Øyvind Lund Martinsen

Scandinavian Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology 6(1) Doi: https://doi.org/10.16993/sjwop.135

While studies of the relationship between applicant personality and selection assessment ratings are widespread within personnel psychology, studies on military samples are scarcer. The current study aimed to investigate the associations between the Five-Factor Model of personality and ratings in (1) a military selection interview and (2) a field selection exercise simulating a war-like scenario. Research participants were candidates attending a selection program for military officer schools in the Norwegian Armed Forces (N = 901). The study used the NEO-PI-3 for measuring personality, and a shorter military personality measure (NMPI) was added for purposes of convergent test validation. Military selection officers rated candidates based on mission command leadership competencies. After controlling for sex, age, and general mental ability, results demonstrated small predictive effects of extraversion (+) and openness (–) toward mean competency ratings in both the interview and the field selection exercise. Furthermore, the selection officers used somewhat global evaluations of candidates in their ratings due to high correlations between competencies. Based on the findings, we suggest that personality testing may be useful in the selection process and contribute to a more nuanced rating of competencies.

Personality and Individual Differences 181(October) Doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2021.111016

The aim of this paper was to study how individual differences in personality shape reactions to authorities' health advice during the COVID-19 pandemic and how such reactions can be modified. Three studies, with between 249 and 407 participants, investigated this. Study 1 used a longitudinal design, and included measures of personality (NEO-FFI3, SCATI), political orientation, age and gender as predictors of reactions toward COVID-19 advice and regulations. Studies 2 and 3 were randomised experiments testing effects of principles for behaviour modification on such reactions. In study 1, we found that being female, older, or having liberal political views, as well as neuroticism, agreeableness and conscientiousness in the higher ranges, were associated with constructive reactions. Externalising personality disorders were related to opposite reactions. In study 2, we found that the experimental instructions had a significant positive impact on such reactions. These results were replicated in study 3. Implications and limitations are discussed.

Military Psychology 32(3) p. 237-246 Doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/08995605.2020.1724752

The goal of personnel selection is to find predictors that, together, maximize the explained variance in important job outcomes such as Task Performance or Work Engagement. Common predictors include Intelligence and Big Five Personality. Using Person-Organization Fit (P-O Fit) for selection purposes has been discussed, but, beyond Intelligence and Personality, evidence of the incremental predictive validity of P-O Fit in relation to task performance and work engagement is scarce. This study examines the practical utility of indirectly measured P-O Fit as a selection tool in a military setting. Measures of objective P-O Fit were obtained from actual applicants in a military selection setting and combined with self-report measures of Work Engagement upon organizational entry, and supervisor-rated Task Performance approximately two weeks later. P-O Fit predicted both Task Performance (R2 = .041) and Work Engagement (R2 = .038). More importantly, P-O Fit yielded incremental predictive validity in relation to both outcomes, also after controlling for intelligence and personality traits. While our initial models (including age, gender, intelligence, and personality) explained 25.1% and 5.8% of the variance in work engagement and task performance, respectively, this increased to 26.3% and 6.3%, respectively, after the inclusion of P-O Fit. Implications for practical use in selection systems are discussed.

Psychological Assessment 32(11) p. 1057-1074 Doi: https://doi.org/10.1037/pas0000950

Trait self-control is important for well-being and mental and physical health. Most extant measures of self-control are limited in that they do not account for the multidimensionality and specificity of the trait. The aim of this study was to develop and validate a multidimensional and hierarchical scale of self-control in a full and a short version. The development of the Multidimensional Self-Control Scale (MSCS) and the Brief Multidimensional Self-Control Scale (BMSCS) was based on focus groups, a pilot, a main, and a validation sample (total N = 2,409). The 29-item MSCS consists of 6 first-order factors (Procrastination, Attentional Control, Impulse Control, Emotional Control, Goal Orientation, and Self-Control Strategies), 2 second-order factors (Inhibition and Initiation), and a third-order self-control factor. The 8 items in BMSCS provides a general trait self-control score. Findings from exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses supported the structures across samples, and internal consistency was acceptable. Assessment for acquiescence and sex differences indicated no major impacts on the scales. Strong convergent validity was observed with the Self-Control Scale (SCS) and the Brief Self-Control Scale (BSCS), as well as to other similar concepts. The MSCS subscales discriminated well between each other. Assessment of incremental validity of the MSCS over SCS, when controlling for sex and personality, showed significant increases in explained variance when predicting habits, hardiness, and life satisfaction. Similar significant results were observed for the BMSCS over the BSCS. Overall, results indicate that the new scales are useful measures that integrate recent theoretical and empirical findings of trait self-control. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved)

