Alan M. Saks

Professor of Organizational Behaviour and HR Management, Department of Management, University of Toronto Scarborough

Degrees:

PhD, University of Toronto
MASc., University of Waterloo
BA (Hons.), University of Western Ontario

Email:

Send an email to Alan M. Saks

Phone:

416-978-5366

Bio

Alan Saks is a Professor of Organizational Behavior and HR Management in the Department of Management at University of Toronto-Scarborough, with a cross-appointment to the Organizational Behaviour area at Rotman. He conducts research on organizational entry and the school-to-work transition such as job search, recruitment, and the socialization and on-boarding of new hires. He has also studied and written about the transfer of training, employee engagement, and workplace spirituality. His teaching includes courses in Organizational Behaviour, Research Methods in Industrial Relations and Human Resources, Training and Development, and Human Resource Planning and Strategy.

Academic Positions

2002-Present

Professor, University of Toronto
1997-2002

Associate Professor, York University
1995-1996

Associate Professor, Concordia University
1990-1995

Assistant Professor, Concordia University

Selected Publications - Papers

An Investigation into the Relationship Between Training Evaluation and the Transfer of Training

A. M. Saks & L. A. Burke

International Journal of Training and Development

Issue:16

2012

Pages: 118-127.
An Investigation into the Validity of Two Measures of Work Engagement

A. Viljevac, H. D. Cooper-Thomas, & A. M. Saks

The International Journal of Human Resource Management

Issue:23(17)

2012

Pages: 3692-3709.
Getting Newcomers Engaged: The Role of Socialization Tactics

A. M. Saks & J. A. Gruman

Journal of Managerial Psychology

Issue:26

2011

Pages: 383-402.
Manage Employee Engagement to Manage Performance

A. M. Saks & J. A. Gruman

Industrial and Organizational Psychology: Perspectives on Science and Practice

Issue:4

2011

Pages: 204-207.
Management Training and Development

A. M. Saks, P. Tamkin, and P. Lewis

International Journal of Training and Development

Issue:15

2011

Pages: 179-183.
Organizational Socialization and Positive Organizational Behaviour: Implications for Theory, Research, and Practice

A. M. Saks & J. A. Gruman

Canadian Journal of Administrative Sciences

Issue:28

2011

Pages: 4-16.
Performance Management and Employee Engagement

J. A. Gruman & A. M. Saks

Human Resource Management Review

Issue:21

2011

Pages: 123-136.
Socialization Preferences and Intentions: Does One Size Fit All?

J. A. Gruman & A. M. Saks

Journal of Vocational Behavior

Issue:79

2011

Pages: 419-427.
The Instrumental-Symbolic Framework: Organisational Image and Attractiveness of Potential Applicants and their Companions at a Job Fair

G. Van Hoye & A. M. Saks

Applied Psychology: An International Review

Issue:60

2011

Pages: 311-335.
The Neglected Role of Proactive Behavior and Outcomes in Newcomer Socialization

A. M. Saks, J. A. Gruman, & H. Cooper-Thomas

Journal of Vocational Behavior

Issue:79

2011

Pages: 36-46.
Workplace Spirituality and Employee Engagement

Alan M. Saks

Journal of Management, Spirituality & Religion

Issue:8

2011

Pages: 317-340.
Sequential and Combined Effects of Recruitment Information on Applicant Reactions

A. M. Saks & K. L. Uggerslev

Journal of Business and Psychology

Issue:25

2010

Pages: 351-365.
Accountability in Training Transfer: Adapting Schlenker's Model of Responsibility to a Persistent but Solvable Problem

L. A. Burke & A. M. Saks

Human Resource Development Review

Issue:8(3)

2009

Pages: 382-402.
Job Search and Social Cognitive Theory: The Role of Career-Relevant Activities

J. Zikic & A. M. Saks

Journal of Vocational Behavior

Issue:74

2009

Pages: 117-127.
Is the Third-Generation Model New and Is It the Holy Grail of Adaptive Learning

A. M. Saks & R. R. Haccoun

Industrial and Organizational Psychology: Perspectives on Science and Practice

Issue:1

2008

Pages: 480-483.
Job search as Goal-Directed Behavior: Objectives and Methods

G. Van Hoye & A. M. Saks

Journal of Vocational Behavior

Issue:73

2008

Pages: 358-367.
The Meaning and Bleeding of Employee Engagement: How Muddy is the Water?

