bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Occupational Stress and Coping with Stress: A Critique
Authors: Newton T. J.
Published: August 2005

This paper considers problems in the conceptualization and operationalization of four concepts in occupational stress research: stress, strain, coping behavior, and coping style. The paper argues that a lack of conceptual and operational clarity in each of these areas has led to confusion in both the conduct and the interpretation of occupational stress and coping research, citing examples from the literature to support and illustrate this argument, as well as re-analyzing previous research. Recommendations are made for future research methodology which may overcome or limit some of the conceptual and operational problems examined.
Toward a Theory of Change Role Efficacy
Authors: Wooten Kevin C. , White Louis P.
Published: August 2005

Due to a lack of research and integration of OD theory, a theoretical model of change role efficacy for organizational development is presented. As an extension of a previously developed model (White & Wooten, 1986) of change agent, client system, and mutual roles, and an integrated model of change (White & Wooten, 1985), situational change roles are illustrated as contingent upon the stage of change which is sensitive to the change agent-client system relationship. Various forms of role conflict and ambiguity are discussed in relation to their impact upon various change roles to be assumed at each stage of change. It is concluded that highly integrative and contingency-based models are neededfor the theoretical development of OD as a science, and for practical guidance of change parties.
The Panopticon: From Bentham's Obsession to the Revolution in Management Learning
Authors: Fox Stephen
Published: August 2005

Foucault has shown us how Bentham's ideal design for a prison, the panopticon, stands as an archetype of disciplinary organization, that is, organization assured by the mutual reinforcement of power and knowledge. In this paper, we shall examine management eductaion from Foucault's perspective, tracing its growth from the 1960's to the present, to consider its significance for the modern organization conceived as a disciplinary apparatus. In this view, management education, personnel, and human resource management (HRM) represents some of the latest stages in the "formalization" of the individual within power relations, which began at the end of the eighteenth century with the emergence of the "clinical" human sciences. Finally, it is suggested that research concerning the documentary methods accompanying such "formalization," via the machinery M.E.D. and H.R.M., would benefit from ethnomethodological analyses of the type originated by Garfinkel.
The Impact of Union Involvement on the Design and Introduction of Quality of Working Life
Authors: Gilbert Beth
Published: August 2005

While Quality of Working Life (Q WL) has received a great deal of attention over the past years, somewhat less attention has been given to the role and impact of unions on QWL programs. The role that unions play is controversial. In order to examine the effect of union involvement, this paper uses the case survey method to analyze nine union and nine non-union organizations which implemented QWL programs. The union leadership appeared to play a positive role in improving the design and implementation of the QWL program, but there appeared to be an inability of the union leadership to transmit the program to the rank-and-file members. Recommendations are made to increase rank-and-file involvement in the QWL program.
Liberating Systems Theory: Toward Critical Systems Thinking
Authors: Flood R. L.
Published: August 2005

This article contains an exploration of a number of the many interpretations of its title Liberating Systems Theory. It is in fact a point of reflection on the way to realizing Critical Systems Thinking. Particular points of focus are critical theory integrated to practice in systems "problem solving," and the history and progress of systems thinking, considering critically the relationship of the past with progressively emerging future ends, i.e., emerging Critical Systems Thinking.
Communication: A Cultural System of Meaning and Value
Authors: Reilly Bernard J. , DiAngelo Joseph A.
Published: August 2005

Communication is seldom what it appears to be. The critical heartland for the understanding of communication is not what is visible but rather what is invisible and hidden. Form and messages are secondary to pre-defined meanings within the organization. Namely, the embedded culture pre-sets communication among people and gives meaning to any messages which are communicated within the organization. Therefore, the hidden and symbolic elements give meaning to the visible communication process.
Exploring the Dimensions of an International Social Issues Climate
Authors: McCann Joseph E. , Gomez-Mejia Luis
Published: August 2005

While progress has been made in integrating many social issues concepts, empirical research testing these concepts remains limited. This paper examines four research questions posed from an open systems perspective about issues climate dynamics. These questions guided survey research with managers within 102 organizations to explore their perceptions of 40 issues active in the Caribbean Basin. The research supports the usability of the issue life cycle concept, helps differentiate between an issue's stage and its impact, and reveals an underlying structure among the issues within this region. Because the research also surveyed respondents' involvement in the region over a 2-year period, it also shows how their perceptions of issues can be linked to their subsequent behavior. Finally, the research suggests that foreign policy initiatives designed to stimulate private sector development need to be closely coordinated with other initiatives designed to improve political and social conditions as well.
The Effects of Dual Career Participation on Men: Some Determinants of Variation in Career and Personal Satisfaction
Authors: Rosin Hazel M.
Published: August 2005

