Search results

The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of adult attention deficit on team members, the relationships between team members, the task performance dynamics within teams and team member performance.

A total of 304 management students working in self managing project teams completed measures of adult attention deficit, difficulty with necessary tasks, general independence, extraordinary reliance on team mates and acceptance of reliance on team mates. A measure of a team member's performance was completed by the other team members upon completion of the team project. Product moment correlations were used to examine associations between the measures, and partial correlations were used to test for mediation effects. The Williams T2 test was used to test for significant differences in correlations between adult attention deficit and related variables.

Adult attention deficit interferes with the ability to perform necessary tasks and constrains the achievement of a general sense of independence. The disorder also promotes extraordinary reliance on team mates and constrains team member performance. Although the disorder promotes extraordinary reliance on team mates, it promotes acceptance of such reliance to a much lesser extent.

Future research needs to sample a variety of workplace teams. Testing the hypotheses on new samples will also help to confirm the validity and reliability of the measures developed for this study.

Organizations that are increasingly reliant on the performance of employee teams need to be more aware of the influence of adult attention deficit on team members, their relationships with other team members and their performance. Providing individual training and team interventions that target the cognitive, emotional and behavioral capacity for completing necessary tasks is especially important for team members afflicted with the disorder.

This is the first study to examine the relationship between adult attention deficit, reliance on other team members and team member performance. This research is of value to researchers, organizational development specialists, managers and team members who are trying to improve the performance of team members with adult attention deficit.

A recent national survey of the US workforce suggests that adult attention related disorders are producing a wide range of negative outcomes in the workplace. The symptoms typically associated with the disorder (difficulties with activation, concentration, effort, emotional interference and accessing memory) suggest that team work may represent a problematic situation for adults with the disorder. Subjects were one hundred and fifty‐five student teams (subjects=628) from universities in both Canada and the United States. The study begins by confirming a hypothesis arising out of previous qualitative research that team members with adult attention deficit have relatively greater difficulty with necessary but uninteresting tasks. The hypothesis that team members with the disorder will be extraordinarily reliant on their teammates was also supported. The need to secure situations of particular fit, and to do so without undermining the support of fellow teammates, suggests that cooperative conflict management styles are especially important for clinical AAD vs. non‐clinical team members. The specific hypotheses, that cooperative styles (problem solving and compromising) are especially important for producing positive team experiences/expectations and efficacy for working in teams, were supported. Future research needs to sample more workplace teams.

Introduction‐Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Do you have trouble concentrating in meetings? Do you find yourself forgetting what you just read? Do you constantly fight a losing battle at “getting organised”? Do you become “depressed” too often?

The purpose of this paper is to conduct an empirical examination of the mediating influence of time management (TM) on relationship between adult attention deficit (AAD) and role stress (RS).

In total, 117 actively employed business graduate students completed a self-report measure of RS and identified two close associates, one of which completed an observer version of the Brown Attention Deficit Scale while the other complete an observer version of a TM measure. Product moment correlations were used to test the hypotheses that AAD, TM and RS were associated. The Sobel test of mediation was used to test the hypothesis that TM mediated the relationship between AAD and RS.

AAD, TM and RS are associated with each other and TM partially mediates the relationship between AAD and RS.

Research study is limited by a measure of AAD that may not fully represent all the key symptom clusters and an indirect workplace sample. Further investigation of AAD symptoms, including potentially positive manifestations like entre/intrapreneurial cognition and behavior, is required to stabilize the content, structure and measurement of the construct.

Organizations wishing to ensure timely completion of tasks and limit disruptive RS need to be aware of the influence of AAD. The provision of TM training, productivity management tools and an organized work space free of distractions is suggested for disordered employees. Various forms of organizational coaching including a peer coaching system may help disordered employees better manage both their time and their role. The effective design and management of teams represents a significant opportunity for effectively distributing the potential benefits of the disorder while managing deficits like poor TM and increased RS. Organizational development interventions that focus on TM and role (re)negotiation are suggested. Employee assistance programs that raise awareness and provide access to assessment are an important part of multimodal management of the disorder.