Militær ledelse p. 157-187

Personality and Individual Differences 139 p. 241-246 Doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2018.11.023

This study was conceived by the idea that there exist different kinds of cognitive style-based, task competencies that have implications for task motivation and cognitive performance on creative problem-solving tasks/insight. Specifically, the relationships among the Assimilator–Explorer styles (Kaufmann, 1979), experimentally manipulated task competence for each style, and performance on insight tasks was examined. A total of 264 participants with a mean age of 17.4 years completed a cognitive style test, two measures of task motivation, and three practical construction-type insight tasks. Explorers with experimentally increased competence beliefs were hypothesized to perform less well on typical insight problems than Explorers with experimentally decreased competence beliefs, while Assimilators with increased levels of competence beliefs were expected to perform better than Assimilators with decreased competence beliefs. A randomized experiment with written instructions was conducted to test these hypotheses. The results supported the main hypothesis, yet an additional three-way interaction hypothesis among styles, experimentally manipulated task competence, and task structure was not supported. Limitations are discussed.

PLOS ONE 13(2) Doi: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0207643

Research on sensemaking in organisations and on linguistic relativity suggests that speakers of the same language mayusethis language in different ways to construct social realities at work. We apply a semantic theory of survey response (STSR) to explore such differences in quantitative survey research. Using text analysis algorithms, we have studied howlanguage from three media domains–the business press, PR Newswire andgeneral newspapers–has differential explanatory value for analysing survey responses in leadership research. We projected well-known surveys measuring leadership, motivation and outcomesinto large text samples from these three media domains significantly different impacts on survey responses. Business press language was best in explaining leadershiprelated items, PR language best at explaining organizational results and “ordinary” newspaper language seemed to explain the relationship among motivation items. These findings shed light on how different public arenas construct organizational realities in different ways, andhowthesedifferences have consequences on methodology in research on leadership.

Sage Open 8(1) p. 1-18 Doi: https://doi.org/10.1177/2158244018764803

The semantic theory of survey responses (STSR) proposes that the prime source of statistical covariance in survey data is the degree of semantic similarity (overlap of meaning) among the items of the survey. Because semantic structures are possible to estimate using digital text algorithms, it is possible to predict the response structures of Likert-type scales a priori. The present study applies STSR in an experimental way by computing real survey responses using such semantic information. A sample of 153 randomly chosen respondents to the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ) was used as target. We developed an algorithm based on unfolding theory, where data from digital text analysis of the survey items served as input. Upon deleting progressive numbers (from 20%-95%) of the real responses, we let the algorithm replace these with simulated ones, and then compared the simulated datasets with the real ones. The simulated scores displayed sum score levels, alphas, and factor structures highly resembling their real origins even if up to 86% were simulated. In contrast, this was not the case when the same algorithm was operating without access to semantic information. The procedure was briefly repeated on a different measurement instrument and a different sample. This not only yielded similar results but also pointed to need for further theoretical and practical developments. Our study opens for experimental research on the effect of semantics on survey responses using computational procedures.

Behavior Research Methods p. 1-21 Doi: https://doi.org/10.3758/s13428-017-0999-y

The traditional understanding of data from Likert scales is that the quantifications involved result from measures of attitude strength. Applying a recently proposed semantic theory of survey response (STSR), we claim that survey responses tap two different sources: a mixture of attitudes plus the semantic structure of the survey. Exploring the degree to which individual responses are influenced by semantics, we hypothesize that in many cases, information about attitude strength is actually filtered out as noise in the commonly used correlation matrix. We developed a procedure to separate the semantic influence from attitude strength in individual response patterns and compared these to the observed sample correlation matrices and the semantic similarity structures arising from text analysis algorithms, respectively. This was done with four datasets comprising a total of 7,787 subjects and 27,461,502 observed item pair responses. As argued, attitude strength seemed to account for much information about the individual respondents. However, this information did not seem to carry over into the observed sample correlation matrices. These seem to converge around the semantic structures offered by the survey items. This is potentially disturbing for the traditional understanding of what survey data represent. We argue that an enhanced understanding of how cognitive processes are necessary in responses to surveys is now within reach and could offer a valuable path for improvements in the use of survey data.

