bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Operational Research and Organization Development
Authors: Eden Colin
Published: August 2005

A large research program concerned with the contribution of operational research (OR) to the design of organizations led indirectly to an OR project concerned with constructing a man-computer interactive simulation model for a department in local government. The simulation model was to map the decision-making activities of the department and their influence on critical features of the environment which were of interest. The most difficult part of this project was the application of new methodologies for eliciting the values, norms, objectives, goals, and views of the environment in order that the model of decision-making could be constructed. The key concepts underlying the method were drawn from the psychology of personal constructs and the sociology of defining situations. The data analysis resulting from an application of these concepts led to the organization wishing to become involved in an organization development (OD) exercise. How this request evolved, the conceptual basis of the OR, and some of the repercussions of the OD work on effective OR are what the paper is about.
The Influence of Job Longevity on Employee Reactions to Task Characteristics
Authors: Katz Ralph
Published: August 2005

The present study investigated the moderating influence of job longevity and growth-need strength on the relationships between overall job satisfaction and the five task dimensions of skill variety, identity, significance, autonomy, and feedback. Basically, it was found that the strength of the task dimension-job satisfaction relationships are significantly affected by job longevity regardless of age and growth-need strength. More specifically, three separate stages of job longevity are deduced, i.e., a learning, a responsive, and an unresponsive stage. Only during the responsive stage were the satisfaction reactions of employees significantly correlated with all of the task characteristics. Furthermore, satisfaction was related most significantly to the outcomes of performance and turnover during the responsive stage. Individual differences, as measured by growth-need strength, were also investigated within the job longevity framework. Survey data from 3,085 public sector employees belonging to four different governmental organizations were used to investigate the hypothesized relationships.
Toward the Study of Society in Microcosm: Critical Problems of Group Relations Conferences
Authors: Gustafson James P. , Cooper Lowell
Published: August 2005

In the first half of this article, the authors consider the basic structure, culture, and technique developed for the Group Relations Conference, which aims to be an open institution for studying in microcosm the working problems of society. They argue that the traditional culture and technique are nondevelopmental, hence can do very little about societal dynamics simply being replayed in conferences, which in turn lowers the morale of these events seriously. They believed that the inherent development thrust of conference members could be as powerful as the regressive instincts and class interests that ordinarily overrun conferences, if the interferences with group development were carefully attended to by consultants. Two experimental conferences have confirmed the hypothesis and, furthermore, shown the phases of the critical second-stage development, in which group members make prominent and master the inherent aggression in groups about differences.
Problem-Solving Performance Inside a Publicly-Owned Corporation
Authors: Chambers D. J. , Lehmann M. A.
Published: August 2005

This study was aimed at evaluating aspects of a publicly owned corporation 'sperformance in terms of process rather than in terms of financial outcomes. An episode was chosen where performance in dealing with relatively well-defined problems might be appraised through specifying the task environment and identifying the problem representation and search processes employed. The use made of formal systems modeling and analysis in the study is to specify a task environment against which performance can be appraised. Criteria are introduced for identifying better or worse search processes, varying degrees of problem difficulty, and more or less comprehensive representations of task environment. The evidence is used to support evaluative statements on managers' problem-solving performance. Further work which would strengthen such evaluation is indicated together with lines for future comparative research.
Folie A Deux: Acting Out Your Superior's Fantasies
Authors: de Vries Manfred F. R. Kets
Published: August 2005

The phenomenon known from psychiatric literature as folie 'a deux is discussed from an organizational perspective. It is suggested that folie 'a deux is a regular occurrence in organizations. The psychodynamic processes which play a role in folie 'a deux, the determining variables, and related behavior patterns are examined. Analogies are drawn with other group processes. A model of folie 'a deux in organizations is presented, emphasizing particularly superior-subordinate relationships. Some of the consequences of folie 'a deux in organizations are indicated. Finally, possible ways of recognizing and dealing with this interpersonal process are explored.
Patterns of Gaze in Cooperative and Competitive Negotiation
Authors: Foddy Margaret
Published: August 2005

