TThhee UUnniivveerrssiittyy ooff SSoouutthheerrnn MMiissssiissssiippppii TThhee AAqquuiillaa DDiiggiittaall CCoommmmuunniittyy Dissertations Summer 8-2009 TThhee EEffffeecctt ooff HHoollllaanndd''ss PPeerrssoonn--EEnnvviirroonnmmeenntt FFiitt oonn TTrraaiitt AAnnggeerr,, IInntteerrppeerrssoonnaall CCoonnflfliicctt aatt WWoorrkk,, aanndd WWoorrkkppllaaccee AAggggrreessssiioonn Aimee Chantelle Pseekos University of Southern Mississippi Follow this and additional works at: https://aquila.usm.edu/dissertations Part of the Clinical Psychology Commons, Community Psychology Commons, Counseling Psychology Commons, and the Human Resources Management Commons RReeccoommmmeennddeedd CCiittaattiioonn Pseekos, Aimee Chantelle, "The Effect of Holland's Person-Environment Fit on Trait Anger, Interpersonal Conflict at Work, and Workplace Aggression" (2009). Dissertations. 1070. https://aquila.usm.edu/dissertations/1070 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by The Aquila Digital Community. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations by an authorized administrator of The Aquila Digital Community. For more information, please contact [email protected]. The University of Southern Mississippi THE EFFECT OF HOLLAND'S PERSON-ENVIRONMENT FIT ON TRAIT ANGER, INTERPERSONAL CONFLICT AT WORK, AND WORKPLACE AGGRESSION by Aimee Chantelle Pseekos A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Studies Office of The University of Southern Mississippi in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy August 2009 COPYRIGHT BY AIMEE CHANTELLE PSEEKOS 2009 The University of Southern Mississippi THE EFFECT OF HOLLAND'S PERSON-ENVIRONMENT FIT ON TRAIT ANGER, INTERPERSONAL CONFLICT AT WORK, AND WORKPLACE AGGRESSION by Aimee Chantelle Pseekos Abstract of a Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Studies Office of The University of Southern Mississippi in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy August 2009 ABSTRACT THE EFFECT OF HOLLAND'S PERSON-ENVIRONMENT FIT ON TRAIT ANGER, INTERPERSONAL CONFLICT AT WORK, AND WORKPLACE AGGRESSION by Aimee Chantelle Pseekos August 2009 This study examined the effect of Person-Environment fit, as defined by Holland's (1997) theory, on trait anger, interpersonal conflict at work, and workplace aggression in a sample of employees in the United States. Job satisfaction was also examined with regard to concurrent and discriminant validity information for this sample. Results indicated that there was not a statistically significant effect of Person- Environment fit on trait anger, interpersonal conflict at work, or workplace aggression. The concurrent and discriminant validity of findings was supported through relationships between job satisfaction, Person-Environment fit, and workplace aggression. Limitations and implications for further research related to Person-Environment fit and counterproductive work behaviors are discussed. ii DEDICATION This dissertation is dedicated to my parents, Evans and Kathleen Pseekos, whose support throughout this process has allowed me to complete this dissertation project. I love you both and greatly appreciate all that you have done and continue to do in support of my future doctoral degree in counseling psychology. I look forward to continuing on to a career of service through helping others, which you have both exemplified throughout your lives. Thank you so much. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to first thank my dissertation chair, Dr. Emily Bullock, whose guidance and support throughout this project has been immeasurably helpful. I have been very fortune for the opportunity to work with you, and have remained motivated to see this dissertation to completion through the ongoing example you have set by your commitment and dedication to this project. I would also like to thank Dr. Eric Dahlen, who served on the committee, and whose mentoring throughout the past five years has played an important role in shaping my professional development. Special thanks are also provided to my remaining committee members: Dr. Tammy Greer, Dr. Michael Madson, and Dr. Bonnie Nicholson. I have learned greatly from each you throughout my graduate training at The University of Southern Mississippi, and have genuinely appreciated your involvement in this committee. The assistance of those who helped by notifying others in organizations about this research project and distributing flyers has also been greatly appreciated including: Evans and Kathleen Pseekos, Kate Czar, Christina Demyan, Jennifer Farnum, Megan Chapman, Kathryn Brown, Andy Smith, Tara Ferguson, and Alayna Speed. Also, I am grateful for the research assistance of Lindsay Andrews and Melissa Bonnell. Special thanks is also provided to the researchers who approved the use of their instruments in the present research: Dr. Augustine Agho, Dr. Robert Baron, Dr. Don Hine, Dr. Joel Neuman, Dr. Paul Spector, and Dr. Charles Spielberger. IV TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT ii DEDICATION iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS iv LIST OF TABLES vi LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS vii CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION 1 General Determinants of Aggressive Behavior Psychological and Physical Aggression Exemplified in the Workplace Environment Person-Environment Fit as a Potential Influence on Aggressive Behavior in the Workplace Job Satisfaction and the Present Research The Present Study II. METHOD 65 Participants Instruments Procedure Planned Analyses III. RESULTS 75 Main Analyses IV. DISCUSSION 89 Discussion of Results Limitations Recommendations for Future Research Implications for Counseling Psychology APPENDICES 113 REFERENCES 131 v LIST OF TABLES Table 1. Frequencies of Demographic Variables Found Within the Total Sample and Self-Directed Search Completers 76 2. Contingency Table Displaying Frequencies of Individual and Environmental Code Types (i.e., RIASEC) Among Self-Directed Search Completers 78 3. Means, Standard Deviations, and Correlations for the Continuous Variables Among Self-Directed Search Completers 83 4. Mean and Standard Deviation For Low, Average, and High Levels of Fit on Trait Anger, Interpersonal Conflict at Work and Workplace Aggression Among Self-Directed Search Completers 84 5. One-Way Analysis of Variance for Effects of Person-Environment Fit on Trait Anger and Interpersonal Conflict at Work, and One-Way Analysis of Covariance for Effect of Person-Environment Fit on Workplace Aggression Among Self-Directed Search Completers 86 6. Means, Standard Deviations, Ranges, and Correlations Between Job Satisfaction, Person-Environment Fit, and Workplace Aggression Among Self-Directed Search Completers 88 vi LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Figure 1. A Visual Display of the Placement of the Six Code Types on Holland's (1997) Hexagon (Carson, 2003) 24 2. Graphs of Individual and Environmental Code Type Distribution Based on Holland's First Letter Code Types 81 vii