2010 IO Bulletin

Program’s Inaugural Year Comes to a Close

AROS Consulting

Louisiana Tech

Louisiana Tech Volume 1, Issue 1

Louisiana Tech University

I/O BulletinI/O BulletinI/O Bulletin Industrial/Organizational Psychology

Doctoral Program

AROS Projects

Validation study for a testing

firm.

Employee Selection Project

with a Shreveport, LA manu-

facturer

Economic Development

Survey with the Lincoln

Parish Chamber of Com-

merce

Membership Research for a

local church

Customer Satisfaction Sur-

vey for a local animal clinic

Student Satisfaction Survey

for Louisiana Tech Student

Recreational Department

Employee Feedback Surveys

for a Casino

Customer Satisfaction Sur-

vey for local dentists

Inside this issue:

New Faculty 2 I/O Goes Green 2

SIOP 3

Guest Speaker 4

Sundown Tavern 4

Fall Retreat 5

Student Bios 6

AROS 8

Tailgating 8

Current I/O Psychology Doctoral Students

Louisiana Tech’s Industrial/Organizational Psychology Ph.D. program has finished its

inaugural year. Already, the faculty and students within the program have had many

experiences aligned with the vision of the program. Some of these include the crea-

tion of a consulting group, Applied Research for Organizational Solutions (AROS), a

trip to Atlanta for the Society of Industrial Organizational Psychology’s 25th annual

conference, and the completion of various research projects and papers. Next up for

these four pioneers? Mentoring a new group of students that entered the program in

the Fall Quarter. The program is proud to welcome five new students to the fold.

These students will work closely with the second-year students to ensure a successful

transition and to continue to work towards meaningful study and research in the field

of Industrial/Organizational Psychology.

The goal of developing a consulting group within the I/O PhD program is for students

to gain applied experience, provide assistance to local organizations, and to gain fund-

ing for conference trips. AROS develops employee/customer satisfaction metrics,

needs assessments, job analyses, statistical consulting, and much more. AROS has al-

ready gained the opportunity to work with several organizations and hopes to develop

additional partnerships with companies in the future. The core philosophy upheld by

AROS is that organizations have the expertise to find their own solutions when pro-

vided the tools and structure to do so. AROS aims at working in concert with organi-

zations to empower them to meet their goals.

Dr. Mitzi Desselles Joins I/O Faculty

I/O Goes Green

Page 2 Woodard Hall, Louisiana Tech Campus

Mitzi has devoted her career to demystifying why people do

what they do. Starting from the premise posited by reversal

theory that people are essentially paradoxical beings, her work

has helped social, political and consumer organizations tap into

both the rational and emotional factors that underlie behavior.

She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in psychology from Lou-

isiana State University, a Master of Arts degree from the Univer-

sity of Richmond and a Doctor of Philosophy in Industrial/

Organizational Psychology from Louisiana State University. She

started her professional career on the faculty of Purdue Univer-

sity, where she was assistant professor of psychology. Mitzi is

returning to academia after a leaving to work for DDB Needham

Worldwide, an international advertising agency.

From there, Mitzi joined Mobil Oil Corporation and was part of its successful merger with

Exxon, resulting in today’s ExxonMobil Corporation. Excited by the revolutionary approach

to leadership and organizational development championed by Apter International, she

joined the group in 2000 and co-founded Apter Research in 2007. Recent clients have in-

cluded HSBC, SABMiller-Coors, South Carolina Department of Public Safety, the Human

Rights Campaign and Third Way. Her research area is the application of reversal theory to

work motivation, leadership and team effectiveness. With her colleagues at Apter Interna-

tional, she has developed a suite of psychometric instruments including measures of organ-

izational climate and leadership.

Bio © Apter International Ltd

Some Industrial/Organizational Psychologists around the globe are joining the green move-

ment and working to enhance environmental sustainability. In the October 2010 issue of The

Industrial/Organizational Psychologist (TIP), Cathy L. Z. DuBois of Kent State University and

David A. DuBois issued a call to action for all I/O Psychologists to embrace the green move-

ment. Some tips they offered for going green:

Start now! Don’t wait until a green initiative is requested! Make a plan and sell it before a

customer can ask for it. Starting others on green initiatives may help to prevent another

Deepwater Horizon disaster later!

Don’t be afraid to start small! Even simple ideas like turning off computers at night or

saving paper may lead to an organization involving a stance on environmental sustainabil-

ity into their vision.

25th Annual SIOP Conference

Page 3

The Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology is a professional association who’s

mission is to ―enhance human well-being and performance in organizational and work settings by

promoting the science, practice, and teaching of industrial-organizational psychology.‖

(http://www.siop.org)

Last year’s students and faculty were able to attend SIOP’s 25th annual conference in Atlanta

during April. Students had the opportunity to meet with leaders in the field of I/O Psychology

and attend symposiums aligned with their personal interests.