On the basis of theoretical assumptions about the information needs of cooperative and competitive negotiators, it was predicted that experimental manipulation of motivational orientation should produce different patterns of gaze and mutual gaze. The frequency and duration of gaze and mutual gaze of naive subjects in 28 dyads was monitored by video cameras. As predicted, the average length of gaze and mutual gaze was greater for cooperators, while frequency of gaze and mutual gaze were the same in both cooperation and competition. This pattern is consistent with the claim that length of gaze indexes the affective function of eye contact, while frequency is an index of the monitoring function. Analysis of frequency and duration of speech showed that the gaze patterns held even when allowance was made for the coordinating function of gaze in conversation. Females were found to engage in longer gaze and mutual gaze than males, in both cooperation and competition.
Measures of Job Facets Satisfaction as Predictors of the Tendency to Leave or the Tendency to Stay with an Organization
Authors: Maimon Zvi , Ronen Simcha
Published: August 2005

This study evaluates the relative influence various aspects of job satisfaction have on an employee's tendency to stay with or leave an organization. The significance of restrictions on the pay range and fringe benefits is considered as afactor in establishing the relative effect of extrinsic and intrinsic aspects ofjob satisfaction on mobility tendencies. The study is based on a sample of 683 college graduates employed in public and private sector businesses in Israel. Thefindings suggest that: (a) Intrinsic aspects of job satisfaction are far better predictors of turnover than extrinsic aspects; (b) overall job satisfaction has a meaning above and beyond satisfaction with various aspects of the job; (c) satisfaction with intrinsic rewards and overall job satisfaction are reasonably good predictors of both the tendency to stay with and the tendency to leave an organization; (d) the tendency to stay with and the tendency to leave an organization have common causes which are not accounted for by the level of satisfaction with the job.
A Reappraisal of Sociotechnical Systems Theory
Authors: Kelly John E.
Published: August 2005

The major purpose of this article is to reassess the adequacy of the major principles of sociotechnical systems theory by means of a detailed reexamination of the case studies from which they are partly derived. It is shown, as a result, that the notion of a single, homogeneous sociotechnical school is a misleading oversimplification, since two streams of sociotechnical theory can in fact be identified. It is suggested that the autonomy granted to autonomous work groups is limited, and subordinate to particular economic objectives. Further, it is argued that the concept of joint optimization has little connection with the reality of sociotechnical practice and that it should be replaced with the notion of intensification of labor. The role of pay incentives is also shown to have been seriously underestimated in the causation of economic and psychological changes. And finally, the idea of organizational choice is also shown to be inadequate on the grounds that the case studies have demonstrated the superior economic and psychological effectiveness of only one form of work organization: autonomous groups.
Buying Your Job: Factors Affecting the Success or Failure of Employee Acquisition Attempts
Authors: Stern Robert N. , Hammer Tove Helland
Published: August 2005

Until recently, North American producers' cooperatives (employee-owned firms) have received scant attention relative to their more numerous European counterparts. While the existing literature on this subject has covered historical description as well as the critical issues of the emergence, political basis, operation, and success of producers' cooperatives, there is considerable disagreement on the circumstances under which some form of worker ownership emerges and little information available on the factors which make worker ownership possible. This paper identifies a number of variables important to the successful acquisition by workers of their own firm and delineates the functions of each variable as a contributor to success. The paper is based on a study of six firms in which the complex process of transferring the ownership of an enterprise to its employees has been attempted.
An Extension of Barth's Concept of Ethnic Boundaries to Include Both Other Groups and Developmental Stage of Ethnic Groups
Authors: Molohon Kathryn T. , Paton Richard , Lambert Michael
Published: August 2005

This paper extends Barth's concept of ethnic boundaries and boundary strength to include boundaries maintained by other groups, and to propose that various types of human groups may be related on a continuum through the quality or strength of their boundaries. Three different types of groups "simple" groups, subcultural groups, and ethnic groups-are used to examine this concept in greater detail. It is further suggested that the concept of a continuum of boundary strength may be used to identify various stages of ethnic development, and that the notion of boundary has important implications for studies of urban ethnicity and human identity processes.
Coordination Patterns Within an Interorganizational Network
Authors: Van de Ven Andrew H. , Walker Gordon , Liston Jennie
Published: August 2005

This research examines and compares patterns of coordination among clusters of organizations which are all members of a larger network of human service agencies. The blockmodeling procedure developed by Breiger et al. was used to analyze the data collected, and three tightly connected clusters of agencies werefound to exist in the network. By evaluating the reasons why organizations reported being involved with others, it was found that the three interorganizational clusters existed for three predominantly different reasons: resource transactions, direct services, and planning and coordination. The three clusters were then compared on a number of dimensions of interorganizational coordination, and it was found there were significantly different patterns of relationships among these clusters of agencies while no significant differences among the clusters were found on perceived effectiveness and the degree of impact of the relationships. A theoretical explanation for the observed results is developed. The major conclusion is that it is important to determine the different reasons for interorganizational relationships if one is to understand the various patterns of coordination among clusters of organizations within interorganizational networks.
Another Look at the Conformity Explanation of Group-Induced Shifts in Choice
Authors: Singleton Royce
Published: August 2005

