Employee Profile

Jan Ketil Arnulf

Professor - Department of Leadership and Organizational Behaviour

Room number A3Y-011
Phone +4746410706
E-mail jan.k.arnulf@bi.no

Area of Expertise

Publications

Scientific publications In the media Other

Smedslund, Geir; Arnulf, Jan Ketil & Smedslund, Jan (2022)

Is psychological science progressing? Explained variance in PsycINFO articles during the period 1956 to 2022

Frontiers in Psychology, 13 Doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1089089 - Full text in research archive

We aimed to numerically assess the progress of modern psychological science. Average explained variance in 1565 included articles was 42.8 percent, and this was constant during 1956 to 2022. We explored whether this could be explained by a combination of methodological conventions with the semantic properties of the involved variables. Using latent semantic analysis (LSA) on a random sample of 50 studies from the 1,565, we were able to replicate the possible semantic factor structures of 205 constructs reported in the corresponding articles. We argue that the methodological conventions pertaining to factor structures will lock the possible explained variance within mathematical constraints that will make most statistics cluster around 40 percent explained variance. Hypotheses with close to 100 percent semantic truth value will never be part of any assumed empirical study. Nor will hypotheses approaching zero truth value. Hypotheses with around 40 percent truth value will probably be experienced as empirical and plausible and, consequently, as good candidates for psychological research. Therefore, to the extent that the findings were indeed produced by semantic structures, they could have been known without collecting data. Finally, we try to explain why psychology had to abandon an individual, causal method and switch to studying whether associations among variables at the group level differ from chance. Psychological processes take place in indefinitely complex and irreversibly changing contexts. The prevalent research paradigm seems bound to producing theoretical statements that explain each other to around 40%. Any theoretical progress would need to address and transcend this barrier.

Steindórsdóttir, Bryndís Dögg; Sanders, Karin, Arnulf, Jan Ketil & Dysvik, Anders (2022)

Career transitions and career success from a lifespan developmental perspective: A 15 year longitudinal study

Journal of Vocational Behavior, 140 Doi: 10.1016/j.jvb.2022.103809

We draw on the conservation of resources theory to examine how upward and horizontal career transitions contribute to both objective and subjective career success among a longitudinal sample, covering the first 10 to 15 years of their career. Further, we adopt socioemotional-selective theory to investigate how upward and horizontal career transitions contribute differently to career success from a lifespan perspective. Latent growth curve analysis revealed that increases in upward and horizontal career transitions over time were positively related to increases in objective career success and positively related to subjective career success. As expected, the positive effect of horizontal transitions on objective career success was stronger for younger individuals. Contrary to our expectations, upward transitions had a stronger effect on the objective career success of older individuals. We found no age effects on subjective career success. This study helps to further our understanding of how different types of career movements contribute to career success, and the types of transitions that are important for individuals of different ages.

Arnulf, Jan Ketil; Robinson, Charlotte & Furnham, Adrian (2022)

Dispositional and ideological factor correlate of conspiracy thinking and beliefs

PLOS ONE, 17(10) Doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0273763 - Full text in research archive

This study explored how the Big Five personality traits, as well as measures of personality disorders, are related to two different measures of conspiracy theories (CTs)The two measures correlated r = .58 and were applied to examine generalisability of findings. We also measured participants (N = 397) general knowledge levels and ideology in the form of religious and political beliefs. Results show that the Big Five and ideology are related to CTs but these relationships are generally wiped out by the stronger effects of the personality disorder scales. Two personality disorder clusters (A and B) were significant correlates of both CT measures, in both cases accounting for similar amounts of variance (20%). The personality disorders most predictive of conspiracy theories were related to the A cluster, characterized by schizotypal symptoms such as oddities of thinking and loose associations. These findings were corroborated by an additional analysis using Latent Semantic Analysis (LSA). LSA demonstrated that the items measuring schizotypal and related symptoms are cognitively related to both our measures of CTs. The implications for the studying of CTs is discussed, and limitations are acknowledged.

Arnulf, Jan Ketil; Robinson, Charlotte & Furnham, Adrian (2022)

Explanations for the Sources of Wealth: It Is Not a Just World

Journal of Neuroscience, Psychology, and Economics (JNPE), 15(4), s. 210- 221. Doi: 10.1037/npe0000164

Five hundred participants indicated the extent to which they thought very wealthy people had become rich from four routes: three by personal effort (executive, investor, entrepreneur) and one by inheritance. These ratings were correlated with their demography (sex, age), ideology (religious and political beliefs), self-ratings, intelligence (IQ) as well as their beliefs in a just world (BJW), and their endorsement of conspiracy theories. It appears that most people are aware of the importance that agentic sources of wealth play, favoring entrepreneurship as the main pathway to extreme wealth. However, BJW seems to come in two versions: A “bright side version” indicating a belief that hard work and persistence will prevail, and another pathway linking agentic outcomes to theories of conspiracy. Intelligence appears to play an important role in this, but closer scrutiny suggests that IQ mainly serves to moderate conspiracy beliefs. Consequences for conspiracy beliefs and social unrest are discussed.

Furnham, Adrian; Arnulf, Jan Ketil & Robinson, Charlotte (2021)

Unobtrusive measures of prejudice: Estimating percentages of public beliefs and behaviours

PLOS ONE, 16(12), s. 1- 12. Doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0260042

This study was concerned with how accurate people are in their knowledge of population norms and statistics concerning such things as the economic, health and religious status of a nation and how those estimates are related to their own demography (e.g age, sex), ideology (political and religious beliefs) and intelligence. Just over 600 adults were asked to make 25 population estimates for Great Britain, including religious (church/mosque attendance) and economic (income, state benefits, car/house ownership) factors as well as estimates like the number of gay people, immigrants, smokers etc. They were reasonably accurate for things like car ownership, criminal record, vegetarianism and voting but seriously overestimated numbers related to minorities such as the prevalence of gay people, muslims and people not born in the UK. Conversely there was a significant underestimation of people receiving state benefits, having a criminal record or a private health insurance. Correlations between select variables and magnitude and absolute accuracy showed religiousness and IQ most significant correlates. Religious people were less, and intelligent people more, accurate in their estimates. A factor analysis of the estimates revealed five interpretable factors. Regressions were calculated onto these factors and showed how these individual differences accounted for as much as 14% of the variance. Implications and limitations are acknowledged.

