Psychology Ph.D. Dissertations

Title

Examining the relationship between organizational constraints and individual deficits in executive functioning on employees' extra-role work behaviors.

Date of Award

2016

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

Department

Psychology/Industrial-Organizational

First Advisor

Steve Jex (Advisor)

Second Advisor

Margaret Brooks (Committee Member)

Third Advisor

Sherona Garrett-Ruffin (Committee Member)

Fourth Advisor

Melissa Miller (Other)

Abstract

Although the relationship between organizational constraints and task performance has received much empirical scrutiny, largely showing a negative relationship between the two variables, the relationship between constraints and extra-role behaviors has received less attention. Thus, one purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between organizational constraints and extra-role behaviors – both positive extra-role behaviors (OCB and creativity) and negative extra-role behaviors (CWB). Furthermore, in order to explore the frequently hypothesized moderating effect of “control” on the stressor (here, organizational constraints) – strain (here, extra-role behaviors) relationship, this study examined deficits in executive functioning (DEF), an alternative measure and conceptualization of control, as a moderator in the relationship between organizational constraints and extra-role behaviors. Data was collected from approximately 500 full-time employees and subsequently analyzed to test the current study’s hypothesis. The results showed that both organizational constraints and DEF significantly predicted all outcome variables; however, the directionality of some of the relationships between predictor and outcome variables found in this study’s analyses did not match the initial hypotheses. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

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