The Modern Workforce

PIs:  Julia Melkers (Arizona State University) and Ruth Kanfer Project:  Online skill building graduate programs are rapidly gaining popularity among adults seeking to reskill or upskill their competencies in bright prospect fields, such as computer science. The GT OMSCS program has … Continue reading “Adult Online Learning: The Experience of Skill Building in the GT OMSCS Program”

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A virtual assembly funded by the National Science Foundation took place across four weeks in July 2021. The purpose of the assembly was to build a framework for applied research to promote educational and mobility opportunities for “working learners” – … Continue reading “Forum: Building an Applied Science to Support Working Learners”

Date: Monday, September 23, 2019 Personnel Psychology has a call for papers for their special issue, entitled “What’s Age got to do with it? Age and Age-Related Differences in the workplace.” Special Issue Editors are all Work Science Center members: Margaret Beier, … Continue reading “Personnel Psychology Call for Papers/Special Issue”

By: Elizabeth Moraff A notable opportunity emerged from our efforts to deconstruct research addressing the presence of women in STEM subjects and their ability to persist in these fields. Specifically, our examination focused on studies of women involved in STEM … Continue reading “Gender-Focused Studies of Preliminary STEM Program”

By: Yendi Neil Career paths in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) are growing in the modern world, but women’s representation within these jobs is not experiencing the same amount of growth. A literature review was conducted on previous studies … Continue reading “Career Paths in Stem for African American Women”

Work Science Center Network members Deborah Rupp and Lisa Finkelstein noticed a gap in the literature around workers with disabilities. While studies had oft examined outcomes of people with stigmatized identities, including those with disabilities, they did not find much … Continue reading “In Their Own Voices: Workers with Concealable Disabilities”

Work Science Center Network member, Deborah Rupp, teamed up with other scientists to probe the causes of group-level differences in the way people were rated during the Assessment Center Method. The Assessment Center has been long viewed as an objective … Continue reading “Network Research Highlight: Assessment Center Differences – What’s the Cause?”

By: Keaton Fletcher Social Media, specifically LinkedIn, has played an increasingly important role in connecting job seekers with employers and recruiters. In an article recently published in Personnel Psychology, Roulin and Levashina (2019) presented data from two studies exploring how … Continue reading “How to Use LinkedIn for Hiring”

About the Award The award is named after the late Julius “Jay” E. Uhlaner. The former Army Research Institute (ARI) technician and chief psychologist of the U.S. Army left a lasting legacy through his leadership and research achievements in applying … Continue reading “WSC Network Member, Phillip Ackerman, Receives 2019 Julius E. Uhlaner Award”

By: Keaton Fletcher Transitioning from active military duty to civilian jobs can be particularly challenging, but relatively little empirical work has been done to explore this period. A recent paper published in the Journal of Applied Psychology (Hammer, Wan, Brockwood, … Continue reading “Supervisors Helping Veterans Transition to Civilian Jobs”

By: Elizabeth Moraff Work Science Center Network Member, Darell Burell, and a team of researchers recently published a paper investigating factors impacting whistleblowing in police departments. The research team identified a series of allegations of police misconduct and the nationwide increase in such … Continue reading “WSC Network Research Highlight: Encouraging Whistleblowing”

By: Yendi Neil Teams in organizations often provide more advantages than individuals working independently when overcoming a new challenge, but their success relies on the coordination and interpersonal relations of the team. A universal negative influence on teamwork is relationship … Continue reading “Fighting for Your Team”

By: Keaton Fletcher Within the United States, there exists a racial pay gap, such that a college-educated Black man can expect to earn about 80% of what a college-educated White man will earn, on average (Pew Research Center, 2016). A … Continue reading “Race Matters in Pay Negotiations”

By: Keaton Fletcher Smartphones have become pervasive. Work Science Center Network Member, Kostadin Kushlev, recently published a review on the social costs of smartphone usage. Smartphones are designed to capture our attention, and increased use has been shown to increase perceived distraction … Continue reading “WSC Network Research Highlight: The Social Price of Smartphones”

By: Yendi Neil From time to time, everyone engages in procrastination, or delaying completing necessary tasks. In the short-term, procrastination can have benefits in protecting one’s self-esteem but can negatively impact one’s performance in the long run. In general, people … Continue reading “Motivated to Procrastinate”

By: Keaton Fletcher Heavy drinking (consumption of 5 or more standard alcoholic beverages in one sitting) with clients is a common occurrence, but can be problematic, both for employees as well as their employer. A study recently published in Human Relations by a … Continue reading “WSC Network Research Highlight: Heavy Drinking with Clients”

By: Keaton Fletcher In the modern workforce, many workers worry about the security of their employment, and this may have negative outcomes for them and their organizations. A team of researchers led by Work Science Center Network Member, Mindy Shoss, … Continue reading “WSC Network Research Highlight: Job Insecurity and Satisfaction”

By: Jacqueline Jung It is no secret that women are underrepresented in academia, especially in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) disciplines. When scanning the names of a faculty roster for STEM departments, it is not uncommon to find just … Continue reading “Conversation Content and Women in STEM”

