Phish Derby: Shoring the Human Shield Through Gamified Phishing Attacks

To better understand employees’ reporting behaviors in relation to phishing emails, we gamified the phishing security awareness training process by creating and conducting a month-long “Phish Derby” competition at a large university in the U.S. The university’s Information Security Office challenged employees to prove they could detect phishing emails as part of the simulated phishing program currently in place. Employees volunteered to compete for prizes during this special event and were instructed to report suspicious emails as potential phishing attacks. Prior to the beginning of the competition, we collected demographics and data related to the concepts central to two theoretical foundations: the Big Five personality traits and goal orientation theory. We found several notable relationships between demographic variables and Phish Derby performance, which was operationalized from the number of phishing attacks reported and employee report speed. Several key findings emerged, including past performance on simulated phishing campaigns positively predicted Phish Derby performance; older participants performed better than their younger colleagues, but more educated participants performed poorer; and individuals who used a mix of PCs and Macs at work performed worse than those using a single platform. We also found that two of the Big Five personality dimensions, extraversion and agreeableness, were both associated with poorer performance in phishing detection and reporting. Likewise, individuals who were driven to perform well in the Phish Derby because they desired to learn from the experience (i.e., learning goal orientation) performed at a lower level than those driven by other goals. Interestingly, self-reported levels of computer skill and the perceived ability to detect phishing messages failed to exhibit a significant relationship with Phish Derby performance. We discuss these findings and describe how focusing on motivating the good in employee cyber behaviors is a necessary yet too often overlooked component in organizations whose training cyber cultures are rooted in employee click rates alone.

How to Optimize the Job Search Process: Development and Validation of the Job Search Quality Scale

Job search quality is important for unemployed individuals pursuing reemployment. To comprehensively measure job search quality, we develop and test a 20-item Job Search Quality Scale (JSQS), using four samples of unemployed individuals (pilot sample, N=218; exploration sample, N=3372; confirmation sample, N=3372; and replication sample, N=434). Results show a four-dimensional structure, composed of (a) goal establishment and planning, (b) preparation and alignment, (c) emotion regulation and persistence, and (d) learning and improvement. Substantial evidence was found for its reliability, convergent and discriminant validity. Building job search quality’s nomological net, conscientiousness, learning goal orientation, self-efficacy, employment commitment, autonomous job search motivation, and social support emerged as positive correlates. Supporting its criterion-related validity, the JSQS predicted key job search and employment outcomes. Moreover, usefulness analyses supported its incremental validity beyond extant job search measures. Our findings have important implications for studying and measuring job search quality in future research and career counseling practice.

THE MEDIATING EFFECT OF PROACTIVE KNOWLEDGE SHARING AMONG TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP, COHESION, AND LEARNING GOAL ORIENTATION ON EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE

The background of this study is based on the controversial relationship between transformational leadership and employee performance. Empirical and theoretical models resolve the controversy by building a new concept based on proactive knowledge sharing. The study established the influence of transformational leadership, cohesion and learning goal orientation on proactive knowledge sharing and employee performance. A total of 7 hypotheses were developed to solve the study problem, while purposive sampling was used in data collection. The respondents consisted of 6 employees of Sharia Banking in Indonesia. The SEM results indicate that five hypotheses were significant, while 2 were insignificant. Furthermore, proactive knowledge sharing strongly mediates the relationship between the studied variables. These results confirm the withdrawal of the new concept in improving employee performance.

Impacts of Interpersonal Interaction on Creative Performance: The Moderating Effect of Goal Orientation

This study adopted a social perspective to explore the relationships of interpersonal interaction on creative performance and the moderating effect of goal orientation based on the social exchange theory and social capital theory. Interpersonal interaction was divided into two types, expressive relations and instrumental relations. Goal orientation was differentiated as learning goal orientation and performance goal orientation. Creative performance was divided into three facets, namely creative thinking, creative proposals, and creative applications. Data were collected from research and development engineers. The results show that expressive relations have positive effects on all aspects of creative performance, whereas instrumental relations have positive effects on creative applications. Learning goal orientation moderates the relationship between instrumental relations and creative proposals. Performance goal orientation has moderating effects on the relationship between interpersonal relations (both expressive and instrumental) and creative performance. This study addresses a gap in research into types of interpersonal interaction and goal orientation as these relate to creative performance. Keywords: Interpersonal interaction, Goal orientation, Creative performance.

Leader Tolerance of Ambiguity: Implications for Follower Performance Outcomes in High and Low Ambiguous Work Situations

Individuals high in tolerance of ambiguity (TOA) are comfortable with, desire, and strive to manage ambiguous situations. We predicted leader TOA would be associated with better follower performance outcomes, depending on the level (Study 1) and nature (Study 2) of follower role ambiguity. Data were collected from employees (Study 1, n = 423) and managerial employees (Study 2, n = 326) who rated their leader on three facets of TOA and provided self-reports of their own performance outcomes. Positive implications of leader TOA for follower learning goal orientation and job performance (Study 1) were most pronounced when followers perceived low role ambiguity and, in the prediction of situational coping (Study 2), when ambiguous work situations were categorized as challenges (unexpected events requiring problem-solving) compared to hindrances. Findings have theoretical implications for understanding when TOA in leaders is optimal and have practical relevance for leaders seeking to adapt to the situational needs of their followers.

The Effect of Learning Goal Orientation on Academic Satisfaction based on the Perspective of Social Cognitive Theory

Based on the perspective of social cognitive theory, this study conducted a questionnaire survey on academic satisfaction of 302 college students, and investigated the mechanism of learning goal orientation on academic satisfaction by using correlation analysis and regression analysis. It was found that: both learning goal orientation and academic Self-efficacy had a significant positive effect on academic satisfaction; academic Self-efficacy mediated the relationship between learning goal orientation and academic satisfaction; teachers' academic support partially moderated the positive relationship between learning goal orientation and academic satisfaction. The empirical results of this study provide a reference for universities and college students to improve learning goal orientation and academic satisfaction by themselves.

Factors Predicting Middle School Pupils’ Learning Orientations: A Multilevel Analysis

Investigating on what school- and student-level factors are related to pupils’ learning orientations was the main purpose of this study. The study used a sample of 2917 middle school pupils across Turkey. The Test of Science Related Attitude, Learning Approach Questionnaire and the Achievement Motivation Questionnaire were utilised as data collection tools. Analysis revealed that there were significant differences in pupils’ learning orientations with respect to both meaningful learning orientation and rote learning orientation. When learning and motivational factors were examined it was found that performance goal orientation and learning goal orientation positively contributed to both meaningful learning and rote learning orientations. Upon examination of sub-dimensions of attitudes toward science, it was determined that the adaptation of scientific attitudes and leisure interest in science made positive and significant contributions to meaningful learning orientation while enjoyment of science lessons contributed to students’ meaningful learning orientation negatively. With respect to rote learning orientation, both adaptation of scientific attitudes and enjoyment of science lessons negatively contributed.

Learning Goal Orientation and Academic Performance: A Dynamic model

Drawing on the reciprocal determinism of self-regulation system, a process-based model is used to examine the relationship of learning goal orientation (LGO) among university students with their academic performance, via reciprocal relationships between initial status and change trajectories in academic self-efficacy and feedback-seeking behaviors. A longitudinal study of 316 Chinese university students throughout their first year in college reveals that students who have high LGO in their first month after entering the university generally have higher academic self-efficacy and seek more feedback. Moreover, initial levels of feedback seeking are positively related to academic performance via linear change in academic self-efficacy over time. Limitations of the study and practical implications are discussed.