Journal of leadership & organizational studies 26(4) p. 441-453 Doi: https://doi.org/10.1177/1548051818781813

The effect of leadership behavior on work performance is highly context sensitive. We address this notion by investigating leadership behavior in one important but understudied organizational context—namely, professional service firms (PSFs). We examine how partners’ leadership behavior in a PSF relates to employee self-leadership, creative climate, and work performance (N = 442). The results show that partners’ consideration leadership behavior is positively related to employees’ perceived work performance. Moreover, partners’ consideration and intellectual stimulation leadership behavior are especially important drivers of self-leadership and creative climate in a PSF, which in turn are positively related to employees’ work performance. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

Personality and Individual Differences Doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2018.09.032

In this study, we investigated the relationship between narcissism, creative personality traits, ideational fluency, and accomplishments in various creative activities. We measured narcissism with the Narcissistic Personality Inventory (Emmons, 1987), creative personality with the Creative Person Profile (Martinsen, 2011), creative potential with a figural measure of divergent thinking, and a biographical inventory was used to measure accomplishments in creative activities. The sample consisted of 1375 young adults, mainly men. The results showed that narcissism was associated with fluency, seven creative personality dispositions, and five measures of creative activities. The latter associations were in general significant even when controlling for traits and creative potential. The strongest relationship displayed with narcissism was with the creative personality traits, in particular ambition, agreeableness, and motivation. Implications and limitations are noted.

Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research 62(3) p. 325-327 Doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/00313831.2018.1437857

Scandinavian Psychologist 3(e18) p. 1-28 Doi: https://doi.org/10.15714/scandpsychol.3.e18

In principle, leadership development may have positive effects, negative effects, or no effects at all. The present study aims to explore the potential negative effects of leadership development. We approach this issue with three studies. The first study develops theoretical reasons to expect negative effects and provides a qualitative description of such instances based on 14 semi-structured interviews with people witnessing negative effects. The second study is a quantitative assessment of the prevalence of negative effects. While 97.4% of 189 managers responding to an anonymous survey have experienced positive effects from developmental activities, 63% of them have also experienced instances they deemed wasted or ineffective, and 37% have witnessed actual negative effects. A small but distinct group (13% of the entire sample and 36% of those witnessing negative effects) reported detrimental effects on mental health and private life. The third study explores the evaluation practices of 143 companies to examine why negative leadership development interventions may persist. The data indicates that negative effects co-exist with a lack of systematic evaluation practices. Our findings suggest that a combination of insufficient evaluation with outsourcing of leadership development activities may render organizations susceptible to fads. In turn, the chance of exposing participants to ineffective and even harmful experiences increases.

Personality and Individual Differences 98 p. 297-299 Doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2016.04.054

This study looked at the relationship between the Assimilator–Explorer (A-E) cognitive styles and creativity. A measure of creative activities, four divergent thinking tasks used as controls, and a measure of the A-E styles, where Explorers have higher and Assimilators lower scores, were included and completed by a sample of 342 participants. Participants completed the measures during three waves and there were three months between the first and third waves. Results showed that there were weak, but significant positive correlations between the A-E styles and verbal and figural fluency. Moreover, the relationship between the A-E styles and creative activities was positive and significant, also when controlling for fluency and gender. Implications are discussed.

Produktiv motivasjon i arbeidslivet p. 138-167

Journal of experimental psychology. General 145(10) p. 1319-1332 Doi: https://doi.org/10.1037/xge0000208

The present study on insight is based on an integration of Kaplan and Simon’s (1990) information processing theory of insight, a cognitive style theory, and achievement motivation theory. The style theory is the Assimilator (rule oriented, familiarity seeking) - Explorer (novelty seeking, explorative) styles (Kaufmann, 1979). Our hypothesis was that the effectiveness of two types of search constraints (prior experience and solution hints) for solving insight problems is moderated by both cognitive style and achievement needs, and depending on optimal levels of achievement motivation for different task conditions. We tested the hypothesis in a randomized experiment in which three levels of achievement needs and one type of search constraint (solution hints were available or not available) were experimentally manipulated. In addition participants completed a cognitive style test, a measure of prior problem-solving experience (the second type of search constraint), and controls for intelligence. There were 476 participants (the mean age was 18.4 years). Results revealed two similar and significant three-way interactions between styles, achievement needs, and the two types of search constraints. The pattern of interaction supported the idea that stylistic competence for the task characteristics (with and without search constraints available), when combined with manipulated achievement needs, predicted performance in counterintuitive ways but in line with the classic achievement motivation theory. With appropriate stylistic competence for the task characteristics elevated achievement needs led to poorer performance. With less appropriate stylistic competence, performance improved with increasing motivation. Implications for information processing theory are discussed. Keywords: cognitive style, insight, achievement motivation, information processing

