to compensation for various jobs within the organization; factors usually include skills, responsibility, effort, and working conditions

equal pay act of 1963- prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in the payment of wages or benefits, where men and women perform work of similar skill, effort, and responsibility for the same employer under similar work conditions

Reaction

It is important to I/O psychologists to understand the thought process behind compensable factors and comparable worth. Both are things that need to be weighed while employers are determining compensation of employees.

Analysis

I have come into contact with many people who are well below the highest pay scale (especially at the University). There are some people who are "higher up" on the pay scale and literally do LESS, understand LESS, and have been observed as playing computer games for a majority of work time. These are the people I feel should receive lower compensation ESPECIALLY in comparison to lower pay scale employees who perform way more work to support their departments. For these people, there should be a serious look into reevaluating the job position so they can receive comparable pay. 

comparable worth- notion that people who are performing jobs of comparable worth to the organization should receive comparable pay

I feel that periodically larger organizations should commit time to reevaluating job positions of those who are paid significantly more in order to reduce the number of lower pay scale jobs.

Reflection
This week's topics were very interesting to me. I'm glad we were able to cover them and do an in-depth class discussion today- it helped us to understand and apply the terminology and article information.

Performance Measuring

Topics

• basic concepts in performance
• performance rating- substance
• performance rating- process
• social and legal context of performance evaluation
• Gig
• UPS Driver
• Articles
• The politics of employee appraisal
• Rating formats and rater training redux: A context-specific approach for enhancing the effectiveness of performance management

performance measures

• objective
• personnel
• judmental

behaviorally anchored rating scale (BARS)- rating format that includes behavioral anchors describing what a work has done, or might be expected to do, in particular duty area

behavioral observation scales (BOS)- asks the rater to consider how frequently an employee has been seen to act in a particular way

rating errors- inaccuracies in ratings that may be actual errors or intentional or systematic distortions

• central tendency error
• leniency error
• severity error
• halo error

training

• administrative training
• psychometric training
• frame-of-reference (FOR) training

Reaction

Performance is so important to our jobs. The question is: "how do we measure it?" The measurement process of performance has ins and outs that have to be considered in order to provide an accurate and unbiased report. We learned that often times the evaluations are not accurate or free of bias and somehow related to organization politics or money woes. These factors alone drive the evaluations to be inflated or deflated and can cause a misunderstanding by the employee receiving the evaluation.

Analysis

I've only had one job where I've been officially given a performance review. This was the job I had in high school where I conducted telephone surveys for hospitals. I had one review before I graduated from high school and quit my job. The evaluation was a surprise. When they brought me in, I was told my previous supervisor (who left suddenly, very dramatic!) was supposed to have handled them. They told me it was supposed to actually happen and frequently but they didn't realize she wasn't doing this portion of her job. Anyway, I was told when I was hired I would be periodically monitored throughout my time with this company- they would randomly listen in on my surveys and take notes. I just never knew when I would receive that feedback. The evaluation was very informal and they didn't have much to say. What they did have to say were comments from previous months and were outdated comments. Things that I had already learned from on my own. It was pretty much a joke. The comments I did receive could be classified as:

judgmental performance measures- evaluation made of the effectiveness of an individual's work behavior, most often by supervisors in the context of a yearly performance evaluation

The method of obtaining information to measure my performance could be considered:

electronic performance monitoring- monitoring work processes with electronic devices; can be very cost effective and has the potential for providing detailed and accurate work logs

The surveys I conducted were on a specially developed system so all of the work I did was monitored. I was evaluated (not paid per) on percentage of surveys completed, quality of completion and so forth. All of these things were monitored. They were more heavily monitored after my first supervisor left since the new supervisor was interested in actually doing his job.

Reflection
There are many different methods of monitoring performance and then translating that into an evaluation process. Companies can devote a lot of time and effort into ensuring they have a good system in place to monitor and then provide feedback to their employees. Unfortunately, not all are interested in providing quality feedback to their employees and can be distracted by office politics, monetary concerns, and other personal issues. These things are important to I/O psychologists because they will most likely be advocating for the implementation and upkeep of quality performance evaluation measures.

