Virginia Tech® home

Kevin D. Carlson

Professor
Headshot of Kevin Carlson
2013 Pamplin
880 West Campus Drive
Blacksburg, VA 24061

Academic Area(s)

Human Resources Management, HR Metrics and Workforce Analytics, Performance Improvement, Research Methodology

Research and Teaching Interests

Current research interests include evaluating recruitment and staffing effectiveness, human resource metrics and workforce analytics, modeling the determinants of individual performance outcomes, knowledge structures and the development of competence, and the role of research methods in enabling research progress.

Teaching interests are Human Resources Management, Staffing Effectiveness, Individual Productivity and Quality Improvement, Human Resources Information Systems and Workforce Metrics and Analytics and Research Methodology.

Education

  • Ph.D., University of Iowa, 1997
  • M.B.A., University of South Dakota, 1991
  • B.S., Iowa State University, 1982

Selected Publications

Barber, L., Barnes, C.M. & Carlson, K.D. (2013). cRandom and Systematic Error Effects of Insomnia on Survey Behavior. Revised and Resubmit, Organizational Research Methods, 16,616-649.

Carlson, K. D. & Wu, J. (2012). The illusion of statistical control: Control variable practice in management research. Organizational Research Methods, 14 (4), 696-717.

Carlson, K. D. & Herdman, A. (2012) Understanding the impact of convergent validity on research results. Organizational Research Methods, 15(1), 17-32.

Carlson, K. D. & Kavanagh, M. (2012). HR metrics and workforce analytics. In M. J. Kavanagh, M. Thite, & R. D. Johnson (Eds). Human Resource Information Systems: Basics applications and future directions, 2nd edition, Chapter 7, (pp. 150-174). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publishing.

Carlson, K. D. & Ji. F. X. (2011). Citing and building on meta-analytic findings: A review and recommendations. Organizational Research Methods, 14(4), 696-717.

Kim, B. P., Lee, G., & Carlson, K. D. (2010). The nature of the relationship between Leader-Member-Exchange (LMX) and turnover intent at different organizational levels, International Journal of Hospitality Management, 29, 591-597.

McKinney, A. P., Carlson, K. D., Mecham, R. L., III., D’Angelo, N. C., & Connerley, M. L. (2003). Recruiters’ Use of GPA in Initial Screening Decisions: Higher GPAs Don’t Always Make the Cut. Personnel Psychology, 56(4), 823-846.

Carlson, K. D. & Connerley, M. L. (2003). The Staffing Cycles Framework: Viewing Staffing as a System of Decision Events. Journal of Management, 29(1), 51-78.

Carlson, K. D., Connerley, M. L. & Mecham, R. L., III. (2002). Recruitment Evaluation: The Case for Assessing the Quality of Applicants Attracted. Personnel Psychology, 55(2), 461-490.

Carlson, K. D. & Schmidt, F. L. (1999). Impact of Experimental Design On Effect Size: Evidence from the Research Literature on Training, Journal of Applied Psychology, 84(6), 851-862.

Carlson, K. D., Scullen, S., Schmidt, F. L., Rothstein, H., Erwin, F., (1999). Generalizable Biographical Data Validities Can Be Achieved Without Multi-organization Development and Keying. Personnel Psychology, 52, 731-755.

Positions Held

2016 - Present: Associate Dean for Research and Faculty Affairs, Pamplin College of Business, Virginia Tech
2013 - 2016: Department Head, Department of Management, Pamplin College of Business, Virginia Tech
2013 - Present: Professor of Management, Pamplin College of Business, Virginia Tech
2004 - 2013: Associate Professor of Management, Pamplin College of Business, Virginia Tech
2005 - 2009: Director of Graduate Studies, Department of Management, Virginia Tech
2004 - Present: Adjunct Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, Virginia Tech
1997 - 2004: Assistant Professor of Management, Pamplin College of Business, Virginia Tech

External Professional Service (Editorships)

  • Editorial Board, Academy of Management Learning and Education (2008-present)
  • Editorial Board, Journal of Business and Psychology (2011-present)
  • Associate Editor, Human Resource Management (2008-2012)
  • Editorial Board Human Resource Management (2005-2008)

Selected Honors and Awards

  • Warren Lloyd Holtzman Faculty Research Award (2011)
  • Outstanding Faculty in Doctoral Education, Pamplin College of Business (2010)
  • Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching Award, Department of Management (2002)

Biography

Kevin D. Carlson (Ph.D., University of Iowa) is the Associate Dean for Research and Faculty Affairs. His teaching interests include staffing, recruitment, training and development, turnover, productivity improvement, human capital metrics and analytics and the effective use of technology in organizations. Prior to beginning his graduate studies, he worked for Cargill, Incorporated and later in the Iowa Community College system as an administrator and instructor of business and microcomputer courses. He also is currently serving as the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the International Association of Human Resource Information Management (IHRIM). Dr. Carlson has published research on a wide variety of topics related to the measurement and evaluation of individual, process and organizational effectiveness. His work has been published in the Journal of Applied Psychology, Personnel Psychology, Journal of Management, IHRIM Journal, and Organizational Research Methods. He has published numerous book chapters and presented research papers at the meetings of the Academy of Management, the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology, and the International Association for Human Resource Information Management. He speaks and has taught professional development courses throughout the United States on the topic of Workforce Analytics. His current research interests center on improving individual and organizational effectiveness. Ongoing research is examining the determinants of individual performance and how knowledge impacts individual and organizational outcomes. Key components of this research include understanding how knowledge conceptualizations influence knowledge management efforts, organizational metrics, specifically addressing how information systems capabilities can be most effectively utilized for enhancing organization performance. Central to this effort is a reexamination of human capital metrics and their application in light of the dramatically reduced costs of assessment activities and the increased access to information possible with currently deployed integrated human resource information systems.