Organizational Behavior

Leadership: Facilitating the

transition
transition from
from rigorous research
to real-world application.
E. Scott Geller
Center for Applied Behavior Systems
Virginia Tech

Presented to: Organizational Behavior Management Conference

State-of-the-Art OBM: Optimizing the Transition from Research to Practice
January 20-21st, 2005
Sarasota, Florida
 Our Mission
Mission
 To Make a Big
Big Difference

 in business
Make-A-Difference, Inc.

 in the community Since 1987.

 in people’s quality of life

A Big Difference Requires 4 Stages.

Selection Intervention Evaluation Dissemination

The Disconnect Between OBM Research
The Disconnect Between OBM Research
and Consulting:
and Consulting:
Select
(the marketable problem)

Design & Implement

(the solution)
Consultants’ Researchers’
Mastery Evaluate Mastery
(the results)

Disseminate
(and capture the market)
 We Haven’t Made a Big Splash.

 Our I/O Psychology peers are

constantly introducing terms like
“empowerment”, “conscientiousness”,
“culture”, and “The Big 5”.

 Buzzwords get the public’s attention

but not OBM.
 We don’t address the buzz.

 Buzz is not behavioral

 Buzz is not part of our behavioral jargon
 Buzz is not rigorous
 Buzz has no common definition
 OBM researchers are not rewarded for buzzing
 We say “you can’t manage what you can’t measure”
 Example Buzz:
Example Positive Psychology
Buzz: Positive Psychology
“The overriding goal of Positive Psychology is to increase the
tonnage of happiness on the planet. The first step in the
process is reliable measurement of positive emotion and
positive traits” (Seligman, 2004).

“Authentic Happiness: Using the New Positive Psychology to

Realize your Potential for Lasting Fulfillment” by
Martin E. P. Seligman (2004).

The Authentic Happiness Newsletter “is intended to show

practical strategies for integrating the principles of
Authentic Happiness into your own life and into the lives
of others”.
 Authentic Happiness by Martin E. P. Seligman
 From the author of Learned Optimism...
Using the New Positive Psychology to
Realize Your Potential for Lasting
Fulfillment
 
Free Press, September 2002 ( 320 pages )
Hardcover, ISBN: 0-743-22297-0
Purchase a copy for yourself or a friend
 
Free Press, January 2004 ( 336 pages )
Paperback, ISBN: 0-743-22298-9
Purchase the paperback
 
Simon & Schuster Audioworks, September
2002, ( 4 Audio CDs )
Audio CD, ISBN: 0-743-52491-8
Purchase the CDs
 
Simon & Schuster Audioworks, September
2002, ( 3 Audio Cassettes )
Audio Cassette, ISBN: 0-743-52490-X
Purchase the audio cassettes
 
Do You Seek Success or Avoid Failure?
Success Seeking
Low High

Low
Failure Success
Failure Avoiding Accepter Seeker

High Failure Overstriver

Avoider
 Example Buzz: Entitlement

Psychological Entitlement is a stable

and pervasive sense that one
deserves more than others (Campbell
et al., 2004).

“The Sins of Wages” by William B. Abernathy (2001).

Psychological Entitlement Scale
Scale
In the following section, please respond to the
following 9 items using the number that best
reflects your own beliefs. Use the following
7-point Likert scale, ranging from 1 (Strong
Disagreement) to 7 (Strong Agreement).

 I honestly feel I’m just more deserving than

others.
 Great things should come to me.
 If I were on the Titanic, I would deserve to be
on the first lifeboat!
 I demand the best because I’m worth it.
Psychological Entitlement Scale (cont.)

 I do not necessarily deserve special

treatment.
 I deserve more things in my life.
 People like me deserve an extra break
now and then.
 Things should go my way.
 I feel entitled to more of everything.
Example Buzz: Emotional Intelligence

Emotional intelligence is “the capacity for

recognizing our own feelings and those of
others, for motivating ourselves, and for
managing emotions well in ourselves and
in our relationships”.
(Goleman, 1997, p.317)
Five Basic
FiveEmotional and Social
Basic Emotional andCompetencies
Social
Define Emotional
Competencies Intelligence.
Define Emotional Intelligence.
Adapted from Goleman (1997, p. 318)

1. Self-awareness: Knowing what we are feeling at

the moment; a realistic
assessment of our abilities.
2. Self-regulation: Handling our emotions so
they facilitate rather than hinder ongoing behavior;
delaying gratification to pursue
goals.
3. Motivation: Self-discipline to persevere in the
face of setbacks and
frustrations.
 Five Basic Emotional and Social
Competencies Define Emotional Intelligence
Adapted from Goleman (1997, p. 318)

4. Empathy: Sensing other people’s feelings,

taking their perspective, and
cultivating supportive rapport.