A conformity explanation of group-induced shifts in individual choice has never received careful examination. For conformity to account for groupinduced shifts, it must be shown that (a) movement toward the group produces shifts in predictable directions on given decision problems, and (b) the motive force behind individual changes is group pressure. This article reviews the evidence bearing upon these two propositions and compares conformity with other currently popular explanations of the choice shift. The conclusion drawn is that conformity cannot account for the full choice shift effect, but that it does explain a significant portion of the variance in individual shifts.
Attributing Responsibility to the Victim of Rape: Influence of Information Regarding Past Sexual Experience
Authors: Cann Arnie , Calhoun Lawrence G. , Selby James W.
Published: August 2005

Information regarding a rape victim's past sexual behaviors was presented to college students in specially constructed newspaper stories describing testimony at the trial. In two conditions the sexual experience information was explicit, indicating an active or an inactive past. In three other conditions no explicit information was presented, but the reason was varied: The victim refused to testify, the judge refused to allow testimony, or no mention was made of sexual experience. The results indicate that the victim who refuses to discuss her sexual experience is perceived as sexually active, and as more responsible for the rape than in other conditions. When the judge prohibits testimony, the victim is held less responsible for the rape than the sexually inactive and no-information victims. The findings are discussed in reference to attribution theory predictions and recent interest in laws regarding rape.
Managerial Achievement: The Personal Side of Behavioral Theory
Authors: Hall Jay , Donnell Susan M.
Published: August 2005

Five separate studies involving over 12,000 managers were conducted to explore the relationship between personal applications of behavioral science principles and managerial achievement. Managers, categorized as High, Average, or Low Achievers according to an objective achievement formula, were asked to respond to several standardized survey instruments based on the theories of Argyris, Blake and Mouton, Herzberg, Marrow, Maslow, and McGregor. Subordinate assessments of their manager's practices were also obtained from companion instruments. Multivariate analyses revealed that High, Average, and Low Achieving managers differed significantlyin terms of both self-reports and subordinate appraisals-in those practices circumscribed by our more prominent applied theorists. Moreover, High Achievers were found to behave in ways essentially consistent with the normative thrust of the models cited while Average and LowAchievers violated critical tenets of those models. Results are discussed in terms of the personal implications of applied behavioral science principles vis-a-vis their more typical organizational focus.
Social Support in Absentia: The Effect of an Absentee Partner on Conformity
Authors: Allen Vernon L. , Wilder David A.
Published: August 2005

An experiment was conducted to test the effectiveness of an absentee social supporter as a way of reducing conformity. Eighty female subjects responded in five-person groups. On the pretext of a mechanical failure in the apparatus, four group members gave answers on 11 trials while the subject observed but did not answer. The same series of 11 trials was then repeated (the apparatus having allegedly been repaired), with the subject answering in one of three conditions: (1) unanimous pressure: during both presentations of the 11 trials all group members gave extremely incorrect or unpopular answers on all critical trials; (2) present social support: during both presentations one person in the group always gave correct or popular answers on critical trials in disagreement with the group; (3) absent social support: during the first presentation one group member always gave correct answers on critical trials, but left the experiment before the second presentation. Results showed that both the physically present supporter and the absentee supporter significantly reduced conformity relative to the unanimous group. The findings have implications for reference group theory. It is suggested that an absentee supporter will reduce conformity only if a person is able cognitively to place the partner in the same role; that is, only if a person believes that the supporter would resist group pressure when facing the same situation.
Power in Organizational Buying
Authors: Gronhaug Kjell
Published: August 2005

This paper focuses on power in the context of organizational buying. After a brief discussion of the two concepts "organizational buying" and "power" along with characterizing previous studies related to this theme, a conceptual model related to the seller-buyer dyad is developed. The impact of major dimensions such as organizational input/output and individual and organizational characteristics on organizational buying behavior is discussed in an intraand interorganizational context.
Personality Dimensions of Aggression: Its Relationship to Time and Place of Action in Ice Hockey
Authors: Kelly Bryan R. , McCarthy John F.
Published: August 2005

