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Genetic mechanisms explaining how evolution is linked to organizational behavior: The genetic basis of work attitudes and emotions. Zhaoli Song National University of Singapore Remus Ilies and Nikos Dimotakis Michigan State University
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Purpose Biology, evolution, and organizational behavior. Links to behavior via employees’ attitudes and emotional states at work. ▫Attitudes and emotional states have significant genetic components. ▫Implications for understanding how individuals behave and how they experience work.
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Purpose (cont.) Evidence of genetic effects is accumulating rapidly. Organizational research has been slow to integrate genetic effects. Important implications for practice have also been neglected.
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Estimating the magnitude of genetic effects Estimate variance of the outcome among MZ twins reared apart. Estimate variance of the outcome among MZ & DZ twins reared apart and together. V A = a 2 + c 2 + e 2 h 2 = a 2 / V A
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Evolution, inheritance and behavioral genetics Dispositions evolved because they contributed to solving specific adaptation problems. ▫Individual differences as ranges of viable evolutionary strategies (Buss, 1991). ▫Variation in a characteristic facilitates niche occupation (Lusk et al., 1998). That an individual characteristic is heritable indicates that it is subject to sexual or natural selection. ▫Difficult to establish the consequences of traits for fitness.
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Potential trait benefits and costs (Nettle, 2006) TraitExample BenefitExample Cost ExtraversionSocial alliesPhysical risks NeuroticismVigilance to dangersStress and depression OpennessCreativityUnusual beliefs Conscientiousness Attention to long-term fitness benefits Missing of immediate fitness gains Agreeableness Harmonious interpersonal relationships Subject to social cheating
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Genetics, behavior, and attitudes The role of personality and emotionality. ▫Big Five (Loehlin, 1992). ▫Affectivity (Bouchard & Mcgue, 20030. Relationships with behavior and attitudes Genetic Influences Personality Emotion and Affect Behaviors Attitudes
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The case of job satisfaction The importance of job satisfaction. Heritability estimates Mediating role of personality and affectivity
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Other satisfaction domains Substantial heritability of life satisfaction Moderated effects General well-being
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Work values Heritability of work values Heritability of non-work values and attitudes
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Work and non-work behaviors Turnover Risk taking Task persistence Aggression and hostility Leadership Entrepreneurial behaviors Parenting styles
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Future research More sophisticated and comprehensive models. ▫Integrating organizational behavior, evolutionary psychology, and genetics. Interactions and correlations between heritability, genes, and the environment – beyond h ▫hxE, GxE, G-E correlations, Epigenetic Programming (Moffitt et al., 2006). ▫Personality as strategic traits and environments as distributions of adaptive problems (Buss, 2009). Emphasis on on-the-job behaviors. More appropriate samples and methods.
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Implications for theory Integrating genetic influences in models of work behavior. Drawing upon previous work to detect gene- environment interactions. Synthesizing viewpoints.
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Practical Implications Organizational ▫Selection, organizational climate, job design, workplace interventions. Ethical ▫“Unhappy consequences” (Turkheimer, 1990, p. 788). Legal issues ▫US: Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008 ▫Potential legislation in the EU and elsewhere. Alternative implications ▫“Breaking” established correlations (Judge, Ilies, & Dimotakis, 2010).
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