5. Social Skills: Reading social situations

accurately and interacting effectively to settle
conflict and/or facilitate constructive
collaboration.
Example Buzz: Empowerment

 Management Definition: “giving

people more to do with fewer
resources”

 Psychological
Definition: “feeling
competent and in control”
Ask Three
Ask Three Questions
Questions to
to Determine
Determine Empowerment.
Empowerment.

Self-Efficacy Response-
“I can do it.” 1 Efficacy
“It will work.”
4
3 2

Outcome-Expectancy
“The effect is worth
the effort.”

1. I can do it and it and it will work.

2. I’m motivated to make it work.
3. I can and want to do it.
4. I’m empowered to make a difference.
Example Buzz: Actively Caring
Self-Efficacy Personal Control Outcome-Expectancy
“I can do it” “I’m in control” “The effect is worth the
Response-Efficacy Optimism effort”
“It will work” “I expect the best”

Empowerment
“I can make a
difference”

1 2
4

Self-Esteem Belongingness
“I am valuable” 3 “I belong to a team”

1. I can make a valuable difference.

2. We can make valuable differences.
3. I’m a valuable team member.
4. We can make valuable differences.
 Example Buzz:
People-Based Safety
TM
TM

AActs
Behavior-Based
CCoaching
People-Based
Thinking
Person-Based
SSeeing
I/O
I/O Psychology
Psychology and
and OBM
OBM are
are Distinct
Distinct Disciplines
Disciplines.

I/O Psychology OBM

Roots in experimental
Roots in personality
behavior analysis
and social psychology
Intervention development
Theory development
Inductive focus
Deductive focus
External factors
Internal human factors
Person states
Personality traits Behavioral measures
Subjective measures
I/O
I/O Psychology
Psychology and
and OBM
OBM are
are Distinct
Distinct Disciplines
Disciplines.

I/O Psychology OBM

Find generic relationships Show functional control

Between-subject comparisons Within-subject comparisons

Surveys & laboratory simulations Field studies

Visual inspection
Statistical analysis
Social validity
Construct & criterion validity
Consequences after behavior
Antecedents to behavior
How to make that happen?
Why did that happen?
The
TheConsultant’s
Consultant’sCycle
Cycle

BUZZ

Package ABC’s
Marketable Language Behaviorally Define
The
TheResearcher’s
Researcher’sCycle
Cycle

ABC’s
Scholarship Behaviorally Define

Evaluation
 OBM’s
OBM’s Potential
Potential
BUZZ

Consultant’s Mastery
Package
Marketable Language

ABC’s
Behaviorally Define

Scholarship
Researcher’s Mastery

Evaluation
Overview of Summit Activities

Day 1
7:00pm – Welcome and Introductions Followed
by a Group European dinner

Day 2
8:30am – Group Breakfast (Lodge Porch)
9:30am-11am – Discussion of Mission
11am-12:30pm – Qualities of Effective Leaders
12:30pm-1:30pm – Group Lunch
1:30pm-2:45pm – The Psychology of Change
2:45pm-4pm – Group Discussion
4pm-6pm – Free Time for Various Activities
(e.g., Caving, Tennis, Swimming, Hiking,
Deluxe Workout Facility,
Horseshoes, Sand Volleyball)
7pm-9pm – South African Dinner
9pm – Facilitated Porch Discussions
Day 3
8am-9:30am – Group Yoga Session by a
Certified Yoga Instructor
9:30am-10:30am – Group Breakfast
10:30am-1pm – Culture Enrichment
1pm-2pm – Group Lunch
2pm-5:30pm – Customized Learning Sessions
6:30pm-8:30pm – Roundup Barbecue
8:30pm-11:30pm – Networking Social
Featuring Live Music by “Magic Moments”

Day 4
9am-10am – Group Breakfast
10am – 12pm – Group Discussion
12pm – Closing Comments and Evaluation
In this decade of behavior
with positive psychology:

Where will be in
2007?