An Examination of the Joint Role of Control and Proactive Personality in Determining Responses to a Work Simulation

Trudy Sinnamon (2010). An Examination of the Joint Role of Control and Proactive Personality in Determining Responses to a Work Simulation Honours Thesis, School of Psychology, The University of Queensland.

       
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Author Trudy Sinnamon
Thesis Title An Examination of the Joint Role of Control and Proactive Personality in Determining Responses to a Work Simulation
School, Centre or Institute School of Psychology
Institution The University of Queensland
Publication date 2010
Thesis type Honours Thesis
Supervisor Jimmieson, Nerina L.
Total pages 92
Abstract/Summary In today’s job market, proactive individuals are in high demand because of their active approach to the work they face. Yet, little is understood about how proactive people react to demanding situations in the workplace and what leads them to experience work-related stress. Taking a job design and person-environment fit approach, this thesis aimed to investigate the effects of increasing or decreasing control on affective task reactions (i.e. tension-anxiety, effort, and satisfaction), and to examine how these differed between individuals with low and high levels of proactive personality. A sample of first year psychology students (N=154) each completed two trials of an email inbox activity with either an increase, decrease, or no change in control. As predicted, results found that for those high in proactive personality, an increase in control was associated with more effort and satisfaction towards the task. Increasing control did not affect how low proactive individuals responded to the task. Contrary to hypotheses, decreasing control did not influence affective task reactions for neither low nor high proactive individuals. Possible explanations for the lack of change in affective responses following a decrease in control are provided. The results are discussed with possible future directions and the practical implications of the findings.

 
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Created: Wed, 06 Apr 2011, 16:15:33 EST by Lucy O'Brien on behalf of School of Psychology