Little is known about the ways in which men's professional and personal lives are affected by participation in dual career families. This paper presents findings from an exploratory, in-depth interview study which investigated this issue by probing the individual perceptions of husbands in dual career families. A majority of male respondents reported positive professional, familial, and marital consequences of dual career membership. A small group was less satisfied. Sources of variation in satisfaction are presented and five factors which appear to be linked to subjects' differential reactions are identified.
Cooperation, Competition, and Self-Esteem: Aspects of Winning and Losing
Authors: Meeker Barbara Foley
Published: August 2005

Two studies used questionnaires to assess how subjects thought they would feel about themselves in a variety of competitive and noncompetitive situations. Self-evaluations were on semantic differential items, which revealed two dimensions, "instrumental" and "expressive. " In Study 1, losing affected self-evaluations negatively on both dimensions, and winning negatively on the expressive dimension compared to some noncompetitive settings. In Study 2, the factors of success/failure and group/individual were separated from the competitive or cooperative nature of the task; gender and general self-evaluation were also controlled. Differences between winning and losing were similar to differences between succeeding and failing in noncompetitive settings, although competition had a positive effect on instrumental self-esteem. A group setting affected both dimensions positively. A few gender differences appeared.
Relationships Between Subordinate Perceptions of Supervisor Influence Tactics and Attributed Bases of Supervisory Power
Authors: Hinkin Timothy R. , Schriesheim Chester A.
Published: August 2005

This paper presents the results of a study investigating relationships between measures of supervisor influence and power, as perceived by subordinates (N = 251). The influence measures were based on the framework of Kipnis, Schmidt, and Wilkinson (1980), while the measures of power used were based on French and Raven's (1959) social bases of power. The results indicated that: (1) there was relatively strong support for most of the Kipnis et al. influence dimensions when viewed from the influence target's perspective, (2) perceptions of leader influence tactic behaviors and attributions of leader power bases are empirically distinct, and (3) several relationships exist between subordinate perceptions of leader influence behaviors and subordinate attributions of leaderpower. However, only one influence tactic, rationality, had both substantial and significant positive relationships with the more positively-viewed bases of power (expert and referent power), emphasizing its importance as a means of influence in organizations. Implications of these findings and future directions for research are briefly discussed.
Nursing the Critically III and Dying
Authors: Cooper Cary L. , Mitchell Simon
Published: August 2005

This study assessed the stressors associated with nursing the critically ill and dying. One hundred seventeen nurses from a number of coronary care, cancer! other hospital units, together with hospice nurses were investigated. It was found that hospital based nurses dealing with death and dying were significantly more job dissatisfied than hospice nurses. On the other hand, hospice nurses were significantly more anxious and showed more signs of psychosomatic complaints. The implications of these findings are discussed.
Moral Reasoning in Groups: Leaders Make a Difference
Authors: Dukerich Janet M. , Nichols Mary Lippitt , Elm Dawn R. , Vollrath David A.
Published: August 2005

This article reviews a program of research on how groups reason about moral dilemmas, and presents data from two studies. In the first study, discussions of 21 four-member groups were tape recorded, coded, and analyzed to identify the factors that affected group performance. The data indicated that a group's moral reasoning level (as measured by Rest's Defining Issues Test) seemed to depend on whether more principled reasoning members took a task leadership role. The second study attempted to manipulate the leadership variable by assigning the task leadership role to individuals who reasoned at more vs. less principled levels. Results indicated that the reasoning level of the assigned leader impacted group performance while individual performance overall on a subsequent moral reasoning task benefitted from the group experience. The extent of the individual change was influenced by subjects' initial reasoning level. Implications for management are discussed.
Predicting Worker Turnover: An Assessment of Intent on Actual Separations
Authors: Kirschenbaum Alan , Weisberg Jacob
Published: August 2005

