Fred Luthans
Encyclopedia
Fred LuthansFred Luthans (born June 28, 1939 in Clinton, Iowa
is a management
professor specializing in organizational behavior.
with a B.A. in mathematics
, and then obtained his MBA, and Ph.D. in management
and social psychology
in 1965. Henry Albers was his major academic adviser at Iowa.
He also took post-doctoral seminars in management
at Columbia University
while serving in the United States Army
stationed at United States Military Academy
.
and leadership
at the United States Military Academy
at West Point, NY from 1965–1967, Luthans joined the faculty of the Department of Management at the University of Nebraska where he has remained to pursue his career. In 1986 the Academy of Management
elected him to its presidency and in 1997 he received the Distinguished Management Educator Award.
in organizations. This evolved into the now widely recognized discipline of organizational behavior, by far the largest division in the Academy of Management
. His book Organizational Behavior. (now going into its 12th edition), is generally recognized as the first mainline text (1973) in this field.
Drawing from his University of Iowa
behavioral psychology education, Luthans’ first research stream applied reinforcement
theory and techniques to improve employee performance. This led to his second seminal book on Organizational Behavior Modification (co-authored with one of his former doctoral students Robert Kreitner in 1975). A meta-analysis
mainly consisting of his studies indicated a strong relationship between his "O.B. Mod." approach and improved employee performance in both manufacturing and service organizations. A recent quantitative analysis published in the Academy of Management
Learning and Education Journal on the importance, scientific validity, and practical usefulness of all theories in the field found Luthans’ Organizational Behavior Modification Theory among the eight highest rated (along with those by Kurt Lewin
, David McClelland
, J. Richard Hackman, Edwin A. Locke
, John B. Miner, Victor Vroom
, and Bernard Bass).
In the 1980s, Luthans conducted rare observational research to answer the questions of “What do managers really do in their day-to-day activities?”; “What do successful managers (those who rise rapidly in their organizations) really do?”; and “What do effective managers (those who have satisfied and committed employees and high quantity and quality outcomes in their units) really do?” This led to his third book Real Managers (1988). His research found that the relatively most frequently observed activity contributing to managers’ success was their social network
skills (defined behaviorally from naturalistic observation
methodology
to be socializing/politicking and interacting with outsiders). Effective managers, on the other hand, were observed to give relatively most frequent attention to communicating and human resource management activities, with networking given the least attention. This finding that managers who were successful exhibited quite different activities than did their effective counterparts challenged conventional wisdom that promotions are based on doing activities that result in effective outcomes. This research empirically demonstrated the importance of playing the game (networking and politicking) in order to get ahead in organizations.
In the 1990s, with globalization
taking the forefront in the management field, Luthans’ research took on an international focus and resulted in his next major book (co-authored with now deceased Richard Hodgetts and now Jonathan Doh) International Management (1991, now in its seventh edition). Luthans previous work in both behavioral management and managerial activities were tested in other cultures, mainly Asia and Eastern Europe.
In recent years, drawing from the positive psychology
movement and his own early research on positive reinforcement
and, with former doctoral student Alex Stajkovic, on self-efficacy
(their meta-analysis
published in 1998 indicating a very strong relationship between self-efficacy
and work-related performance is one of the most cited in the entire field), Luthans has initiated, defined, built theory and conducted research on what he terms positive organizational behavior
or simply POB. With former doctoral student Carolyn Youssef and University of Nebraska colleague Bruce Avolio, this work has resulted in his latest book Psychological Capital (2007).
This positive psychological capital
or simply PsyCap is made up of positive psychological resources of self-efficacy
, hope
, optimism
, and psychological resilience
. These four PsyCap components have been determined to best meet his POB definitional criteria of being theory/research-based, having valid measurement, being state-like/open to development, and having performance impact. Luthans and colleagues research has demonstrated that this PsyCap is a higher order, core construct. Each of the four dimensions has been found to load onto the overall core factor of PsyCap, which in turn has been more consistently related to both performance and satisfaction than each of the individual components. The key differentiator between PsyCap and most other positive constructs is that it is “state-like” and open to development. Luthans and colleagues (especially former doctoral student James Avey) research has demonstrated that, compared to randomly assigned control groups, PsyCap can be developed in relatively short (2-3 hour) intervention workshops. Luthans and colleagues utility analysis of investing in and developing psychological capital has to date yielded a very high (over 200% in one study) what they call return on development (ROD). This work on PsyCap has resulted in Luthans receiving the 2008 Outstanding Research and Creative Activity (ORCA). Award from the University of Nebraska system.