A. M. Saks

Industrial and Organizational Psychology: Perspectives on Science and Practice

Issue:1

2008

Pages: 40-43.
A Review and Critique of Research on Training and Organizational-Level Outcomes

P. Tharenou, A. M. Saks, & C. Moore

Human Resource Management Review

Issue:17

2007

Pages: 251-273.
Socialization Tactics and Newcomer Adjustment: A Meta-Analytic Review and Test of a Model

A. M. Saks, K. L. Uggerslev, & N. E. Fassina

Journal of Vocational Behavior

Issue:70

2007

Pages: 413-446.
Socialization Tatics, Proactive Behavior, and Newcomer Learning: Integrating Socialization Models

B. E. Ashforth, D. M. Sluss, & A. M. Saks

Journal of Vocational Behavior

Issue:70

2007

Pages: 447-462
The Effects of Self-Efficacy on Behavior in Escalation Situations

G. Whyte & A. M. Saks

Human Performance

Issue:20

2007

Pages: 23-42.
An Investigation of Training Activities and Transfer of Training in Organizations

A. M. Saks and M. Belcourt

Human Resource Management

Issue:45

2006

Pages: 629-648.
Antecedents and Consequences of Employee Engagement

A. M. Saks

Journal of Managerial Psychology

Issue:21(7)

2006

Pages: 600-619.
Effects of Discriminatory Interview Questions and Gender on Applicant Reactions

A. M. Saks & J. M. McCarthy

Journal of Business and Psychology

Issue:21

2006

Pages: 175-191.
Multiple Predictors and Criteria of Job Search Success

A. M. Saks

Journal of Vocational Behavior

Issue:68

2006

Pages: 400-415.
Organizational Socialization Tactics and Newcomer Proactive Behaviors: An Integrative Study

J. A. Gruman, A. M. Saks, & D. I. Zweig

Journal of Vocational Behavior

Issue:69

2006

Pages: 90-104.
Trait Affect and Job Search Outcomes

S. Cote, A. M. Saks, J. Zikic.

Journal of Vocational Behavior

Issue:68

2006

Pages: 233-252.
A Longitudinal Quasi-Experiment on the Effects of Posttraining Transfer Interventions

A. P. Gaudine & A. M. Saks

Human Resource Development Quarterly

Issue:15

2004

Pages: 57-76.
Translating Training Science into Practice: A Study of Managers' Reactions to Posttraining Transfer Interventions

P. Huint & A. M. Saks

Human Resource Development Quarterly

Issue:14

2003

Pages: 181-198.
Is Job Search Related to Employment Quality? It all Depends on the Fit

A. M. Saks & B. E. Ashforth

Journal of Applied Psychology

Issue:87

2002

Pages: 646-654.
Effects of an Absenteeism Feedback Intervention on Employee Absence Behavior

A. P. Gaudine & A. M. Saks

Journal of Organizational Behavior

Issue:22

2001

Pages: 15-29.
Change in Job Search Behaviors and Employment Outcomes

A. M. Saks & B. E. Ashforth

Journal of Vocational Behavior

Issue:56

2000

Pages: 277-287.
Personal Control in Organizations: A Longitudinal Investigation with Newcomers

B. E. Ashforth & A. M. Saks

Human Relations

Issue:53

2000

Pages: 311-339.
The Role of Dispositions, Entry Stressors, and Behavioral Plasticity Theory in Predicting Newcomers' Adjustment to Work

A. M. Saks & B. E. Ashforth

Journal of Organizational Behavior

Issue:21

2000

Pages: 43-62.

Selected Publications - Books and Chapters

Organizational Behaviour: Understanding and Managing Life at Work

Gary Johns and Alan M. Saks

Pearson Education Canada

Issue:8th Edition

2011
Managing Performance Through Training and Development

Alan M. Saks and Robert R. Haccoun

Nelson

Issue:5th Edition

2010
Organizational Socialization and Newcomer Engagement

Alan M. Saks and Jamie A. Gruman

In Simon L. Albrecht (Ed.) Handbook of Employee Engagement: Perspectives, Issues, Research and Practice. Edward Elgar

2010

Pages: 297-308
Job Search Success: A Review and Integration of the Predictors, Behaviors, and Outcomes

Alan M. Saks

In Steven Brown & Robert Lent (Eds.), Career Development and Counselling: Putting Theory and Research to Work. John Wiley & Sons Inc.

2005

Pages: 155-179
The Impracticality of Recruitment Research

Alan M. Saks

In Neil Anderson, Arne Evers, & Olga Voskuijl (Eds.), Blackwell Handbook of Selection. Blackwell

2005

Pages: 47-72.
Job Search

Alan M. Saks

In Charles Spielberger (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Applied Psychology. Elsevier Inc.