The predictive ability of most turnover models emanates from a key construct measuring a worker's intention to withdraw from a work organization. Empirical evidence to collaborate this cardinal assumption has, however, only moderate support. To test the predictive value of intention to leave, a logistic regression model of combined cross-sectional and longitudinal survey data on workers'potential and actual turnover was initiated. The results demonstrate that actual turnover and intent are influenced by a separate set of factors with intent a poor predictor of turnover behavior. Age, tenure, wage level, and perceived chances for improvement at the job were found to have a significant impact on actual separation, but not on the intent to leave. Work repetitiveness, importance of improvement, and perception of co-workers' intent influence the intent to move, but not turnover. Perception of co-workers' intentions to leave and importance of improvement played a dual role for both intent and turnover, but much more so for intentions. Further confirmation of these differences was sought by in/excluding intentions into the logistic regression of all the independent variables on actual separation. No improvement in the model occurred indicating the negligible impact of intent on explaining turnover. A parsimonious regression equation to optimize prediction of actual turnover was created, leading to a high and low risk leaver-stayer profile with probabilities ranging from 85.3% to 3.9%. The overall conclusion confirms the distinctiveness of intention and turnover as distinct constructs which are only superficially linked. As they differ in their basic explanatory antecedents, only variables linked to turnover predict work separations. Intentions do not.
Determinants of Turnover Among Volunteers
Authors: Miller Lynn E. , Powell Gary N. , Seltzer Joseph
Published: August 2005

This study examined the causal sequencing of attitudes, personal situations, and behavioral intentions as determinants of turnover among hospital volunteers. Structural equation modeling indicated that, consistent with prevailing models of turnover, attitudes and personal situations influenced turnover indirectly with intentions acting as a mediating factor. However, the analysis suggested that one aspect of the volunteer's personal situation (the convenience of the work schedule) also had a direct effect on turnover.
The Old-Fashioned Personality
Authors: Ray J. J.
Published: August 2005

It is noted that the authoritarian personality theory of Adorno et al. is now seldom referred to in race relations research and that the scale used to operationalize the theory (the Fscale) is a very poor measure of what it purports to measure (right-wing authoritarianism). The Fscale does have many correlates, however, and the work of Pflaum is referred to support the contention that the F scale in fact taps an old-fashioned orientation. A large correlational study by Kline and Cooper is reinterpreted in this light and it is shown that when pejorative assumptions are discarded, the old-fashioned person would appear to have many potentially admirable characteristics. The new understanding of what the F scale measures is also shown to be helpful in making sense of the findings from many other studies.
Interpersonal Theory: Criticism, Modification, and Elaboration
Authors: Birtchnell John
Published: August 2005

Interpersonal theory, as formulated by Freedman and developed by Leary, was constructed around the two dimensions of love vs. hate and dominate vs. submit. The two alternative dimensions of close vs. distant and upper vs. lower are introduced because they are generic and value free. To resolve confusion concerning what the theory is about, it is proposed that it be concerned with inborn dispositions which have their origins in interactions which occur between all animalforms. In humans, such dispositions are elaborated into competencies. Rather than considering negative forms of relating as the extreme of normalforms, it is suggested that they result from the imperfect acquisition of competencies. Interpersonal systems have been distorted by successive attempts to fit them into a circular ordering of bipolar opposites. This calls into question the appropriateness of the circumplex analysis as a means of confirming interpersonal theory.
Toward an Employee Responsibilities and Rights Paradigm
Authors: Chimezie A. B. Osigweh Yg.
Published: August 2005

Current changes in the nature of the workforce, organizational structures, and institutions of society underlie the considerable, and growing, worldwide orientation toward a workplace responsibilities and rights paradigm. Analysis of the moral, legal, bureaucratic, and social construction of reality literature provides a broad definition of rights and responsibilities based on (a) the basic injunction to do no harm, (b) the obligatory character of rights, and (c) the reciprocal nature of workplace interrelationships. Further, the article analyzes in detail the development of rights-responsibilities concerns in modern workplaces. It identifies some major characteristics of employee! employer responsibilities and rights, and also provides a scheme for studying, understanding, and organizing knowledge in the emerging field underscored by the notions of responsibilities and rights. The underlying paradigm suggested by the article can be understood in terms of two dimensions: Focus are (e.g., organizational entry, job incumbency, continued emmployment, and postemployment issues) and approaches, perspectives, or strategies (e.g., philosophical, legal, collective activity, human resource rights, and management education strategies).
Dual Commitment Among Unionized Faculty: A Longitudinal Investigation
Authors: Beauvais Laura L. , Scholl Richard W. , Cooper Elizabeth A.
Published: August 2005

This study investigated changes in union, organizational, and dual commitment among 267 faculty of a public university in the U.S. over a 6.5-month period (from the beginning of contract negotiations to contract settlement). Specifically, it was hypothesized that labor-management relationship climate, union involvement, perceived pay equity, and the implementation of a multi-tier salary plan would differentially affect faculty members' commitment levels. In addition, three established methods of measuring dual commitment were utilized to assess their convergent validity. Results indicated that organizational commitment and, in some cases, dual commitment increased over the time period. Further, the correlational and classification methods of measuring dual commitment detected changes in commitment, while Angle and Perry's (1986) five-item dual commitment scale was found to have questionable reliability and validity. Theoretical, methodological, and practical implications of the study's findings were discussed.
An Assessment of Extrinsic Feedback on Participation, Role Perceptions, Motivation, and Job Satisfaction in a Self-Managed System for Monitoring Group Achievement
Authors: Pearson C. A. L.
Published: August 2005