Clinton, Iowa
Clinton is a city in and the county seat of Clinton County, Iowa, United States. The population was 26231as of 2010. Clinton, along with DeWitt, Iowa , was named in honor of the seventh governor of New York, DeWitt Clinton. Clinton is the principal city of the Clinton Micropolitan Statistical...
is a management
Management
Management in all business and organizational activities is the act of getting people together to accomplish desired goals and objectives using available resources efficiently and effectively...
professor specializing in organizational behavior.
Education
Luthans graduated with a B.A. from the University of IowaUniversity of Iowa
The University of Iowa is a public state-supported research university located in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. It is the oldest public university in the state. The university is organized into eleven colleges granting undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees...
with a B.A. in mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
, and then obtained his MBA, and Ph.D. in management
Management
Management in all business and organizational activities is the act of getting people together to accomplish desired goals and objectives using available resources efficiently and effectively...
and social psychology
Social psychology
Social psychology is the scientific study of how people's thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are influenced by the actual, imagined, or implied presence of others. By this definition, scientific refers to the empirical method of investigation. The terms thoughts, feelings, and behaviors include all...
in 1965. Henry Albers was his major academic adviser at Iowa.
He also took post-doctoral seminars in management
Management
Management in all business and organizational activities is the act of getting people together to accomplish desired goals and objectives using available resources efficiently and effectively...
at Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
while serving in the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
stationed at United States Military Academy
United States Military Academy
The United States Military Academy at West Point is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located at West Point, New York. The academy sits on scenic high ground overlooking the Hudson River, north of New York City...
.
Academic career
After service as an Army Captain teaching psychologyPsychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
and leadership
Leadership
Leadership has been described as the “process of social influence in which one person can enlist the aid and support of others in the accomplishment of a common task". Other in-depth definitions of leadership have also emerged.-Theories:...
at the United States Military Academy
United States Military Academy
The United States Military Academy at West Point is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located at West Point, New York. The academy sits on scenic high ground overlooking the Hudson River, north of New York City...
at West Point, NY from 1965–1967, Luthans joined the faculty of the Department of Management at the University of Nebraska where he has remained to pursue his career. In 1986 the Academy of Management
Academy of Management
The Academy of Management is a professional association for scholars dedicated to creating and disseminating knowledge about management and organizations. The Academy of Management was established in 1936...
elected him to its presidency and in 1997 he received the Distinguished Management Educator Award.
Research
Luthans was one of the first management scholars to apply behavioral science to better understanding and effectively manage human behaviorHuman behavior
Human behavior refers to the range of behaviors exhibited by humans and which are influenced by culture, attitudes, emotions, values, ethics, authority, rapport, hypnosis, persuasion, coercion and/or genetics....
in organizations. This evolved into the now widely recognized discipline of organizational behavior, by far the largest division in the Academy of Management
Academy of Management
The Academy of Management is a professional association for scholars dedicated to creating and disseminating knowledge about management and organizations. The Academy of Management was established in 1936...
. His book Organizational Behavior. (now going into its 12th edition), is generally recognized as the first mainline text (1973) in this field.
Drawing from his University of Iowa
University of Iowa
The University of Iowa is a public state-supported research university located in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. It is the oldest public university in the state. The university is organized into eleven colleges granting undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees...
behavioral psychology education, Luthans’ first research stream applied reinforcement
Reinforcement
Reinforcement is a term in operant conditioning and behavior analysis for the process of increasing the rate or probability of a behavior in the form of a "response" by the delivery or emergence of a stimulus Reinforcement is a term in operant conditioning and behavior analysis for the process of...
theory and techniques to improve employee performance. This led to his second seminal book on Organizational Behavior Modification (co-authored with one of his former doctoral students Robert Kreitner in 1975). A meta-analysis
Meta-analysis
In statistics, a meta-analysis combines the results of several studies that address a set of related research hypotheses. In its simplest form, this is normally by identification of a common measure of effect size, for which a weighted average might be the output of a meta-analyses. Here the...
mainly consisting of his studies indicated a strong relationship between his "O.B. Mod." approach and improved employee performance in both manufacturing and service organizations. A recent quantitative analysis published in the Academy of Management
Academy of Management
The Academy of Management is a professional association for scholars dedicated to creating and disseminating knowledge about management and organizations. The Academy of Management was established in 1936...