Assessing Individuals

Topics of the week:

• foundations of assessment
• traditional assessment procedures
• additional assessment methods
• special topics in assessment
• conceptual issues in staffing
• practical issues in staffing
• Gig
• corporate headhunter
• Articles
• The new-boy network: What do job interviews really tell us?
• Initial evaluations in the interview: Relationships with subsequent interviewer evaluations and employment offers

cognitive ability test- allows individuals to demonstrate what they know, perceive, remember, understand, or can work with mentally; includes problem identification, problem-solving tasks, perceptual skills, the development or evaluation of ideas, and remember what one has learned through general experience or specific training

knowledge test- assesses the extent to which individuals understand course or training materials; also administered for licensing and certification purposes

individual assessment- situation in which only one candidate (or a very few) is assessed on many different attributes

• typical individual assessments include ability tests, personality tests, a personal history statement, and interviews
• process of gathering information about a person in order to classify that individual

Reaction

The process of getting to know who a candidate is involves many facets including assessments and interviews. But how reliable are these methods? It's a complex process and there are many issues to take into consideration while in this portion of filling a position.

Analysis

Since I currently have jobs and have a work history, I have gone through different types of interviews. For my internship this semester, I had a variation of a structured interview.

structured interview- consists of very specific questions asked of each candidate; includes tightly crafted scoring schemes with detailed outlines for the interviewer with respect to assigning ratings or scores based on interview performance

I do not know if it was the exact same interview experience for the other individuals interviewing for the internship. I do, however, know they were standard questions that related to my experience and what I could bring to the position.

When I interviewed to be editor for Tower yearbook, I faced a panel interview. Each panel member had different techniques to which questions they asked. During this interview, I was asked questions similar to those found in a situational interview.

situational interview- asks the interviewee to describe in specific and behavioral detail how he or she would respond to a hypothetical situation

These questions were mostly related to how I would handle potential personnel issues that arose.

For my job in the bakery of the summer, I faced a very informal and unstructured interview.

unstructured interview- includes questions that may vary by candidate and that allow the candidate to answer in any form he or she may prefer

 The interview was short and to the point basically double checking my physical abilities and availability schedule.

These different interviewing methods are unique to each position. I personally feel that each position should have a different type of interview because not all jobs are the same.

Reflection
All of the methods that go into assessing an individual are in-depth and complex. There are many ways to screw things up in an interview process where you could end up hiring a person not suited for the job. It just takes some research to help figure out the best method for each company/position/individual.

Performance

This week's topics:

• performance 
• contextual
• task
• adaptive
• expert
• productivity
• motivation
• knowledge 
• declarative
• procedural
• tacit
• job analysis
• properties 
• practices
• Gig
• video game developer
• hockey player
• Article
• personality matters in human performance

performance- actions or behavior relevant to the organization's goals; measured in terms of each individual's proficiency

• contextual performance- activities not typically part of job descriptions but support the organizational, social, and psychological environment in which the job tasks are performed; similar to organizational citizenship behavior
• predicted by personality dimensions, particularly conscientiousness
• task performance- proficiency with which job incumbents perform activities that are formally recognized as a part of their job
• determined by cognitive ability
• adaptive performance- performance component that includes flexibility and the ability to adapt to changing circumstances
• expert performance- performance exhibited by those who have been practicing for at least 10 years and have spent an average of four hours per day in deliberate practice

motivation- concerns the conditions responsible for variations in intensity, quality, and direction of ongoing behavior; choices which individuals make

Reaction

There are a lot of factors that contribute to performance in the workplace. The equation from Campbell's Three Direct Determinants of Job Performance:

declarative knowledge  +  procedural knowledge and skill  x  motivation  =  performance

helps to explain all of the variables that play into this concept. Without one variable, it is not possible to perform well in the workplace. This is so logical yet I had never thought about what goes into performance. The article we read this week added personality traits to the mix.