By: Keaton Fletcher The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 defines disability as a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits a major life activity such as hearing, seeing, speaking, walking, breathing, performing manual tasks, caring for oneself, learning, or … Continue reading “WSC Network Research Highlight: Disclosing Disability Status”

By: Yendi Neil University administrators manage the policies and activities of the university, guiding the organization in strategic directions. For example, administrators can influence the population of the university faculty by allocating resources and power to affect representation. Williams and … Continue reading “Gender Differences in University Administrators’ Perspectives on Policies for Women in STEM”

By: Jacqueline Jung For decades, historians have delved into historical records to dismantle the stereotype that only men have made significant contributions and advancements to science, technology, engineering and technology. Margaret Rossiter’s Women Scientists in America, published in 1982, was … Continue reading “Where Are All the Women Scientists?”

By: Elizabeth Moraff Ever been encouraged to speak up? Work Science Center Network Member Sharon K. Parker recently published a study with Thomas Ng and Dennis Hsu in the Journal of Management that investigates some factors that influence why an … Continue reading “Network Research Highlight: Respect Leads to Voice”

By: Keaton Fletcher In a recent paper, WSC Network Member, Mo Wang, along with a team of researchers led by Jaclyn Koopmann studied the relationship between what typically motivates us and our behavior at work. Specifically, using a sample of Chinese nurses, the … Continue reading “Network Research Highlight: Motivation, Exhaustion, and Behavior”

By: Keaton Fletcher Work Science Center Advisory Council Member, Margaret Beier, recently published a commentary for a special issue of the Journal of Intelligence on the nature of mental ability. Research has supported a hierarchical structure of intelligence such that there is … Continue reading “Network Research Highlight: General or Specific Mental Abilities”

By: Elizabeth Moraff Work Science Center advisory council member David Blustein recently published a paper detailing the Psychology of Working Framework (PWF) and its corresponding theory, Psychology of Working Theory (PWT). These intertwined concepts identify the fundamental needs that work … Continue reading “Network Research Highlight: The Future of the Psychology of Working”

By: Keaton Fletcher The U.S. federal minimum wage is currently $7.25 per hour, a standard that was set in 2009. The minimum wage for work covered by federal contracts, however, is $10.35 per hour. 29 of the 50 states have … Continue reading “Minimum Wage 101”

By: Keaton Fletcher A paper recently published in the International Journal of Selection and Assessment by a team of researchers including WSC Advisory Council Member, Deborah Rupp, focuses on an increasingly popular tool that organizations are using to select individuals … Continue reading “Network Research Highlight: Selecting Fairly”

By: Yendi Neil According to a report released by the National Science Foundation (NSF; 2017), the enrollment of historically underrepresented groups (e.g., women, Blacks, Hispanics, Native Americans, Alaska Natives, and individuals with disabilities) in undergraduate institutions is increasing. However, enrollment … Continue reading “Demographics of Science and Engineering: Are We Improving?”

By: Elizabeth Moraff Work Science Center network member Mary F. Fox has focused much of her research on women in research and academia, particularly noting barriers to their advancement. Most recently, she published a reflection on Georgia Tech’s website detailing … Continue reading “Network Research Highlight: Work-Family Conflict is a Barrier for Women”

By Jacqueline Jung The modern workforce is becoming increasingly science and technology based. Improving the selection and retention of undergraduate students in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) majors is, therefore, increasingly important. Attrition rates are high: more than 1 … Continue reading “Who Quits STEM Majors?”

By: Keaton Fletcher WSC Advisory Board Member, David Blustein, is part of a team led by Kelsey L. Autin that recently published a paper in the Journal of Counseling Psychology that tackles what it means to have your needs satisfied … Continue reading “Network Research Highlight: Work is More Than a Paycheck”

By: Riley Swab Sleep is necessary to increase focus and productivity, both vital traits to workers. Japanese workers, however, are accumulating massive sleep debts (i.e., consistently sleeping less than 7 hours per night without rebound sleep such as naps or … Continue reading “Lack of Sleep is a Public Health and Economic Concern”

By: Elizabeth Moraff & Keaton Fletcher A recent paper published by Debora Jeske, Sonia Lippke, and Work Science Center Network Member, Kenneth Shultz, in the Employee Responsibilities and Rights Journal, highlights the increasingly confusing role of social media in job … Continue reading “Network Research Highlight: Cyber-Vetting May Be Limiting Talent Pools”

Date: Friday, February 1, 2019By: Justin Sabree The Industrial-Organizational Psychology program at Georgia Tech recently hosted a series of speakers on modern team research in a wide variety of contexts. Below, we briefly outline these talks. Scott Tannenbaum, President and … Continue reading “Modern Teams Speaker Series”

By: Elizabeth Moraff An enriched work design is one in which work roles provide employees with autonomy, task variety, and opportunities to use and develop skills. Despite a wealth of literature pointing towards the benefits of enriched work design, low-quality … Continue reading “Network Research Highlight: Creating Enriched Jobs”