A longitudinal field experiment was conducted to examine a participative scheme for measuring productivity and some of the system outcomes. In addition to evaluating the robustness of the participative monitoring system, the impact of extrinsic feedback on participation, role indices, motivation, productivity, and job satisfaction was assessed. It was reported by subjects of 76 geographically-dispersed maintenance groups of a State railway that extraneous feedback had a significant influence on role ambiguity, motivation, job satisfaction, and productivity, and a number of the variable causal paths. However, contrary to predictions, which were based mainly on correlational research, substantially lower role stress levels were not encountered after the participative scheme was installed. The results are discussed.
Stress Reduction in Transition: Conceptual Problems in the Design, Implementation, and Evaluation of Worksite Stress Management Interventions
Authors: Reynolds Shirley , Shapiro David A.
Published: August 2005

Interventions to reduce occupational stress have focused primarily on strategies which target change in individual employees despite recommendations that researchers address organizational issues in occupational stress. This paper discusses the impact of the medical model in stress research and explores the extent to which it has constrained the design, implementation, and evaluation of stress management interventions. It is suggested that psychologically compatible models such as systems theory may provide a more fruitful basis for development and research and a focus for collaboration between occupational and clinical psychologists.
The Old and New Transnationalism: An Evolutionary Perspective
Authors: Boulding Elise
Published: August 2005

The concept of axial ages, when civilizations are exploring new terrains, interacting in a sustained way with strangers, and imaging the other and better, is used to trace the development of transnationalism through the ages. The problem of asymmetric contact between colonizers and colonized, historically and in the present, limits the two-way dialogue and learning processes that give rise to great periods of civilization flowering. Twentieth century global social change organizations (GSCOs) not limited by state interests and national boundaries, are helping to open up the two-way learning process and inspire new visions of possible futures for the whole of humankind. In particular, it is proposed that GSCOs are one of the most important vehicles in existence for crafting the world civic culture. The article concludes with several propositions for future research regarding the core contributions of GSCOs. These contributions are: (1) providing society with longer-term time horizons and visions; (2) lobbying for constructive foreign policies of national-states; (3) serving as educational forums for world citizenship; (4) expanding conceptual innovations and state-of-the art expertise; (5) integrating knowledge vehicles across disciplines; (6) creating and maintaining information channels; and (7) offering action as an antidote to despair.
The Frequency of Self-Limiting Behavior in Groups: A Measure and an Explanation
Authors: Veigal John F.
Published: August 2005

This study sought to develop a valid and reliable measure of the frequency with which individuals choose to engage in self-limiting behavior in groups, i.e., behavior that reduces the individual's influence on or contribution to the performance of a work group's task. In addition, this study explored under what general conditions managers perceive they are most inclined to engage in self-limiting behavior when they are members of a task group. Based on in-depth interviews of managers and executives, and a relevant literature search, 45 conditional statements were developed to encompass the most commonly cited reasons for engaging in self-limiting behavior. Utilizing these statements, a reliable and valid instrument was developed to measure the frequency with which managers perceive themselves engaging in self-limiting behavior. Factor analysis revealed that there were six underlying conditions which precipitate self-limiting behavior on the part of a group member: (1) an indifferent group climate, (2) an unimportant or meaningless task, (3) low task mastery expectations, (4) the presence of a highly qualified member, (5) the presence of a persuasive member, and (6) pressures to conform. The results also suggest that the frequency with which managers report that they engage in self-limiting behavior is not influenced by their age nor by the type of group on which they are reporting.
Bob Geldof and Live Aid: The Affective Side of Global Social Innovation
Authors: Westley Frances
Published: August 2005

This paper examines the case of Bob Geldof and Live Aid from the point of view of the relationship between visionary leadership and global social innovation. It briefly reviews the case. It then analyzes it in terms of four aspects of visionary leadership: the personal background of the visionary, the skills used in enacting the vision, the structural context in which the visionary operates, and the historical moment in which the visionary acts. It further reviews music as a symbolic system with powerful abilities to mobilize affect. It concludes that Geldof succeeded in initiating global action through the skillful juxtaposition of structures and processes from the music industry to the aid context and by the equally skillful linking of the affect generated by popular music with that generated by famine imagery to trigger philanthropic activity among consumers of popular music.
Assessing Self-Appraisal of Job Performance as an Evaluation Device: Are the Poor Results a Function of Method or Methodology?
Authors: Somers Mark John , Birnbaum Dee
Published: August 2005

