NegotiAct: Introducing a Comprehensive Coding Scheme to Capture Temporal Interaction Patterns in Negotiations

In the present research, we developed NegotiAct, a comprehensive coding scheme for negotiations, comprising 47 mutually exclusive behavioral codes. NegotiAct was derived by systematically integrating (i) 89 extant coding schemes for negotiations, (ii) pertinent findings from negotiation research, and (iii) specific interaction behaviors that were previously not considered in coding schemes for negotiations (e.g., active listening). To facilitate the application of NegotiAct, we designed a coding manual with precise instructions and with definitions and examples for every code. NegotiAct can be customized to address many research questions in experimental settings as well as field research by splitting codes into more specific behaviors. Thereby, differentiated codes can always be traced back to the original codes, preserving comparability across studies and facilitating cumulative research. In combination with interaction analytical methods, NegotiAct enables scholars to detect and investigate specific communication patterns across the negotiation process. As a first empirical validation of NegotiAct, we demonstrate a substantial interrater reliability for 18 videotaped negotiations (κ = .80) and conduct an exploratory validation analysis, studying the relation of multi-issue offers, active listening, and joint gains.

Gaining insights into organizational communication dynamics through the analysis of implicit and explicit communication

This report in the journal Gruppe. Interaktion. Organisation. Zeitschrift für Angewandte Organisationspsychologie aims at presenting how the analysis of implicit and explicit communication in organizational interaction can advance our insights into and implications for these interactions for research and science. Communication is a central process in modern organizations. Especially recurring forms of interaction in organizations (e.g., meetings or appraisal interviews) are of great importance for personal and organizational success. In these interactions, the communication between the interacting organizational members has a decisive impact on the interactions’ course and outcomes (e.g., satisfaction with the interaction, performance during the interaction). Therefore, the aim of this paper is to present two aspects of communication that are empirically shown to contribute to successful outcomes of organizational interactions. Based on a practical problem, we illustrate the analysis and implications of (1) implicit communication (that is, the use and coordination of unconsciously used function words such as pronouns, articles, or prepositions) and (2) explicit communication (that is, the overarching meaning of a statement). To further illustrate the practical relevance of both communication behaviors, we present empirical insights and their implications for practice. Taking a glance at the future, possible combinations of these communication behaviors, the resulting avenues for future research, and the importance of a strengthened cooperation between research and practice to gain more naturalistic insights into organizational communication dynamics are discussed.

GIAnT: A Group Interaction Annotation Tool to simplify psychological interaction analysis

In this article of the journal Gruppe. Interaktion. Organisation. (GIO), we introduce the freely available tool , which was developed to accelerate the time-consuming annotation process of long group meetings. Although the systematic observation and analysis of interaction processes in group and dyadic contexts contributes to our understanding of how people actually behave in interactions, it is only rarely used in research and practice due to the immense amount of time involved in data preparation. To change this circumstance, provides a method for automated segmentation of the spoken utterances of all persons involved and displays them clearly in a temporal context. The tool is provided on Github (https://github.com/ifnspaml/GIAnT).

Time to go wild: How to conceptualize and measure process dynamics in real teams with high-resolution

Team processes are interdependent activities among team members that transform inputs into outputs, vary over time, and are critical for team effectiveness. Understanding the temporal dynamics of team processes and related team phenomena with a high-resolution lens (i.e., methods with high sampling rates) is particularly challenging when going “into the wild” (i.e., studying teams operating in their full situated context). We review quantitative field studies using high-resolution methods (e.g., video, chat/text data, archival, wearables) and map out the various temporal lenses for studying team dynamics. We synthesize these different lenses and present an integrated temporal framework that is of help in theorizing about team dynamics. We also provide readers with a “how to” guide that summarizes four essential steps along with analytical methods (e.g., sequential and pattern analyses, mixed-methods research, abductive reasoning) that are applicable to the broad scope of high-resolution methods.

Opening the Career Counseling Black Box: Behavioral Mechanisms of Empathy and Working Alliance

Many individuals who struggle with career decisions seek professional guidance from career counselors. However, little is known about how to ensure that career guidance sessions are of high quality. Vital factors for a successful counseling process include a positive working alliance and empathy of the counselor. This study investigates how counselors’ behaviors, measured with a behavioral coding instrument, related to positive working alliances and empathy. We introduce a video-based instrument that measures microbehaviors and skills during career counseling sessions. Psychometric analyses were conducted on the basis of 53 video recordings. Double-coded sessions ( N = 18) showed excellent interrater reliabilities for the coded microbehaviors. By using a multitrait-multimethod approach, we established construct validity with another coding instrument, whereas criterion validity was established with respect to counselors’ empathy and working alliance ratings. We discuss theoretical implications of using video-based methods in career sessions to advance process research and present practical applications in terms of assessing quality assurance in career interventions.

The moderating role of message content in the formation of employee voice

Research on employee voice has highlighted the different nature of promotive and prohibitive voice. However, only few studies have explicitly analysed the implications of this distinction for showing voice. Therefore, to enhance our knowledge regarding the formation of employee voice, our article focuses on the moderating role of the message content. In a scenario-based study, we show that employees’ decision to speak up might differ depending on what the message is about. In addition, we found evidence that some effects might be the same for both promotive and prohibitive voice, indicating that the distinction between both types of message content might be more complex than research currently assumes. The findings underline the need for more comparative research on the different natures of promotive and prohibitive voice.

When Do Followers Compensate for Leader Silence? The Motivating Role of Leader Injustice

Leaders are important for overcoming silence in organizations, because they can serve as role models and facilitate voice, for example, by being just. However, at times, leaders themselves remain silent. In such instances, trickle-down models of leadership and role-modeling theory suggest that leader silence results in follower silence. Drawing on research on laissez-faire leadership and coping, we challenge these approaches proposing that team members can compensate for their leader’s silence. This compensatory effect, in turn, is proposed to be contingent on followers’ justice perceptions, although in a counterintuitive way: Drawing on the fairness heuristic and collective action research, we propose that perceiving the leader as unjust makes it less likely that followers use their leader as a role model and can motivate followers to overcome fear and resignation, eventually resulting in followers’ speaking up in cases when leaders fail to do so. Results from two studies in organizations support our assumption that jointly considering leader and follower silence can reveal surprising effects and thus inspire new research complementing current approaches to overcome silence and its detrimental effects for organizations and their stakeholders. Additionally, we discuss theoretical and practical implications regarding the role of leaders, followers, and context as antecedents of silence.