Date: Tuesday, January 29, 2019 Network Member, Fred Oswald; WSC Advisory Council member, Tara Behrend; and Lori Foster released the first edition of their edited book, Workforce Readiness and the Future of Work. The book features 13 chapters tackling topics including the … Continue reading “Workforce Readiness and the Future of Work”

By: Keaton Fletcher Members of the Work Science Center Advisory Council, Tara Behrend and David Blustein, recently published a groundbreaking study, led by Alexander Glosenberg, in the Journal of Vocational Behavior exploring the fit between individuals’ vocational interests and their current … Continue reading “Network Research Highlight: Vocational Interests and Fit”

By: Brian Hengesbaugh Behavioral science has long been used by media and advertisers to influence the decision-making of consumers (e.g., pricing items at 99 cents instead of the full dollar). The growing “gig economy,” in which temporary jobs are completed … Continue reading “The Science Behind Uber’s Nudges”

By: Keaton Fletcher In a recent review accepted for publication in the Journal of Organizational Behavior, Dr. Malissa Clark (Work Science Center Network Member) and colleagues provide a clearer understanding of the nature and role of empathy in the workplace. Empathy is … Continue reading “Network Research Highlight: Understanding Empathy with Malissa Clark”

By: Catherine Liu With advances in technology increasing, the need for rapid adaptation and adjustment, many companies, particularly those in the technology sector, have turned toward Agile as a potential solution. In a 2011 study of over 200 IT and business executives, it was … Continue reading “What is Agile? A New Technique Companies Are Using to Stay Competitive”

By Brian Hengesbaugh Why aren’t there more women on corporate boards? Women constitute 47% of the labor force and 52% of management and professional positions (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2017). Yet women comprise just 21% of corporate board seats (Catalyst, 2018).  … Continue reading “Designing the Face of Tomorrow’s Corporate Boards: Gender Diversity and Default Decisions”

Date: Wednesday, October 10, 2018 Ken Catchpole gave the second of the WSC Distinguished Lectures, titled “Task, Team, Technology Integration in High Technology Teams”

Date: Wednesday, September 26, 2018 Michael Ford gave the first of the WSC Distinguished Lecture Series talks titled “Implications of Moral Organizational Behavior for Employee Beliefs, Motivation, and Well-Being.” 

By: Hannah Ramil The Ethic of Care (EoC) rests upon the belief that “an awareness of the connection between people gives rise to a recognition of responsibility for one another, a perception of the need for response” (Gilligan, 1982). In … Continue reading “Bringing an Ethic of Care to Organizations”

By: Brian Hengesbaugh How can we enhance goal setting and increase performance? Prime the mind with effort. Priming is the process of using a stimulus to subconsciously activate stored knowledge and psychological processes. As an example, if you were to read … Continue reading “Primed for Success”

By: Haleigh Streak In the modern economy, with the rise of automation and gig work, employment gaps are common. These gaps may be voluntary (i.e. caretaking for new children or aging parents/grandparents, spouse relocation, etc.), or involuntary (i.e. downsizing and … Continue reading “Emotions During Employment Gaps”

By: Keaton Fletcher Findings from a recently published meta-analysis (a method of combining the findings from many different smaller studies) by Gavin Slemp, Margaret Kern, Kent Patrick, and Richard Ryan suggest that good leaders support your autonomy in the workplace. Leadership has long been a useful tool … Continue reading “Is Your Leader Giving You The Freedom You Need?”

Date: Thursday, May 24, 2018

By: Keaton Fletcher Although most people groan and take a bit longer getting ready for work Monday mornings, lamenting the short weekend, David Blustein, Jonas Masdonati, and Jérôme Rossier, suggest maybe we should count our blessings instead since work is a key component … Continue reading “Network Research Highlight: The Benefits of Decent Work”

By: Keaton Fletcher Humans are predictably irrational, and organizations can capitalize upon this fact to enhance the working experience as well as their own profits. In a recent podcast, Tim Dickson, on behalf of McKinsey & Company, hosted Julia Sperling, Anna … Continue reading “Humans: Predictably Irrational”

By: Keaton Fletcher Our very own advisory council member, Dr. Deborah E. Rupp recently published two papers on related topics: corporate social responsibility and organizational justice. In collaboration with Omer Farooq and Mariam Farooq, Rupp tackles the issue of corporate social responsibility (CSR). CSR is the notion that an … Continue reading “Network Research Highlight: Corporate Social Responsibility and Organizational Justice”

By: Keaton Fletcher In a recent interview, Jeffrey Pfeffer author of Dying for a Paycheck, paints a dark picture of the modern workforce that boils down to four words: work is killing people. In his book and subsequent interview, Pfeffer echoes Robert Chapman’s argument … Continue reading “Is Work Killing People?”

By: Keaton Fletcher One thing most working adults struggle with is balancing the demands of work and family. Oftentimes we find ourselves needing to be in two places at once, or thinking about work when we should be focusing on … Continue reading “Should You Try to Balance Family and Work?”