Analysis
One of the basic methods of job analysis model is:

critical incident technique- approach in which subject matter experts are asked to identify critical aspects of behavior or performance in a particular job that led to success or failure

Applying this to one of my jobs on campus- teaching assistant in media design classes. The critical aspects of this position are an in-depth understanding of design techniques/software and being able to convey that information clearly to students ranging from beginners to intermediate designers. Without being able to have that knowledge and ability to communicate clearly, I would fail at my job....epically fail.

Reflection
There is so much that goes into the performance aspect of a job! Then there is the entire process of job analysis --> identification of KSAOs (knowledge, skills, ability, other characteristics) --> development of assessment devices. These processes require the person developing them to be very knowledgeable about the subject matter and I/O theory.

Individual Differences

This week we discussed:

• individual differences
• mental and physical abilities
• personality and interests
• additional proposed individual difference
• Articles
• Applying Attachment Theory to Explain Individual behavior in organizations
• The role of mindfulness in predicting individual performance
• Gig
• train engineer
• casino surveillance officer

individual differences- dissimilarities between or among two or more people

mental ability- capacity to reason, plan, and solve problems; cognitive abilities


personality- an individual's behavioral and emotional characteristics generally found to be stable over time and in a variety of circumstances; an individual's habitual way of responding

Reaction
Every person is different- thus their abilities, differences and personality vary significantly. These things need to be considered when an individual seeks employment. Why? Taking my personal differences and abilities into consideration, I know I would not make it as a lumberjack. I do not have near the physical abilities to fit that job well. It only makes sense that organizations take these things into consideration when filling positions.

Analysis
Over the summer, I worked in a bakery. One of the girls I worked with was of short like myself. She was one of a handful of bakers. After talking to her, she expressed how much she wanted to get into a different department like catering. I asked her if there were any specific reasons. She told me about how hard it is on her to be at work at 4 a.m. and work until whenever they were done. Sometimes she would start later and work until 7 or 8 p.m. Not only that, she struggled with lifting 50 lb. bags of flour, sugar, etc. multiple times a day. She said that when she got home, all she wanted to do was rest because work was such a physical demand. This is a strong example of her physical abilities not matching up with her job.

physical abilities- bodily powers such as muscular strength, flexibility, and stamina

stamina- physical ability to supply muscles with oxygenated blood through the cardiovascular strength or aerobic strength or endurance

Reflection

There are more things that we covered aside from physical abilities. However, this was one example I could relate to based on my most recent experiences. I think as long as an employer does not cross a line into discrimination, they should require certain physical abilities for specific jobs.

Justice and Fairness

This week we discussed:

• fairness
• practical implications of justice perceptions
• legal issues in staffing decisions
• articles
• reactions to others' mistakes
• fairness, feelings, and ethical decision-making: consequences of violating community standards of fairness
• Gig- poultry factory worker, film development assistant

fairness- an individual's view of the extent to which he/she is being treated fairly will influence the emotional and behavioral reactions of that individual to the work environment

justice- a framework for looking at an organization

trust- belief in how a person or an organization will act on some future occasion/behavior

Reaction

Most of the information we reviewed in these two chapters, articles, and Gig made sense. If someone feels they are being treated unfairly, they usually retaliate. All of these materials back up that statement. One thing I did learn was that people usually feel less angry, happier, etc. after their unethical behavior stemming from a perceived injustice. 

Analysis

There are many instances in which as an employee (or potential employee) I have felt wronged. One particular instance was when I applied for an internship with an Omaha-based advertising firm. They responded to my application immediately, requesting samples be sent. I sent my samples and then never heard from them again...until I e-mailed the contact person inquiring about what decision had been made. His response via e-mail? "You didn't make the cut." In class we discussed that if you are going to reject an individual, you need to give them a decent reason for that decision. When you don't, that's when people perceive the situation to be unfair. This ties in with a concept we learned:

interactional justice- concerned with the sensitivity with which employees are treated and linked to the extend that an employee feels respected by the employer; the extend to which people are treated with respect, politeness, and dignity

• addresses the explanations provided to people about procedures and outcomes

Reflection

It is important for employers to do their best to be fair during their decision-making processes. This means they have to have a just corporate policy and stick to that when making decisions. When dealing with people in terms of hiring and firing- be understanding and warm. 