Arnulf, Jan Ketil; Dai, Wanwen, Lu, Hui & Niu, Zhe (2021)

Limits of a Second Language: Native and Second Languages in Management Team Communication

Frontiers in Psychology, 12 Doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.580946 - Full text in research archive

Cultural differences in speech acts are common challenges in management involving Chinese and Western managers. Comparing four groups – Native-speaking Chinese, English-speaking Chinese, Chinese-speaking Westerners, and non-Chinese- speaking Westerners, we assessed the effects of language and ethnicity on the ability to predict communication obstacles in a management team scenario. Bilingual subjects were less likely to be influenced by ethnic biases. Still, bilinguals were not more likely to adjust their metacognitions about communication toward those of the native speakers. The study creates a link between management, cognition and linguistics, as well as having consequences for the study of metacognition in cross-cultural management.

Dai, Wanwen; Arnulf, Jan Ketil, Iao, Laileng, Liang, Meng & Dai, Haojin (2021)

Developing a measurement scale for organizational learning capabilities in China

Nankai Business Review International (NBRI) Doi: 10.1108/NBRI-04-2020-0015

Purpose The purpose of this study was to develop a measurement instrument for organizational learning capability (OLC) in a Chinese management context. Previous research has indicated a need for measurement instruments with proven ecological validity in China, because the learning capability of organizations is influenced by the organization’s external environment. Design/methodology/approach The authors followed a consequent inductive procedure from item sampling through exploratory factor analysis (EFA) to confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and nomological validation. The initial part sampled relevant descriptors from a diverse sample of 159 employees from heterogeneous backgrounds in China. After sorting by an expert panel, EFA of data from a sample of 161 executive students yielded a three-dimensional construct comprising knowledge acquisition, knowledge sharing and knowledge utilization. These three constructs were again tested in CFA using a sample of 357 employees from five companies. Findings The findings across the three samples resulted in a three-dimensional measurement scale that is called as the organizational learning capability questionnaire (OLCQ). The OLCQ displayed high internal consistency, reliability and nomological validity. Research limitations/implications This focus of this study has only been to establish a measurement instrument that allows indigenous research on organizational learning in China. The approach was statistically driven grounded approach, not a theoretical assumption of learning mechanisms special to the Chinese culture. Further research is needed to estimate how this approach yields results that are different from other cultures or the extent to which our findings can be explained by features of the Chinese culture or business environment. Practical implications This study offers a practical measurement instrument to assess practical and scientific problems of organizational learning in China. Social implications The work here emphasizes the necessity of a knowledge sharing community for organizational learning to appear. It addresses a call for more indigenous Chinese management research. Originality/value The authors provide a measurement instrument for OLC with proven ecological validity and with promising consequences for research and practice in China. The instrument is empirically grounded in the practices and behaviors of Chinese managers, avoiding biases that stem from previously identified shortcomings in cross-cultural management research. To the knowledge, it is the first of its kind and a contribution to a call for indigenous management theories with contextual validity.

Arnulf, Jan Ketil & Larsen, Kai Rune (2021)

Semantic and ontological structures of psychological attributes

Wood, Dustin; Read, Stephen J., Harms, P.D. & Slaughter, Andrew (red.). Measuring and modeling persons and situations

This chapter reviews the person-situation dimension in behavior prediction through the semantic theory of survey responses (STSR). This theory proposes that the most likely source of variation in correlations between scores on Likert-scale items is overlap in meaning. We review and explain a growing number of empirical studies that support this: Up to 86% of the variation in correlation matrices may be explained using text algorithms. Also, semantics seem to predetermine the relationships between different scales, including those cast as “predictors” and “outcomes” of one another. The studies seek to establish semantic properties on population, group, and individual levels, showing that comparisons of score levels across groups are affected by predictable differences in their interpretation of items. The findings relativize the importance of data collected by semantically influenced surveys. On the bright side, they open new ways of matching individual and group level characteristics to the general population.

Martinsen, Øyvind Lund; Furnham, Adrian, Grover, Simmy, Arnulf, Jan Ketil & Horne, George (2021)

Dark- and bright-side reactions to government advice about Covid-19, and a test of a method to moderate such reactions

Personality and Individual Differences, 181 Doi: 10.1016/j.paid.2021.111016 - Full text in research archive

The aim of this paper was to study how individual differences in personality shape reactions to authorities' health advice during the COVID-19 pandemic and how such reactions can be modified. Three studies, with between 249 and 407 participants, investigated this. Study 1 used a longitudinal design, and included measures of personality (NEO-FFI3, SCATI), political orientation, age and gender as predictors of reactions toward COVID-19 advice and regulations. Studies 2 and 3 were randomised experiments testing effects of principles for behaviour modification on such reactions. In study 1, we found that being female, older, or having liberal political views, as well as neuroticism, agreeableness and conscientiousness in the higher ranges, were associated with constructive reactions. Externalising personality disorders were related to opposite reactions. In study 2, we found that the experimental instructions had a significant positive impact on such reactions. These results were replicated in study 3. Implications and limitations are discussed.