In addition to the conference festivities, the students and faculty spent time seeing the sights of

Atlanta by attending a Braves game, going to the Georgia Aquarium, and touring CNN head-

quarters.

John Buckner, Luke Simmering, Dr. Tilman

Sheets, and Dr. Frank Igou participated in the

SIOP 5K Fun Run. There was a major flaw in

the layout of the racecourse—part of it was

unmarked! This led to confusion among the

runners as to whether they had completed the

race or not. Next years plans? Scout the

course beforehand!

The students and faculty are currently working

on research projects for the 2011 SIOP confer-

ence in Chicago.

Next Stop

Chicago!

Four representatives from Louisiana Tech

participated in the SIOP 5K Fun Run.

Consulting I/O Psychologist Visits

Sundown Tavern, Our Unofficial Meeting Place

Page 4

Dr. Robin Wentworth came to speak to the I/O Doctoral students about his experiences

in internal consulting, external consulting, and self-employment. Robin talked to the stu-

dents about the pros and cons of being self employed and consulting. He imparted wisdom

and advice for the focus of the student’s program, including best ways to publish and focus-

ing on the enjoyment of learning, rather than being focused on the tasks of getting grades.

Robin’s primary focus is Organizational Development and his current work takes him all

over the globe, with recent endeavors in

the Middle East.

Robin received his PhD from the Uni-

versity of Southern Mississippi in Indus-

trial/Organizational Psychology. He pre-

viously worked as an Organizational

Effectiveness Consultant at the Southern

Company and is currently the President

of Organizational Excellence Interna-

tional, P.C.

Downtown Ruston, nestled in the historic district, is the unofficial meeting place for the

students and faculty. They often convene after a long week of studying and researching

to enjoy some local delicacies, like fried green beans. The picturesque outdoor courtyard

is a great place to relax and unwind. On Thursdays, they often run into their sister co-

hort, the students in the Counseling Psychology program.

Fall Retreat

Page 5

The first weekend in October brought a welcomed change of pace for our hard-

working students and faculty. The group headed about 3 hours north into the hills

of Arkansas to DeGray Lake for a retreat that featured presentations about current

student and faculty research, lots of food, an early morning round of golf, a screening

of Office Space and a few hours enjoying the water on a barge.

Page 6

Meet Our DeAnn Arnold {First Year} has her undergraduate degree in Psychology

from LSU Shreveport and her Master’s in I/O Psychology from Louisiana

Tech. She has over ten years of Human Resources experience, most re-

cently as Director of HR at LSU Shreveport. Her research interest lies in

motivation, performance, and selection. She lives in Ruston with her hus-

band, mother, and two small children. In her spare time, she runs and is the

owner of a photography business.

Jeff Binder {Second Year} was born in Slidell, LA and received his Bache-

lor of Science degree in Psychology at Louisiana State University. Jeff is cur-

rently pursuing his PhD and Master’s in I/O Psychology at Louisiana Tech

University, and was among the inaugural cohort in the new PhD program.

Jeff’s research interests lie in personality testing, selection, training, and sta-

tistical procedures, as he works under the guise of Dr. Frank Igou. Jeff hopes

to go into consulting upon the completion of his time at Louisiana Tech.

John Buckner {Second Year} received his Master’s in Industrial-

Organizational Psychology from Saint Cloud State University and Bachelor’s

in Psychology and Sociology from the University of Wisconsin – River Falls.

John’s current research focus is on employee emotional labor and technol-

ogy in the workplace, and he is currently working under Dr. Kevin Mahoney.

John’s family lives in his hometown of New Richmond, Wisconsin, and he

plans to go into test construction in his I/O Psychology career.

Chris Castille {First Year} received his BS in psychology from Louisiana

State University and is completing his requirements for both an MA and PhD

in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from Louisiana Tech. As an under-

grad, Chris completed a research project into the correlates of happiness at

work, as well as reactions to deceit and performance anxiety. Chris's re-

search interest involves emotion regulation; specifically the purpose of posi-

tive emotions in coping with stress at work. His parents, older sister, and

niece live in his hometown of New Iberia.

Amy Frost {First Year} After receiving both a BA in Psychology and MA

in Industrial / Organizational Psychology from Louisiana Tech, Amy is return-

ing to complete her Ph.D. Her research interests focus on humanitarian

work psychology, informed by her time spent working abroad with non-

governmental organizations. Amy's long term career goal is to work with aid

and development organizations internally by assisting with organizational

structuring and needs analysis, local and global perception analysis, field-

based staff support, and cultural integration.

Stephanie Murphy {First Year} Born and raised in South Louisiana,

Stephanie received a BS in psychology from the University of New Orleans.