2004

Pages: 457-465
Feeling Your Way: Emotions and Organizational Entry

B. E. Ashforth & A. M. Saks

In R. G. Lord, R. J. Klimoski, & R. Kanfer (Eds.), Emotions in the Workplace: Understanding the Structure and Role of Emotions in Organizational Behavior. Jossey-Bass

2002

Pages: 331-369.
Research, Measurement, and Evaluation of Human Resources

Alan M. Saks

Nelson

2000

Recent Presentations

Meta-Analysis of Socialization Tactics and Newcomer Adjustment

A.M. Saks, K. L., Uggerslev, N. E. Fassina

The Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology, Dallas

2006
Socialization tatics, proactivity, and learning: How process and content influence adjustment.

B. E. Ashforth, D. M. Sluss, & A. M. Saks

Academy of Management, Atlanta

2006
Effects of Multiple Recruitment Activities on Applicant Attraction.

A. M. Saks & K. L. Uggerslev.

Academy of Management, Honolulu

2005
Employee Engagement: A New Construct or Old Wine in a New Bottle?

A. M. Saks

Administrative Science Association of Canada, Toronto

2005
Employee Engagement: Harnessing Connections Between Employees and their Work Roles

A. M. Saks

Assistant Deputy Minister (HR-Military) Strategic HR Conference on Employee Engagement and Organizational Culture, Ottawa.

2005
Organizational Socailization Tactics and Newcomer Proactive Tactics: An Integrative Study.

J. Gruman & A. M. Saks.

Administrative Sciences Association of Canada, Toronto

2005
Research on Training and Organizational-Level Outcomes.

A. M. Saks, C. Moore, & P. Tharenou.

Administrative Science Association of Canada, Toronto

2005
Socialization via Emotions: Effects of Socialization Tactics on Newcomers' Emotions and Adjustment.

A. M. Saks & S. Cote.

Administrative Sciences Association of Canada, Toronto

2005
Training Investments and Firm Performance: Does Firm Size Matter?

A. M. Saks, T. Cook, & S. Grover.

Administrative Science Association of Canada, Toronto

2005
A Self-Regulatory Conceptualization of Newcomer Proactive Socialization

A. M. Saks, S. Taggar, & B. E. Ashforth

The Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology Annual Conference, Chicago

2004
A Strategic and Integrative Approach to Recruitment

A. M. Saks

2004 Workplace Education and Learning Conference, The Conference Board of Canada, Toronto.

2004
An Examination of the Motivational-Self-Regulatory Model of Job Search

S. Cote, A. M. Saks, & J. Zikic

The Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology Annual Conference, Chicago

2004
Does Training REALLY Improve Performance.

A. M. Saks

2004 Workplace Education and Learning Conference, The Conference Board of Canada, Toronto.

2004
Employee Engagement: Myth, Science, and Practice

A. M. Saks

2004 Centre for Industrial Relations Alumni Showcase, University of Toronto

2004

Research and Teaching Interests

Professor Saks does research on organizational entry and the school-to-work transition such as job search, recruitment, and the socialization and on-boarding of new hires. He has also studied and written about the transfer of training, employee engagement, and workplace spirituality. His teaching includes courses in Organizational Behaviour, Research Methods in Industrial Relations and Human Resources, Training and Development, and Human Resource Planning and Strategy.

Honors and Awards

2011

Impact of Research Award, Emerald Group Publishing Limited
1996

Best Paper published in the Canadian Journal of Administrative Studies, Administrative Sciences Association of Canada
1996

Honourable Mention Award, OB Division, Administrative Sciences Association of Canada Annual Conference
1993

Best Convention Paper Award, Human Resources Division, Academy of Management

Academic / Professional Service

Present

Associate Editor, Journal of Business and Psychology
1996-Present

Editorial Board Member, Journal of Vocational Behavior
2008-Present

Editorial Board Member, International Journal of Training and Development
2010-Present

Editorial Board Member, Human Resource Development Review
2011-Present

Editorial Board Member, Journal of Leadership and Organizational Studies
2009-2011

Editorial Board Member, Journal of Business and Psychology
2008-2011

Editorial Board Member, Journal of Management
2004-2007

Editorial Board Member, Personnel Psychology
1999-2007

Editorial Board Member, Academy of Management Journal
1999-2006

Editorial Board Member, Journal of Organizational Behavior
1997-2001

Editorial Board Member, International Journal of Selection and Assessment

Alan M. Saks

Alan M. Saks

Bio

Academic Positions

Professor, University of Toronto

Associate Professor, York University

Associate Professor, Concordia University

Assistant Professor, Concordia University

Selected Publications - Papers

An Investigation into the Relationship Between Training Evaluation and the Transfer of Training

An Investigation into the Validity of Two Measures of Work Engagement

Getting Newcomers Engaged: The Role of Socialization Tactics

Manage Employee Engagement to Manage Performance

Management Training and Development

Organizational Socialization and Positive Organizational Behaviour: Implications for Theory, Research, and Practice

Performance Management and Employee Engagement

Socialization Preferences and Intentions: Does One Size Fit All?