Learning and Education Journal on the importance, scientific validity, and practical usefulness of all theories in the field found Luthans’ Organizational Behavior Modification Theory among the eight highest rated (along with those by Kurt Lewin
Kurt Lewin
Kurt Zadek Lewin was a German-American psychologist, known as one of the modern pioneers of social, organizational, and applied psychology....
, David McClelland
David McClelland
David C. McClelland was an American psychological theorist. Noted for his work on need theory, he published a number of works from the 1950s until the 1990s and developed new scoring systems for the Thematic Apperception Test and its descendants...
, J. Richard Hackman, Edwin A. Locke
Edwin A. Locke
Professor Edwin A Locke is an American psychologist and a pioneer in goal-setting theory. He is a retired Dean’s Professor of Motivation and Leadership at the Robert H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland, College Park. He was also affiliated with the Department of Psychology...
, John B. Miner, Victor Vroom
Victor Vroom
Victor H. Vroom is a business school professor at the Yale School of Management, who was born on 9 August 1932 in Montreal, Canada. He holds a PhD from University of Michigan....
, and Bernard Bass).
In the 1980s, Luthans conducted rare observational research to answer the questions of “What do managers really do in their day-to-day activities?”; “What do successful managers (those who rise rapidly in their organizations) really do?”; and “What do effective managers (those who have satisfied and committed employees and high quantity and quality outcomes in their units) really do?” This led to his third book Real Managers (1988). His research found that the relatively most frequently observed activity contributing to managers’ success was their social network
Social network
A social network is a social structure made up of individuals called "nodes", which are tied by one or more specific types of interdependency, such as friendship, kinship, common interest, financial exchange, dislike, sexual relationships, or relationships of beliefs, knowledge or prestige.Social...
skills (defined behaviorally from naturalistic observation
Naturalistic observation
Naturalistic observation is a research tool in which a subject is observed in its natural habitat without any manipulation by the observer. During naturalistic observation researchers take great care to avoid interfering with the behavior they are observing by using unobtrusive methods...
methodology
Methodology
Methodology is generally a guideline for solving a problem, with specificcomponents such as phases, tasks, methods, techniques and tools . It can be defined also as follows:...
to be socializing/politicking and interacting with outsiders). Effective managers, on the other hand, were observed to give relatively most frequent attention to communicating and human resource management activities, with networking given the least attention. This finding that managers who were successful exhibited quite different activities than did their effective counterparts challenged conventional wisdom that promotions are based on doing activities that result in effective outcomes. This research empirically demonstrated the importance of playing the game (networking and politicking) in order to get ahead in organizations.
In the 1990s, with globalization
Globalization
Globalization refers to the increasingly global relationships of culture, people and economic activity. Most often, it refers to economics: the global distribution of the production of goods and services, through reduction of barriers to international trade such as tariffs, export fees, and import...
taking the forefront in the management field, Luthans’ research took on an international focus and resulted in his next major book (co-authored with now deceased Richard Hodgetts and now Jonathan Doh) International Management (1991, now in its seventh edition). Luthans previous work in both behavioral management and managerial activities were tested in other cultures, mainly Asia and Eastern Europe.
In recent years, drawing from the positive psychology
Positive psychology
Positive psychology is a recent branch of psychology whose purpose was summed up in 1998 by Martin Seligman and Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi: "We believe that a psychology of positive human functioning will arise, which achieves a scientific understanding and effective interventions to build thriving in...
movement and his own early research on positive reinforcement
Reinforcement
Reinforcement is a term in operant conditioning and behavior analysis for the process of increasing the rate or probability of a behavior in the form of a "response" by the delivery or emergence of a stimulus Reinforcement is a term in operant conditioning and behavior analysis for the process of...
and, with former doctoral student Alex Stajkovic, on self-efficacy
Self-efficacy
Self-efficacy is a term used in psychology, roughly corresponding to a person's belief in their own competence.It has been defined as the belief that one is capable of performing in a certain manner to attain certain set of goals. It is believed that our personalized ideas of self-efficacy affect...
