The traditional performance review has been considered ineffective and possibly damaging to emplo... more The traditional performance review has been considered ineffective and possibly damaging to employee performance and the relationship between the manager and the employee. To advance research and practice in this area, we offer a model focusing on a positive, strengths-based approach to feedback and employee performance management. Specifically, the performance conversation is an area we suggest can be altered to achieve positive outcomes by focusing on employees' strengths, resulting in higher engagement, trust, performance, and higher quality relationships. We present a four-step process, called MORE, which allows managers to capitalize on employees' strengths, intending to yield better results for both the employee and the organization. We review each step in the MORE process incorporating evidence-based arguments for their effectiveness. We also suggest further avenues for research and practical application that can assist in retaining and developing talent, building strong relationships between managers and employees, and fostering high performance.
... and Aggressive Thoughts 159 Media Violence and Fear 162 What Happens When We Watch Pornograph... more ... and Aggressive Thoughts 159 Media Violence and Fear 162 What Happens When We Watch Pornography ... Periodically, frustrations were expressed over how painstakingly long it was taking for us to work ... All three of us expressed grave concerns about the impact of the war on ...
Industrial and Organizational Psychology, Dec 1, 2019
The way we conceptualize organizations leads us to understand them in particular and circumscribe... more The way we conceptualize organizations leads us to understand them in particular and circumscribed ways (Morgan, 1997). Like the proverbial blind men touching different parts of an elephant, the explicit philosophies and implicit mental models we invoke to explain organizational phenomena direct and limit our attention to a restricted subset of features that can lead to different inferences and conclusions. In his prescient and insightful article, Mumby (2019) adopts a critical perspective to analyze contemporary work environments. As Mumby notes, within a critical perspective power is the epistemic frame through which organizational dynamics are viewed and comprehended. In focusing on influence, control, and domination, a critical perspective regards phenomena such as worker empowerment as an enterprise’s means of usurping employees’ motivational states and actions, as opposed to an emancipatory approach to job design. In highlighting power dynamics, a critical perspective thus downplays or disregards other processes that can help to explain human behavior in organizations. This is not to suggest that a critical perspective is flawed, only that it is incomplete and that adding other perspectives can present organizational scholars with a more nuanced and enhanced understanding of the phenomena under their purview. In fact, critical theory asks us to continually reconsider the lenses we use to understand phenomena lest we engage in reification and become tied dogmatically to one perspective or worldview. Positive organizational studies (e.g., Donaldson & Ko, 2010) offers an alternative lens for viewing and understanding contemporary organizational phenomena. Positive organizational studies includes positive organizational behavior, which focuses on positively oriented employee strengths and capacities (Luthans, 2002); positive organizational scholarship, which concentrates on “especially positive outcomes, processes, and attributes of organizations and their members” (Cameron, Dutton, & Quinn, 2003, p. 4); and positive organizational psychology, which builds on the more general field of positive psychology (Seligman & Csikszentmihalyi, 2000) and emphasizes positive subjective experiences, traits, and institutions such as work organizations (Donaldson & Ko, 2010). Positive organizational studies provides a perspective that accentuates the structures, processes, and mechanisms that support thriving employees in flourishing organizations. In lieu of focusing on organizational initiatives as efforts to control and manipulate employees, positive psychology focuses on how organizational dynamics promote the health, vitality, and well-being of employees. For example, according to Kahn (1990), personal engagement refers to “the harnessing of organization members’ selves to their work roles; in engagement, people employ and express themselves physically, cognitively, and emotionally during role performances” (p. 694). Viewed through the lens of critical theory, engagement represents a form of normative control through which employees are enjoined to the dictates of capital for the purpose of generating productive labor and surplus value. From the perspective of positive psychology, engagement is a desirable state related to well-being and represents freedom in the sense that
In their focal article, Highhouse et al. (2020) argue that “academic SIOP members who reside in b... more In their focal article, Highhouse et al. (2020) argue that “academic SIOP members who reside in business schools would assign greater prestige and relevance to top management journals than do academic SIOP members who reside in psychology departments” (p. 273). They tested this by examining the average prestige and relevance scores assigned to flagship management journals such as Academy of Management Journal (AMJ), Academy of Management Review (AMR), and Journal of Management (JOM) by academic work setting. The results of t tests indicated that business faculty rated these journals as more prestigious and more relevant. Based on these results, Highhouse et al. concluded that “to the extent that business school faculty are predominate influencers of [industrial-organizational] I-O psychology, this suggests that management scholarship will continue to set the priorities for future I-O scholarship” (p. 273). In our view, this is not an accurate conclusion for at least three reasons:
The way we conceptualize organizations leads us to understand them in particular and circumscribe... more The way we conceptualize organizations leads us to understand them in particular and circumscribed ways (Morgan, 1997). Like the proverbial blind men touching different parts of an elephant, the explicit philosophies and implicit mental models we invoke to explain organizational phenomena direct and limit our attention to a restricted subset of features that can lead to different inferences and conclusions. In his prescient and insightful article, Mumby (2019) adopts a critical perspective to analyze contemporary work environments. As Mumby notes, within a critical perspective power is the epistemic frame through which organizational dynamics are viewed and comprehended. In focusing on influence, control, and domination, a critical perspective regards phenomena such as worker empowerment as an enterprise’s means of usurping employees’ motivational states and actions, as opposed to an emancipatory approach to job design. In highlighting power dynamics, a critical perspective thus downplays or disregards other processes that can help to explain human behavior in organizations. This is not to suggest that a critical perspective is flawed, only that it is incomplete and that adding other perspectives can present organizational scholars with a more nuanced and enhanced understanding of the phenomena under their purview. In fact, critical theory asks us to continually reconsider the lenses we use to understand phenomena lest we engage in reification and become tied dogmatically to one perspective or worldview. Positive organizational studies (e.g., Donaldson & Ko, 2010) offers an alternative lens for viewing and understanding contemporary organizational phenomena. Positive organizational studies includes positive organizational behavior, which focuses on positively oriented employee strengths and capacities (Luthans, 2002); positive organizational scholarship, which concentrates on “especially positive outcomes, processes, and attributes of organizations and their members” (Cameron, Dutton, & Quinn, 2003, p. 4); and positive organizational psychology, which builds on the more general field of positive psychology (Seligman & Csikszentmihalyi, 2000) and emphasizes positive subjective experiences, traits, and institutions such as work organizations (Donaldson & Ko, 2010). Positive organizational studies provides a perspective that accentuates the structures, processes, and mechanisms that support thriving employees in flourishing organizations. In lieu of focusing on organizational initiatives as efforts to control and manipulate employees, positive psychology focuses on how organizational dynamics promote the health, vitality, and well-being of employees. For example, according to Kahn (1990), personal engagement refers to “the harnessing of organization members’ selves to their work roles; in engagement, people employ and express themselves physically, cognitively, and emotionally during role performances” (p. 694). Viewed through the lens of critical theory, engagement represents a form of normative control through which employees are enjoined to the dictates of capital for the purpose of generating productive labor and surplus value. From the perspective of positive psychology, engagement is a desirable state related to well-being and represents freedom in the sense that
Journal of Organizational Effectiveness: People and Performance, 2015
Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to argue in support of a model that shows how four key HRM ... more Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to argue in support of a model that shows how four key HRM practices focused on engagement influence organizational climate, job demands and job resources, the psychological experiences of safety, meaningfulness and availability at work, employee engagement, and individual, group and organizational performance and competitive advantage.Design/methodology/approach– This conceptual review focuses on the research evidence showing interrelationships between organizational context factors, job factors, individual employee psychological and motivational factors, employee outcomes, organizational outcomes and competitive advantage. The proposed model integrates frameworks that have previously run independently in the HR and engagement literatures.Findings– The authors conclude that HRM practitioners need to move beyond the routine administration of annual engagement surveys and need to embed engagement in HRM policies and practices such personnel selec...
Many contemporary organizations are placing a greater emphasis on their performance management sy... more Many contemporary organizations are placing a greater emphasis on their performance management systems as a means of generating higher levels of job performance. We suggest that producing performance increments may be best achieved by orienting the performance management system to promote employee engagement. To this end, we describe a new approach to the performance management process that includes employee engagement and the key drivers of employee engagement at each stage. We present a model of engagement management that incorporates the main ideas of the paper and suggests a new perspective for thinking about how to foster and manage employee engagement to achieve high levels of job performance.
