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1 – 10 of over 103000Dorien Vanhercke, Nele De Cuyper, Ellen Peeters and Hans De Witte
– The purpose of this paper is to define employability within the psychological literature with a focus upon perceived employability.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to define employability within the psychological literature with a focus upon perceived employability.
Design/methodology/approach
To achieve the aim, the paper defines five objectives as follows. First, the paper discusses how employability is interpreted in the psychological literature. Second, the paper defines perceived employability within this literature. Third, the paper goes one step further by comparing the perceived employability approach to other approaches in the psychological field, namely, approaches based on competences and dispositions. The paper concludes with an integration of the three approaches into a process model to demonstrate their interrelationships, which the authors see as the fourth objective. With approach, the paper refers to a specific view on employability, including both definitions and measures, which share significant common ground. Finally, the paper highlights some implications.
Findings
The paper concludes that each approach comes with specific advantages and disadvantages. Researchers and practitioners should use an approach according to the general research question one aims to address.
Originality value
The authors believe to contribute to the employability literature in the following ways. First, the paper raises awareness that not all psychological notions of employability are equal, though they are often treated as such in the literature. Second, the paper highlights how perceived employability is tied to competences and dispositions. That is, though all notions are clearly different, they are also related.
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João J. Ferreira, Mário L. Raposo, Ricardo Gouveia Rodrigues, Anabela Dinis and Arminda do Paço
The field of entrepreneurship is dotted across different paradigms. Measuring entrepreneurial intention automatically needs to incorporate insights from the psychological approach…
Abstract
Purpose
The field of entrepreneurship is dotted across different paradigms. Measuring entrepreneurial intention automatically needs to incorporate insights from the psychological approach and behavioural approach. The purpose of this study was to develop and test a comprehensive structural equation model which combines both psychological and behavioural perspectives aiming to identify what variables have influence on entrepreneurial intention of secondary students.
Design/methodology/approach
This research was developed involving a sample of secondary students. The method of data collection was a survey by self‐administered questionnaire, to two secondary student classes, with several groups of questions related to demographic characteristics, behavioural and psychological constructs and entrepreneurial intention. Data was analysed using structural equation modelling (SEM).
Findings
The results show that need for achievement, self‐confidence, and personal attitude positively affect entrepreneurial intention. Furthermore, subjective norms and personal attitude affect perceived behavioural control. These findings could have a significant impact on knowledge of the contributions of behavioural and psychological theories to the entrepreneurial intention.
Research limitations/implications
Understanding of the ways in which several psychological and behavioural characteristics influence the entrepreneurial intention could help to advance our knowledge of the entrepreneurial process. Educational systems need to be oriented to emphasize and value entrepreneurship in order to promote an enterprise culture. Methods to teach entrepreneurship should also be explored further.
Originality/value
This is one of the first studies to provide evidences of the entrepreneurial intention explained by several constructs related to psychological and behavioural characteristics in a 14‐15‐year‐old student population. Additionally, most studies of the entrepreneurial intention associated to these approaches have been mostly conceptual, and the few empirical studies have not used structural equation modelling. The use of these statistical tests helps to overcome the limitations evident in conceptual studies and provide evidence of the relationships between behavioural and psychological traits simultaneously.
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Chris Senior, Colm Fearon, Heather Mclaughlin and Saranzaya Manalsuren
The purpose of this paper is to understand the nature of staff/employee (i.e. learning and teaching, curriculum support and administrative staff) perceptions, anxieties and…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to understand the nature of staff/employee (i.e. learning and teaching, curriculum support and administrative staff) perceptions, anxieties and worries about early merger change in the UK further education (FE) sector.
Design/methodology/approach
Survey data were collected from 128 out of 562 employees to examine perceptions of psychological contract (post-merger announcement) on an FE college in England. Paired t-tests were used to analyse quantitative data. Additionally, a content analysis of open-ended questions was incorporated as part of a combined methods survey evaluation approach for discussion and triangulation purposes.
Findings
Quantitative results from t-tests showed there had been a decrease in the perception of fulfilled obligations in nine of the ten areas of the psychological contract. Qualitative results indicated that communications, job security and uncertainty were common negative outcomes post-merger announcement. Implications for education managers from the case study include: a need for improved organizational communication; developing trust and mentorship for greater employee support, as well as; promoting further employee training and new opportunities for teamwork.
Research limitations/implications
Psychological contract theories for evaluating organizational change are useful given the recent interest in sharing public services and institutional mergers in the UK. This research demonstrates the benefits of using psychological contract, as well as how to apply such an evaluation for understanding staff concerns.
