Genetic mechanisms explaining how evolution is linked to organizational behavior: The genetic basis of work attitudes and emotions. Zhaoli Song National University of Singapore Remus Ilies and Nikos Dimotakis Michigan State University

Purpose Biology, evolution, and organizational behavior. Links to behavior via employees’ attitudes and emotional states at work. ▫Attitudes and emotional states have significant genetic components. ▫Implications for understanding how individuals behave and how they experience work.

Purpose (cont.) Evidence of genetic effects is accumulating rapidly. Organizational research has been slow to integrate genetic effects. Important implications for practice have also been neglected.

Estimating the magnitude of genetic effects Estimate variance of the outcome among MZ twins reared apart. Estimate variance of the outcome among MZ & DZ twins reared apart and together. V A = a 2 + c 2 + e 2 h 2 = a 2 / V A

Evolution, inheritance and behavioral genetics Dispositions evolved because they contributed to solving specific adaptation problems. ▫Individual differences as ranges of viable evolutionary strategies (Buss, 1991). ▫Variation in a characteristic facilitates niche occupation (Lusk et al., 1998). That an individual characteristic is heritable indicates that it is subject to sexual or natural selection. ▫Difficult to establish the consequences of traits for fitness.

Potential trait benefits and costs (Nettle, 2006) TraitExample BenefitExample Cost ExtraversionSocial alliesPhysical risks NeuroticismVigilance to dangersStress and depression OpennessCreativityUnusual beliefs Conscientiousness Attention to long-term fitness benefits Missing of immediate fitness gains Agreeableness Harmonious interpersonal relationships Subject to social cheating

Genetics, behavior, and attitudes The role of personality and emotionality. ▫Big Five (Loehlin, 1992). ▫Affectivity (Bouchard & Mcgue, Relationships with behavior and attitudes Genetic Influences Personality Emotion and Affect Behaviors Attitudes

The case of job satisfaction The importance of job satisfaction. Heritability estimates Mediating role of personality and affectivity

Other satisfaction domains Substantial heritability of life satisfaction  Moderated effects General well-being

Work values Heritability of work values Heritability of non-work values and attitudes

Work and non-work behaviors Turnover Risk taking Task persistence Aggression and hostility Leadership Entrepreneurial behaviors Parenting styles

Future research More sophisticated and comprehensive models. ▫Integrating organizational behavior, evolutionary psychology, and genetics. Interactions and correlations between heritability, genes, and the environment – beyond h ▫hxE, GxE, G-E correlations, Epigenetic Programming (Moffitt et al., 2006). ▫Personality as strategic traits and environments as distributions of adaptive problems (Buss, 2009). Emphasis on on-the-job behaviors. More appropriate samples and methods.

Implications for theory Integrating genetic influences in models of work behavior. Drawing upon previous work to detect gene- environment interactions. Synthesizing viewpoints.

Practical Implications Organizational ▫Selection, organizational climate, job design, workplace interventions. Ethical ▫“Unhappy consequences” (Turkheimer, 1990, p. 788). Legal issues ▫US: Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008 ▫Potential legislation in the EU and elsewhere. Alternative implications ▫“Breaking” established correlations (Judge, Ilies, & Dimotakis, 2010).

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