Tomas, Casas I Klett & Arnulf, Jan Ketil (2020)

Are Chinese Teams Like Western Teams? Indigenous Management Theory to Leapfrog Essentialist Team Myths

Frontiers in Psychology, 11 Doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01758 - Full text in research archive

Our study analyzes a gap in research on Chinese and Western management teams, based on a broad literature review. We claim that prevalent theoretical perspectives in the management team literature might be biased toward a Western-centric view of team dynamics. This obscures alternative ways of understanding top teams encompassing Chinese cultural traditions. We outline how an essentialist team conceptualization leads to a paradox consisting of three mutually contradicting myths. Myth 1 implies that Western groups of managers comply with theoretically “ideal” team processes and characteristics. Myth 2 derives from research literature on Chinese teams claiming that team features are assumed absent or weak in China due to cultural particularities. Paradoxically, the same research tradition constructs another third myth by reporting that Chinese teams successfully comply with the Western ideal team model. The three coexisting myths point to a theoretical confounding of contextual mediators in team processes. We discuss how indigenous Chinese leadership theory and Chinese systems of philosophy give Chinese teams access to distinct and effective team processes to reach high-performance outcomes. This paper aims to open the rich possibilities of Chinese management and team practices to the cross-cultural context, and on return to novel understanding of Western teams beyond traditional essentialist theory anchors.

Arnulf, Jan Ketil (2020)

Wittgenstein’s Revenge: How Semantic Algorithms Can Help Survey Research Escape Smedslund’s Labyrinth

Lindstad, Tobias; Stänicke, Erik & Valsiner, Jaan (red.). Respect for Thought: Jan Smedslund’s Legacy for Psychology

Empirical research has shown how semantic algorithms can often predict the statistics of survey data a priori, particularly in topics like “leadership” and “motivation.” In those cases, the survey data reflect the language usages of respondents, not the attitudes toward the topics in question. While this fact seems to bewilder researchers, it opens a computational tool for exploring our semantic construction of psychological reality. Using Dennett’s concept “competence without comprehension,” this article discusses how humans are trapped in a semantic network that we ourselves struggle to understand. Since Smedslund’s work and the language algorithms have common roots in formal logics, the computational algorithms may help us explore the cognitively challenging area of a priori assumptions in psychological research. There may be a computational way to test and explore Smedslund’s ideas of “pseudo-empiricality,” helping science explore the complex area among empirical, logical, and psychological phenomena.

Arnulf, Jan Ketil; Nimon, Kim, Larsen, Kai Rune, Hovland, Christiane Vegan & Arnesen, Merethe (2020)

The Priest, the Sex Worker, and the CEO: Measuring Motivation by Job Type

Frontiers in Psychology, s. 1- 22. Doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01321 - Full text in research archive

This study uses latent semantic analysis (LSA) to explore how prevalent measures of motivation are interpreted across very diverse job types. Building on the Semantic Theory of Survey Response (STSR), we calculate “semantic compliance” as the degree to which an individual’s responses follow a emantically predictable pattern. This allows us to examine how context, in the form of job type, influences respondent interpretations of items. In total, 399 respondents from 18 widely different job types (from CEOs through lawyers, priests and artists to sex workers and professional soldiers) self-rated their work motivation on eight commonly applied scales from research on motivation. A second sample served as an external evaluation panel (n = 30) and rated the 18 job types across eight job characteristics. Independent measures of the job types’ salary levels were obtained from national statistics. The findings indicate that while job type predicts motivational score levels significantly, semantic compliance as moderated by job type job also predicts motivational score levels usually at a lesser but significant magnitude. Combined, semantic compliance and job type explained up to 41% of the differences in motional score levels. The variation in semantic compliance was also significantly related to job characteristics as rated by an external panel, and to national income levels. Our findings indicate that people in different contexts interpret items differently to a degree that substantially affects their score levels. We discuss how future measurements of motivation may improve by taking semantic compliance and the STSR perspective into consideration.

Arnulf, Jan Ketil & Larsen, Kai Rune (2020)

Culture blind leadership research: How semantically determined survey data may fail to detect cultural differences

Frontiers in Psychology, 11 Doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00176 - Full text in research archive

Likert scale surveys are frequently used in cross-cultural studies on leadership. Recent publications using digital text algorithms raise doubt about the source of variation in statistics from such studies to the extent that they are semantically driven. The Semantic Theory of Survey Response (STSR) predicts that in the case of semantically determined answers, the response patterns may also be predictable across languages. The Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ) was applied to 11 different ethnic samples in English, Norwegian, German, Urdu and Chinese. Semantic algorithms predicted responses significantly across all conditions, although to varying degree. Comparisons of Norwegian, German, Urdu and Chinese samples in native versus English language versions suggest that observed differences are not culturally dependent but caused by different translations and understanding. The maximum variance attributable to culture was a 5% unique overlap of variation in the two Chinese samples. These findings question the capability of traditional surveys to detect cultural differences. It also indicates that cross-cultural leadership research may risk lack of practical relevance.

Dai, Wanwen; Arnulf, Jan Ketil, Iao, Laileng, Wan, Pei & Dai, Haojin (2019)

Like or want? Gender differences in attitudes toward online shopping in China

Psychology & Marketing Doi: 10.1002/mar.21183 - Full text in research archive

While previous studies indicate that female consumers display less trust for online shopping than males do, there is little research to addresses the reasons behind this difference. Our study applies a combination of both self‐report and the Implicit Association Test (IAT) to compare the cognitive and affective components of attitudes in men and women toward online shopping in China. Although female participants showed no significant difference from male participants in affective attitudes toward online shopping in the self‐report condition, females associated online shopping more frequently with unpleasant adjectives and off‐line shopping with pleasant adjectives in the indirect IAT condition. The opposite pattern was found for the male group. This finding indicates a wanting but disliking attitude toward online shopping among the female consumers in China, which provides a unique theoretical contribution to consumer behavior theory and helps to enhance emarketers’ market targeting and segmentation effectiveness in China.

Arnulf, Jan Ketil; Larsen, Kai Rune & Martinsen, Øyvind L. (2018)

Semantic algorithms can detect how media language shapes survey responses in organizational behaviour

PLOS ONE, 13(2) Doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0207643

Martinsen, Øyvind L.; Arnulf, Jan Ketil, Furnham, Adrian & Lang-Ree, Ole Christian (2018)

Narcissism and creativity

Personality and Individual Differences Doi: 10.1016/j.paid.2018.09.032 - Full text in research archive

In this study, we investigated the relationship between narcissism, creative personality traits, ideational fluency, and accomplishments in various creative activities. We measured narcissism with the Narcissistic Personality Inventory (Emmons, 1987), creative personality with the Creative Person Profile (Martinsen, 2011), creative potential with a figural measure of divergent thinking, and a biographical inventory was used to measure accomplishments in creative activities. The sample consisted of 1375 young adults, mainly men. The results showed that narcissism was associated with fluency, seven creative personality dispositions, and five measures of creative activities. The latter associations were in general significant even when controlling for traits and creative potential. The strongest relationship displayed with narcissism was with the creative personality traits, in particular ambition, agreeableness, and motivation. Implications and limitations are noted.