Journal of Organizational Effectiveness: People and Performance, 2021
PurposeEmployee engagement has received a considerable amount of research attention over the last... more PurposeEmployee engagement has received a considerable amount of research attention over the last decade. However, most of the research has been on job or work engagement. Much less attention has been given to organization engagement, which is a distinct but related target of employee engagement. In this paper, we review the research on organization engagement and identify how it has been measured, its antecedents and consequences and how it compares to job engagement.Design/methodology/approachThis paper provides a narrative review of 40 studies that have measured organization engagement. Most of these studies have been published in the last five years, and they come from 20 different countries. The majority of studies also measured job or work engagement.FindingsMost studies used Saks' (2006) measure of organization engagement. Many antecedents have been found to be related to organization engagement; however, those most often studied and consistently related to organization e...
In 1991, Cox and Blake put forth six advantages from which diverse organizations should benefit. ... more In 1991, Cox and Blake put forth six advantages from which diverse organizations should benefit. They based these advantages, in part, on organizational practices that were current at the time. In the present paper, we re-visit these advantages and discuss current research as well as organizational ‘best practices’ with regard to diversity. Through an examination of award winning diversity practices we discuss recommendations for the future of research and practice.
[ ]the frequency of interactions with insiders is the primary mechanism for transforming newcomer... more [ ]the frequency of interactions with insiders is the primary mechanism for transforming newcomers into insiders (Reichers, 1987) In one of the few studies that compared a traditional, face-to-face (social-based) orientation program with a computer-based orientation program (a self-guided, 2- to 3-day program that covered all of the same material as the traditional orientation through the use of multimedia technologies), Wesson and Gogus (2005) found that newcomers who participated in the computer-based orientation scored significantly lower on socially oriented socialization content areas [ ]participation in the computer-based orientation had a significant negative effect on job satisfaction and organizational commitment The way their organization conducts its business and functions might have changed;how it interacts with customers, clients, and patients will be different;jobs and roles might change;and new human resource policies and guidelines about the use of personal protective equipment and physical distancing will have
Morgan, Stephanie (2007) Human resource management and employee engagement. In: Taplin, Ruth,(ed.... more Morgan, Stephanie (2007) Human resource management and employee engagement. In: Taplin, Ruth,(ed.) Outsourcing and human resource management: an international survey. Abingdon, Oxon., UK: Routledge. pp. 26-56.(Routledge studies in the growth economies ...
The traditional performance review has been considered ineffective and possibly damaging to emplo... more The traditional performance review has been considered ineffective and possibly damaging to employee performance and the relationship between the manager and the employee. To advance research and practice in this area, we offer a model focusing on a positive, strengths-based approach to feedback and employee performance management. Specifically, the performance conversation is an area we suggest can be altered to achieve positive outcomes by focusing on employees' strengths, resulting in higher engagement, trust, performance, and higher quality relationships. We present a four-step process, called MORE, which allows managers to capitalize on employees' strengths, intending to yield better results for both the employee and the organization. We review each step in the MORE process incorporating evidence-based arguments for their effectiveness. We also suggest further avenues for research and practical application that can assist in retaining and developing talent, building strong relationships between managers and employees, and fostering high performance.
... and Aggressive Thoughts 159 Media Violence and Fear 162 What Happens When We Watch Pornograph... more ... and Aggressive Thoughts 159 Media Violence and Fear 162 What Happens When We Watch Pornography ... Periodically, frustrations were expressed over how painstakingly long it was taking for us to work ... All three of us expressed grave concerns about the impact of the war on ...
