Eric D. Heggestad

Dr. Heggestad is a professor of psychological science and organizational science at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. He received a Ph.D. in psychology in 1997 from the University of Minnesota under the direction and mentorship of Drs. Ruth Kanfer and Phillip L. Ackerman. His research focuses on the application of psychological measurement to emerging problems in organizational science and practice (e.g., the use of personality tests; evaluating assessments for hiring and leadership development), the role of social skills in organizational contexts, and understanding leadership and how to develop leadership skills.

Dr. Heggestad has published more than 45 peer-reviewed articles which have appeared in top journals in Industrial and Organizational Psychology (e.g., Journal of Applied Psychology, Journal of Management, Personnel Psychology) and in psychology more generally (e.g., Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Psychological Bulletin). His work has been cited more than 8,000 times. He has been awarded over $1.8M in grant and support (as PI or Co-PI) from a variety of national agencies (e.g., Army Research Institute; National Science Foundation), and have been awarded additional funding through contracts with several organizations (e.g., Human Resources Research Organization; Society for Human Resources Management). He has also engaged in consulting relationships with with numerous companies (e.g., SPX, Balfour Beatty, Insight Venture Capital), non-profits (e.g., the National Center for State Courts), and government agencies (e.g., U.S. Army, U.S. Navy). He has also served on a number of editorial boards (e.g., Journal of Applied Psychology, Journal of Management) and is currently serving as an Associate Editor at Journal of Business and Psychology.

He served as the chair of the department of psychological sciences at UNC Charlotte (2017-2022) and as the director of the Industrial and Organizational Psychology M.A. Program (2008-2017). Dr. Heggestad has held two elected leadership roles within the Society of Industrial and Organizational Psychology (SIOP; Membership Services Officer and Financial Officer) and numerous non-elected positions, including Chair of the Education and Training Committee, Chair of the Conference Evaluation Committee, and as member of Planning Committee for the 2019 Leading Edge Consortium. He is a Fellow of the Society of Industrial and Organizational Psychology.

Education

Ph.D., 1997
Personality Research Psychology
University of Minnesota

Master of Arts, 1995
Personality Research Psychology
University of Minnesota

Bachelor of Arts, 1993
Psychology
St. Olaf College, magna cum laude

Recent research

• How should an organization decide which traits to measure?
• Are we able to make better predictions if we ask applicants about their personality at work?
• If applicants “fake” on a test, does it hurt the quality of predictions we can make using their scores?
• Can we design a test that is difficult for applicants to fake?
• What kinds of things can we do if we suspect that an applicant is faking on the personality test?
• Are there traits that capture a person’s motivation?

Selected Publications

Heggestad, E. D., Nicole Voss, E., Toth, A. A., Ross, R. L., Banks, G. C., & Canevello, A. (2023). Two meanings of “social skills”: Proposing an integrative social skills framework. Group & Organization Management, 48(2), 361–404. https://doi.org/10.1177/10596011221151006 

Scheaf, D. J., Loignon, A. C., Webb, J. W., & Heggestad, E. D. (2023). Nonresponse bias in survey‐based entrepreneurship research: A review, investigation, and recommendations. Strategic Entrepreneurship Journal, 17(2), 291–321. https://doi.org/10.1002/sej.1453

Heggestad, E. D., Kreamer, L., Hausfeld, M. M., Patel, C., & Rogelberg, S. G. (2021). Recommendations for reporting sample and measurement information in experience sampling studies. British Journal of Management, 33(2), 553–570. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8551.12489

Woznyj, H. M., Shanock, L. R., Heggestad, E. D., & Banks, G. C. (2021). The role of events and affect in perceived organizational support: A within-person approach. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 36(6), 520–532. https://doi.org/10.1108/jmp-10-2020-0537

Uhrich, B. B., Heggestad, E. D., & Shanock, L. R. (2021). Smarts or trait emotional intelligence? The role of trait emotional intelligence in enhancing the relationship between cognitive ability and performance. The Psychologist-Manager Journal, 24(1), 23–47. https://doi.org/10.1037/mgr0000112

Cortina, J. M., Sheng, Z., Keener, S. K., Keeler, K. R., Grubb, L. K., Schmitt, N., Tonidandel, S., Summerville, K. M., Heggestad, E. D., & Banks, G. C. (2020). From alpha to omega and beyond! A look at the past, present, and (possible) future of psychometric soundness in the Journal of Applied Psychology. Journal of Applied Psychology, 105(12), 1351–1381. https://doi.org/10.1037/apl0000815