Arnulf, Jan Ketil; Dysvik, Anders & Larsen, Kai (2018)

Measuring Semantic Components in Training and Motivation: A Methodological Introduction to the Semantic Theory of Survey Response

Human Resource Development Quarterly Doi: 10.1002/hrdq.21324

This is a methodological presentation of the relationship between semantics and survey statistics in human resource development (HRD) research. This study starts with an introduction to the semantic theory of survey response (STSR) and proceeds by offering a guided approach to conducting such analyses. The reader is presented with two types of semantic algorithms and a brief overview of how they are calculated and how they can be accessed by interested researchers. Subsequently, we use semantic data to reanalyze a previously published study on the relationships between perceptions of a trainee program, intrinsic motivation, and work outcomes. The semantic algorithms can explain between 31 and 55% of the variation in the observed correlations. This article shows how the statistical models originally used to explore the survey data can be replicated using semantics either alone or as an identifiable source of variation in the data. All the steps are presented in detail, and the datasets as well as the statistical syntax necessary to perform the analyses are made available to the readers. Implications for methodology and the improvement of predictive validity in HRD research are discussed.

Arnulf, Jan Ketil; Larsen, Kai Rune & Martinsen, Øyvind L. (2018)

Respondent Robotics: Simulating responses to Likert-scale survey items

Sage Open, 8(1), s. 1- 18. Doi: 10.1177/2158244018764803 - Full text in research archive

The semantic theory of survey responses (STSR) proposes that the prime source of statistical covariance in survey data is the degree of semantic similarity (overlap of meaning) among the items of the survey. Because semantic structures are possible to estimate using digital text algorithms, it is possible to predict the response structures of Likert-type scales a priori. The present study applies STSR in an experimental way by computing real survey responses using such semantic information. A sample of 153 randomly chosen respondents to the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ) was used as target. We developed an algorithm based on unfolding theory, where data from digital text analysis of the survey items served as input. Upon deleting progressive numbers (from 20%-95%) of the real responses, we let the algorithm replace these with simulated ones, and then compared the simulated datasets with the real ones. The simulated scores displayed sum score levels, alphas, and factor structures highly resembling their real origins even if up to 86% were simulated. In contrast, this was not the case when the same algorithm was operating without access to semantic information. The procedure was briefly repeated on a different measurement instrument and a different sample. This not only yielded similar results but also pointed to need for further theoretical and practical developments. Our study opens for experimental research on the effect of semantics on survey responses using computational procedures.

Arnulf, Jan Ketil; Larsen, Kai Rune, Martinsen, Øyvind L. & Egeland, Thore (2018)

The failing measurement of attitudes: How semantic determinants of individual survey responses come to replace measures of attitude strength.

Behavior Research Methods, s. 1- 21. Doi: 10.3758/s13428-017-0999-y - Full text in research archive

The traditional understanding of data from Likert scales is that the quantifications involved result from measures of attitude strength. Applying a recently proposed semantic theory of survey response (STSR), we claim that survey responses tap two different sources: a mixture of attitudes plus the semantic structure of the survey. Exploring the degree to which individual responses are influenced by semantics, we hypothesize that in many cases, information about attitude strength is actually filtered out as noise in the commonly used correlation matrix. We developed a procedure to separate the semantic influence from attitude strength in individual response patterns and compared these to the observed sample correlation matrices and the semantic similarity structures arising from text analysis algorithms, respectively. This was done with four datasets comprising a total of 7,787 subjects and 27,461,502 observed item pair responses. As argued, attitude strength seemed to account for much information about the individual respondents. However, this information did not seem to carry over into the observed sample correlation matrices. These seem to converge around the semantic structures offered by the survey items. This is potentially disturbing for the traditional understanding of what survey data represent. We argue that an enhanced understanding of how cognitive processes are necessary in responses to surveys is now within reach and could offer a valuable path for improvements in the use of survey data.

Carlsen, Arne; Arnulf, Jan Ketil & Zhao, Weitao (2017)

Inviting Wonder in Organization: Tiger, Sandstone, Horror, Snowball

Management and Organization Review, 13(3), s. 675- 685. Doi: 10.1017/mor.2017.17 - Full text in research archive

Arnulf, Jan Ketil; Glasø, Lars, Andreassen, Annette Kristin Bøe & Martinsen, Øyvind L. (2016)

The dark side of leadership development : an exploration of the possible downsides of leadership development

Scandinavian Psychologist, 3(e18), s. 1- 28. Doi: 10.15714/scandpsychol.3.e18

Nagai, Hirohisa; Yasunobu, Kino, Benton, Caroline, Tsubaki, Hirokei, Takasugi, Hisataka, Shin, Mansoo, Arnulf, Jan Ketil & Lugagne, Nathalie (2015)

Developing global leadership

Hakuto-Shobo Publisher.

Arnulf, Jan Ketil; Larsen, Kai Rune, Martinsen, Øyvind L. & Bong, Chih How (2015)

A new approach to psychological measures in leadership research.

