Development of Job Experience - Literature review Example

Introduction The study focuses on Development of Job Experience (DJE) and role of affective-based model using a sample of 214 early careers managers. Although the study identifies that DJE was strongly related to increasing positive, pleasant feelings among employees and that emotional intelligence help to buffer affective processes among employees, the study identified existing gaps in knowledge. Firstly, there is recognition of complexities and uncertainties that are related to the DJE, multiplicity of factors may lead to failure of DJE producing the desired purpose. The reason for this observation is still largely unknown. Secondly, some scholars still dispute that highly challenging DJE has been associated with a negative outcome in job performance. However, the reason for this position remains largely unknown. Purpose of the Research This particular study focused on interrogating roles of emotional intelligence, DJE and impacts on the performance of individual employees. Evidently, the aim is to measure DJE using Developmental Challenge Profile (DCP), pleasant and unpleasant feelings using twelve affective-related adjectives. Notably, the research focuses on studying relationship between DJE and increased advancement of employees processes such as learning. While there has been a general assumption, there is a huge deficit in knowledge since majority of studies have been inconsistent. The primary purpose of the study was to provide more reliable evidence-based study on the relationship between DJE and employees overall job performance. While there is a call in many corporate bodies to enhance employees job experience through training, the impact on the psychological and emotional spheres have remained largely unknown. Using transactional stress theory, the study aims at demystifying the role of emotions and stress on individual performance and interplay of DJE and Emotional Intelligence (EI) development in organizations. Transactional Stress Theory Cooper (56) states that transactional stress theory refers to a systematic framework that emphasizes on appraisal of the potential threats, harm and challenges facing cognitive rather than physical components of human beings. It lays emphasis o persons ability to withstand stress and factors necessary to enhance satisfaction in daily events and activities. In addition, the theory observes that the level of stress in the form of thoughts, emotions and feelings depends on external stressors from the environment. The ability to withstand different emotional situations depends on the magnitude of the effects on the affective domain. In this theory, Eschleman (123) notes that the stress is the biggest impediment to human beings realization of their full potential. Theoretical framework identifies stress as an emotional response that produces profound impact on the mental and physical abilities. In order to benefit maximum from an individual, it is important to eliminate emotional barriers. Kumar (34) observes that the theory appears to originate from historical studies on the impact of external and internal forces in determining abilities of individual. In this theory, stress is recognized as one of the internal forces that limit the ability and willingness to perform duties. In line with employees environment, the theory recognizes employees emotion intelligence as an important factor in obtaining, maximum input. It informs the reason of providing employees motivation and enhancing job satisfaction at work place. In essence, the theory recognizes that the personal input is determined by multiple factors that include society, gender, socioeconomic forces and stressful situation in ones life (Cooper 57). Moreover, the theory appears to revolve around personality. Stress comes when a person goals and expectations are not met. In addition, the theory identifies personality as a multiplicity of components that includes personal beliefs, values and norms. Although these issues are largely personal, when they are not met, it elicits stress and subsequently reduces ability to perform daily functions. Previous Use of Theory While studying the mediation of environmental pressures and stress, Lazarus in 1970s introduced an important element of the environment’s role to personal functioning. Hocking and Lochman (61) observe the past theory has been widely used in health care, Lazarus in 1970s in his experiment noted that patients when exposed to physiologic and environmental stressors the effects on the physical and psychological health is deleterious. In health care, it emphasizes on promoting stress-free environment would promote quick recovery. In essence, the theory encapsulates an important element of health as the environment. Harsh environmental conditions resulted in poor health and impaired psychological functioning. Notably, a study by Hocking and Lochman on sickle patient and effects of the psychosocial factors concluded that the severity of childhood sickle cell anemia had deleterious effects to the growth and development of the child (pp 63). The study examined the psychological implication of childhood diseases that include sickle cell and leukemia ad concluded that the stress associated with the diseases had far much reaching consequences to the patients wellbeing as well as family. In concluding, the authors observe that the reality of transactional stress was quite relevant in studying patient and family response to diseases. Moreover, they noted that although the disease had physical elements, the impact on the psychosocial components was a great determinant to the patient