Relevance of I/O Psychology

This week we discussed:

• science
• research
• data analysis
• interpretation
• practitioner-researcher divide in I/O Psychology
• Gig- research biologist, journalist

science- approach that involves the understanding, prediction, and control of some phenomenon of interest

• I/O psychology is very much a science!
• logical and systematic
• data-based
• a communal process
• DISprove, NOT prove theories, hypotheses
• places great value on objectivity
• holds responsibilities 

Reaction

In so many other classes we have gone over the whole science schpeel. It has become so ingrained in the brains of science and psychology majors alike. When we see this part of the syllabus we groan. However, this application of the science foundation was different. I was motivated and interested in reading the research article about how important it is that practitioners stay grounded in research/researchers producing meaningful research to be applied in the field. I had not thought about the divide I/O researchers and practitioners face. Applying this understanding to finding similarities and differences between the research biologist and journalist was very helpful.

Analysis

I have a work situation that reaffirms people who are not actual practitioners in a specific field (even though they think they are) are not knowledgeable about current research. This makes it difficult when they feel they are properly practicing within the field and have no idea (or perhaps interest) in how to do things properly. It is frustrating when you work underneath such individuals and know more about the field. These types of individuals are focused on "producing results" and less worried about taking necessary steps to get proper results. I would classify them as focusing on:

popularist science- where practical relevance is high but methodological rigor is low

Where the actions they take are relevant to the end goal, they are not concerned with following a "rigorous" and researched based path. We work to obtain data, specifically:

 quantitative data- numerical, data which can be measured

and

descriptive research- observe, measure, and record behavior- hopefully without intruding; can describe but not explain

 and

correlational design- looks at the relationship between variables

It's hard to get much more descriptive about applying these terms to the position I am referring to without completely giving it away.

Reflection
I realized how very important it is for practitioners to remain rooted in research and for researchers to remain relevant to what is going on in the field.

I/O Psychology 9.9.10

This week, we were introduced to:

• the importance of I/O psychology
• how the course can help us
• foundations of organizations
• social dynamics of organizations
• research in I/O psychology from 1963-2007
• I/O vs. OBM
• Gig- Kinko's co-worker, Ford auto worker

I/O psychology- the application of psychological principles, theory, and research to the work setting (Landy & Conte)

• factors that influence work behavior
• family responsibilities
• cultural influences
• employment-related legislation
• non-work events
• personality
• the effect of work on non-work behaviors

Reaction

Wow! What a vast and increasing field. There is so much that goes into understand the work setting. All of this is so applicable to every worker in the world. I find it really interesting to break down all of the aspects that affect how we are when we work.I'm eager to delve deeper into the topic matter, especially human factors engineering.

I felt the in-class activities motivated me to prepare for class. However, I sit next to two people who rarely or fully prepare for class and they look at me and a girl next to me (who also prepared) to catch them up. I wish there were some way to force people to be prepared for class. To me, I thought the in-class activities were enough but apparently people can bluff their way through it. It's unfair to those who do prepare. The issue is I don't know how to more strongly enforce preparation.

Analysis

It is possible to apply the Hawthore Effect to what I experienced this past summer. I truly felt more motivated to perform better at the tasks I did when my manager was there and showed me he actually paid attention to what I was doing for the department.The rest of the time, it seemed he was not interested in what his employees were doing.

Hawthore Effect- change in behavior that results from researchers paying attention to the workers; ushered in HR movement; based on Hawthorne studies performed at the Hawthorne, Illinois Western Electric plant.

