Work-Related Acceptance & Action Questionnaire (WAAQ)

A paper detailing the robust psychometric properties of the WAAQ is now 'in press' in the Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, and you can download it from here: http://eprints.gold.ac.uk/7349/

Based upon the findings discussed in this paper, we think both researchers and practitioners will find the WAAQ to be an excellent resource in assessing a psychological process that predicts job performance, worker engagement and motivation, job satisfaction, and mental health.

TITLE AND ABSTRACT

The work-related acceptance and action questionnaire (WAAQ): Initial psychometric findings and their implications for measuring psychological flexibility in specific contexts

Frank W. Bond, Joda Lloyd & Nigel Guenole

Goldsmiths, University of London

Over the past decade, experimental and longitudinal research has shown that psychological flexibility is an important determinant of mental health and behavioral effectiveness in the workplace. These findings have been established using a general measure of this psychological process, the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire—Revised (AAQ-II). Consistent with Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) theory, psychological flexibility may demonstrate even stronger associations with variables related to a work context (e.g., job satisfaction) if it were assessed using a measure of the construct that is tailored to the workplace. To test this hypothesis, we first developed such a measure, the Work-related AAQ (WAAQ). Findings from 745 participants across three studies reveal that the structure, validity and reliability of the WAAQ are satisfactory. As predicted, the WAAQ, in comparison to the AAQ-II, correlates significantly more strongly with work-specific variables. In contrast, the AAQ-II tends to correlate more strongly with outcomes that are likely to be more stable across different contexts (e.g., mental health and personality variables). These findings are discussed in relation to ACT theory.

IMS UK/EU Scholarships

Goldsmiths' Institute of Management Studies (IMS) is pleased to announce that it is offering to contribute £1,000 towards IMS tuition fees for up to two UK/EU students on MSc Digital Entrepreneurship, MSc Leadership and Talent Management or MSc Management of Innovation. To receive a scholarship, winners will need to pay the deposit for their programme and receive an unconditional offer.

The scholarships are awarded based upon the following three criteria:

1. Academic record
2. Application process, including personal statement and interview
3. No more than 500 words on what you wish to receive from your time at the IMS, and how that will help you to achieve you career aims.

For an application form email money@gold.ac.uk

Applications are due by Thursday 16th August at 12.00 British Summer Time

IMS International Scholarships

Goldsmiths' Institute of Management Studies (IMS) is pleased to announce that it is offering to contribute £3,000 towards IMS tuition fees for up to four international students. To receive a scholarship, winners will need to pay the deposit for their programme and receive an unconditional offer and a Confirmation of Acceptance of Studies.


The scholarships are awarded based upon the following three criteria:


1. Academic record
2. Application process, including personal statement and interview
3. No more than 500 words on what you wish to receive from your time at the IMS, and how that will help you to achieve you career aims.
Applications are due by Sunday 5th August at 24.00 British Summer Time


(Terms and Conditions apply)

IMS featured in The Independent

The Independent newspaper has published a positive article on the Institute of Management Studies, titled 'The Hi-Tech Business Brains of Silicon Roundabout'. You can check it out here:
http://www.independent.co.uk/student/postgraduate/postgraduate-study/the-hitech-business-brains-of-silicon-roundabout-7660333.html

CIPD

We will be attending the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development's  Learning and Organisation Development Conference and Exhibition between 25-26 April 2012, Olympia London. The Institute Director and senior staff will be on hand to discuss our programmes and answer your questions. We look forward to seeing you there! For further details: http://www.cipd.co.uk/cande/hrd

Posted by IMS

Goldsmiths + Institute of Management Studies = Why?

If you are one of those people who is wondering why Goldsmiths, that well-known bastion of art and media, is starting an Institute of Management Studies (IMS), then you are hardly alone: my colleagues at Goldsmiths have asked me the same question. I think there are two main reasons: (1) we already have the expertise, and (2) there is a need for what we’re offering.

As you can see from our website, we are offering four masters programmes that build upon what Goldsmiths already excels at. For over 15 years, our MSc in Occupational Psychology (MSc OP) has been one of the best in the UK. Our staff publish high-impact research papers, which makes it easy for us to teach leading edge theory and practical skills, which, in turn, help our students—who are clever to begin with—to get excellent jobs at all stages of their career. The British Psychological Society (BPS) accredits the MSc OP, so it dutifully covers the eight core areas of OP. The MSc OP, and its staff, are moving to the IMS this summer (2012).

Building on our expertise in OP, we wanted to create another masters programme that kept key bits of the MSc OP but dropped those that are less important to people interested in leadership, human resource management, human capital, and organisational change. These are areas that our members of staff research, so we developed courses/modules in which we could teach them, added them to certain pre-existing OP courses and formed our MSc in Leadership and Talent Management (MSc LTM).

I have long been interested in the organisational and individual characteristics that promote innovation. You can see that from some of my publications. We also have researchers in our Institute of Creative and Cultural Entrepreneurship, Creative and Social Technologies Unit, and Design, Psychology, and Computing departments who study the processes of innovation. Our MSc in Management of Innovation brings together all of this research and practical expertise to teach people how to lead innovation, project manage, and develop and refine policy. At Goldsmiths, we are well known for teaching people to innovate in a particular discipline (e.g., visual art, theatre, developing computer games), and now we will teach people how to lead innovation, regardless of the industry.

Our MSc in Digital Entrepreneurship brings together expertise from Goldsmiths’ Institute of Creative and Culture Entrepreneurship, Computing, and Design departments to show students how they can develop their digital, or online, products and bring them to market. Students will also take courses that can teach them the leadership and organisational change skills that they need to lead successful digital innovation in a start-up or an established organisation.

We’ve known for years that there is a need for people who can lead innovation, and who can attract, manage, and retain leaders; we provide the knowledge, understanding and skills to help you get the job that will allow you to begin to show others your leadership skills. Likewise, if you are a budding digital entrepreneur (or intrapreneur) who wants to set-up shop on the ‘silicon roundabout’ off Old Street in London, or beyond, we can teach you how. In these difficult times, there is a need for these leadership and entrepreneurial skills. Our research active staff have the experience and applied skills to help you develop yours.

Goldsmiths + Institute of Management Studies = Naturally

Posted by Prof. Frank Bond