outcome. Moreover, transactional stress theory has been applied in the past in the management of patients with Fibromyalgia, which is a multifactorial pain symptom that is difficult to manage. During the study, it was observed that this pain syndrome has a number of biological causes but the manifestation took a psychological display. Since early 1990s, there were many studies exploring multiple factors such as parental bonding and coping strategies of the disease (Hocking and Lochman 65). While the studies focused important aspects, transactional theory model as applied much later showed that a psychological and emotional instability affects the physical performance of job. Additionally, Mountain and Davidson (19) state that the theory has been applied largely in employees motivation and consumer satisfaction. In coping repertoire studies by Adam & Katie, they recognized that consumers were frequently entangled I stressful situation because their demand and affordability often do not match. Using transactional stress framework, the study identified that consumers were facing serious adaptive challenges to technology and changing economic times. It helps understand consumer habits and thus, the theory offers a systematic guide to consumer behavior (Miller and McCool 79). During this study, the authors use transactional theory model to understand the impact of development of job experience (DJE) on the emotional intelligence of the employees. Notably, the authors describe how development of job experience causes positive or negative outcomes. Besides, the study focuses on the effect of job-related experience on the life f individuals. In conclusion, this study found that the development of job experience was; positively related to employees turnover intentions and also low emotional intelligence. Quantitative Study Dong (1056-57) identify that based on extensive literature review and various studies, there were five primary findings that dictated the direction of hypotheses. Firstly, when employees are subjected to unfamiliar responsibilities, there was the observation across literature that employees DJE experience is significantly improved since they are required to learn new things. Secondly, it was observed that there is creation of challenging tasks and responsibilities that causes employees stress in organizations. Thirdly, DJE has been implicated across institution that it confers challenging high-level responsibilities. Besides, working across the boundaries that involving working with peers, higher-level managers where an employee has no control over has huge impact o employees development. Lastly, several studies show that working in diversity f environment has implications on the psychosocial domain of employees. Hypothesis Analysis There were a number of the hypotheses that provided direction of the research study. First hypothesis identified that DJE is positively related to pleasant feelings at job place. It borrows from huge body f literature that positive feelings of employees is determined by diverse job experience. Second hypothesis states DJE is positively related to unpleasant feelings, giving possible outcomes due to inconsistency of many studies o DJE and employees outcome (Dong 1057). Third hypothesis states that Pleasant feelings were positively related to advancement potential. Fourth hypothesis envisioned the negative implication of the third hypothesis; it stated that unpleasant feelings were negatively related to advancement potentials. Other hypotheses state pleasant feeling mediated DJE ad advancement potential, turn-over intentions were positively related to unpleasant feelings and most importantly, one of the hypothesis identified that unpleasant feelings mediate between DJE and turn-over intentions. Thus, the study appears to investigate why employees would have high turn-over, unpleasant experience and the role of transactional stress theory in establishing outcome. Study Design and Sampling In order to conclude on the hypotheses stated, the authors undertake a research on the role of pleasant and unpleasant feelings on the DJE and emotional Intelligence interplay. The study saw sampling of a number of study participants; firstly there was a sample of 357 full-time early careers managers undertaking part-time Masters of Business Administration (MBA). These are individuals at management positions and are, therefore, appropriate because they have DJE varying degree. Using the part of seven-week management course, 478 supervisors were nominated to provide advancement potential ratings of the focal participants of the study (Dong 1066). For those with more than one participant, the advancement ratings were averaged. During this initial study, there was systemic sampling of the participants who have specific managerial experience. Firstly, they were asked to provide self-assessment findings of their affective experiences at work as accurate as possible. Notably, they were asked through online survey how they were feeling at random multiple times through online survey model. For more reliable data from the clients, surveys questions were sent between 9a.m and 3.00 pm, the survey requested an answer within 2 hours. Besides, to ensure representation, those participants who reported affective state fewer than five times during the study period were dropped (Dong 1066). After 15-18 working days study, the study added two more email surveys. One focused on work, in this survey employees were required to undertake self-assessment by providing demographic information, positive affectivity (PA), negative affectivity (NA), DJE and turn-over intentions experienced. The second participant