An archival study of aggression using a refined definition based upon certain types of norm violations in ice hockey was conducted to explore whether aggressive responses can be generalized over time and place. While differences for an entire team's performance over 7years found trends but no significant differences, more refined analysis reported differences. When subgroups of low versus high aggressive players were compared, significant differences were found. Aggression increased over time and was more evident at home than away. An exception occurred when initial aggression was high and a postulated self-regulatory control decreased subsequent aggression.
The Effect of Significant Other's Job Complexity on Employee Reactions to Work
Authors: Oldham Greg R. , Miller Howard E.
Published: August 2005

This research examines the interaction of individual employee job complexity with the job complexity of significant others in determining employee reactions to work. Procedures and hypotheses are based on principles of equity theory. For each employee, a composite significant other's job complexity index was formed by averaging the job complexity scores of all individuals within the focal employee'sjob classification who were of the same sex as the focal. Results show significant interactions between this "comparison other"job complexity measure and the job complexity of the focal employee. Specifically, results show that employees who work on jobs of greater complexity than their colleagues have lower satisfaction and higher productivity than employees who work on jobs comparable in complexity to those of comparison others. Employees who work on jobs of lesser complexity than their co-workers have slightly lower satisfaction and productivity than employees who work on jobs comparable in complexity to those of comparison others. Implications of these results for the practice of work redesign are discussed.
Group, Task, and Personality Correlates of Boundary-Spanning Activities
Authors: Dailey Robert C.
Published: August 2005

Boundary-spanning activities were studied in 15 organizations engaged in basic and applied research. Included in the study were 281 scientists and engineers. Contrary to prior theory and research, this study found bound-ary-spanning activities to be unrelated to job satisfaction. It was strongly related to perceptions of research and development team collaboration, job motivation, task uncertainty, locus of control, team cohesiveness, and individualproductivity. The research reported here makes a strong case for including group processes and characteristics in future studies involving boundary-spanning activities. The results also give increased impetus to re-search which examines the relationships between boundary-spanning activi-ties and individual productivity.
Examining an Illusion: The Role of Deceptive Behaviors In Organizations
Authors: Schein Virginia E.
Published: August 2005

Viewing organizations as political environments, the paper examines the nature and function of deceptive behaviors in organizations. Key concepts presented are the personal and work-related power acquisition behaviors of individuals and the differential exhibition of these behaviors within highand low-slack organizational systems. Within the framework of deceptive behaviors as a function of the form of power acquisition behaviors and nature of the organization, the underlying basis of deceptive behaviors, the benefits of deception to organizational members, and the benefits of deception to the organization are discussed.
The Acquisition of Political Orientations by College Students: A Theoretical Model
Authors: Rich Harvey E.
Published: August 2005

This paper suggests a multidimensional model by which the acquisition of political attitudes, beliefs, and knowledge may be investigated. Three hypotheses were examined by use of data on college students and a control group of town cohorts. The first hypothesis, that political socialization is not uniform across levels, was confirmed. The second hypothesis, that political affect remains relatively stable throughout the college years while political cognition changes, was also confirmed. Finally, the third hypothesis, that present structural variables have a greater effect on cognition while background variables are more likely to have an impact on affect, was verified for the students and partly verified for the town cohorts. The verification of these hypotheses demonstrates the utility of a complex differentiated model such as the one that has been postulated. One fruitful use of this typology lies in the possibility that researchers could develop linkages between it and a developmental model of political socialization. The agents involved in socialization toward any component of the political domain, at any point in the life cycle, might then be located.
Contingency Theories of Leadership: A Study
Authors: Sahal Sudhir K.
Published: August 2005

In this paper a brief review of the major contingency leadership theories is made. A study testing Fiedler's contingency model of leadership effectiveness is also reported here. It is suggested that longitudinal study of the leadership process encompassing the leader, his subordinates, and the situation needs to be made; the exact nature of the contingency relationship also needs to be examined systematically.
Some Problems in the Analysis of Semantic Differential Data
Authors: Bynner John , Coxhead Peter
Published: August 2005