I worked in a bakery this summer. It could be said that we were a large batch/mass production type of organization, as presented by Woodward.Since we were making a variety of product each day. We did have an assembly line of sorts while in production mode during the mornings. The bakers would bake the products, roll them out to cool, once things were cool enough to package, we packaged the products, labeled the products, stocked the products on the shelves.

large batch/mass production- produces large numbers of discrete units, often using assembly line operations

I needed to make money over the summer, thus it was a "job" for me. Some of the people I worked with considered it a career. They knew they wanted to work for the company "family" so they slowly worked their way up to managerial positions. I never met anyone in my department who considered working in the bakery their calling. I know some of the managers and the store director were on the "calling" track. They truly felt part of the family.

job- necessary to make money

career- opportunity to advance

calling- fulfills social need 

Reflection
I was not aware of the history of I/O psychology. It was interesting to learn about the progression from the beginning to today. Most of everything we covered was a learning experience. I have come into contact with some small portions via Psychology in Films. (thinking back to Desk Set) The one area I am still confused about is I/O vs. OBM. I think I understand that OBM is a bit more in-depth than the broad scope of I/O. But, I think everyone had a different understand of that article. It might be something worthwhile to touch on again next week.

Perspective

Often times, we find ourselves drowning in our own issues. Sometimes this can be so overwhelming we do not realize that there are people around us who are sinking faster than you are. That is the time we need to open our eyes and take a look at our issues from a different perspective. The new perspective can help us realize we are not as sunk as we feel and we can start to swim towards the surface. Don't hang out waiting for someone to come rescue you- they might be drowning too.

Growing Up

Recently I have been asked what I want to do when I grow up. I am 22 years old and still have no idea. Some people would tell me to get a move on and figure it out. I could worry about this decision, spend sleepless nights worrying about what career field is the best to go into. Worrying about if I'm going to make the right decision...or...I could just let it come to me while I go about my life. I think I'll stick to that, remembering:

"We grow neither better nor worse as we get old, but more like ourselves." - May Lamerton Becker

It's worth a shot. Plus, I prefer to sleep.

To the Point

Getting right to the point can be less worrisome. You know what you need to say/do, so get on with it. This week, I'm struggling to type this post since I'm still recovering from carpal tunnel surgery. I've been worrying about going through with the next surgery since it will be on my right hand (I'm right handed). I'll be recovering right before summer classes start and have to miss my first day of class. Hoping for the best and trying to stop worrying about it because it's something that has to be done. Working on not worrying is always a challenge for me. Let's see how it goes.

Little things

Last Wednesday we watched Prizewinner of Defiance, Ohio in one of my psychology classes. I watched in amazement as the mother in the movie (based on a true story) continued to exude optimism and happiness while dealing with her alcoholic husband and lack of funds to support her ten children.

When I step back from my daily hassles, and consider such realities others have to face, I am humbled. I cannot imagine how people like Evelyn Ryan (from the movie) manage to survive, with a smile on their faces. I recommend trying to find joy in the little things each day brings. Mrs. Ryan did and it helped her get through some very tough times.

Plus, a little song from a man named Charlie Chaplin can help lift spirits.

Smile though your heart is aching
Smile even though it's breaking.
When there are clouds in the sky
you'll get by.

If you smile through your pain and sorrow
Smile and maybe tomorrow
You'll see the sun shining through
For you.

Light up your face with gladness,
Hide every trace of sadness.
Although a tear may be ever so near
That's the time you must keep on trying
Smile, what's the use of crying.
You'll find that life is still worthwhile-
If you just smile.

Hope you have fun finding and enjoying those little things, remember the big ones don't come around that often. 

Waiting

I have never been patient. When my mom was pregnant with me- she was due in mid-March. My birthday is February 1. I think that sums it up. I like to get things taken care of and done. I do not like having to wait around for results, test scores, you name it.

The complete lack of patience on my part drives people in my life to frustration at times and they end up losing their patience with me. They usually are more understanding and patient with me. (imagine that) It is a vicious cycle that after 22 years I am still trying to circumnavigate. I admire those who have "the patience of Job" which I am obviously lacking.

Patience of Job - very patient

Job's story, told in the Old Testament Book of Job, is that of a God-fearing man who is suddenly prostrated by a succession of calamities which strip him of goods, children and health. He remains steadfast throughout and these disasters are then revealed to have been God's tests of his faith. Because of his endurance, Job is blessed by God and his prosperity is made greater than before. The patience of Job thus became proverbial and is referred to as early as the New Testament (James, 5:11). 

I also need to remind myself

"Patience is also a form of action." - Auguste Rodin

 ...because I find that I usually need to be doing something at all times. Remind yourself this when you find yourself lacking patience. Trust me, you will be better off.

