Working everywhere and every time? – Chances and risks in crowdworking and crowdsourcing work design

Schulte J, Schlicher K, Maier GW. Working everywhere and every time? – Chances and risks in crowdworking and crowdsourcing work design. Gruppe. Interaktion. Organisation. Zeitschrift für Angewandte Organisationspsychologie (GIO). 2020;51(1):59-69.This article of the journal Gruppe. Interaktion. Organisation (GIO) deals with the question how work and organizational psychology can contribute to a better understanding of work design in crowdwork. Over the last decade, crowdsourcing (CS) has gained much momentum and attention, yet people who use CS as an additional or exclusive source of income are experiencing less consideration overall. Therefore, we define the term crowdwork (CW), and delimit it from related concepts, e.g., CS and gig economy. We then address how work and organizational psychology theory can contribute to the research of CW, with a focus on work design, and where new approaches are necessary. We give an overview of current research in this field, and derive suggestions and recommendations for both further research approaches and also practical application of work design in CW

Talente entdecken anhand von Arbeitsproben

Voigt H, Maier GW. Talente entdecken anhand von Arbeitsproben. Presented at the 8. Deutscher Assessment-Center-Kongress: Talente entdecken und fördern: Personaldiagnostik als Wettbewerbsvorteil, Potsdam

Validation of a German version of the Ethical Leadership at Work questionnaire (ELW) by Kalshoven et al. (2011)

Steinmann B, Nübold A, Maier GW. Validation of a German version of the Ethical Leadership at Work questionnaire (ELW) by Kalshoven et al. (2011). Frontiers in Psychology. 2016;7: 446.The present study evaluates the psychometric properties of a German version of the Ethical Leadership at Work questionnaire (ELW-D), and further embeds the construct of ethical leadership within its nomological network. Confirmatory factor analyses (CFAs) based on the total sample of N = 363 employees support the assumed seven-factor structure of the German translation. Within a sub-sample of N = 133, the ELW-D shows positive correlations with related leadership behaviors (transformational leadership, contingent reward, and servant leadership), and negative correlations with destructive ones (passive leadership, autocratic leadership, and abusive supervision), approving convergent validity of the scale. Comparisons of correlated correlation coefficients reveal restrictions of its discriminant validity. In support of the criterion-related validity (N = 100), the ELW-D relates to work-related attitudes (e.g., job satisfaction, satisfaction with the leader, trust in the leader) and follower behaviors (e.g., extra effort, organizational citizenship behavior) in the way expected. Besides, ELW-D-dimensions show incremental validity over and above the Ethical Leadership Scale, emphasizing the added value of this questionnaire

Increasing pro-environmental behavior in the home and work contexts through cognitive dissonance and autonomy

The aim of this study was to develop a novel cognitive dissonance intervention founded on the action-based model for enhancing pro-environmental behavior. Based on intraindividual feedback on the expression of personal pro-environmental attitudes and behavior the study confirms the effect of cognitive dissonance intervention to foster pro-environmental behavior. The effect of this intervention could be demonstrated for the home as well as for the work context, although the effects for the work domain were lower. This can be explained by specific situational conditions of the work domain. Autonomy for pro-environmental behavior is significantly lower in the work context than in the home context and significantly moderates the effect of the cognitive dissonance intervention. The present work provides information on how pro-environmental behavior can be influenced in different contexts as well as the significance of situational framework conditions for the effect of behavior-changing interventions

Handbuch Gestaltung digitaler und vernetzter Arbeitswelten

Maier GW, Engels G, Steffen E, eds. Handbuch Gestaltung digitaler und vernetzter Arbeitswelten. Berlin: Springer; 2020

How to raise technology acceptance: User experience characteristics as technology-inherent determinants