Applications of the semantic differential technique, involving small numbers of concepts and scales and eliciting descriptions of the concepts rather than metaphoric meanings, present special problems of analysis, especially in accommodating "concept-scale interaction." In considering possible analysis strategies, Maguire's analysis of variance model of SD responses is examined. In this model, an individual's score on a scale for a particular concept can be attributed to various sources, including a concept by scale interaction effect, different from concept-scale interaction as generally understood in SD research. Maguire's model is valuable in identifying response sets in SD data, but fails to solve the problem of concept-scale interaction encountered in the reduction of scales to a set of dimensions common to all concepts by factor analytic methods. Comparison of concepts in terms of these dimensions is often the main aim of SD research. For this purpose, the model requires extension to the formation of the covariances on which the factor analysis is based. A number of methods of forming covariances are considered and exemplified using data from a study of teenagers and drinking. The paper concludes with the discussion of an optimum strategy for analyzing semantic differential data.
Hierarchical Position in the Work Organization and Job Satisfaction: Findings in National Survey Data
Authors: Ebeling Jon , King Michael , Rogers Marshall
Published: August 2005

The relationship between hierarchicalposition in the work organization and job satisfaction was examined in a national probability sample of working adults. A significant curvilinear relation was found, even when the covariates of age, income, and occupational prestige were considered. These results differ from findings in a recent multination study of selected work organizations. Discussion suggests that general population samples may be more appropriate for testing theories about work attitudes than are samples within work organizations.
A Cybernetic Framework for Studying Occupational Stress
Authors: Cummings Thomas G. , Cooper Cary L.
Published: August 2005

This paper provides a theoreticalframework for the study of occupational stress. The theory is based on a cybernetic model, which the authors feel is consistent with much of the empirical work already engaged in by researchers in the field of occupational stress. This model draws attention to certain information and feedback characteristics frequently neglected in research in this area.
Conflict Between Major Life Roles: Women and Men in Dual Career Couples
Authors: Holahan Carole K. , Gilbert Lucia A.
Published: August 2005

An investigation of the newly emerging pattern of career aspirations in women, in which both a demanding profession and family life are assumed, was conducted within a framework of interrole conflict among major life roles and its correlates. Subjects were 28 dual career couples who responded to an anonymous questionnaire. Of specific interest were the areas and degree of interrole conflict, in addition to their relationship to gender, parent hood, level of career aspirations, spouse's emotional support of career pursuit, and attitudes toward the roles of women. Surprisingly, the prediction of gender differences in regard to areas and correlates of interrole conflict were not supported. The one exception was level of career aspiration, where high aspirations were negatively related to role conflict for men but positively related to role conflict for women. Strikingly different patterns of conflict, however, were found as a function of the presence or absence of children.
Interaction Effects of Power Equalization and Subordinate Personality on Job Satisfaction and Performance
Authors: Abdel-Halim Ahmed A.
Published: August 2005

This study examines the interaction effects of employees' perceptions of actual and desired power equalization (PE), in terms of the power differential between their own level and their superiors' and of the egalitarian nature of their personality on their job satisfaction and performance. Data were collected from a sample of 222 managerial and nonmanagerial personnel in a large retail drug company in the Midwest. Results show that the more egalitarian the subordinate, the stronger the relationship between their perceptions of PE and satisfaction with work or supervisor. Significant relationships are also obtained between desired PE and job satisfaction. There are no significant relationships, however, between PE and job performance. Implications of these findings concerning the use of power with-in organizations are discussed.
Information Use: A Professional Strategy
Authors: Clark Alfred W.
Published: August 2005

A sample of 100 psychologists and 30 sociologists completed a questionnaire about the pressure on them to use information, the strategies they use in response to this pressure, and their role effectiveness. It was found that (1) high pressure to use the literature was associated with high use of information. Service types were found not only to be exposed to less pressure but also to be lower users of information than nonservice types; (2) high users of information evaluated the literature more positively, were more open to it, and made a greater effort to keep up with it than lower users. Service types adopted a strategy of being less open to new information and of making less effort to keep up with it than nonservice types; (3) high information use was not associated with effective job performance. High information use, however, was seen as being associated with potential contribution to afield. Service types assessed their potential contribution less highly than did nonservice types.
Exchange Rules and Goal Structures
Authors: Meeker Barbara Foley
Published: August 2005