A Shocking Lesson

Today I had some nerve conduction testing done on my hands, it sucked. Big time. I knew at the beginning of the week that I would have either an EMG or nerve conduction testing, or both. Liking to be prepared in advance, I looked up both tests so I would not be surprised. At first, I did not want to research the tests. I thought it would only cause me to worry about them. When I read the information, I was not too excited to find out needles would be involved in one of the tests. See...me and pain, not a good combination.

In the back of my mind most of the week I was thinking/worrying about the tests. I could tell I was worrying about something too because I felt sick all week. Fast forward to today. I knew worrying about the tests would not help. But in the end, I'm glad I did my homework. I think I would have been more stressed out if I did not know what I was going into.

So, two lessons from my fun-filled day:
1. Do your research so you can be prepared about whatever you're going into.
2. Once you do that research, don't worry about it. Worrying will not help you prepare for whatever you are about to face.

Helpful Advice

Here is some helpful advice from a Boston psychologist Dr. Endlich that helps to put things into perspective.

Attack the worry with the following questions:

• What's the worst thing that could happen?
• Although I don't want it to happen, could I survive it? How?
• How likely is it that my worst fear will happen?
• What proof do I have?
• What else might happen instead?
• What are some of the possible good outcomes?
• What has happened in similar situations in the past?
• Of all the times I've worried, what percentage of the time have my worries come true?
• When my fears did come true, what did I gain by worrying ahead of time?

Worrying is:

• paying interest on a debt you may never owe...
• and suffering in an imaginary life while the real one passes you by.

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Side note....while searching for some fun ways to get rid of worry I came across this site that suggested porn about 15 times in the article. I guess if you were really worried and stumbled across that site you would be able to laugh it away.

Laughter is key

Here are some cartoons that I found this week. Just some fun to remind us that although we face worry, stress, or anxiety sometimes we have to find some humor in the situation. We just have to learn how to laugh- this helps to lighten the situation. Don't forget to laugh!

Maybe we can talk to the purchasing department...I'm sure we can squeeze this into the budget.

Learn how to delegate...why didn't I think of that? You can just worry for me!

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Keep this quote in mind when you start to worry:

"Only man clogs his happiness with care, destroying what is with thoughts of what may be." -John Dryden

Move Past Self-Doubt

I Googled "worry" and found some interesting sites. Most of these sites were about how to overcome worry and anxiety. Some boasted worry quotes while others mentioned who/what should be worried. I skipped over anything negative and discovered some worry quotes that really spoke to me. The following quote is one of the stronger in the bunch:

Let us be of good cheer, remembering that the misfortunes hardest to bear are those which will never happen. ~ James Russel Lowell

It struck me because no matter how something turns out in the end, we usually imagine the worst possibility and let that fear choke us. Most often, we get so consumed with this dread; we cannot consider a better alternative. I must admit, I am a repeat offender. In the past, I have worked myself up into such a state where not much could calm me down. Why do we do these things to ourselves?

Web MD acknowledges that some worry/anxiety is healthy and beneficial. However, when we become overwrought, it can be disabling. I experienced a few panic attacks last year and they were awful. Looking back, I can attribute these attacks to the stress I had constantly dealt with throughout the semester. All of the stress ate away at me and left me vulnerable. During that Christmas break, when I tried to relax was when they hit.

I never want to feel that way again. That is why I'm working on worrying less, and I hope you will join me. Let us take into consideration the words of the wise Mr. Lowell (an American poet, critic, editor, and diplomat) the next time we are filled with self-doubt.

Jonesing

Things have the tendency to pile up. Tasks, homework, you name it. I have found myself experiencing this far too many times than I would care to admit. The most recent for me- another disorder to add to my list. I am the lucky new owner of carpal tunnel in not one but two (count them two!) wrists. Seriously? Seriously.

I'm sure I can thank my technologically inclined major, coursework, activities, and jobs. The one thing I was sure to mention while in the doctor's office- I need them back so I can go back to work/school. When I share my diagnosis with people outside of this field- I am told such things as "you're too young to have that." Anyone in this industry can understand the twisted commitment to the field and jonesing to get back to what I love.

