Please see some of my areas of research listed below. To view the citations of my research publications and conference presentations- please click on the document below. Some of my research papers are available below. If you would like a copy of any of the other papers, please contact me.
| blume_research_03-2010.doc |
Transfer of Training
Accumulating evidence suggests that training is among the most critical human resource practices for achieving high-performance workplaces. In organizational contexts, however, training is only effective when people use it in or transfer what they learn to the job and improve their performance. My coauthors (Kevin Ford, Tim Baldwin, & Jason Huang) and I reviewed and summarized results from studies that look at the factors that influence how much trainees apply what they learn to their job. These include individual differences (e.g., personality), organizational context (peer or supervisor support), and training interventions (e.g., goal-setting). Our paper 'Transfer of Training: A Meta-analytic Review' has been accepted and is in press at the Journal of Management. We are currently working on a meta-analytic path analysis of training transfer. We have also published a book chapter in the 2009 International Review of Industrial and Organizational Psychology entitled, 'Transfer of Training 1998-2008: An Updated Review and New Agenda for Future Research'.
Forced Distribution Systems
Forced distribution systems (FDS) are one approach to performance evaluation that were developed to reduce leniency and the lack of differentiation of performance evaluation ratings. FDS do so by “forcing” managers to discriminate between high and low performers. Perhaps no other figure has contributed more to the increased use of FDS than high-profile former GE executive Jack Welch, who has extolled FDS as being an efficient and pragmatic means of “rewarding doers”. However, other companies such as Ford have unsuccessfully tried to implement FDS systems. Given the lack of research on this topic, our research isolates and describes four key elements (consequences for low performers; differentiation of rewards for top performers; frequency of feedback; and size of comparison group) that distinguish different forms of FDS. My Coauthors and I have recently published our paper below entitled, "Reactions to Different Types of Forced Distribution Performance Evaluation Systems" that is in-press at the Journal of Business & Psychology.
| blume_et_al._2009_reactions_to_different_types_of_fds.pdf |
Characteristics of Successful Entrepreneurs
I'm looking at the influence of characteristics such as entrepreneurs' IQ and personality and what influence these have on the success of new ventures they begin. Also, I've coauthered a paper with Jeff Covin that is in-press at Journal of Business Venturing entitled, "Attributions to Intuition in the Venture Founding Process: Do Entrepreneurs Actually Use Intuition or Just Say That They Do?" It is about how entrepreneurs' perceived use of intuition can influence the starting of new ventures.
| blume__covin_2009_in_press_jbv.pdf |
Consequences of Organizational Citizenship Behavior (OCB)
Citizenship behaviors (or OCBs) can be defined as voluntary employee activities that promote the effective functioning of the organization. For example, if a coworker helps out someone who is struggling or attends optional meetings we tend to think of these people as 'good citizens'. My coauthors and I recently published a meta-analytic review in the Journal of Applied Psychology that demonstrates that OCBs were related to individual-level and organizational level outcomes (see below).
For example, we found that OCBs were positively related to managerial ratings of employee performance and reward allocation decisions, while OCBs were negatively related to withdrawal-related criteria (e.g., employee turnover intentions, actual turnover, and absenteeism). In addition, OCBs were found to be positively related to a company’s productivity, efficiency, and customer satisfaction measures.
| podsakoff_et_al._2009_ocb_consequences_meta-a.pdf |