Mlekus L, Bentler D, Paruzel A, Kato-Beiderwieden A-L, Maier GW. How to raise technology acceptance: User experience characteristics as technology-inherent determinants. Gruppe. Interaktion. Organisation. Zeitschrift für Angewandte Organisationspsychologie (GIO). 2020;51(3):273-283.This paper in the journal Gruppe. Interaktion. Organisation. (GIO) presents a study that investigated user experience characteristics as determinants of technology acceptance. Organizations planning to implement new technologies are confronted with the challenge to ensure user acceptance. Barely accepted technologies are used less often, result in lower job satisfaction, and ultimately lead to performance losses. The technology acceptance model (Venkatesh and Bala 2008) incorporates determinants of information technology use. The model’s predictors have a strong focus on interindividual user characteristics (such as computer self-efficacy) and the job context (e.g., voluntariness). Yet, what is lacking in the model, are characteristics of the technology itself that can be used as starting points to design better technologies. To bridge this gap, we introduce the User Experience Technology Acceptance Model, and provide a first test of this model. In our online survey (N = 281), we investigated how technological determinants, more specifically user experience characteristics, affected technology acceptance. Except for two paths of our proposed model, all path coefficients were significant with small to large effect sizes (f² = 0.02 – 0.66). User experience predictors resulted in 60.6% of explained variance in perceived ease of use, 38.2% of explained variance in perceived usefulness, and 25.8% of explained variance in behavioral intention. Our results provide mostly support for our extension of the technology acceptance model. The technology-inherent characteristics output quality, perspicuity, dependability, and novelty were significant predictors of technology acceptance. We discuss theoretical and practical implications with the focus on technology designers, change managers, and users.Dieser Beitrag in der Zeitschrift Gruppe. Interaktion. Organisation. (GIO) stellt eine Studie vor, in der User Experience-Merkmale als Einflussfaktoren auf Technologieakzeptanz untersucht wurden. Bei der Einführung neuer Technologien sehen sich Unternehmen vor der Herausforderung, dass Benutzer diese akzeptieren. Wenig akzeptierte Technologien werden seltener eingesetzt, stehen in Verbindung mit einer geringeren Arbeitszufriedenheit und wirken sich schlecht auf die Leistung aus. Das Technology Acceptance Model (Venkatesh und Bala 2008) umfasst Faktoren, die die Nutzung von Informationstechnologien vorhersagen. Diese beinhalten vornehmlich interindividuelle Benutzermerkmale (z. B. Computer-Selbstwirksamkeit) und den beruflichen Kontext (z. B. Freiwilligkeit). Was jedoch im Modell fehlt, sind Merkmale der Technologie selbst, die als Ausgangspunkt für das Design besserer Technologien dienen können. Um diese Lücke zu schließen, präsentieren und testen wir das User Experience Technology Acceptance Model. In unserer Online-Umfrage (N = 281) haben wir untersucht, wie technologische Faktoren, insbesondere User Experience-Merkmale, die Technologieakzeptanz beeinflussen. Mit Ausnahme von zwei Pfaden waren alle Pfadkoeffizienten unseres Modells bei kleinen bis großen Effektstärken (f² = 0,02 - 0,66) signifikant. Die User Experience-Prädiktoren klärten 60,6% der Varianz der wahrgenommenen Einfachheit der Nutzung, 38,2% der Varianz der wahrgenommenen Nützlichkeit und 25,8% der Varianz der Nutzungsabsicht auf. Unsere Ergebnisse unterstützen größtenteils die Erweiterung des Technology Acceptance Models. Die technologiebezogenen Merkmale Output-Qualität, Durchschaubarkeit, Zuverlässigkeit und Neuartigkeit waren signifikante Prädiktoren für die Technologieakzeptanz. Wir diskutieren theoretische und praktische Implikationen mit dem Fokus auf Technologiegestaltern, Change-Managern und Anwendern

Need for affiliation as a motivational add-on for leadership behaviors and managerial success

Steinmann B, Ötting SK, Maier GW. Need for affiliation as a motivational add-on for leadership behaviors and managerial success. Frontiers in Psychology. 2016;7: 1972.In a sample of 70 leader-follower dyads, this study examines the separate and interactive effects of the leaders’ implicit needs for power, achievement, and affiliation on leadership behaviors and outcomes. Results show that whereas the need for achievement was marginally associated with follower-rated passive leadership, the need for affiliation was significantly related to ratings of the leaders’ concern for the needs of their followers. Analyzing motive combinations in terms of interactive effects and accounting for the growing evidence on the value of affiliative concerns in leadership, we assumed the need for affiliation would channel the interplay among the needs for power and achievement in such a way that the leaders would become more effective in leading others. As expected, based on high need for achievement, the followers were more satisfied with their jobs and with their leaders and perceived more transformational leadership behavior if power-motivated leaders equally had a high need for affiliation. Moreover, the leaders indicated higher career success when this was the case. However, in indicators of followers’ performance, the three-way interaction among the needs for power, achievement, and affiliation did not account for additional variance

The path is the goal: How transformational leaders enhance followers’ job attitudes and proactive behavior