Self-appraised job performance was studied in relation to supervisory ratings under those conditions in which self-evaluation is most likely to predict performance outcomes (Mabe & West, 1982). In contrast to previous research, there was no evidence of leniency error or restriction of range in self-appraised job performance. Convergence between self- and supervisory ratings was also evident, and was interpreted in light of the presence of halo error.
Control Theory and Social Behavior in the Workplace
Authors: Sandelands Lloyd , Glynn Mary Ann , Larson James R.
Published: August 2005

Recent theoretical statements by Lord and Hanges (1987) and by Carver and Scheier (1981) suggest that supervision in the workplace can be analyzed as a control system made up of supervisors and subordinates. Two experiments are described which raise doubts about this claim. Subjects were engaged as supervisors and asked to provide performance feedback to a subordinate. It was found that subjects did not respond to subordinate work performance in the straightforward way predicted by control theory, but instead responded based on analyses of the context-dependent meanings of that performance. Implications of these results for applying the control system metaphor to social behavior in the workplace more generally are discussed.
Impacts of Organizational Evolution on Leadership Roles and Behaviors
Authors: Gibbons Patrick T.
Published: August 2005

This paper explicates a link between the concepts of leadership, followership, and environment. In particular, the paper develops a conceptual scheme to facilitate the identification of leader-follower relationships which are best suited to specific environmental contingencies. This typlogy is then used as a basis to identify some of the specific interventions that would be appropriate in moving from one environmental situation to another.
The Cultural Approach to the Formation of Organizational Climate
Authors: Moran E. Thomas , Volkwein J. Fredericks
Published: August 2005

This paper examines approaches to the formation of organizational climate. Three perspectives appearing in the literature the structural, the perceptual, and the interactive are identified and examined. Additionally, a perspective termed the "cultural approach" is developed. This approach posits that organizational climate arises from the intersubjectivity of members as they interact within a context established by an organization's culture. A definition of organizational climate, informed by this approach, is presented. Finally, distinctions between organizational climate and organizational culture are examined.
A Cluster-Analytic Approach Toward Identifying the Structure and Content of Human Decision Making
Authors: Allison Scott T. , Jordan Anne Marie R. , Yeatts Carole E.
Published: August 2005

This article argues that theoretical and empirical progress in the field of human decision making is hampered by researchers' preoccupation with a narrow range of decision contexts. Four studies were conducted to highlight the categorical diversity of human choice behavior and to illustrate how an awareness of this diversity can promote more rigorous decision theory. In Study 1, college students were asked to list the most important decisions they had ever made. A cluster analysis of these decisions revealed decision categories involving interpersonal relations, career, living arrangements, money, college, values, family, and cars. In Study 2, the most important decisions listed by residents of a retirement home included many of the same categories as those of college students and also included categories involving retirement and post-mortem arrangements. In Study 3, we asked historians to indicate the most important decisions that they believed had been made in the twentieth century. Decision categories that emerged included wartime, territorial, economic, and civil rights decisions. Finally, in Study 4 we examined the categories of decisions that researchers in decision making have investigated. The results revealed that decision-making research, in focusing on process analysis, has cast its attention to statistical reasoning, risky choice, gambles, and clinical judgment. We discuss the implications of these findings for theory and research on decision-making processes.
Coming Home: The -Relationship of Expatriate Expectations with Repatriation Adjustment and Job Performance
Authors: Blackl J. Stewart
Published: August 2005

Recently, the topic of expatriate cross-cultural adjustment has received increased scholarly attention; however, adjustment after an international assignment (repatriation adjustment) has received relatively little systematic investigation. This study examined the relationship of managers' expectations with repatriation adjustment and job performance. In general, managers whose job and nonwork expectations were met reported higher levels of repatriation adjustment and job performance than those whose expectations were either underor overmet. Both research and practical implications are discussed.
The Impact of Assessment Centers and Their Outcomes on Participants' Self-Assessments
Authors: Fletcher Clive , Kerslake Claire
Published: August 2005

A longitudinal study of the effects of attending an assessment center on candidates' self-assessments was carried out. Self-ratings of ability were collected immediately before, immediately after, and 6 months after an assessment center, and correlated with assessors' ratings of participants in the assessment event. Results show that there were marked differences in self-assessment accuracy between successful and unsuccessful candidates immediately post-assessment center, which persisted 6 months later after feedback had been received; unsuccessful candidates seem to have misjudged the effectiveness of their performance. The findings are discussed in relation to their implications for the use of assessment centers as an aid to development and for the way feedback procedures are handled.
Mystification and Social Drama: The Hidden Side of Communication Skills Training
Authors: Elmes Michael B. , Costello Melinda
Published: August 2005

