Topic:Modeling the Process of Adjustment: Individuals and Contexts

Speaker:Dr. John Kammeyer-Mueller Warrington College of Business Administration, University of Florida

Time: 10:00-11:30am, Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Location:Room 217, No. 2 Building of GSM, Peking University.

Abstract

There has been a long-standing tension between research that focuses on individual differences variables, like personality and general mental abilities, and research that examines processes and contexts, as if there is an either-or dichotomy on which was important for understanding people at work. The goal of the three studies I will present is to move beyond this dichotomy and instead think of the interplay between stable individual characteristics and situational adaptations. A common theme across the studies is an interest in how initial characteristics, like individual differences or first impressions, lead to intrapersonal processes like moods, motivations, and behaviors, which in turn lead to terminal outcomes like aggregated attitudes, termination from an organization, or long-range career success.

Bio:

Dr. Kammeyer-Mueller received his doctorate in Human Resources and Industrial Relations from the University of Minnesota. Much of his research examines personality at work, how employees adjust to new jobs, the process of career development, and how work attitudes shape the decision to leave a job. Ongoing projects also look at topics such as stress and coping, workforce diversity, and applied research methods. He has also provided human resources consulting with several organizations, including the Minnesota Department of Economic Security, Allegiance Healthcare, 3M, Merck, American Express, Cargill, and General Mills. His work has been published in the Academy of Management Journal, Journal of Applied Psychology, Personnel Psychology, the Journal of Management, and Organizational Research Methods, among others.