Head of Department - Department of Leadership and Organizational Behaviour
Biography
Oyvind L. Martinsen is professor in organizational psychology at BI-Norwegian Business School in Oslo, Norway. He took his PhD in psychology at the Faculty of Psychology, University of Bergen (also in Norway) in 1995 where he was employed full-time from 1990 until 1998 and in 20% position from 2004-2008.
He came to Norwegian Business School in 1998 as associate professor in organizational psychology. Here he was Associate Dean for BI's Master of Management programs from 2003 to 2006. In 2006/2007 he was on leave from BI to be the head of the Norwegian Army's Leadership Research Institute. He was adjunct professor in leadership at the same institution from 2011 to 2018. He is currently professor in organizational psychology and head of department at Department for Leadership and Organizational Behavior at Norwegian Business School.
Martinsen has written several articles in national and international research journals on leadership, personality, motivation, educational psychology, and creativity, and several book chapters and reports on the same topics. He is editor in chief for the Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research.
His current research projects are aimed at creative personality, personality testing in selection settings, military leadership, 360 degree leadership evaluations, self-leadership and empowerment, and motivational influences on insight and creativity.
This study was conceived by the idea that there exist different kinds of cognitive style-based, task competencies that have implications for task motivation and cognitive performance on creative problem-solving tasks/insight. Specifically, the relationships among the Assimilator–Explorer styles (Kaufmann, 1979), experimentally manipulated task competence for each style, and performance on insight tasks was examined. A total of 264 participants with a mean age of 17.4 years completed a cognitive style test, two measures of task motivation, and three practical construction-type insight tasks. Explorers with experimentally increased competence beliefs were hypothesized to perform less well on typical insight problems than Explorers with experimentally decreased competence beliefs, while Assimilators with increased levels of competence beliefs were expected to perform better than Assimilators with decreased competence beliefs. A randomized experiment with written instructions was conducted to test these hypotheses. The results supported the main hypothesis, yet an additional three-way interaction hypothesis among styles, experimentally manipulated task competence, and task structure was not supported. Limitations are discussed.
Arnulf, Jan Ketil; Larsen, Kai Rune & Martinsen, Øyvind L. (2018)
Semantic algorithms can detect how media language shapes survey responses in organizational behaviour
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.
Sandvik, Alexander Madsen; Selart, Marcus, Schei, Vidar & Martinsen, Øyvind L. (2018)
Setting the Scene: Partners’ Leadership Behavior and Employees’ Perceptions of Work Performance in Professional Service Firms
The effect of leadership behavior on work performance is highly context sensitive. We address this notion by investigating leadership behavior in one important but understudied organizational context—namely, professional service firms (PSFs). We examine how partners’ leadership behavior in a PSF relates to employee self-leadership, creative climate, and work performance (N = 442). The results show that partners’ consideration leadership behavior is positively related to employees’ perceived work performance. Moreover, partners’ consideration and intellectual stimulation leadership behavior are especially important drivers of self-leadership and creative climate in a PSF, which in turn are positively related to employees’ work performance. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.
Arnulf, Jan Ketil; Larsen, Kai Rune & Martinsen, Øyvind L. (2018)
Respondent Robotics: Simulating responses to Likert-scale survey items
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.
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.
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
This article reports the results from two studies (N = 233 and 161) on the role of self-leadership and psychological empowerment in linking empowering leadership to subordinates’ job satisfaction, work effort, and creativity. In addition, the studies investigated self-leadership as a mediator between empowering leadership and psychological empowerment. Results from structural equation modeling indicated that empowering leadership positively affects psychological empowerment both directly and indirectly, through self-leadership. Psychological empowerment influences both job satisfaction and work effort but not creativity, whereas self-leadership influences work effort and creativity but not job satisfaction. The article discusses the implications of these findings.
Buch, Robert; Martinsen, Øyvind L. & Kuvaas, Bård (2015)
The Destructiveness of Laissez-Faire Leadership Behavior: The Mediating Role of Economic Leader-Member Exchange Relationships
Journal of Leadership and Organizational Studies, 22(1), s. 115- 124. Doi: 10.1177/1548051813515302
Martinsen, Øyvind L. & Glasø, Lars (2014)
Lederes personlighet: hva sier forskningen?
Magma - Tidsskrift for økonomi og ledelse, 17(5), s. 26- 34.
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
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.
Amundsen, Stein & Martinsen, Øyvind L. (2014)
Self-other agreement in empowering leadership: Relationships with leader effectiveness and subordinates' job satisfaction and turnover intention
We investigated the effect of self–other agreement in empowering leadership on leader effectiveness, job satisfaction, and turnover intention using a sample of 50 Norwegian municipal leaders (46 for leader effectiveness) and 168 (158) of their subordinates. The findings indicated that considering both self and subordinate ratings of empowering leadership was useful in predicting the outcome variables. In particular, subordinates of over-estimators reported lower job satisfaction and higher turnover intention. Moreover, leaders who underestimated their leadership were perceived as more effective by their superiors. For agreement (i.e., leader's self-ratings were in agreement with subordinates' ratings) the relationship between empowering leadership and leader effectiveness was curvilinear with an inverted U shape. Agreement in ratings of empowering leadership was not found to be related to subordinates' job satisfaction and turnover intention. The implications of these findings are discussed.