Journal of Social Psychology 156(2) p. 139-153 Doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/00224545.2015.1047439

Scandinavian Psychologist 2(e4) Doi: https://doi.org/10.15714/scandpsychol.2.e4

Is survey data a source of new information, or could surveys just be begging their questions? The authors of this opinion piece suspect that survey data in leadership research do not reflect attitudes to workplace phenomena. Instead, they may just be assessments of the similarity of the language in the applied items. In a recent article in the journal PLOS ONE, this possibility was tested in a new theory called the semantic theory of survey responses (STSR). In a follow-up study, language links leadership to other phenomena such as heroism, in ways that are difficult to entangle by traditional survey research.

Learning and Individual Differences 42(Aug) p. 106-109 Doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lindif.2015.07.013

The Journal of leadership studies 22(3) p. 304-323 Doi: https://doi.org/10.1177/1548051814565819

This article reports the results from two studies (N = 233 and 161) on the role of self-leadership and psychological empowerment in linking empowering leadership to subordinates’ job satisfaction, work effort, and creativity. In addition, the studies investigated self-leadership as a mediator between empowering leadership and psychological empowerment. Results from structural equation modeling indicated that empowering leadership positively affects psychological empowerment both directly and indirectly, through self-leadership. Psychological empowerment influences both job satisfaction and work effort but not creativity, whereas self-leadership influences work effort and creativity but not job satisfaction. The article discusses the implications of these findings.

Scandinavian Journal of Organizational Psychology 7(1) p. 5-18

Personlighetspsykologi p. 101-127

PLOS ONE 9(9:106361) Doi: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0106361

Some disciplines in social science rely heavily on collecting survey responses to detect empirical relationships among variables. We explored whether these relationships were predictable a priori from the semantic properties of the survey items, using language processing algorithms are now available as new research methods. Language processing algorithms were used to calculate the semantic similarity among all items in state-of-the-art surveys from organizational behavior research. These surveys covered areas such as transformational leadership, work motivation and work outcomes. This information was used to explain and predict the response patterns from real subjects. Semantic algorithms explained 60-86% of the variance in the response patterns and allowed remarkably precise prediction of survey responses from humans, except in a personality test. Even the relationships between independent and their purported dependent variables were accurately predicted. This raises concern about the empirical nature of data collected through some surveys if results are already given a priori through the way subjects are being asked. Survey response patterns seem heavily determined by semantics. Language algorithms may suggest these prior to administering the survey. This study suggests that semantic algorithms are becoming new tools for social science, and opens perspectives on survey responses that prevalent psychometric theory cannot explain.

Magma forskning og viten 17(5) p. 26-34

The Journal of leadership studies 21(1) p. 29-42 Doi: https://doi.org/10.1177/1548051813475666

Leadership Quarterly 25(4) p. 784-800 Doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.leaqua.2014.04.007

We investigated the effect of self–other agreement in empowering leadership on leader effectiveness, job satisfaction, and turnover intention using a sample of 50 Norwegian municipal leaders (46 for leader effectiveness) and 168 (158) of their subordinates. The findings indicated that considering both self and subordinate ratings of empowering leadership was useful in predicting the outcome variables. In particular, subordinates of over-estimators reported lower job satisfaction and higher turnover intention. Moreover, leaders who underestimated their leadership were perceived as more effective by their superiors. For agreement (i.e., leader's self-ratings were in agreement with subordinates' ratings) the relationship between empowering leadership and leader effectiveness was curvilinear with an inverted U shape. Agreement in ratings of empowering leadership was not found to be related to subordinates' job satisfaction and turnover intention. The implications of these findings are discussed.