(their meta-analysis
Meta-analysis
In statistics, a meta-analysis combines the results of several studies that address a set of related research hypotheses. In its simplest form, this is normally by identification of a common measure of effect size, for which a weighted average might be the output of a meta-analyses. Here the...
published in 1998 indicating a very strong relationship between self-efficacy
Self-efficacy
Self-efficacy is a term used in psychology, roughly corresponding to a person's belief in their own competence.It has been defined as the belief that one is capable of performing in a certain manner to attain certain set of goals. It is believed that our personalized ideas of self-efficacy affect...
and work-related performance is one of the most cited in the entire field), Luthans has initiated, defined, built theory and conducted research on what he terms positive organizational behavior
Positive organizational behavior
Positive Organizational Behavior is defined as "the study and application of positively oriented human resource strengths and psychological capacities that can be measured, developed, and effectively managed for performance improvement in today’s workplace" .For a positive psychological capacity...
or simply POB. With former doctoral student Carolyn Youssef and University of Nebraska colleague Bruce Avolio, this work has resulted in his latest book Psychological Capital (2007).
This positive psychological capital
Positive psychological capital
Positive Psychological Capital is defined as the positive and developmental state of an individual as characterized by high self-efficacy, optimism, hope and resiliency.-Introduction:...
or simply PsyCap is made up of positive psychological resources of self-efficacy
Self-efficacy
Self-efficacy is a term used in psychology, roughly corresponding to a person's belief in their own competence.It has been defined as the belief that one is capable of performing in a certain manner to attain certain set of goals. It is believed that our personalized ideas of self-efficacy affect...
, hope
Hope
Hope is the emotional state which promotes the belief in a positive outcome related to events and circumstances in one's life. It is the "feeling that what is wanted can be had or that events will turn out for the best" or the act of "look[ing] forward to with desire and reasonable confidence" or...
, optimism
Optimism
The Oxford English Dictionary defines optimism as having "hopefulness and confidence about the future or successful outcome of something; a tendency to take a favourable or hopeful view." The word is originally derived from the Latin optimum, meaning "best." Being optimistic, in the typical sense...
, and psychological resilience
Psychological resilience
Resilience in psychology refers to the idea of an individual's tendency to cope with stress and adversity. This coping may result in the individual “bouncing back” to a previous state of normal functioning, or using the experience of exposure to adversity to produce a “steeling effect” and function...
. These four PsyCap components have been determined to best meet his POB definitional criteria of being theory/research-based, having valid measurement, being state-like/open to development, and having performance impact. Luthans and colleagues research has demonstrated that this PsyCap is a higher order, core construct. Each of the four dimensions has been found to load onto the overall core factor of PsyCap, which in turn has been more consistently related to both performance and satisfaction than each of the individual components. The key differentiator between PsyCap and most other positive constructs is that it is “state-like” and open to development. Luthans and colleagues (especially former doctoral student James Avey) research has demonstrated that, compared to randomly assigned control groups, PsyCap can be developed in relatively short (2-3 hour) intervention workshops. Luthans and colleagues utility analysis of investing in and developing psychological capital has to date yielded a very high (over 200% in one study) what they call return on development (ROD). This work on PsyCap has resulted in Luthans receiving the 2008 Outstanding Research and Creative Activity (ORCA). Award from the University of Nebraska system.
Selected bibliography
- Luthans, F. (1973). Organizational behavior. New York: McGraw-Hill. ISBN 0071259309
- Luthans, F. (1988). Successful vs. effective real managers. Academy of Management Executive, 2, 127-132.
- Luthans, F. (2002). The need for and meaning of positive organizational behavior. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 6, 695-706.
- Luthans, F., Avolio, B., Avey, J., & Norman, S. (2007).Positive psychological capital: Measurement and relationship with performance and satisfaction. Personnel Psychology, 60, 541-572.
- Luthans, F. , & Davis, T. (1980). A social learning approach to organizational behavior. Academy of Management Review, 7, 281-290.
- Luthans, F., & Hodgetts, R.M. (1991). International management. New York: McGraw-Hill. ISBN 0073381195
- Luthans, F., Hodgetts, R.M., & Rosenkrantz, S. (1988). Real managers. Cambridge, MA: Ballinger. ISBN 0887303455
- Luthans, F., & Kreitner, R. (1975). . Glenview, IL: Scott, Foresman.
- Luthans, F., & Youssef, C.M. (2007). Emerging positive organizational behavior. Journal of Management, 33, 321-349.
- Luthans, F., Youssef, C.M., & Avolio, B.J. (2007). Psychological capital. New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0195187520
- Stajkovic, A., & Luthans, F. (1997). A meta-analysis of the effects of organizational behavior modification on task performance. Academy of Management Journal, 40, 1122-1149.
- Stajkovic, A., & Luthans, F. (1998). Self-efficacy and work-related performance: A meta-analysis. Psychological Bulletin, 124, 240-261.