Increasing social, economic and legal pressures to provide reasonable accommodation for functional but disordered employees and take appropriate advantage of employee diversity underscores the general social value of this research.

This research study is the first empirical examination of the mediating influence of TM on the relationship between AAD and RS. The results are of value to researchers, organizational development specialists, human resource management specialists, managers and employees who are seeking effective multimodal management of the disorder in the workplace.

The purpose of this research is to investigate the relationship between adult attention deficit and efficacy for working in teams.

A total of 181 management students working in short term project teams (13 weeks) completed established assessments of efficacy for working in teams and a multi‐dimensional measure of adult attention deficit. The hypotheses were tested using product moment correlations and multiple regression.

Multiple regression provided support for the general hypothesis that adult attention deficit predicts lower efficacy for working in teams (F(5, 176) = 7.31, p=0.00). All dimensions of adult attention deficit were significantly correlated with efficacy for teamwork (r = −0.20 to −0.41), and the hypothesis that difficulty managing emotional interference uniquely predicts efficacy for teamwork was supported (β: p=0.000).

Future research needs to include a variety of workplace teams.

The strength of the results suggests that organizations implementing work teams need to be more aware of the effect of adult attention deficit on team member confidence and ability. Organizational development practices need to include interventions that assist the members with adult attention deficit.

This research helps to raise awareness of the relationship between adult attention deficit and key organizational behaviors. This research is of value to researchers, managers, organizational development specialists and employees who are trying to develop effective ways of supporting employees who are struggling with adult attention deficit.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between adult attention deficit (AAD) and the operational effectiveness of project managers (OEPM).

In total, 160 actively employed business graduate students participated in a business course where they were assigned to four person project teams responsible for completing a major business project. The project contained four sub-projects each of which was managed by a different team member. At the end of the semester each team member rated the others on their operational effectiveness as a project manager. Each subject identified a close associate who completed an observer version of the Brown Attention Deficit Scale. Product moment correlations were used to test the hypotheses that AAD and each of the symptom clusters are negatively associated with OEPM. Simultaneous linear regression was used to test the hypothesis that difficulties activating and organizing to work (DAOW) is uniquely associated with OEPM after controlling for the influence of all the other symptom clusters.

AAD and each of the symptom clusters is negatively associated with OEPM, and DAOW is uniquely associated with OEPM.

Research study is limited by use of an indirect work sample (working graduate students) and future research requires direct workplace samples of project managers. The influence of creativity within the relationship between AAD and project management effectiveness requires further investigation and may reveal beneficial aspects of the disorder.

Individuals and organizations wanting to ensure timely and successful completion of key tasks and projects need to be aware of the influence of AAD on OEPM. The provision of intensive project management training/coaching, regular performance feedback, project management tools and an organized work space free of distractions is suggested for disordered project managers. Disordered project managers are especially vulnerable during the task activation and organization phase which may be addressed through the use of peer coaching and constructive team support. The effective design and management of project teams represents a significant opportunity for distributing the potential creative benefits of the disorder while managing the deficits. Pairing disordered employees with coworkers who are less creative but have better administrative skills may be mutually beneficial. Employee assistance programs that raise awareness and provide access to assessment are an important part of multimodal management of the disorder.

Increasing social, economic and legal pressures to provide reasonable accommodation for functional but disordered employees, be more inclusive and take appropriate advantage of employee diversity underscores the general social value of this research.

This research study is the first examination of the influence of AAD within the nomological network that determines project manager effectiveness. The results are of value to researchers, organizational development specialists, human resource management specialists, managers and employees who are seeking effective multimodal management of the disorder in the workplace.