The Journal of leadership studies 22(1) p. 115-124 Doi: https://doi.org/10.1177/1548051813515302

This study examined the mediating role of economic leader-member exchange (ELMX) on the negative associations between laissez-faire leadership and affective commitment, self-reported work effort, and self-reported organizational citizenship behavior (OCB). Two samples were used. Study 1 consisted of 199 employees from an international high-technology manufacturing organization. Study 2 consisted of 197 employees from an international private security firm. Both studies supported a positive association between laissez-faire leadership and an ELMX relationship. Study 1 showed that ELMX fully mediated the negative association between laissez-faire leadership and affective commitment. Study 2 showed that ELMX fully mediated the negative association between laissez-faire leadership and self-reported work effort, and partially mediated the negative association between laissez-faire leadership and self-reported OCB. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

Leadership Quarterly 25(3) p. 487-511 Doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.leaqua.2013.11.009

In this paper we discuss key aspects of empowering leadership as a basis for conceptualizing and operationalizing the construct. The conceptualization resulted in eight behavioral manifestations arranged within three influence processes, which were investigated in a sample of 317 subordinates in Study 1. The results supported the validity and reliability of a two-dimensional, 18-item instrument, labeled the Empowering Leadership Scale (ELS). In Study 2 (N = 215) and Study 3 (N = 831) the factor structure of ELS was cross-validated in two independent samples from different work settings. Preliminary concurrent validation in Studies 1 and 2 found that ELS had a positive relationship to several subordinate variables, among others self-leadership and psychological empowerment. In Study 3 ELS was compared with scales measuring leader–member exchange (LMX) and transformational leadership. Discriminant validity was supported, and moreover, ELS showed incremental validity beyond LMX and transformational leadership when predicting psychological empowerment.

Livet som leder : Lederundersøkelsen 3.0 p. 47-72

Creativity Research Journal 23(3) p. 185-202 Doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/10400419.2011.595656

Encyclopedia of Creativity, Two-Volume Set, 2nd Edition p. 214-221

Scandinavian Journal of Organizational Psychology 3(2) p. 58-75

Results from four studies on three Norwegian translations of the NEO PI-R (Costa & McCrae, 1992) are reported. In the first study, 380 subjects with a mean age of 38 years completed the first translation. In the second study, 620 subjects with a mean age of 30 years completed the second translation. In our third study, 3447 subjects with a mean age of 31 years completed a version of the inventory based on the two former translations. The first three studies were generally based on data from research settings. Finally, in a fourth study, 4105 subjects with a mean age of 41 completed the “merged” NEO PI-R as part of the selection and counseling processes. The original five- factor structure was well replicated across studies but with minor exceptions for a few facet loadings. Congruence coefficients obtained were .97 and .98 in all four studies. Our findings show consistent support for the factorial stability of the five factor model as measured with the NEO PI-R.

Creativity Research Journal 23(3) p. 273-283 Doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/10400419.2011.595998

Educational Psychology 30(1) p. 75-88 Doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/01443410903410474

Psychological Reports 104(2) p. 579-592 Doi: https://doi.org/10.2466/PR0.104.2.579-592

B. Kuvås (red.), Lønnsomhet gjennom menneskelige ressurser : evidensbasert HRM p. 177-200

Educational Psychology 28(7) p. 747-756 Doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/01443410802259253

The Journal of creative behavior 42(1) p. 13-31

This study investigates the relationship between creative personality composition, innovative team climate, and team innovation based on an input-process-output model. We measured personality with the Creative Person Profile, team climate with the Team Climate Inventory, and team innovation through team-member and supervisor reports of team innovativeness. The personality composition in each of 29 teams in a television production company was operationalized by mean scores for each creative personality variable, as well as the combination of different creative personality variables within a team. The team climate variable "vision" mediated the relationship between the mean level of associative orientation in teams and team innovation. The team climate variable "support of innovation" mediated the relationship between the joint variables of mean level of ambition x mean level of motivation and team innovation. The results indicated that when there are relationships between creative personality composition and team innovativeness, they are mediated by an innovative team climate.

Tidsskrift for Norsk psykologforening (Psykologtidsskriftet) 42(5) p. 421-423

S. Einarsen & A. Skogstad (red.), Den dyktige medarbeider p. 347-371

Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research 47(3) p. 227-233

Geir Thompson (red.): Selvledelse. Menneskelig kapital i det nye arbeidslivet

Educational Psychology 23(2) p. 195-207

Perspektiver på ledelse/Ø.Martinsen (red.)

Perspektiver på ledelse/Ø.Martinsen (red.)

International perspectives on individual differences. Vol. I: New developments in cognitive/learning styles p. 3-39

Encyclopedia of creativity p. 273-282

Ledelse, kompetanse og omstilling

Strategisk kompetansestyring

Crosscultural and linguistic perspectives in European distance learning

High Ability Studies 8 p. 135-158