Scandinavian Psychologist, 2(e4) Doi: 10.15714/scandpsychol.2.e4

Arnulf, Jan Ketil & Larsen, Kai Rune (2015)

Overlapping semantics of leadership and heroism: Expectations of omnipotence, identification with ideal leaders and disappointment in real managers

Scandinavian Psychologist, 2(e3) Doi: 10.15714/scandpsychol.2.e3

Dai, Wanwen; Chen, Xiaoyan, Arnulf, Jan Ketil & Dai, Meijuan (2014)

Consequences of family interference with work: The roles of emotional exhaustion, service sabotage, and negative affectivity

Social Behavior and Personality: An international journal, 42(10), s. 1613- 1628. Doi: 10.2224/sbp.2014.42.10.1613

Arnulf, Jan Ketil; Larsen, Kai Rune, Martinsen, Øyvind L. & Bong, Chih How (2014)

Predicting survey responses: How and why semantics shape survey statistics on Organizational Behaviour

PLOS ONE, 9(9:106361) Doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0106361

Some disciplines in social science rely heavily on collecting survey responses to detect empirical relationships among variables. We explored whether these relationships were predictable a priori from the semantic properties of the survey items, using language processing algorithms are now available as new research methods. Language processing algorithms were used to calculate the semantic similarity among all items in state-of-the-art surveys from organizational behavior research. These surveys covered areas such as transformational leadership, work motivation and work outcomes. This information was used to explain and predict the response patterns from real subjects. Semantic algorithms explained 60-86% of the variance in the response patterns and allowed remarkably precise prediction of survey responses from humans, except in a personality test. Even the relationships between independent and their purported dependent variables were accurately predicted. This raises concern about the empirical nature of data collected through some surveys if results are already given a priori through the way subjects are being asked. Survey response patterns seem heavily determined by semantics. Language algorithms may suggest these prior to administering the survey. This study suggests that semantic algorithms are becoming new tools for social science, and opens perspectives on survey responses that prevalent psychometric theory cannot explain.

Mathisen, John-Erik & Arnulf, Jan Ketil (2014)

Entrepreneurial Mindsets: Theoretical Foundations and Empirical Properties of a Mindset Scale

International Journal of Management and Business, 5(1), s. 81- 97. Doi: 10.5465/ambpp.2012.13739abstract

Arnulf, Jan Ketil & Kristoffersen, Henning (2014)

Rules, language and identity: In cross-national companies by evoking authority may not work as intended

Journal of Leadership, Accountability and Ethics, 11(1), s. 111- 130.

Yuan, Xina; Kim, SangYong, Dai, Wanwen & Arnulf, Jan Ketil (2014)

How FIEs may sustain competitive advantage in China: Adapting marketing strategy by the use of Guanxi

Baltic Journal of Management, 9(1), s. 22- 46. Doi: 10.1108/BJM-04-2013-0076

Mathisen, John-Erik & Arnulf, Jan Ketil (2013)

Competing mindsets in entrepreneurship: The cost of doubt

The International Journal of Management Education Doi: 10.1016/j.ijme.2013.03.003

Arnulf, Jan Ketil & Gottschalk, Petter (2013)

Heroic leaders as white-collar criminals: an empirical study

Journal of Investigative Psychology and Offender Profiling, 10(1), s. 96- 113. Doi: 10.1002/jip.1370

Arnulf, Jan Ketil (2012)

Organizational change capacity and composition of management teams: A visualization of how personality traits may restrain team adaptability

Team Performance Management, 18(7/8), s. 433- 454. Doi: 10.1108/13527591211281156

Arnulf, Jan Ketil & Gottschalk, Petter (2012)

Principals, Agents and Entrepreneurs in White-Collar Crime: An Empirical Typology of White-Collar Criminals in a National Sample

Journal of Strategic Management Education, 8(3)

Arnulf, Jan Ketil; Mathisen, John Erik & Hærem, Thorvald (2012)

Heroic leadership illusions in football teams: Rationality, decision making and noise-signal ratio in the firing of football managers

Leadership, 8(2), s. 169- 185. Doi: 10.1177/1742715011420315

Gao, Jinsong; Arnulf, Jan Ketil & Kristoffersen, Henning (2011)

Western leadership development and Chinese managers: Exploring the need for contextualization

Scandinavian Journal of Management, 27(1), s. 55- 65. Doi: 10.1016/j.scaman.2010.11.007

Arnulf, Jan Ketil; Tegner, Lisa & Larssen, Øyunn (2010)

Impression making by résumé layout: Its impact on the probability of being shortlisted

European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 19(2), s. 221- 230. Doi: 10.1080/13594320902903613

Arnulf, Jan Ketil (2009)

Psykologi og ledelse : ledere som helter

Hansen, Bjørg Røed & Magnussen, Svein (red.). Psykologiens yttergrenser

Arnulf, Jan Ketil (2008)

Refleksjonsevne i ledergrupper som inngangsport til organisasjonsendring

Tidsskrift for Norsk Psykologforening, 45(3), s. 287- 294.

Arnulf, Jan Ketil (2008)

Lederutvikling

B. Kuvaas (ed.), Lønnsomhet gjennom menneskelige ressurser: Evidensbasert HR

Watten, R.G.; Arnulf, Jan Ketil, Kuisma, Irene & Sundheim, Tor (2005)

Psychological profiles in drug addicts and policlinic psychiatric patients

A. Faleide (Ed.) Personlighet og helse: Et psykofysiologisk og psykosomatisk perspektiv

Arnulf, Jan Ketil (2005)

What's measured is not necessarily managed: Cognitive contingencies of organizational measurement

Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, 46, s. 59- 68.

Arnulf, Jan Ketil; Dreyer, Heidi Carin & Grenness, Carl E. (2005)

Trust and knowledge creation: How the dynamics of trust and absorptive capacity may affect SCM development projects

International Journal of Logistics Research and Applications, 8(3), s. 225- 236.

Arnulf, Jan Ketil (2005)

Predicting the immediate future: An intervention to stimulate reflection in management groups

Journal of Change Management, 5, s. 267- 280.

Watten, Reidulf G.; Arnulf, Jan Ketil, Kuisma, Irene & Sundheim, Tor (2005)

Psychological profiles in drug addicts and policlinic psychiatric patients : a controlled study employing the Exner Comprehensive Rorschach System

Dreyer, Heidi; Arnulf, Jan Ketil & Grenness, Carl Erik (2005)

Trust and knowledge creation: how the dynamics of trust and absorptive capasity may affect supply chain management development in projects

International Journal of Logistics Research and Applications, 8(3), s. 225- 236. Doi: 10.1080/13675560500224233

Arnulf, Jan Ketil; Dreyer, Heidi C. & Grenness, Carl-Erik (2005)

Trust and Knowledge creation: how the dynamics of trust and absorptive capacity may affect supply chain management develeopment projects

International Journal of Logistics Research and Applications, 8(3), s. 225- 236.

