Psihologia Resurselor Umane

The contribution of Romanian psychologists to Dumitru Prunariu's spaceflight

Marian Popa — 2026-08-18

The article analyzes the role of psychologists in the success of the Soyuz 40 mission in May 1981, marking the 45th anniversary of the first Romanian spaceflight. The paper documents the complex process, coordinated by Dr. Valeriu Ceaușu at the Centre for Aeronautical Medicine (CAM).
Psychological selection began in 1977, evaluating 200 engineers based on the "activity information circuit model". A select-in strategy was used, aiming to identify the best performing candidates, resulting in a final cohort of five candidates
Assistance in the preliminary preparation phase was carried out through observational participation. The objectives were: evaluation of the candidates' adaptation in real conditions, development of the capacity for self-knowledge and self-control, stress management, harmonization of the group climate, and initiation in flight psychology.
The "Informatia" research program, carried out on the Salyut 6 station, included seven tests aimed at assessing the impact of weightlessness on cognitive and decision-making processes. The results indicated a temporary decline in performance in the first few days, followed by a recovery based on a state of euphoric mobilization.
The pre-launch and in-flight psychological support aimed at managing the tension caused by the uncertainty of the final selection at Baikonur and ensuring ambient comfort, through specially created video and audio programs.
Each chapter contains an international practice section, which presents the psychological activities carried out by the main space agencies, NASA, Roscosmos, ESA
The conclusions emphasize that psychologists have made significant contributions to all stages of the cosmic program with Romanian participation, demonstrating their ability to prepare professionals for extreme demands.

Workplace ostracism, organization-based self-esteem, and employee voice in a participative climate: A moderated mediation model

GÜLDEN KARAKUŞ — 2026-08-18

This study examines the relationship between workplace ostracism and employee voice by testing a moderated mediation model grounded in conservation of resources and self-determination theories. Organization-based self-esteem (OBSE) is proposed as a mediating mechanism, and perceived participative climate is examined as a contextual moderator. Survey data were collected from Turkish white-collar employees (N = 291). The findings indicate that workplace ostracism is negatively associated with employee voice, and OBSE fully mediates this relationship. Perceived participative climate moderates the relationship between workplace ostracism and OBSE, and the negative relationship is weaker at higher levels of perceived participative climate. Finally, the indirect effect of workplace ostracism on employee voice through OBSE weakens as perceived participation increases, consistent with a moderated mediation model. These findings suggest that participative climates may buffer the negative effects of workplace ostracism on organization-based self-esteem and, in turn, promote employee voice.

Power to perform or to delay? Job insecurity moderates the effects of empowering leadership on work procrastination

Iraida Musteață — 2026-08-18

Past research suggested that empowering leadership may decrease work procrastination and highlighted perceived job insecurity as detrimental to employee attitudes and behaviors. The present study examined the relationship between empowering leadership and workplace procrastination, and the moderating effects of perceived job security controlling for other leadership styles and work-related variables that were previously found to be linked with procrastination. The results indicated that the negative effect of empowering leadership on procrastination emerged only in employees with moderate job security. Oppositely, in those with low job security, empowering leadership was associated with higher procrastination. Finally, no significant association emerged between empowering leadership and procrastination in the high job security group. These findings extend current knowledge on the influences of empowering leadership by highlighting job security as a critical factor of the effects of this leadership style on work procrastination.

Applicant reactions to Artificial Intelligence-assisted selection: The moderating role of outcome favorability and job role type

Denisa Andreea Cojocar — 2026-08-18

The present study investigates candidate perceptions on the use of AI-assisted selection interviews, specifically exploring the joint influence of the job role for which the applicant is evaluated (non-leadership role vs. leadership role) and the outcome favorability (rejected vs. accepted) on the relationship between trust in AI-assisted selection and perceived procedural justice of the selection method, on the one hand, and the applicants’ intention to recommend the organization on the other hand. A sample of 192 participants were randomly assigned to four alternative scenarios in a quasi-experimental design using vignettes. Each scenario simulated a specific AI-assisted selection interview, with different job roles (non-leadership role vs. leadership role) and outcome favorability (rejected vs. accepted) conditions. Data reveal that trust in AI positively influences intention to recommend the organization under specific conditions defined by outcome favorability and the job role for which applicants are evaluated. Perceived procedural justice was positively associated with intention to recommend the organization. However, perceptions of procedural justice did not interact with outcome favorability or job role in explaining the examined outcomes. These findings are consistent with prior research suggesting that procedural justice perceptions and trust in AI-related decisions play a different central role in shaping applicant intentions toward organizations.

Resilience and Burnout in Healthcare Professionals: The Mediating Role of Dispositional Mindfulness and the Role of Grit Among a Hungarian Minority in Romania

Annamária Nagy — 2026-08-18

Burnout among healthcare professionals represents a critical organizational challenge, yet limited research has examined how personal psychological resources jointly operate in minority work contexts. This study investigated the combined roles of resilience, dispositional mindfulness, and grit in predicting burnout and examined the mediating role of mindfulness in the resilience–burnout relationship among healthcare professionals from a Hungarian minority in Romania. A sample of 152 employees from state hospitals (mean age = 44.18 ± 10.89 years) completed validated Hungarian-language measures of burnout, resilience, grit, and mindfulness between November 2023 and March 2024. Hierarchical regression analyses indicated that resilience, dispositional mindfulness, and grit each contributed uniquely to lower burnout. Resilience was most strongly associated with personal accomplishment, whereas mindfulness was primarily related to reduced emotional exhaustion and depersonalization. Mediation analyses showed that dispositional mindfulness partially mediated the relationship between resilience and burnout, while grit exerted a direct but modest effect. These findings highlight the importance of integrating multiple personal resources into organizational burnout prevention strategies in healthcare settings.