The Company We Keep: A Competitive Test for How Another's Obesity Impacts Employee Job Performance

Abstract Functional capacity evaluations (FCEs) have become an important component of disability evaluation during the past 10 years to assess an individual's ability to perform the essential or specific functions of a job, both preplacement and during rehabilitation. Evaluating both job performance and physical ability is a complex assessment, and some practitioners are not yet certain that an FCE can achieve these goals. An FCE is useful only if it predicts job performance, and factors that should be assessed include overall performance; consistency of performance across similar areas of the FCE; consistency between observed behaviors during the FCE and limitations or abilities reported by the worker; objective changes (eg, blood pressure and pulse) that are appropriate relative to performance; external factors (illness, lack of sleep, or medication); and a coefficient of variation that can be measured and assessed. FCEs can identify specific movement patterns or weaknesses; measure improvement during rehabilitation; identify a specific limitation that is amenable to accommodation; and identify a worker who appears to be providing a submaximal effort. FCEs are less reliable at predicting injury risk; they cannot tell us much about endurance over a time period longer than the time required for the FCE; and the FCE may measure simple muscular functions when the job requires more complex ones.

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Validation of the Short Dark Triad in a German Sample

European Journal of Psychological Assessment ◽

10.1027/1015-5759/a000617 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 1-12

Author(s):

Caroline Wehner ◽

Ulrike Maaß ◽

Marius Leckelt ◽

Mitja D. Back ◽

Matthias Ziegler

Keyword(s):

Sensation Seeking ◽

Factor Model ◽

Structural Models ◽

Self Esteem ◽

Dark Triad ◽

Fit Indices ◽

Nomological Network ◽

Competitive Test ◽

Three Factor ◽

Behavioral Criteria

Abstract. The structure, correlates, and assessment of the Dark Triad are widely discussed in several fields of psychology. Based on the German version of the Short Dark Triad (SDT), we add to this by (a) providing a competitive test of existing structural models, (b) testing the nomological network, and (c) proposing an ultrashort 9-item version of the SDT (uSDT). A sample of N = 969 participants provided data on the SDT and a range of further measures. Our competitive test of five structural models revealed that fit indices and nomological network assumptions were best met in a three-factor model, with separate factors for psychopathy, Machiavellianism, and narcissism. The results provided an extensive overview of the raw, unique, and shared associations of Dark Triad dimensions with narcissism facets, sadism, impulsivity, self-esteem, sensation seeking, the Big Five, maladaptive personality traits, sociosexual orientation, and behavioral criteria. Finally, the uSDT exhibited satisfactory psychometric properties. The highest overlap in expected relations between SDT and uSDT, and convergent and discriminant measures was also found for the three-factor model. Our study underlines the utility of a three-factor model of the Dark Triad, extends findings on its nomological network, and provides an ultrashort instrument.

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Daily Fluctuations in Work Engagement

European Psychologist ◽

10.1027/1016-9040/a000160 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 19 (4) ◽

pp. 227-236 ◽

Cited By ~ 52

Author(s):

Arnold B. Bakker

Keyword(s):

Job Performance ◽

Work Engagement ◽

Research Evidence ◽

Organizational Outcomes ◽

Reciprocal Relationship ◽

Proactive Behavior ◽

Negative Events ◽

Daily Work ◽

Work Pressure ◽

Diary Research

This article presents an overview of the literature on daily fluctuations in work engagement. Daily work engagement is a state of vigor, dedication, and absorption that is predictive of important organizational outcomes, including job performance. After briefly discussing enduring work engagement, the advantages of diary research are discussed, as well as the concept and measurement of daily work engagement. The research evidence shows that fluctuations in work engagement are a function of the changes in daily job and personal resources. Particularly on the days that employees have access to many resources, they are able to cope well with their daily job demands (e.g., work pressure, negative events), and likely interpret these demands as challenges. Furthermore, the literature review shows that on the days employees have sufficient levels of job control, they proactively try to optimize their work environment in order to stay engaged. This proactive behavior is called job crafting and predicts momentary and daily work engagement. An important additional finding is that daily engagement has a reciprocal relationship with daily recovery. On the days employees recover well, they feel more engaged; and engagement during the day is predictive of subsequent recovery. Finding the daily balance between engagement while at work and detachment while at home seems the key to enduring work engagement.

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