Industrial and Organizational Psychology, Dec 1, 2019
The way we conceptualize organizations leads us to understand them in particular and circumscribe... more The way we conceptualize organizations leads us to understand them in particular and circumscribed ways (Morgan, 1997). Like the proverbial blind men touching different parts of an elephant, the explicit philosophies and implicit mental models we invoke to explain organizational phenomena direct and limit our attention to a restricted subset of features that can lead to different inferences and conclusions. In his prescient and insightful article, Mumby (2019) adopts a critical perspective to analyze contemporary work environments. As Mumby notes, within a critical perspective power is the epistemic frame through which organizational dynamics are viewed and comprehended. In focusing on influence, control, and domination, a critical perspective regards phenomena such as worker empowerment as an enterprise’s means of usurping employees’ motivational states and actions, as opposed to an emancipatory approach to job design. In highlighting power dynamics, a critical perspective thus downplays or disregards other processes that can help to explain human behavior in organizations. This is not to suggest that a critical perspective is flawed, only that it is incomplete and that adding other perspectives can present organizational scholars with a more nuanced and enhanced understanding of the phenomena under their purview. In fact, critical theory asks us to continually reconsider the lenses we use to understand phenomena lest we engage in reification and become tied dogmatically to one perspective or worldview. Positive organizational studies (e.g., Donaldson & Ko, 2010) offers an alternative lens for viewing and understanding contemporary organizational phenomena. Positive organizational studies includes positive organizational behavior, which focuses on positively oriented employee strengths and capacities (Luthans, 2002); positive organizational scholarship, which concentrates on “especially positive outcomes, processes, and attributes of organizations and their members” (Cameron, Dutton, & Quinn, 2003, p. 4); and positive organizational psychology, which builds on the more general field of positive psychology (Seligman & Csikszentmihalyi, 2000) and emphasizes positive subjective experiences, traits, and institutions such as work organizations (Donaldson & Ko, 2010). Positive organizational studies provides a perspective that accentuates the structures, processes, and mechanisms that support thriving employees in flourishing organizations. In lieu of focusing on organizational initiatives as efforts to control and manipulate employees, positive psychology focuses on how organizational dynamics promote the health, vitality, and well-being of employees. For example, according to Kahn (1990), personal engagement refers to “the harnessing of organization members’ selves to their work roles; in engagement, people employ and express themselves physically, cognitively, and emotionally during role performances” (p. 694). Viewed through the lens of critical theory, engagement represents a form of normative control through which employees are enjoined to the dictates of capital for the purpose of generating productive labor and surplus value. From the perspective of positive psychology, engagement is a desirable state related to well-being and represents freedom in the sense that
In their focal article, Highhouse et al. (2020) argue that “academic SIOP members who reside in b... more In their focal article, Highhouse et al. (2020) argue that “academic SIOP members who reside in business schools would assign greater prestige and relevance to top management journals than do academic SIOP members who reside in psychology departments” (p. 273). They tested this by examining the average prestige and relevance scores assigned to flagship management journals such as Academy of Management Journal (AMJ), Academy of Management Review (AMR), and Journal of Management (JOM) by academic work setting. The results of t tests indicated that business faculty rated these journals as more prestigious and more relevant. Based on these results, Highhouse et al. concluded that “to the extent that business school faculty are predominate influencers of [industrial-organizational] I-O psychology, this suggests that management scholarship will continue to set the priorities for future I-O scholarship” (p. 273). In our view, this is not an accurate conclusion for at least three reasons:
The way we conceptualize organizations leads us to understand them in particular and circumscribe... more The way we conceptualize organizations leads us to understand them in particular and circumscribed ways (Morgan, 1997). Like the proverbial blind men touching different parts of an elephant, the explicit philosophies and implicit mental models we invoke to explain organizational phenomena direct and limit our attention to a restricted subset of features that can lead to different inferences and conclusions. In his prescient and insightful article, Mumby (2019) adopts a critical perspective to analyze contemporary work environments. As Mumby notes, within a critical perspective power is the epistemic frame through which organizational dynamics are viewed and comprehended. In focusing on influence, control, and domination, a critical perspective regards phenomena such as worker empowerment as an enterprise’s means of usurping employees’ motivational states and actions, as opposed to an emancipatory approach to job design. In highlighting power dynamics, a critical perspective thus downplays or disregards other processes that can help to explain human behavior in organizations. This is not to suggest that a critical perspective is flawed, only that it is incomplete and that adding other perspectives can present organizational scholars with a more nuanced and enhanced understanding of the phenomena under their purview. In fact, critical theory asks us to continually reconsider the lenses we use to understand phenomena lest we engage in reification and become tied dogmatically to one perspective or worldview. Positive organizational studies (e.g., Donaldson & Ko, 2010) offers an alternative lens for viewing and understanding contemporary organizational phenomena. Positive organizational studies includes positive organizational behavior, which focuses on positively oriented employee strengths and capacities (Luthans, 2002); positive organizational scholarship, which concentrates on “especially positive outcomes, processes, and attributes of organizations and their