Arnulf, Jan Ketil (2005)

What's measured is not necessarily managed: Cognitive contingencies of organizational measurement

Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, 46

Watten, Reidulf G.; Arnulf, Jan Kjetil, Kuisma, Irene & Sundheim, Tor (2005)

Psychological profiles in drug addicts and policlinic psychiatric patients: a controlled study employing the Exner Comprehensive Rorschach System

Faleide, Asbjørn O. (red.). Selvregulering, personlighet og helse: et psykofysiologisk perspektiv

Dreyer, Heidi Carin & Arnulf, Jan Ketil (2004)

Podcast: Sjefen [Internett]

En podcast om spørreskjemaer, deres begrensninger og hvordan språkalgoritmer kan bidra til å erstatte spørreskjemaer.

Arnulf, Jan Ketil & Asklien, Henning (2021)

En exitplan kan det være lurt å ha med seg inn i en topplederstilling.

Podcast: Sjefen [Internett]

Det blåser som kjent på toppene, og i denne podcasten har vi med oss Anita Krohn Traaseth, som forteller om sin nye bok og hennes tanker rundt toppledelse.

Arnulf, Jan Ketil; Haaland, Frode Hübertz & Asklien, Henning (2021)

Det er normalt å gjøre seg lekker for hverandre!

Podcast: Sjefen [Internett]

Podcast med utgangspunkt i boka Å knytte bånd: Rekruttering, utvelgelse og innfasing av nyansatte.

Arnulf, Jan Ketil & Asklien, Henning (2020)

Omgitt av lederbøker: morsomt, klokt eller idiotisk?

Podcast: Sjefen [Internett]

Arnulf, Jan Ketil & Asklien, Henning (2020)

Podcast: Sjefen [Internett]

Thomas Huang er bosatt i Shanghai og har vært det i noen år. Thomas Huang har klare og tydelige meninger om hva som skjer i Kinas forretningsverden verden. Jan Ketil Arnulf og Henning Asklien følger på med sine tanker om det spennende markedet i Kina.

Arnulf, Jan Ketil & Asklien, Henning (2018)

Sjefen over sjefer del 1, Lederegenskaper

Julenissens plagsomme virkelighet

Dagens Perspektiv [Kronikk]

Arnulf, Jan Ketil (1)

Alternativer til ledelse

Dagens Perspektiv [Kronikk]

Arnulf, Jan Ketil; Larsen, Kai Rune, Martinsen, Øyvind Lund & Nimon, Kim (1)

Editorial: Semantic Algorithms in the Assessment of Attitudes and Personality

Frontiers in Psychology [Kronikk]

Management, culture and language: Native and second languages in management team communication

Narcissism As Antecedent To Motivation To Lead

[Academic lecture]. European Academy of Management Conference.

Mathisen, John-Erik & Arnulf, Jan Ketil (2012)

Entrepreneurial Mindsets: Theoretical Foundations and Empirical Properties of a Mindset Scale

[Academic lecture]. The 12th Conference of the International Academy of Management and Business.

This study builds on research on mindsets from laboratory research to develop and test a measurement scale for entrepreneurial mindsets. A three-dimensional scale was constructed measuring elaborating mindsets, implemental mindsets, and compulsiveness about business ideas. EFA and CFA support the claim that these three latent variables may be reliably measured. Using two samples of altogether 608 business students enrolled in entrepreneurship and normal business classes, we were able to demonstrate that elaborating mindsets are antecedent to implemental mindsets. Finally, compulsive mindsets about entrepreneurial activities were mediated by implemental mindsets. We argue that compulsivity is part of the notable impression entrepreneurs make on others, and that this is caused by mindsets instead of personality. A discriminant analysis with the big five personality factors supports this as neuroticism is not correlated with entrepreneurial compulsiveness. Other traits are related to mindsets in ways predicted by existing research.

Arnulf, Jan Ketil (2012)

Hva er ledelse

[Popular scientific book]. Universitetsforlaget.

Arnulf, Jan Ketil (2011)

Ropet på ledelse

[Popular scientific article]. Kapital

Arnulf, Jan Ketil (2011)

Måling og ledelse

[Popular scientific article]. Kapital

Roberts, Hanno; Arnulf, Jan Ketil & Zhao, Weitao (2011)

The Process is the Bridge: using online student collaboration to indigenize MBA teaching

[Academic lecture]. Academy of Management.

The workshop will specifically address the creation of an MBA course design with an emphasis on the course delivery process as that is where indigenization starts. Focus will be on three aspects: (1) pre-course casework collaboration and the introduction of MBA teaching by electronic means, (2) the in-course feedback and evaluation, and (3) the post-course learning consolidation and course conclusion. The workshop will use Google Wave as key vehicle to illustrate and practice with the PDW participants how to design and implement the course delivery process aspect. These insights have been developed gradually since 2003 when the joint MBA program between Fudan University’s School of Management and the Norwegian School of Management was initiated. Our main aim is to engage participants in developing pre-course engagement, ensure group processes of exchange and reciprocal learning, and visualize the teaching outcomes along the progress of the course, all from an indigenous perspective.

Arnulf, Jan Ketil (2010)

Billett til jobbintervju

[Article in business/trade/industry journal]. Kapital

Arnulf, Jan Ketil; Andreassen, Anette, K. B. & Martinsen, Øyvind L. (2010)

Dark Side of Leadership Development: Can Leadership Development Be Harmful?

[Academic lecture]. 118th Annual Convention of the American Psychological Association.

Arnulf, Jan Ketil; Mathisen, John Erik & Hærem, Thorvald (2010)

Is firing a football coach the wrong treatment? Rationality, decision making and noise-signal ratio

[Academic lecture]. 118th Annual Convention of the American Psychological Association.