Steinmann B, Klug HJ, Maier GW. The path is the goal: How transformational leaders enhance followers’ job attitudes and proactive behavior. Frontiers in Psychology. 2018;9: 2338.While leading through goals is usually associated with a task-oriented leadership style, the present work links goal setting to transformational leadership. A longitudinal field study was conducted to investigate the influence of transformational leadership on followers’ job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and proactive behavior via goal attributes. Findings indicate that transformational leaders influence the extent to which followers evaluate organizational goals as important and perceive them as attainable. Multiple mediation analysis revealed that these goal attributes transmit the effect of transformational leadership on followers’ job attitudes and proactive behavior. However, goal importance and goal attainability seem to be of differential importance for the different outcomes

The Path Is the Goal: How Transformational Leaders Enhance Followers’ Job Attitudes and Proactive Behavior

While leading through goals is usually associated with a task-oriented leadership style, the present work links goal setting to transformational leadership. An online survey with two time points was conducted with employees to investigate the influence of transformational leadership on followers’ job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and proactive behavior via goal attributes. Findings indicate that transformational leaders influence the extent to which followers evaluate organizational goals as important and perceive them as attainable. Multiple mediation analysis revealed that these goal attributes transmit the effect of transformational leadership on followers’ job attitudes and proactive behavior. However, goal importance and goal attainability seem to be of differential importance for the different outcomes

Persönliche Anliegen in Alltagssituationen

Brunstein JC, Ganserer J, Maier GW, Heckhausen H. Persönliche Anliegen in Alltagssituationen. Memorandum. Vol 82. Erlangen: Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg; Draft.In einer Feldstudie, an der 42 Hausfrauen teilnahmen, wurden charakteristische Merkmale von persönlichen Anliegen untersucht, und es wurde überprüft, welchen Einfluß persönliche Anliegen auf die Erfahrung und Beurteilung von Alltagssituationen ausüben. In einem Interview beschrieben die Teilnehmerinnen zunächst ihre Anliegen und schätzten sie anschießend nach einer Reihe von Anliegenparametern ein (z.B. nach der Höhe ihrer Bereitschaft, sich für die Verwirklichung eines Anliegens einzusetzen; oder nach der Verfügbarkeit von günstigen Gelegenheiten, bei denen ein Anliegen verfolgt werden kann). Außerdem zeichneten sie eine Woche lang ihre täglichen Aktivitäten, Stimmungen und Bedürfnisse auf. Die Ergebnisse zeigten, (a) daß persönliche Anliegen nach dem Ausmaß an Entschlossenheit, ein anliegenrelevantes Ziel zu realisieren, sowie nach der Qualität vorteilhafter versus nachteiliger Realisierungsbedingungen beurteilt wurden; (b) daß die Intensität, mit der sich die Teilnehmerinnen mit ihre persönlichen Anliegen beschäftigten, eng mit dem Ausmaß ihrer Entschlossenheit zusammenhing, während ihre diesbezügliche Erfolgserwartung von der Beurteilung der vorliegenden Realisierungsbedingungen bestimmt wurde; (c) daß sich Fortschritte bei der Realisierung von Anliegen ebenso wie positive und negative Stimmungslagen im Alltag in bedeutsamem Umfang auf Unterschiede in der persönlichen Einsatzbereitschaft und in der Verfügbarkeit von günstigen Gelegenheiten zurückführen ließen; sowie (d) daß die Teilnehmerinnen anliegenrelevante Situationen im Alltag als Herausforderung erlebten, bei der sie ihre Fähigkeiten demonstrieren und ihr Selbstwertgefühl stärken konnten.42 housewives participated in a field study in which characteristic dimensions of current concerns were explored, and influences current concerns exerted upon subjects' experience of and judgements about everyday situations were examined. A preceding interview required participants to describe their current concerns and to assess them through a series of concern attributes (e.g., subjects' readiness to invest effort in order to attain a concern-related goal; or availability of favorable opportunities to pursue current concerns). Subjects also recorded their daily activities, moods, and needs over a one-week period. Results demonstrated (a) that current concerns were construed along two dimensions indicating subjects' commitment to attain a concern-related goal and reflecting their judgement of facilitating versus debilitating environmental conditions; (b) that intensity of concern-related preoccupations was closely linked to commitment-related variables, whereas judgements about environmental conditions determined the subjective pro- bability of success; (c) that readiness to invest effort and availability of favorable opportunities accounted both for significant variations in progress toward goal attainment and for individual differences in positive versus negative mood in daily life situations; and (d) that participants perceived concern-related everyday situations as challenges, allowing them to demonstrate their abilities and to increase their sense of self-esteem