members” (Cameron, Dutton, & Quinn, 2003, p. 4); and positive organizational psychology, which builds on the more general field of positive psychology (Seligman & Csikszentmihalyi, 2000) and emphasizes positive subjective experiences, traits, and institutions such as work organizations (Donaldson & Ko, 2010). Positive organizational studies provides a perspective that accentuates the structures, processes, and mechanisms that support thriving employees in flourishing organizations. In lieu of focusing on organizational initiatives as efforts to control and manipulate employees, positive psychology focuses on how organizational dynamics promote the health, vitality, and well-being of employees. For example, according to Kahn (1990), personal engagement refers to “the harnessing of organization members’ selves to their work roles; in engagement, people employ and express themselves physically, cognitively, and emotionally during role performances” (p. 694). Viewed through the lens of critical theory, engagement represents a form of normative control through which employees are enjoined to the dictates of capital for the purpose of generating productive labor and surplus value. From the perspective of positive psychology, engagement is a desirable state related to well-being and represents freedom in the sense that
Journal of Organizational Effectiveness: People and Performance, 2015
Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to argue in support of a model that shows how four key HRM ... more Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to argue in support of a model that shows how four key HRM practices focused on engagement influence organizational climate, job demands and job resources, the psychological experiences of safety, meaningfulness and availability at work, employee engagement, and individual, group and organizational performance and competitive advantage.Design/methodology/approach– This conceptual review focuses on the research evidence showing interrelationships between organizational context factors, job factors, individual employee psychological and motivational factors, employee outcomes, organizational outcomes and competitive advantage. The proposed model integrates frameworks that have previously run independently in the HR and engagement literatures.Findings– The authors conclude that HRM practitioners need to move beyond the routine administration of annual engagement surveys and need to embed engagement in HRM policies and practices such personnel selec...
Many contemporary organizations are placing a greater emphasis on their performance management sy... more Many contemporary organizations are placing a greater emphasis on their performance management systems as a means of generating higher levels of job performance. We suggest that producing performance increments may be best achieved by orienting the performance management system to promote employee engagement. To this end, we describe a new approach to the performance management process that includes employee engagement and the key drivers of employee engagement at each stage. We present a model of engagement management that incorporates the main ideas of the paper and suggests a new perspective for thinking about how to foster and manage employee engagement to achieve high levels of job performance.
Journal of Organizational Effectiveness: People and Performance, 2021
PurposeEmployee engagement has received a considerable amount of research attention over the last... more PurposeEmployee engagement has received a considerable amount of research attention over the last decade. However, most of the research has been on job or work engagement. Much less attention has been given to organization engagement, which is a distinct but related target of employee engagement. In this paper, we review the research on organization engagement and identify how it has been measured, its antecedents and consequences and how it compares to job engagement.Design/methodology/approachThis paper provides a narrative review of 40 studies that have measured organization engagement. Most of these studies have been published in the last five years, and they come from 20 different countries. The majority of studies also measured job or work engagement.FindingsMost studies used Saks' (2006) measure of organization engagement. Many antecedents have been found to be related to organization engagement; however, those most often studied and consistently related to organization e...
In 1991, Cox and Blake put forth six advantages from which diverse organizations should benefit. ... more In 1991, Cox and Blake put forth six advantages from which diverse organizations should benefit. They based these advantages, in part, on organizational practices that were current at the time. In the present paper, we re-visit these advantages and discuss current research as well as organizational ‘best practices’ with regard to diversity. Through an examination of award winning diversity practices we discuss recommendations for the future of research and practice.
[ ]the frequency of interactions with insiders is the primary mechanism for transforming newcomer... more [ ]the frequency of interactions with insiders is the primary mechanism for transforming newcomers into insiders (Reichers, 1987) In one of the few studies that compared a traditional, face-to-face (social-based) orientation program with a computer-based orientation program (a self-guided, 2- to 3-day program that covered all of the same material as the traditional orientation through the use of multimedia technologies), Wesson and Gogus (2005) found that newcomers who participated in the computer-based orientation scored significantly lower on socially oriented socialization content areas [ ]participation in the computer-based orientation had a significant negative effect on job satisfaction and organizational commitment The way their organization conducts its business and functions might have changed;how it interacts with customers, clients, and patients will be different;jobs and roles might change;and new human resource policies and guidelines about the use of personal protective equipment and physical distancing will have
Morgan, Stephanie (2007) Human resource management and employee engagement. In: Taplin, Ruth,(ed.... more Morgan, Stephanie (2007) Human resource management and employee engagement. In: Taplin, Ruth,(ed.) Outsourcing and human resource management: an international survey. Abingdon, Oxon., UK: Routledge. pp. 26-56.(Routledge studies in the growth economies ...
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Papers by Jamie Gruman