Kopperud, Karoline; Martinsen, Øyvind L. & Humborstad, Sut I Wong (2014)
Engaging leaders in the eyes of the beholder: On the relationship between transformational leadership, work engagement, service climate, and self-other agreement
Journal of Leadership and Organizational Studies, 21(1), s. 29- 42. Doi: 10.1177/1548051813475666
Amundsen, Stein & Martinsen, Øyvind L. (2013)
Empowering leadership: Construct clarification, conceptualization, and validation of a new scale
In this paper we discuss key aspects of empowering leadership as a basis for conceptualizing and operationalizing the construct. The conceptualization resulted in eight behavioral manifestations arranged within three influence processes, which were investigated in a sample of 317 subordinates in Study 1. The results supported the validity and reliability of a two-dimensional, 18-item instrument, labeled the Empowering Leadership Scale (ELS). In Study 2 (N = 215) and Study 3 (N = 831) the factor structure of ELS was cross-validated in two independent samples from different work settings. Preliminary concurrent validation in Studies 1 and 2 found that ELS had a positive relationship to several subordinate variables, among others self-leadership and psychological empowerment. In Study 3 ELS was compared with scales measuring leader–member exchange (LMX) and transformational leadership. Discriminant validity was supported, and moreover, ELS showed incremental validity beyond LMX and transformational leadership when predicting psychological empowerment.
Martinsen, Øyvind L. & Glasø, Lars (2013)
Personlighet og ledelse
Rønning, Rune; Brochs-Haukedal, William, Glasø, Lars & Matthiesen, Stig Berge (red.). Livet som leder : Lederundersøkelsen 3.0
Martinsen, Øyvind; Kaufmann, Geir & Furnham, Adrian (2011)
Cognitive Style and Creativity
Runco, Mark A. & Pritzker, Steven R. (red.). Encyclopedia of Creativity, Two-Volume Set, 2nd Edition
Scandinavian Journal of Organizational Psychology, 3(2), s. 58- 75.
Results from four studies on three Norwegian translations of the NEO PI-R (Costa & McCrae, 1992) are reported. In the first study, 380 subjects with a mean age of 38 years completed the first translation. In the second study, 620 subjects with a mean age of 30 years completed the second translation. In our third study, 3447 subjects with a mean age of 31 years completed a version of the inventory based on the two former translations. The first three studies were generally based on data from research settings. Finally, in a fourth study, 4105 subjects with a mean age of 41 completed the “merged” NEO PI-R as part of the selection and counseling processes. The original five- factor structure was well replicated across studies but with minor exceptions for a few facet loadings. Congruence coefficients obtained were .97 and .98 in all four studies. Our findings show consistent support for the factorial stability of the five factor model as measured with the NEO PI-R.
Martinsen, Øyvind (2011)
The creative personality: A synthesis and development of the Creative Person Profile
Personality traits and achievement motives: Theoretical and empirical relations between the NEO Personality Inventory-revised and the Achievement Motives Scale
The relationships between creative personality composition, innovative team climate, and team innovativeness; An input-process-output perspective
The Journal of creative behavior, 42(1), s. 13- 31.
This study investigates the relationship between creative personality composition, innovative team climate, and team innovation based on an input-process-output model. We measured personality with the Creative Person Profile, team climate with the Team Climate Inventory, and team innovation through team-member and supervisor reports of team innovativeness. The personality composition in each of 29 teams in a television production company was operationalized by mean scores for each creative personality variable, as well as the combination of different creative personality variables within a team. The team climate variable "vision" mediated the relationship between the mean level of associative orientation in teams and team innovation. The team climate variable "support of innovation" mediated the relationship between the joint variables of mean level of ambition x mean level of motivation and team innovation. The results indicated that when there are relationships between creative personality composition and team innovativeness, they are mediated by an innovative team climate.
Martinsen, Øyvind L. (2005)
Rekruttering
Einarsen, Ståle & Skogstad, Anders (red.). S. Einarsen & A. Skogstad (red.), Den dyktige medarbeider
Martinsen, Øyvind; Nordvik, Hilmar & Østbø, Laila E. (2005)
Norske versjoner av NEO PI-R og NEO FFI
Tidsskrift for Norsk Psykologforening, 42(5), s. 421- 423.
Martinsen, Øyvind L. (2003)
Strategier for å bedre egen mestringsevne
Geir Thompson (red.): Selvledelse. Menneskelig kapital i det nye arbeidslivet
Martinsen, Øyvind L. (2003)
Introduction to special issue
Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research, 47(3), s. 227- 233.
Diseth, Åge & Martinsen, Øyvind L. (2003)
Approaches to learning, cognitive style, and motives as predictors of academic achievement
Educational Psychology, 23(2), s. 195- 207.
Martinsen, Øyvind L. (2001)
Ledelse og kompetansestyring
Perspektiver på ledelse/Ø.Martinsen (red.)
Martinsen, Øyvind L. (2001)
Selvledelse
Perspektiver på ledelse/Ø.Martinsen (red.)
Martinsen, Øyvind; Kaufmann, Geir, Riding, R. & Raynor, S. (2000)
The assimilator-explorer cognitive styles and their relationship to affective-motivational orientations and cognitive performances
International perspectives on individual differences. Vol. I: New developments in cognitive/learning styles
Martinsen, Øyvind; Kaufmann, Geir, Runco, M. & Pritzker, S. (1999)
Cognitive style and creativity
Encyclopedia of creativity
Martinsen, Øyvind (1998)
Kompetanseendring
Berg, M.; Martinsen, Ø. & Thompson, G. (red.). Ledelse, kompetanse og omstilling
Martinsen, Øyvind (1997)
The construct of cognitive styles and its implications for creativity
High Ability Studies, 8, s. 135- 158.
Martinsen, Øyvind (1997)
Conducting evaluation surveys using internet
Sanchez-Meza, D.; Lambert, J., Apollon, Daniel & Van Den Branden, J. (red.). Crosscultural and linguistic perspectives in European distance learning