This paper examines several aspects of management communication skills training. It discusses communication "skills" and their hidden potential as methods that sustain and mystify bureaucratic control. It also examines the social drama of communication skills training. Based on participant observation of a 4-day communication skills training seminar, the paper identifies and discusses six categories which, we argue, are designed to convert participants into practitioners and believers of the skills: creating an aura of status and wealth, creating an aura of credibility, minimizing risk, creating a "flow," trainer/participant testimonials, and closing-down-the-day rituals. The paper also looks at two groups of "nonbelievers" who resisted the training content or process. Last, the paper looks at why the workshop ultimately failed, discusses the covert aspects of management training, and speculates on management communication training that "demystifies."
Fairness in Personnel Selection: A Meta-Analysis and Policy Implications
Authors: Martocchio Joseph J. , Whitener Ellen M.
Published: August 2005

Previous research has suggested that selection procedures and performance evaluations are not unfair to minorities. Results of a meta-analysis indicated that Whites performed higher than non-Whites on cognitive ability tests (d = .464) and on supervisory ratings (d = .284), but not on objective results (d = -.009) and that validities between the tests and ratings and results were not significantly different. In addition, a comparison of predicted to actual mean standardized criterion differences between White and non-White subgroups suggested that cognitive ability underpredicted actual differences in supervisory ratings. These results imply that researchers and policymakers need to continue to evaluate fairness in testing and performance evaluation because, contrary to prior evidence, the use of cognitive ability tests may indeed be unfair to non-Whites.
Superior-Subordinate Relationships: A Multiple Levels of Analysis Approach
Authors: Yammarino Francis J. , Dubinsky Alan J.
Published: August 2005

Numerous explanations for understanding the nature of superior-subordinate relationships are available in the leadership literature. Although these arguments differ, a common feature is that each view is based implicitly on particular levels of analysis. The purpose of the current study was to conceptualize and test alternative perspectives of superior-subordinate relationships by explicitly incorporating multiple levels of analysis in hypothesis generation and testing. Data from matched reports of superiors and subordinates were analyzed using Within and Between Analysis (WABA). Results from a sample of retail sales associates and their supervisors indicated that on the dimensions of attention, job latitude, satisfaction with performance, and job congruence, superior-subordinate relationships differed from one interpersonal relationship to another. In a sample of insurance agents and their managers, however, findings indicated that there were individual differences on these dimensions for superiors and subordinates. Implications of these different views of superior-subordinate relationships for future leadership research are discussed.
Panoptic Reason and the Search for Totality: A Critical Assessment of the Critical Systems Perspective
Authors: Tsoukasl Haridimos
Published: August 2005

This paper reviews the main claims and assumptions of the critical systems perspective (CSP) and subjects them to vigorous criticism. It is argued that CSP is flawed on philosophical and sociological grounds. Philosophically, CSP is criticized for its use of ideological premises which are unsusceptible to scientific criticism, for its unrealistic assumptions concerning the alleged unitary nature of organizations and society, for an essentialist conception of human beings, and for its inability to distinguish between different types of systems research. Sociologically, CSP's inadequate conceptualization of power in organizations is discussed. CSP also espouses an apolitical conception of organizational actors, and fails to appreciate the inherently open nature of social systems which is manifested mainly through the emergence of unintended consequences. It is argued here that all the above deficiencies emanate from two fundamental premises: the panoptic status CSP accords to reason, and the totalizing nature of CSP's discourse. Both premises are criticized in this paper as indefensible.
Development and Test of a Theory of Technological Learning and Usage
Authors: Bagozzi Richard P. , Davis Fred D. , Warshaw Paul R.
Published: August 2005

Beliefs, attitudes, and intentions are important factors in the adoption of computer technologies. While contemporary representations have focused on explaining the act of using computers, the role of learning to use the computer needs to be better understood within the overall adoption process. Inadequate learning can curtail the adoption and use of a potentially productive system. We introduce a new theoretical model, the theory of trying, in which computer learning is conceptualized as a goal determined by three attitude components: attitude toward success, attitude toward failure, and attitude toward the process of goal pursuit. Intentions to try and actual trying are the theoretical mechanisms linking these goal-directed attitudes to goal attainment. An empirical study is conducted to ascertain the construct validity and utility of the new theory within the context of the adoption of a word processing package. Specifically, we examine convergent validity, internal consistency reliability, stability, discriminant validity, criterion related validity, predictive validity, and nomological validity in a longitudinal field study of 107 users of the program. The new theory is compared to two models: the theory of reasoned action from the field of social psychology and the technology acceptance model, recently introduced in the management literature. Overall, the findings stress the importance of scrutinizing the goals of decision makers and their psychological reactions to these goals in the prediction of the adoption of computers.
Lay Theories of Psychotherapy III: Comparing the Ratings of Lay Persons and Clinical Psychologists
Authors: Furnham Adrian , Wardley Zoe , Lillie Francis
Published: August 2005