I could worry about how long it will take me to get my hands back to semi-full functioning. But, I think I am going to get back to watching the Grammy's before I go to bed. See what a great trade-off that is? You should try it sometime.

Three Strikes

I worry about other people. I worry all the time about what other people do and need and what can I do to help? This has become a problem in my life. More often than not, my urge to help other people comes back to bite me. And the most recent instance- has caused a rift in my life that continues to grow. It's apparent I should stop caring about others. Not entirely. But maybe institute a "three strike policy." So I can begin to worry less about people who will only end up abusing me (that will only cause me to worry and become upset even more).

This last time I was talking to a couple people about what to do. Both agreed it was something I should not worry about. They asked me why I was so upset about someone who obviously does not want my advice and even when I did give it- I was accused of tearing that person down. So that is that. New changes will start today. It will take some getting used to be some people are a lost cause. Some people are supported by choosing ignorance and unpreparedness over experience and reason.

Less worry, less stress, less frustration. I am washing my hands of situations like these. A new perspective on how to help others. It is similar to what a professor I had once said- "I will only put in as much effort as you do." If you are not willing to help yourself, then there is no reason I should worry about finding a way to help you.

Batter up!

Keep Breathing

Last Friday, I had a routine dermatology appointment. As I sat in the room waiting for the doctor to come in, I debated on whether I should mention this mole that came on pretty quickly. You know those conversations you have with yourself in your head? I kept telling myself it was not a big deal and to stop. Still waiting, I eventually decided I would just mention it towards the end of the appointment- like an afterthought. No big deal.

She looked at it with her funky looking microscope/light that made me feel like one of the film strips I've studied in photography classes. She said it looked fairly normal. Whew! Then she compared it to others and took into consideration how quickly it developed and its size. She decided that she should remove it- just to be sure. She would call in about ten days with the results. As it turns out, I am glad she played it safe.

Since I am working on the whole worry free lifestyle (have not perfected it yet!), thinking about the results was shuffled to the back of my mind. When they called today, I missed it and they left a message asking me to call back. The first thing that popped into my mind was: “oh no! Why would they need me to call if everything was not ok?” Decided to knock it off and went to class. They eventually called me later in the afternoon. She told me that there were abnormal cells in the biopsy but they “got it all.” Breathing easier, I shared the great news. There will be more caution practiced in the future with any concerns about skin changes. For now, I am thanking God for the blessing and working to keep in that positive light.

Stepping back, I know that worrying about the results would have just added more stress to my life and would not have helped me speed up the process of waiting. Nothing but living in the moment would have helped me get to this point. It may sound stupid because these thoughts so simple. Once you reach that point where your life has gone out of your realm of control, simple is what works. Keep that in mind - something we learn when we are young (and in my psychology research classes): KISS = Keep It Simple Stupid. That can be more powerful than you could imagine. Next time, we can talk about going to therapy later for calling yourself stupid all the time. :)

Starting Fresh

Some people feel that with each new year they have to completely start over. They make resolutions and then somewhere along the line, life gets in the way and those resolutions are forgotten about. Then, a few months later, spring cleaning hits and those resolutions magically reappear. No progress has been made whatsoever on what we resolved to do or change. Worry sets in because we have already failed at our fresh start and life has picked up- when will we find the time to make ourselves into better people this year?

Calm down. Breathe. We're going to get through this. If the only thing you accomplish this year is to stop worrying. A wise person once told me (and continues to remind me) do not borrow worries. After the first 20 or so times she told me this, it sank it. I slowly began to lighten up. Three tests and two papers in a week? In the past, I would have become so worked up about all of the deadlines for classes and jobs that I became legitimately ill. After one of the most stressful years I have survived, I was on more than ten different prescriptions (most that had to be taken more than once a day) and my esophagus was closing. Thinking about it now puts me back into the panic I lived in each day.

With guidance, I reevaluated my priorities and put myself first. This year, I live with a little less worry and fewer prescriptions. Work on your stress and see how it goes. I hope you'll join me in the world of new found clarity and air.