Originality/value
The paper demonstrates a usable (psychological contract) survey evaluation approach for studying the impact of early merger change on staff in the FE, or higher education sectors in the UK (or elsewhere).
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Abi Tarran-Jones, S.J. Summers, Sarah Dexter-Smith and Sarah Craven-Staines
Team psychological formulation is an organisational intervention aimed at developing a shared understanding of a person’s mental health difficulties. There is a lack of evidence…
Abstract
Purpose
Team psychological formulation is an organisational intervention aimed at developing a shared understanding of a person’s mental health difficulties. There is a lack of evidence regarding the therapeutic value of this approach for older people. The purpose of this paper is to explore how older people and their carers experience a cognitive-behavioural approach to team psychological formulation, within a mental health inpatient service in the UK.
Design/methodology/approach
A qualitative study using interpretative phenomenological analysis was undertaken. In total, 13 participants were interviewed: five older people/carer dyads, two lone older people and one lone carer.
Findings
Three overarching themes emerged: “Emotional impact of formulation” captured the mixed emotions that the process evoked in participants. “Making sense?” reflected the therapeutic value that participants experienced and what held them back from making gains in their recovery. “Disempowered people trapped in a biomedical world” illustrated the negative aspects of ward care, which hindered recovery.
Research limitations/implications
The findings provide insights into the therapeutic value of team psychological formulation and the difficulties in facilitating the process effectively. More consistency is required to ensure that team formulation is standardised. Further research into the outcomes of the approach for older people is recommended.
Practical implications
Recommendations are proposed for how team psychological formulation can be conducted effectively, using the mnemonic “SETUP”.
Originality/value
This study focussed on older people’s and their carers’ own perspectives regarding the team psychological formulation approach.
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Yi-Ling Lai and Stephen Palmer
The purpose of this paper is to identify essential psychological-informed executive coaching approaches that enhance the organisational learning and development process and…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to identify essential psychological-informed executive coaching approaches that enhance the organisational learning and development process and outcomes through integrating existing research evidence. Since coaching has been widely used in leadership development related areas and previous studies confirmed that this generates positive effects on individual-level learning in the organisational setting. The identified frameworks and influential factors outlined in this paper can serve as explicit guidelines for the organisation and management team when setting selection and evaluation benchmarks for employing executive coaches.
Design/methodology/approach
An integrated review approach was applied to narratively synthesise 234 (k=234) identified peer-review articles between 1995 and 2018. This review followed a rigorous protocol that the authors consulted ten (n=10) experts in the field. Both qualitative and quantitative psychological-focused research evidence was included in this study.
Findings
First, certain psychological approaches, such as cognitive behavioural, solution-focused, GROW and strength-based approaches, were highlighted in current research evidence. Second, the essential factors and skills, for instance, building trust, transparency and rapport, and facilitating learning were identified. Third, the main organisational learning and development outcome evaluation methods were outlined in this review, such as the self-efficacy scale, organisational commitment, workplace psychological well-being, 360-degree feedback and the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire.
Research limitations/implications
It is always challenging to integrate research evidence on coaching because of the diversity of theoretical disciplines upon which coaching interventions draw. Therefore, it is difficult to generate a meta-analytic review which can generate statistical results. This review also reveals room for improvement in the quality of existing coaching evidence in accordance with the criteria for evidence-based management or practice (Briner et al., 2009), such as research methodology and evaluation design. Moreover, there is a lack of evidence on this reflective process which helps professional coaches to ensure the quality of their practice and organisational support.
Practical implications
This review offers a new perspective on the role psychology plays in the organisational learning and development practices. The identified coaching approaches, influential interpersonal skills and outcome evaluation methods can serve as practical guidelines when applying external coaching to facilitate a better organisational learning and development process and outcome.
Originality/value
This is the first literature review to focus on contemporary psychological-informed coaching evidence (between 1995 and 2018) in the workplace setting. Despite the rapid growth in demand for professional coaching practitioners (International Coach Federation, 2016), there is a lack of research-informed evidence to overcome the challenges faced by organisations when employing external coaches, such as what selection criteria or evaluation benchmarks to use. This review takes a practical perspective to identify essential body of knowledge and behavioural indicators required for an executive coach to facilitate an effective learning and development outcome.
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To outline how psychology as one of the original approaches to human‐computer interaction (HCI) has formed a key part of the HCI literature, and to discuss the need for…
Abstract
Purpose
To outline how psychology as one of the original approaches to human‐computer interaction (HCI) has formed a key part of the HCI literature, and to discuss the need for psychological approaches to HCI and system development.