This study set out to compare the beliefs of lay, nonspecialist adults and trained practicing clinical psychologists on the topic of psychotherapy. Approximately 200 lay people (working adults and students) and over 50 practicing psychologists completed a four-part questionnaire that examined attitudes to psychotherapy, beliefs concerning what patients report during psychotherapy, the efficacy of quite different types of psychological treatment, and finally the prognosis for a wide range of psychological problems. The ratings of the two groups, lay vs. professional, were compared on an item-by-item basis, as well as by interpretable factors that were found in previous studies (Furnham & Wardley, 1990, 1991). The results showed a predicted pattern of similarities and differences with most differences occurring on the questionnaires concerned with beliefs about what happens in psychotherapy and the efficacy of therapy, and least differences in the part concerned with the anticipated attitudes of psychotherapy clients. Overall, psychotherapists seemed less optimistic and more skeptical concerning the efficacy of therapies and the prognosis of personal problems. These results arc discussed in terms of available literature on lay expectations of psychotherapy.
Managing Conflict Between Departments to Serve Customers
Authors: Tjosvold Dean , Dann Valerie , Wong Choy
Published: August 2005

Conflict management can substantially impact on the vital organizational objective of serving customers. This study used the goal interdependence approach to analyze the specific conflicts that marketing groups had with each other. As hypothesized, cooperative goals and open discussion of opposing views were found to contribute substantially to serving customers, completing tasks, using resources effectively, and strengthening expectations of future collaboration. Results also suggest that common tasks, shared vision, tasks requiring teamwork, and complementary roles underlie the conclusion of cooperative goals. In contrast to goal interdependence, amount of power was not highly related to the dynamics or outcomes of conflict.
An Empirical Examination of the Causes of Corporate Wrongdoing in the United States
Authors: Hill Charles W. L. , Kelley Patricia C. , Agle Bradley R. , Hitt Michael A. , Hoskisson Robert E.
Published: August 2005

It has been argued that a firm's propensity to violate federal laws and regulations is related to firm size, diversity, financial pressures, and organizational structure and processes (Clinard & Yeager, 1980). The current paper tests these propositions using United States data from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency. The findings offer at best weak support for some of these propositions while strongly suggesting that most are invalid. The results have important implications for future research and practice.
Self-Leading Work Teams: Moving Beyond Self-Management Myths
Authors: Manz Charles C.
Published: August 2005

Recent challenges raised in the literature suggest that the application of employee self-managing teams can create more of a illusion or myth of employee self-influence than a reality. The amount of self-influence allowed self-managing employees is frequently subject to many limitations stemming from management practice and organizational constraints. In order to more fully develop and utilize organizational human resources a movement beyond self-managing teams toward self-leading teams is proposed. This perspective suggests that employees are empowered to influence strategic issues concerning what they do and why, in addition to the issue of how they do their work. The role of several contingency factors is also considered.
Subordinate Views in Supervisory Conflict Situations: Peering into the Subcultural Chasm
Authors: Fortado Bruce
Published: August 2005

Workplace conflict has traditionally been approached with legalistic, problemsolving, and power-oriented models. Most dominant organization cultures embody a combination of these models' assumptions. Based on 100 case studies from the United States, a bottom-up model reflecting the beliefs prevailing in subordinate subcultures is inductively developed via a two-stage content analysis. The key assumptions of all four models are contrasted along six cultural dimensions: namely, the nature of relationships, truth/reality, analytic determinations, evidence, time, and the consequences of grieving. The processes of nicknaming and story telling through which subcultural meanings are commonly constructed also receive close scrutiny.
Attitudinal Militancy and Propensity to Strike Among Unionized Engineers and X-Ray Technicians
Authors: Cohen Aaron
Published: August 2005