This is the first study to evaluate ADHD-hyperactive/impulsive subtype in a large clinical sample of adults with ADHD. The Quality of Life, Effectiveness, Safety and Tolerability (QuEST) study included 725 adults who received clinician diagnoses of any ADHD sub-type. Cross-sectional baseline data from 691 patients diagnosed with the hyperactive/impulsive (HI), inattentive (IA) and combined sub-types were used to compare the groups on the clinician administered ADHD-RS, clinical features and health-related quality of life. A consistent pattern of differences was found between the ADHD-I and combined subtypes, with the combined subtype being more likely to be diagnosed in childhood, more severe symptom severity and lower HRQL. Twenty-three patients out of the total sample of 691 patients (3%) received a clinician diagnosis of ADHD -hyperactive/impulsive subtype. Review of the ratings on the ADHD-RS-IV demonstrated, however, that this group had ratings of inattention comparable to the inattentive group. There were no significant differences found between the ADHD-HI and the other subtypes in symptom severity, functioning or quality of life. The hyperactive/impulsive subtype group identified by clinicians in this study was not significantly different from the rest of the sample. By contrast, significant differences were found between the inattentive and combined types. This suggests that in adults, hyperactivity declines and inattention remains significant, making the hyperactive/impulsive sub-type as defined by childhood criteria a very rare condition and raising questions as to the validity of the HI subtype in adults.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between adult attention deficit (AAD) and the operational effectiveness of project managers (OEPM) as mediated by time management (TM).

In total, 104 actively employed business graduate students each had the opportunity to be a project manager within a project team. Each team member rated the others on their operational effectiveness, completed a self-report measure of TM and identified a close associate who completed an observer version of the Brown Adult Attention Deficit Scale. The Sobel and Hayes tests were used to test the hypothesis that TM mediates the relationship between AAD and OEPM.

AAD is negatively associated with TM and OEPM, and TM is positively associated with OEPM. TM partially mediates the relationship between AAD and OPME.

Future research requires a sample of project managers drawn directly from the workplace, and needs to examine the association of AAD with a wider set of project conditions and associated competencies to identify potential benefits and challenges. An updated and validated measure of both TM and the OEPM is required in future research.

Individuals and organizations wanting to ensure timely and successful completion of key tasks and projects need to be aware of the potentially constraining influence of AAD on TM and OPME. Relatively more intensive time and project management training is suggested for disordered project managers and team members. The use of organizational coaches and peer coaching within project teams represents a potential opportunity for distributing the potential benefits of the disorder while managing the challenges. Employee assistance programs that raise awareness and provide access to assessment are an important part of multi-modal management of the disorder in the workplace.

Employers are facing increasing social, legal and economic pressures to support functional but disordered employees, be more inclusive and take appropriate advantage of employee diversity. This research provides constructive suggestions for how to support disordered employees with project management responsibilities.

This research study is the first examination of the relationships between AAD, TM and OEPM, and is of value to researchers, organizational development specialists, human resource management specialists, managers and employees who are seeking effective multi-modal management of the disorder in the workplace.

For many years it has been speculated that some learning and attention problems in children are related to underlying problems in neurological functioning. In fact, the IDEA (1997) definition of learning disabilities utilizes terminology that specifically includes neurological processes and conditions: Specific learning disabilities means a disorder in one or more of the basic psychological processes involved in understanding or in using language, spoken or written, which may manifest itself in an imperfect ability to listen, think, speak, read, write, spell, or do mathematical calculations. The term includes such conditions as perceptual handicaps, brain injury, minimal brain dysfunction, dyslexia, and developmental aphasia. The term does not include children who have learning problems which are primarily the result of visual, hearing, or motor handicaps, of mental retardation, or of environmental, cultural, or economic disadvantage.This chapter begins with a review of the role of neuroimaging in advancing an understanding of the basis and nature of learning and attention problems. The ever-increasing sophistication of neurodiagnostic technology has made it possible to obtain more precise information about neuroanatomical and neurophysiological bases of behavior, including learning and attention. Advances in technology have greatly increased the ability to study the functioning of the brain during the performance of relatively complex mental activities. With this advanced technology it is becoming increasingly possible to visualize normal and abnormal brain functioning, including important components of basic academic skills. The chapter includes a discussion of the recent evidence about the neurological basis of learning and attention problems.