Design and Validation of Situational Judgment Test of Managers’ Mental Toughness in Iran Alloy Steel Company

Shakeri, Iman; Mehdad, Ali; Farhadi, Hadi

doi:10.22055/jiops.2023.43449.1347

Document Type : Research Article

Authors

¹ PhD Student of Psychology, Department of Psychology, Isfahan Branch (Khorasgan), Islamic Azad University, Isfahan, Iran

² Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, Isfahan Branch (Khorasgan), Islamic Azad University, Isfahan, Iran

³ Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, Isfahan Branch (Khorasgan), Islamic Azad University, Isfahan, Iran

https://doi.org/10.22055/jiops.2023.43449.1347

Abstract

Introduction
Research shows that mental toughness is effective in predicting outcomes in a variety of stressful contexts such as athletics, the military, and the workplace. Despite the existence of extensive research on mental toughness, different researchers have not reached the necessary coherence and integrity in conceptualizing and defining the dimensions of this construct. Therefore, the purpose of this research was to design and validate the situational judgment test of mental managers’ toughness of.

Method
This research is descriptive-survey and practical in terms of purpose. The statistical population included 196 employees (for exploratory and reliability factor analysis) and 210 separate employees (for convergent validity and confirmatory factor analysis) from the managerial ranks in Iran Alloy Company, who were selected by random stratified sampling method. In order to compile the situations and answer options of the test, the opinions of experts were used and the validity of the test was investigated using correlation methods, goodness of fit study, factor analysis, and reliability analysis.
Results
In order to investigate the validity of the situational judgment test of mental toughness several methods were used. The exploratory factor analysis with principal components method and varimax rotation, as expected, suggested a structure based on five subscales including "Attention control", "Emotion control", "Utilization of feedback", "Task persistence" and " goal attainment". Confirmatory factor analysis showed the researcher’s hypothesis that the structure is based on five components is confirmed. Also, convergent validity was confirmed by its correlation with the scores of mental toughness in the assessment center. Evaluation of internal consistency of scale by Cronbach’s alpha method and correlation of each question with the total score showed that questions of this scale have acceptable internal consistency.

Discussion
The research findings showed situational judgment test of mental toughness is composed of five factors and acceptable validity and reliability. Consequently, it can be applied to measure the mental toughness of employees in complex organizational situations. This research has provided promising fields for studies that measure and develop employees’ mental toughness in the workplace.

Keywords

References

Bandura, A. (1991). Social cognitive theory of self-regulation. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 50(2), 248-287. https://doi.org/10.1016/0749-5978(91)90022-L

Blair, A., Hoffman, R., & Ladd, T. (2016). Assessment centers vs situational judgment tests: longitudinal predictors of success. Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 37(7), 899–911. https://doi.org/10.1108/LODJ-12-2014-0235

Cowden, R. G., Crust, L., Tibbert, S. J., & Jackman, P. C. (2020). Mental toughness development and training in sport. In M. Bertollo, E. Filho, & P. C. Terry (Eds.). Advancements in mental skills training. New York, NY: Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429025112-4

Flanagan, J. C. (1954). The critical incident technique. Psychological Bulletin, 41, 237-358. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0061470

Gucciardi, D. F., Hanton, S., Gordon, S., Mallett, C. J., & Tempby, P. (2015). The concept of mental toughness: Tests of dimensionality, nomological network, and traitness. Journal of Personality, 83, 26-44. https://doi.org/10.1111/jopy.12079

Hardy, J. H., Imose, R. A., & Day, E. A. (2014). Relating trait and domain mental toughness to complex task learning. Personality and Individual Differences, 68, 59-64. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2014.04.011

Kaiseler, M., Polman, R. C. J., & Nicholls, A. (2009). Mental toughness, stress, stress appraisal, coping and coping effectiveness in sport. Personality and Individual Differences, 47, 728-733. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2009.06.012

Libbrecht, N., & Lievens, F. (2012). Validity evidence for the situational judgment test paradigm in emotional intelligence measurement. International Journal of Psychology, 47(6), 438-447. https://doi.org/10.1080/00207594.2012.682063

Lin, Y., Mutz, J., Clough, P. J., & Papageorgiou, K. (2017). Mental toughness and individual differences in learning, educational and work performance, psychological well-being, and personality: A systematic review. Frontiers in Psychology, 8, 1-13. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01345

Marchant, D. C., Polman, R. C. J., Clough, P. J., Jackson, J. G., Levy, A. R., & Nicholls, A. R. (2009). Mental toughness: Managerial and age differences. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 24, 428-437. https://doi.org/10.1108/02683940910959753

Nicholls, A. R., Levy, A. R., Polman, R. C. J., & Crust, L. (2011). Mental toughness, coping self-efficacy, and coping effectiveness among athletes. International Journal of Sport Psychology, 42, 513–524. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2009.02.006

Payne, S. C., Youngcourt, S. S., & Beaubien, J. M. (2007). A meta-analytic examination of the goal orientation nomological net. Journal of Applied Psychology, 92(1), 128-150. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.92.1.128

Ruparel, N. (2020). Mental toughness: Promising new paradigms for the workplace, Cogent Psychology, 7(1), 1722354. https://doi.org/10.1080/23311908.2020.1722354

Schlegel, K., & Mortillaro, M. (2018). The geneva emotional competence test (GECo): An ability measure of workplace emotional intelligence. Journal of Applied Psychology. 104(4), 559–580. https://doi.org/10.1037/apl0000365

Shakeri, I. (2016). Validation of traditional performance appraisal and multisource appraisal of competences through assessment center. Industrial and Organizational Psychology Studies 3(1), 57-70. (Persion). https://doi.org/10.22055/jiops.2018.21906.1049

Shoenfelt, E. L. (2016). How much do we really know about employee resilience? More, if we include the sport psychology research. Industrial and Organizational Psychology, 9, 442-446. https://doi.org/10.1017/iop.2016.36

Tabakhnick, B. G., & Fidell, L. S. (2007). Using multivariate statistics (5th ed). Boston: Allyn & Bocon.

Thornton III, G. C., Mueller-Hanson, R. A., & Rupp, D. E. (2017). Developing organizational simulations: A guide for practitioners, students, and researchers. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315652382

Waltz, C. F., & Bausell, R. B. (1981).‌ Nursing research: design, statistics, and computer analysis.‌ Illustrated ed. Philadelphia: F.A. Davis Co.

Design and Validation of Situational Judgment Test of Managers’ Mental Toughness in Iran Alloy Steel Company

References

References

Volume 10, Issue 1September 2023Pages 43-56

Volume 10, Issue 1
September 2023
Pages 43-56