She completed a research internship and did discharge planning for a reha-

bilitation hospital before pursuing her Ph.D. at Louisiana Tech University.

Her research interest include work and family integration and employee

selection. Currently she is researching applying reversal theory concepts

to the workplace. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family

and watching the Saints. She and her son, Stephen, currently reside in Rus-

Page 7

Students Cole Napper {Second Year} After receiving his BA from Louisiana Tech

University, Cole is currently in his second year pursuing his PhD and Mas-

ter’s concurrently at Louisiana Tech University. Cole’s research interests are

in leadership and response validity. He is currently researching the response

validity of undergraduate students and testing their responses on a lie detec-

tion scale. Cole is a strong Louisiana Tech supporter and encourages you to

be one, as well. He is from Monroe, LA and is currently single , and room-

mates with fellow second year, Jeff.

Victoria Smoak {First Year} is a Shreveport, Louisiana native and a

graduate of Louisiana State University in Shreveport. Before moving to Rus-

ton, her life revolved around co-owning/managing a franchise in Shreveport.

Consequently, she is focusing her current research on entrepreneurship and

specifically, individual traits and behavioral outcomes of franchisees. After

completing the PhD. program, she looks forward to working and living

abroad.

Luke Simmering {Second Year} received a BA from Oklahoma State

University and a MA in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from Minnesota

State University, With a research interest in personality assessment, Luke

interned at Hogan Assessment Systems utilizing personality assessments in

the employee selection/development domain. He currently is conducting

research examining detection techniques for applicant faking. In his free time,

Luke conducts customer satisfaction surveys for golf courses. Luke and his

wife Morgan live in Ruston, LA with their dogs.

Recent Student Research Presentations:

Buckner, J. E., V, & Sheets, T. L. (2010, February). Exploring the Use of Technology in Establishing Experi-

mental Control. Louisiana Academy of Sciences, Alexandria, LA.

Livingston, M. M., Sheets, T. L., Tobacyk, J., Carter, A. Igou, F., McDaniel, J., & Buckner, J. E. V. (2010, October). Human Subjects Research Dilemmas: Following Rules, Protecting People, and Getting

Results. Louisiana Psychological Association, Baton Rouge, LA.

Poster Presentations:

Buckner, J. E., V. (2010, April). Individual difference and item characteristic antecedents of acquiescent re sponding in personality assessment. Poster presented at the Southwestern Psychological Asso

ciation, Dallas, TX.

Mahoney, K. T., Buckner, J. E., V, Buboltz, W. C., Jr., & Doverspike, D. (2010, May). Individual Differ-

ences in Emotional Labor and Its Consequences. Poster presented at Association for Psycho-

logical Science, Boston, MA.

Simmering, L. (2009). Examination and Construct Validity Confirmation of Two Personality- Based Adjective Checklist Measures. Presentation at 2009 IO/OB conference, Chicago, IL.

Publications: Levy, J. J., Castille, C. M., and Farley, J. A.. (2010). An Investigation of Musical Performance Anxiety in the Marching Arts. Manuscript submitted for publication.

Mahoney, K. T., Buboltz, W. C., Jr., Buckner, J. E., V, & Doverspike, D. (In Review). Emotional Labor and American University Professors. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology. Walczyk, J. J., Castille, C. M., Igou, F., Nagata, E., and Merritt, J. K. (2010). A Social Norm Model of Rea

tion to Deceit. Manuscript submitted for publication.

Louisiana Tech University

Department of Psychology

P.O. Box 3163

Ruston, LA 71272

Phone: 1-318-257-4315

Fax: 1-318-257-3442

E-mail: [email protected]

Our Applied Research and Organizational Solutions work group provides students with the

opportunity to work on projects with a variety of companies and non-profit organizations. Cur-

rently, any money given for completion of any projects is

donated to the Louisiana Tech I/O PhD Program. Additional

information is available at the website we use to administer

surveys: http://www.AROSurvey.com.

Looking to make a donation?

Contact Dr. Tilman Sheets at [email protected]

Louisiana Tech University

Louisiana Tech vs. Southern Miss Tailgate The Louisiana Tech Industrial/Organizational

Psychology Doctoral students and faculty

teamed up with special guests from Univer-

sity of Southern Mississippi Alums for a great

day of food, fun, and football! Program Direc-

tor and Head of the Psychology Department,

Tilman Sheets, was torn between his alma

mater and his current school, but still made

the best of the situation. After a grueling

match between the Bulldogs and the Golden

Eagles, Southern Miss came out on top with a

score of 13 to 12, giving them a win on the

road. Most notable was a torrential down-

pour during the second half of the game,

leaving special guests Robin Wentworth,

Mike Jenkins, and Stephen Bushardt soaked

despite their win!

Contributing to the Cause

Louisiana Tech University is

a proud member of the

University of Louisiana

System

www.ulsystem.net