Design/methodology/approach
The contributions to the journal Human‐Computer Interaction is examined from the journal's start in 1985 up to the millennium. The analysis focuses the three main elements, task, user and computer, in the classic study “Psychology of human‐computer interaction” from 1983.
Findings
Provides information about authorship, and form and focus of research published. The paper concludes that already from the beginning, HCI researchers too narrowly used Card et al.'s analytical framework. Today it has developed into a sub‐theory within a multidisciplinary HCI science and in this role it continues to be an important cumulative factor in HCI.
Research limitations/implications
The main conclusion about the role of psychology in HCI only applies to the mainly US authors who published in the journal investigated in the given period. European research focusing on information technology and people may differ in important ways.
Practical implications
A much needed discussion of a central document of historical importance tying together many HCI researchers and a range of HCI studies.
Originality/value
This paper fulfils partly the need for meta‐analyses of the psychological approach to HCI.
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Richard J. Hughbank and Leland C. Horn
The concept of leadership is an oft-discussed issue among practitioners and scholars alike without regard to culture, background, or organizational affiliation. Based on our…
Abstract
The concept of leadership is an oft-discussed issue among practitioners and scholars alike without regard to culture, background, or organizational affiliation. Based on our international experiences, leadership is an art that is traditionally taught as a science which is impacted via various psychological concepts. It is both a natural phenomenon and a learned attribute that is planted, nurtured, developed, and tested over time. Certain leadership approaches are formal, only succeeding in formal settings and environments while others are dependent upon conditioning of the leader. Regardless of one’s leadership style and characteristics, it is critical that both leaders and followers define and understand the variances between failure and success within an organization. This chapter addresses international leadership styles and the psychological theories that support differing approaches assisting the reader to more clearly understand and identify the subtle differences in the development of a successful leader and organization from global perspectives.
Dandan Wang, Thomas Walker and Sergey Barabanov
The purpose of this study is to suggest an approach to regain consumer trust after negative effects of greenwashing that draws corporations and consumers into a conflicted…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to suggest an approach to regain consumer trust after negative effects of greenwashing that draws corporations and consumers into a conflicted relationship.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors collect and interpret qualitative data from in-depth interviews to develop a theoretical approach that enables the rebuilding of trust between greenwashing corporations and their consumers using the concept of psychological resilience.
Findings
This analysis indicates that the approach is an interaction between consumers with green brand loyalty and greenwashing corporations. This type of consumer demands emotional factors, functional factors and legitimate factors in the process of psychological resilience, and after greenwashing, corporations should select appropriate recovery strategies to stimulate these protective factors.
Originality/value
Previous research studied green consumer trust in the marketing field but did not explore the core of trust which was regarded as a cognitive process. This paper investigates green consumer behaviour under the perspective of psychological resilience and makes an innovative attempt to understand drivers of regaining consumer trust. Previous research works put forward a series of strategies related to regaining trust, but they did not discuss the mechanisms by which these strategies work. Using the method of grounded theory, we attempt to reveal the “black box” of consumers cognition after greenwashing and propose a strategy for regaining consumer trust.
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Shauna L. Meyerson and Theresa J.B. Kline
The aims of this paper are to clarify empowerment as a construct, assess whether environmental and psychological empowerment differentially predicts job outcomes, and investigate…
Abstract
Purpose
The aims of this paper are to clarify empowerment as a construct, assess whether environmental and psychological empowerment differentially predicts job outcomes, and investigate the effects of transformation and transactional leadership on empowerment.
Design/methodology/approach
University students (n=197) rated leadership and empowerment in their workplaces and a number of job outcomes using an on‐line questionnaire.
Findings
Results supported the proposition that empowerment should be separated into its behavioral and psychological components. The dimensions of empowerment also differentially predicted job outcomes. In particular, environmental empowerment was better at predicting outcomes than was psychological empowerment. It was also found that transformational and transactional leadership predicted environmental empowerment more strongly than psychological empowerment.
Research limitations/implications
Limitations include that the study was cross‐sectional, used a student sample, and a single common method for collecting the data. The primary implication for research is that empowerment should be separated into two constructs, environmental and psychological.
Practical implications
Practical implications include that environmental empowerment has more predictive power than does psychological empowerment on workplace outcomes and that leadership has a stronger impact on environmental than psychological empowerment.
Originality/value
This study is the first to call into question the way empowerment has been measured in prior studies and provides useful directions with which to pursue future research in this area.
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