survey comprised of Mayer-Salovey-Caruso; that is an emotional intelligence test (MSCEIT). The tool was used to assess Emotional Intelligence (EI) among the study participants (Dong 1067). The final sample of the study participants included 214 who completed all the three surveys (work survey, affect and MSCEIT) and 316 supervisors also provided supervisor survey. The descriptions of these study participants include, average age was 28 years, the average organizational tenure was 2.94 years, and 68% of the participants were men (Dong 1067). Besides, the participants background proportion included 17% consultants and a similar proportion for manufacturing, 20% financial service persons and 3% involved in University research (Dong 1068). Measurements DJE was measured using a shortened version of Developmental Challenge Profile (DCP) that considered between five and nine attributes of DJE. The tool has shown consistent in the previous studies as well as constructed reliability. The five areas of focus included unfamiliar responsibilities, change, working across boundaries, high levels of responsibility and managing diversity. Secondly, in the assessment of turn-over intentions, the study used three scale pointers that showed strongly agrees, agree and disagree. These three measurements helped to identify intentions of employees to continue within the set experimental work situation. Advancement potential variable was measured using focal participants similar three-item scale showing strong agreement, agreement and disagreement. In order to measure pleasant and unpleasant feelings, six items were used to describe pleasantly. These include happy, excited, enthusiastic, calm, satisfied and relax. Unpleasantness was measured using five-pointer scale that depicted 0-4 where 0- meant not at all, and 4 indicate extremely so. Emotional Intelligence (EI) used MSCEIT. The tool offers a systematic score of emotional intelligence parameters of a person. It offers 0-180 where the highest value represents high personal ability to perceive and represent emotional disturbance. Study Variables Independent Variables (IV) was mainly DJE, pleasant, unpleasant, emotional intelligence, organizational tenure, advancement potential, negative affectivity and positive affectivity are all Dependent Variables (DV) of the study. All these measurements interlaced provide a model of the latent construct that are related to the DJE (Dong 1068). Statistical Findings and Techniques Based on the thirteen parameters studied across the DV, it was found that organizational tenure was average of 2.94 and age of employees was 28.12. In relation to the study variables, positive affectivity was 3.75 while negative affectivity represented 1.80, meaning there was high positive emotional stability with pressure of work as compared with negative. Besides, pleasant feelings 0.55 while unpleasant was 0.67 showing lack of positive feeling during job performance. Moreover, emotional intelligence was 97.39 with a standard deviation of 11.82. Intention of turn-over averaged at 2.35 while advancement potential represented 4.21 (Dong 1069). The findings depict that high job performance coupled with a multiplicity of diverse takes showed a high level of DJE but represented a dismal positive pleasant. In essence, employees learn from demanding jobs and their skills and professionalism is enhanced but such huge task, causes emotional stress as envisioned in the transactional stress model. With huge responsibilities and challenging tasks, employees emotional intelligence develops but positive affectivity; pleasant feelings are jeopardized. Conclusion Stress coping theory presents an important framework of describing emotional stability of employees in relation to complex and huge tasks. The managers learn from this study that it is important to put embark on organizational training to support employees in task execution, impart positive attributes towards work and enhance emotional tolerance to task. The future studies should focus on studying multiplicity of jobs including private business persons; this study limits its scope to career managers making generalization unreliable. Works Cited Cooper, C. L., P. Dewe, and M. P. ODriscoll. "Stress at Job." Organizational stress: A review and critique of theory, research, and applications. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage, 2001. 56-71. Print. Dong, Y., M. Seo, and K. Bartol. "NO PAIN, NO GAIN: AN AFFECT-BASED MODEL OF DEVELOPMENTAL JOB EXPERIENCE AND THE BUFFERING EFFECTS OF EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE." Academy of Management Journal 57 (2014): 1056-1077. Web. Eschleman, K. J., G. M. Alarcon, J. B. Lyons, C. K. Stokes, and T. Schneider. "The dynamic nature of the stress appraisal process and the infusion of affect." Anxiety Stress and Coping (2012): 123-34. Web. . Hocking, M. C., and J. E. Lochman. "Applying the Transactional Stress and Coping Model to Sickle Cell Disorder and Insulin-Dependent Diabetes Mellitus: Identifying Psychosocial Variables Related to Adjustment and Intervention." Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review (2005): n. pp. 61-66. Web. . Kumar, N. Organizational Behaviour: A New Look Concept ; Theory & Cases. New Delhi: Himalaya Pub. House, 2009. 34-41. Print. Miller, T. A., and S. F. McCool. "Coping with Stress in Outdoor Recreational Settings: An Application of Transactional Stress Theory." Leisure Sciences (2003): 78-90. Web. . Mountain, A., and C. Davidson. "Transactional Stress Theory." Working together: Organizational transactional analysis and business performance. Burlington, VT: Gower, 2011. 18-21. Print. Read More