One of my self-regulation research streams represents strategic basic research (e.g., conducting experimental work to acquire useful discoveries that can then be used to address practical problems). In parallel, I conduct applied research in order to translate these new discoveries into practice. A key innovation in my work lies in applying theories and methods developed in the laboratory to field contexts.
Strategic Basic Research — Primarily laboratory based
My Strategic Basic Research program of self-regulation is primarily conducted in the laboratory. I have produced a number of influential papers which have advanced understanding of the dynamic processes that unfold within-individuals as they self-regulate in learning and performance contexts, and how these processes differ for different people. My colleagues and I have made these discoveries by integrating relevant but previously disparate theories and tested hypotheses using a range of analytic techniques including multilevel modelling (regression and structural equation) and computational modelling. In one series of papers (Sitzmann & Yeo, 2013; Yeo & Neal, 2006; Yeo & Neal, 2013), I contributed to debate regarding the magnitude and direction of self-efficacy (confidence) effects within versus between people. This series culminated in a seminal within-person meta-analysis which debunked widely held assumptions regarding the causal influence of self-efficacy by showing that past performance drives subsequent self-efficacy rather than vice versa. This paper was a finalist for Personnel Psychology’s Best Paper Award.
In another series of papers (Ballard, Yeo et al. 2016a & 2016b; Unswoth, Yeo & Beck, 2014), I collaborated with Tim Ballard, Andrew Neal, Jeff Vancouver and others to tackle issues related to multiple-goal pursuit by integrating theories of motivation and decision making to develop more robust theories of self-regulation. For example, in Ballard et al. 2016a, we developed and tested a formal model of multiple-goal pursuit (the extended multiple-goal pursuit model or MGPM*). This model accounts for a range of established empirical phenomena, and also makes several novel predictions which were confirmed by empirical data. The result is a model that can explain a broader range of empirical effects than previous theoretical frameworks, without sacrificing parsimony or precision. Two of these papers by Ballard, Yeo et al. won the UWA Best Student Paper Award (2016 and 2017).
Applied Research — Field Based
My Applied Research program of self-regulation applies the theories and methods established from my strategic basic research stream to field settings. This work shows that consideration of the changing nature of self-regulation and its effects on learning, performance and well-being advances understanding of real-world problems and allows informed decisions to be made in practice.
For example, in my current work on incident commanders, my team has integrated the self-regulation principles and methods developed in the laboratory with those from the team leadership and team process literatures to generate and test predictions regarding dynamic trajectories of leader behaviour. Results indicate that a) the frequencies of behavioural displays of leader behaviours increase over time at a diminishing rate, b) this pattern of change for any given leader behaviour is most evident across the goal-regulation phases for which it is most relevant, and c) this pattern of change is most evident for leaders rated as effective by subject matter experts. This research is significant because it shifts the focus from questions regarding which team leader behaviours are effective in which goal-regulation phase, to a focus on how frequently various behaviours should be displayed over time as an incident unfolds, which has direct implication for training and performance management. Project results are also being used to inform industry-wide training curriculum and design, and to develop prescriptive guidelines for the training and management of action team leaders.
Another ongoing project relates to recovery and well-being. Over the past few years, I have run a number of activities with employees (400+ over multiple cohorts) which incorporate interventions designed to enhance recovery and well-being (e.g., taking work breaks without the use of a smartphone and "digital detox" evenings). All participants receive personalised reports based on self-report and physiological measurements (e.g., from heart-rate monitors). Reports are provided to participants in workshops designed to enhance employees’ self-awareness and commitment to making changes at work and/or home based on their personalised findings. This project capitalises on my theoretical knowledge and experimental skills to conduct cutting edge field research that promises to yield discoveries regarding what recovery activities work for whom, and why, and I have been invited to present its findings both nationally and internationally (e.g., Singapore, China, Hong Kong, Israel).
This ongoing work, as well as some earlier field work includes both laboratory and field compoenents which exemplifies my commitment towards creating a bridge from strategic basic to applied research. For example, in a telesales context colleagues and I examined employees over consecutive days, and showed that individuals with high Neuroticism outperformed their counterparts on busy days (Smillie, Yeo, Furnham & Jackson 2006). In a classroom setting, my team's work clarified controversy in the literature regarding goal orientation effects. We demonstrated that mastery orientation can have a positive impact on performance but only when the process is examined within individuals; and the effect of performance-approach orientation within individuals can shift from positive to negative as a function of complexity (Yeo et al., 2009).
Examples of industries/organisations that I have worked with include:
ERGT Australia
Deloitte
F45 Fitness Studios
Queensland Department of Industrial Relations
CRC Sugar Industry Innovation through Biotechnology
University of Queensland
Anglo Coal
Ernst and Young
The Australian Institute of Management
UQ Sport
Lifeline Brisbane