Arnulf, Jan Ketil; Martinsen, Øyvind L. & Gimsø, Christian Enger (2010)

A study on the creative personality, narcissism, and creativity

[Academic lecture]. APA Annual Convention.

Arnulf, Jan Ketil (2010)

Fem fallgruver i ledelse

[Popular scientific article]. Kapital

Roberts, Hanno; Arnulf, Jan Ketil & Weitao, Zhao (2010)

The process and the beast: using IT tools to indigenize and contextualize MBA teaching

[Academic lecture]. Professional Development Workshop (PDW).

Arnulf, Jan Ketil; Kuvaas, B & Dysvik, Anders (2009)

Exploring motivational mediators between transformational leadership and employee outcomes

[Academic lecture]. Academy of Management Annual Meeting.

Martinsen, Øyvind L.; Lang-Ree, Ole Christian, Almås-Sørensen, A.L & Arnulf, Jan Ketil (2009)

The validity of a five factor model of personality under two different testing conditions

[Academic lecture]. ECP Congress.

Arnulf, Jan Ketil; Kuvaas, Bård & Dysvik, Anders (2009)

Exploring Motivational Mediators between Transformational Leadership and Employee Outcomes

[Academic lecture]. The Annual Meeting of the Academy of Management.

Arnulf, Jan Ketil; Gao, J & Kristoffersen, H (2008)

East Meets West: Leadership Development as a Cultural Interface

[Academic lecture]. EURAM 2008.

Kuvaas, Bård; Arnulf, Jan Ketil & Dysvik, Anders (2008)

Social and economic exchange perceptions and intrinsic motivation among knowledge workers

[Academic lecture]. Academy of Management Annual Meeting.

Kuvaas, Bård; Arnulf, Jan Ketil & Dysvik, Anders (2008)

Social and economic exchange perceptions and intrinsic motivation among knowledge workers

[Academic lecture]. Academy of Management. Annual meeting.

Arnulf, Jan Ketil (2005)

The salesman?s hangover: Unintended consequences of sales tactics

[Article in business/trade/industry journal]. Scandinavian Journal of Organizational Psychology, 16(2), s. 39- 48.

Arnulf, Jan Ketil (2004)

Ledelse i en digital tidsalder

Ø.L. Martinsen (red): Perspektiver på ledelse

Arnulf, Jan Ketil & Lau, Bjørn (2002)

Evaluering av samtalegrupper for volds- og sedelighetsdømte

[Report]. Kriminalomsorgens utdanningssenter KRUS.

Dreyer, Heidi Carin & Arnulf, Jan Ketil (2002)

A model for supply chain improvements

[Academic lecture]. Research in Logistics.

Dreyer, Heidi & Arnulf, Jan Kjetil (2002)

A model for supply chain improvements

[Academic lecture]. Research in Logistics.

Arnulf, Jan Ketil (1999)

For en neve lønnstrinn

[Popular scientific article]. Rus & Avhengighet

Arnulf, Jan Ketil; Ervik, Randi & Drange, Heidi (1998)

Erfaringer med tvangsinnleggelser etter Lov om sosiale tjenester §§ 6-2 og 6-2a. Evaluering av samarbeidsmodell mellom Akuttinstitusjonen Ullevål, Tyrilisenteret og Origo-stiftelsen. Tidsperiode: januar 1997 - september 1998.

[Report]. Kompetansesenter-Rus Oslo og Akershus.

Arnulf, Jan Ketil (1997)

Avslutningsrapport fra heroineksperimentet

[Popular scientific article]. Stoffmisbruk

Arnulf, Jan Ketil (1997)

Tysk forskningsrapport: Ecstasy-brukerne skiller seg ut

[Popular scientific article]. Stoffmisbruk

Arnulf, Jan Ketil (1996)

Fortellingen om rusmisbrukeren

[Popular scientific article]. Stoffmisbruk

Academic Degrees
Year	Academic Department	Degree
2005	University of Oslo	Ph.D Dr. Psychol.
1987	University of Oslo	Master Cand. Psychol.
1983	Freie Universität Berlin	B.S.

Work Experience
Year	Employer	Job Title
2021 - Present	Norwegian Defense University College	Adjunct professort
2015 - Present	BI Norwegian Business School	Professor
2018 - 2022	Bi Norwegian Business School	Dean Executive
2013 - 2015	BI-Fudan MBA program	Associate dean
2004 - 2015	BI Norwegian Business School	Associate professor
2008 - 2010	BI-Fudan MBA program	Associate dean
2001 - 2004	Brødrene Dahl AS	Organizational psychological advisor to the top management team
1999 - 2001	Holen Finsrud & Partners	Consultant
1996 - 1999	Kompetansesenter-Rus, Oslo og Akershus	Managing director
1992 - 1996	Folloklinikken psychiatric outpatient clinic	Head of juvenile psychiatric outpatient team
1990 - 1992	Ås kommune	Head of pedagogical psychological services
1989 - 1989	Norwegian Armed Forces	Military psychologist
1988 - 1988	Ullevaal Sykehus	Psychologist

BI Business Review articles:

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Psykologien taper terreng til kunstig intelligens

Forskningen på kunstig intelligens får et forsprang på psykologien på grunn av en nådeløs…
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På ryggen av en løpsk elefant

Organisasjoner rommer mer informasjon enn mange ledere greier å ta inn over seg.
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Holder kraftselskapene Norge som gissel?

Hva er egentlig kraftselskapenes rolle i dagens strømkrise? Er de upartiske utøvere av…
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Forenklet eller for enkel energiledelse?

Energikrisen angår økonomi, teknologi, sikkerhetspolitikk og til syvende og sist ideologi. Dermed…

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En sånn leder som du

For å kunne gi et råd om noe, må det finnes en kunnskap om problemet, og den kunnskapen må være…
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Å ta eierskap – ledelse eller tyveri?