The Instrumental-Symbolic Framework: Organisational Image and Attractiveness of Potential Applicants and their Companions at a Job Fair

The Neglected Role of Proactive Behavior and Outcomes in Newcomer Socialization

Workplace Spirituality and Employee Engagement

Sequential and Combined Effects of Recruitment Information on Applicant Reactions

Accountability in Training Transfer: Adapting Schlenker's Model of Responsibility to a Persistent but Solvable Problem

Job Search and Social Cognitive Theory: The Role of Career-Relevant Activities

Is the Third-Generation Model New and Is It the Holy Grail of Adaptive Learning

Job search as Goal-Directed Behavior: Objectives and Methods

The Meaning and Bleeding of Employee Engagement: How Muddy is the Water?

A Review and Critique of Research on Training and Organizational-Level Outcomes

Socialization Tactics and Newcomer Adjustment: A Meta-Analytic Review and Test of a Model

Socialization Tatics, Proactive Behavior, and Newcomer Learning: Integrating Socialization Models

The Effects of Self-Efficacy on Behavior in Escalation Situations

An Investigation of Training Activities and Transfer of Training in Organizations

Antecedents and Consequences of Employee Engagement

Effects of Discriminatory Interview Questions and Gender on Applicant Reactions

Multiple Predictors and Criteria of Job Search Success

Organizational Socialization Tactics and Newcomer Proactive Behaviors: An Integrative Study

Trait Affect and Job Search Outcomes

A Longitudinal Quasi-Experiment on the Effects of Posttraining Transfer Interventions

Translating Training Science into Practice: A Study of Managers' Reactions to Posttraining Transfer Interventions

Is Job Search Related to Employment Quality? It all Depends on the Fit

Effects of an Absenteeism Feedback Intervention on Employee Absence Behavior

Change in Job Search Behaviors and Employment Outcomes

Personal Control in Organizations: A Longitudinal Investigation with Newcomers

The Role of Dispositions, Entry Stressors, and Behavioral Plasticity Theory in Predicting Newcomers' Adjustment to Work

Selected Publications - Books and Chapters

Organizational Behaviour: Understanding and Managing Life at Work

Managing Performance Through Training and Development

Organizational Socialization and Newcomer Engagement

Job Search Success: A Review and Integration of the Predictors, Behaviors, and Outcomes

The Impracticality of Recruitment Research

Job Search

Feeling Your Way: Emotions and Organizational Entry

Research, Measurement, and Evaluation of Human Resources

Recent Presentations

Meta-Analysis of Socialization Tactics and Newcomer Adjustment

Socialization tatics, proactivity, and learning: How process and content influence adjustment.

Effects of Multiple Recruitment Activities on Applicant Attraction.

Employee Engagement: A New Construct or Old Wine in a New Bottle?

Employee Engagement: Harnessing Connections Between Employees and their Work Roles

Organizational Socailization Tactics and Newcomer Proactive Tactics: An Integrative Study.

Research on Training and Organizational-Level Outcomes.

Socialization via Emotions: Effects of Socialization Tactics on Newcomers' Emotions and Adjustment.

Training Investments and Firm Performance: Does Firm Size Matter?

A Self-Regulatory Conceptualization of Newcomer Proactive Socialization

A Strategic and Integrative Approach to Recruitment

An Examination of the Motivational-Self-Regulatory Model of Job Search

Does Training REALLY Improve Performance.

Employee Engagement: Myth, Science, and Practice

Research and Teaching Interests

Honors and Awards

Impact of Research Award, Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Best Paper published in the Canadian Journal of Administrative Studies, Administrative Sciences Association of Canada

Honourable Mention Award, OB Division, Administrative Sciences Association of Canada Annual Conference

Best Convention Paper Award, Human Resources Division, Academy of Management

Academic / Professional Service

Associate Editor, Journal of Business and Psychology

Editorial Board Member, Journal of Vocational Behavior

Editorial Board Member, International Journal of Training and Development

Editorial Board Member, Human Resource Development Review

Editorial Board Member, Journal of Leadership and Organizational Studies

Editorial Board Member, Journal of Business and Psychology