This study examines whether attitudinal militancy and propensity to strike represent two different constructs. The study also examines the joint effects of five models, each representing a different theoretical approach, upon the two dependent variables: propensity to strike and attitudinal militancy. Unionized employees of two occupational groups in Israel, 139 engineers, and 125 X-ray technicians, are surveyed. In general, the findings show that attitudinal militancy and propensity to strike are two independent constructs. This conclusion is supported by the factor analysis findings, the intercorrelations between the items of the measures, and the results of the regression analyses indicating different patterns of effects of the research models upon attitudinal militancy and propensity to strike. The findings also demonstrate that the commitment model and union commitment in particular, is an important determinant of union militancy. Discussion of the implications of these findings and how they relate to future investigation of union militancy conclude the paper.
Understanding the Leader-Strategy Interface: Application of the Strategic Relationship Interview Method
Authors: de Vries Manfred F. R. Kets , Miller Danny , Noël Alain
Published: August 2005

The argument that leaders substantially affect organizational outcome is presented. In order to better understand the leader/strategy/environment interface, however, the question of what leaders do has to be supplemented with why they are doing it. It is argued that the assessment of a leader's preoccupations will make for more effective human resource planning by facilitating the match between leader and organization. Unfortunately, the accurate assessment of a leader's preoccupations is still in its infancy. To fill the gap, this paper proposes a research methodology based on the clinical concept of transference, i.e., repetitive, consistent patterns of interaction which are unique to each individual. The applicability of the Strategic Relationship Interview Method (a derivative of the Core Conflictual Relationship Theme Method as developed by Luborsky and his collaborators) is explored as potentially a relatively simple way to capture the essence of leadership. Using the Strategic Relationship Interview Method (SRIM), one systematically identifies the central relationship patterns of key executives by analyzing and scoring specific narratives. In order to illustrate its application, an example is given of the SRIM using as "text" the statements made by an entrepreneur.
Learning, Trust, and Technological Collaboration
Authors: Dodgson Mark
Published: August 2005

Companies increasingly collaborate in their technological activities. Collaboration enables firms to learn about uncertain and turbulent technological change, and enhances their ability to deal with novelty. A number of studies reveal the importance for successful collaboration of high levels of inter-personal trust between scientists, engineers, and managers in the different partners. However, these individual relationships are vulnerable to labor turnover and inter-personal difficulties. Using two examples of highly successful technological collaborations, it is argued that the survival of such relationships in the face of these inevitable inter-personal problems requires the establishment of interorganizational trust. Such trust is characterized by community of interest, organizational cultures receptive to external inputs, and widespread and continually supplemented knowledge among employees of the status and purpose of the collaboration.
Social Change Through Collective Reflection with Asian Nongovernmental Development Organizations
Authors: Brown L. David
Published: August 2005

"Participatory action research" has been acclaimed for producing new knowledge as well as solutions to organizational and social problems. But the term has quite different meanings to different audiences: The "Southern" tradition is committed to community transformation through empowering disenfranchised groups; the "Northern" tradition is concerned with reforming organizations through problem-solving. This paper describes a series of collective reflections that brought together leaders of development agencies from Southern and Northern settings to consider the roles of nongovernmental development organizations (NGOs) in promoting sustainable development. The results of these reflections, in terms of new knowledge and new action strategies, are illustrated. Critical processes for such collective reflection, including the management of value and ideological differences, the definition of participation, and the organization of joint inquiry are discussed. The paper also discusses the implications of such reflections for re-defining the social realities of key actors in the development drama, and so catalyzing major changes in development theory and action through relatively small interventions.
The Comparative Utility of Third Party Consultation and Mediation Within a Complex Simulation of Intergroup Conflict
Authors: Keashly Loraleigh , Fisher Ronald J. , Grant Peter R.
Published: August 2005

Third party interventions designed to de-escalate intergroup conflict can be differentiated by their underlying assumptions regarding conflict. Process-oriented approaches such as third-party consultation try to de-escalate conflict by taking a subjective emphasis and focusing on the basic relationship between parties, their attitudes, and their perceptions. Traditional third-party interventions, particularly mediation, try to de-escalate conflict by focusing more on the substantive issues in dispute. This study examines how mediation and consultation operate differently within an intergroup conflict simulation. The Intergroup Conflict Simlatllion (Grant, Fisher, Hall, & Keashly, 1990) creates a moderately intense resource and value conflict which involves two equal power groups negotiating for points in a dispute over land divisions. A consultation or a mediation intervention was introduced midway through intergroup negotiations. The results showed that the two interventions did not have a differential impact on settlement of land divisions. Consultation and mediation groups achieved similar point outcomes and were equally committed to and satisfied with the settlement. In contrast, the consultation intervention changed the relationship between the groups. In particular, the groups expressed more positive attitudes and perceptions about the other group and perceived the intergroup relationship as more positive and collaborative after intervention. The implications of these results for third party intervention in intergroup conflict are discussed.