Veien til god ledelse er godt hjulpet med å la være å tråkke på medarbeiderne. Likevel er denne…

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Hva i all verden er ledelse?

Like sikkert som brennmaneter om sommeren: Hvis jeg bare lurer bitte litt på hva ledelse er, så…
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Om hvorfor fremtiden kan være kul

Det er mye vi ikke vet om fremtiden. Men etter all sannsynlighet kommer den til å bli kul. I det…
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Gode ledere er sjelden «født sånn»

Den som ser godt etter i organisasjoner, vil vanligvis oppdage at omtrent bare halvparten av…
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Julenissens plagsomme virkelighet

I virkeligheten er troen på «Julenissen» en forutsetning for økonomisk og politisk samhandling,…

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Jan Ketil Arnulf

Area of Expertise

Publications

Is psychological science progressing? Explained variance in PsycINFO articles during the period 1956 to 2022

Career transitions and career success from a lifespan developmental perspective: A 15 year longitudinal study

Dispositional and ideological factor correlate of conspiracy thinking and beliefs

Explanations for the Sources of Wealth: It Is Not a Just World

Unobtrusive measures of prejudice: Estimating percentages of public beliefs and behaviours

Limits of a Second Language: Native and Second Languages in Management Team Communication

Developing a measurement scale for organizational learning capabilities in China

Semantic and ontological structures of psychological attributes

Dark- and bright-side reactions to government advice about Covid-19, and a test of a method to moderate such reactions

Are Chinese Teams Like Western Teams? Indigenous Management Theory to Leapfrog Essentialist Team Myths

Wittgenstein’s Revenge: How Semantic Algorithms Can Help Survey Research Escape Smedslund’s Labyrinth

The Priest, the Sex Worker, and the CEO: Measuring Motivation by Job Type

Culture blind leadership research: How semantically determined survey data may fail to detect cultural differences

Like or want? Gender differences in attitudes toward online shopping in China

Semantic algorithms can detect how media language shapes survey responses in organizational behaviour

Narcissism and creativity

Measuring Semantic Components in Training and Motivation: A Methodological Introduction to the Semantic Theory of Survey Response

Respondent Robotics: Simulating responses to Likert-scale survey items

The failing measurement of attitudes: How semantic determinants of individual survey responses come to replace measures of attitude strength.

Inviting Wonder in Organization: Tiger, Sandstone, Horror, Snowball

The dark side of leadership development : an exploration of the possible downsides of leadership development

Developing global leadership

A new approach to psychological measures in leadership research.

Overlapping semantics of leadership and heroism: Expectations of omnipotence, identification with ideal leaders and disappointment in real managers

Consequences of family interference with work: The roles of emotional exhaustion, service sabotage, and negative affectivity

Predicting survey responses: How and why semantics shape survey statistics on Organizational Behaviour

Entrepreneurial Mindsets: Theoretical Foundations and Empirical Properties of a Mindset Scale

Rules, language and identity: In cross-national companies by evoking authority may not work as intended

How FIEs may sustain competitive advantage in China: Adapting marketing strategy by the use of Guanxi

Competing mindsets in entrepreneurship: The cost of doubt

Heroic leaders as white-collar criminals: an empirical study

Organizational change capacity and composition of management teams: A visualization of how personality traits may restrain team adaptability

Principals, Agents and Entrepreneurs in White-Collar Crime: An Empirical Typology of White-Collar Criminals in a National Sample

Heroic leadership illusions in football teams: Rationality, decision making and noise-signal ratio in the firing of football managers

Western leadership development and Chinese managers: Exploring the need for contextualization

Impression making by résumé layout: Its impact on the probability of being shortlisted

Psykologi og ledelse : ledere som helter

Refleksjonsevne i ledergrupper som inngangsport til organisasjonsendring

Lederutvikling

Psychological profiles in drug addicts and policlinic psychiatric patients

What's measured is not necessarily managed: Cognitive contingencies of organizational measurement

Trust and knowledge creation: How the dynamics of trust and absorptive capacity may affect SCM development projects

Predicting the immediate future: An intervention to stimulate reflection in management groups

Psychological profiles in drug addicts and policlinic psychiatric patients : a controlled study employing the Exner Comprehensive Rorschach System

Trust and knowledge creation: how the dynamics of trust and absorptive capasity may affect supply chain management development in projects

Trust and Knowledge creation: how the dynamics of trust and absorptive capacity may affect supply chain management develeopment projects

What's measured is not necessarily managed: Cognitive contingencies of organizational measurement

Psychological profiles in drug addicts and policlinic psychiatric patients: a controlled study employing the Exner Comprehensive Rorschach System

Til lags åt alle kan ingen gjera. Utfordringer ved integrasjon og samarbeid i distribusjonskjeder

Produksjon av drøm som terapeutisk vendepunkt

Illusjonen om kontekstfri semantikk

Å ta eierskap – ledelse eller tyveri?

Fremtiden kan være kul

Hemmelige nettverk: Ekstremvarianten av tillitsbasert ledelse

En ekte konspirasjon med Jan Ketil Arnulf

Kirkens sjel og kirkens organisering. Intervju med professor Jan Ketil Arnulf

Dommerpodden: Rettsmøter på video

Må vi spørre om så mye!?

En exitplan kan det være lurt å ha med seg inn i en topplederstilling.

Det er normalt å gjøre seg lekker for hverandre!

Omgitt av lederbøker: morsomt, klokt eller idiotisk?

Kriseledelse: En rapport fra karantene

Ledelse av “skjulte tjenester” under pandemi

Ledere og deres mentale helse

Idrettens ledere

Covid-19:Personligheten din har en overraskende stor effekt på hvordan du reagerer på myndighetenes smittevernregler

Kunsten å se organisering

Ledelse i regnskapets time

Videokonferanser og tillit

En flom av ­lederforskning

Den digitale lederen

Lederutdannelse

Kan sjefen være en skurk? del 1

Hva gjør vi med en skurk som sjef? Del 2

Når vet du at du er en leder?

Helvete er meg!

Den digitale odelsjenta

En flom av lederforskning