Peter Hausdorf

There are many research topics in Industrial/Organizational Psychology that interest me, which is why I am flexible with respect to the topics my graduate students can explore. Having said that I currently have several research directions that I am very excited about and would ideally integrate with future graduate student research. 

Much of my research has focused on topics reflecting the research-practice gap with applied/field samples. I have chosen this focus because much research in I-O Psychology does not consider the practical aspects of the research even though our discipline defines itself with both research and practice as core aspects. Another aspect of my research reflects my broad interests in a wide range of topics.  

Essentially my research can be organized into three categories: the accuracy and fairness of employee selection methods and decisions, employee health and well-being, and organizational effectiveness. The majority of my research is quantitative using field samples. More recently, I have started integrating mixed methods into my research (i.e. qualitative methods). I involve my graduate students extensively in my research as is evident in their inclusion in conference presentations and publications.

Accuracy and Fairness of Employee Selection Methods

My research in employee selection has focused on the validity and fairness of methods and decision making. This program of research started with my dissertation assessing interviewer biases and validity across different interview formats (i.e. unstructured to structured). Later I published research on general mental ability (GMA) and personality test validity and subgroup differences as well as other assessment tools (e.g. assessment centres, multiple-mini interviews, and work experience). More recently I have published a study assessing the social and financial cost of fixed band decision methods with GMA tests. One published paper I am quite proud of identifies socio-cultural factors that account for subgroup differences in GMA test scores. This is one of the first articles to explain and account for differences across subgroups (beyond race). I plan to continue to focus my research on selection methods and hiring decisions processes that are accurate and fair for diverse applicant groups.

Employee Health and Well-Being

Employee health and well-being has become an important issue for organizations today. My research in this area has focused on work-life conflict, employee incivility, meaning making from stressful experiences, and social support. A key component of this focus is research on first responders and their romantic partners and how they cope with traumatic events experienced at work. 

Organizational Effectiveness

This research has focused on a wide array of practical issues facing organizations today from self-serving biases on organizational surveys to effective processes for leadership assessment.  I include my research on organizational commitment in this category as it relates to employee motivation and, by extension, performance. I have two chapters on HR project teams and execution that reflect issues related to effectiveness of the HR function in organizations.

My graduate students are working on a diverse range of projects from HR manager decision making, the individual and organizational impact of employee incivility, and the predictors of employee error reporting at work.

I value open discussions, mutual respect, critical thinking and hard work. I consider my graduate students to be full research partners and the majority of my research is published in collaboration with them. As a senior member of the I/O Area, I plan to continue involving graduate students in the development of ideas and implementation of my research.