This paper presents an experiment derived from social exchange theory, designed to explore the question of howpeople deal with multiple and possibly conflicting sources of information about rewards and costs. Twenty female and 20 male dyads participated in a binary choice two-person game that was cooperative in nature but required coordination. Independent variables were: goal structure (established by two different payoff matrices); exchange rules (established by six different "bonus rules "); order of presentation of exchange rules; sex; and subject position (subjects were randomly assigned to "table 1" or "table 2"). Dependent variables were the choices made by the subjects in the game and their responses on questionnaires that tested their attitudes and intentions. The general theoretical assumption was that the less certain (that is, more ambiguous, difficult to coordinate, or contradictory to social expectations) a source of information is, the less it will affect behavior. Several hypotheses drawn from this assumption were supported. However, the pattern of variables that affected behavior was found to be different from the pattern of variables that affected attitudes and intentions. Also, the variables had different effects on each of the two subject positions and the two sexes.
Compatibility and Task Group Performance
Authors: Hawley Karen E. , Heinen J. Stephen
Published: August 2005

The study examines whether Schutz's aggregate index for measuring compatibility is useful for the formation of work teams, and whether compatibility is more relevant to socioemotional aspects of a group rather than task achievement aspects. Nine subcompatibilities for each subject were determined using the FIRO-B survey. Subcompatibilities were subsequently correlated to dependent measures of team member effectiveness, competence, and friendliness. Results indicate that Schutz's aggregate compatibility index conceals the different degree and kind of relationship between subcompatibilities and the dependent variables. Additionally, relationships between subcompatibilities and socio-emotional dependent measures were more often significant than relationships with task achievement measures but the effect was not pronounced. Consequently there appears to be little utility in seriously examining compatibility when forming a work group. Further theorizing is done concerning the underlying static nature of Schutz's theory and an alternative dynamic model is proposed.
Sophomores, Rats, and Referees: How Social Psychologists View Their World
Authors: Mitroff Ian I. , Bonoma Thomas V.
Published: August 2005

A random sample of 123 social psychologists at all levels of professional distinction completed a mail questionnaire assessing their cognitive and affective judgments of 10 "role concepts" encountered as part of their professional environment. Clinical, educational, experimental, and social psychologists were all rated on the 17 scales, as were the rat, the college sophomore, the research subject, the graduate research assistant, the APA journal referee, and the externalfunding agency. The results showed strong differences between social psychologists' responses to each role concept. Factor and discriminant analyses were applied to the data in order to provide a preliminary cognitive and affective map of the social psychologist's "implicit psychology" concerning his colleagues, objects of study, and interactive mechanisms (e.g., journal referees) encountered in the study of social science. The results were compared and contrasted to a previous study of physical scientists working on the Apollo moon missions.
Scientific Autonomy East and West: A Comparison of the Perceptions of Soviet and United States Scientists
Authors: Toren Nina
Published: August 2005

This study examines the effects of nationality on scientific autonomy. It compares Soviet and United States natural scientists who have recently immigrated to Israel, with respect to the autonomy that they had in their countries of origin, that they have at present, and that they aspire to have in the future. Autonomy is examined in four areas of the scientific role: project selection, methods selection, budget allocation, and selection of coworkers. The main findings are the following: (1) Both Soviet and United States scientists have high aspirations for freedom in their scientific role, although the latter want more autonomy in most role areas than the former; (2) the Russian scientists report that they have had considerably less scientific freedom in the past, and have somewhat less at present, than the United States scientists; (3) the discrepancy between the present and the desired levels of autonomy is larger concerning the Soviet scientists, but the United States scientists have lost more autonomy due to migration, since they enjoyed more scientific freedom in the past; (4) notwithstanding the differences between the Soviet and United States scientists, they would both like to have greatest independence in research methods selection.
Mapping Personal Value Space: A Study of Managers in Four Organizations
Authors: Clare Donald A. , Sanford Donald G.
Published: August 2005

The concept of personal values is a much referenced but little documented one in the organization behavior literature. In this study, a modified version of the Rokeach Value Survey is used to generate data on the personal values of 132 managers from four different organizations. Comparisons are made by level and by organization, and the value space of each organization is partially mapped, by combining the value data of the managers themselves with the values attributed by them to relevant and nonrelevant others. The results indicate the existence of by-level, by-organization differences hither-to undetected by other, more general measures of personal values. Suggestions for expanded research and diagnostic use of the Value Survey are made.
An Empirical Test of the Configurational Theory of Organizations
Authors: Smith Howard L. , Shortell Stephen M. , Saxberg Borje O.
Published: August 2005

The configurational theory of organizations was used to analyze the relationships among organization environment, structure, and performance in proprietary nursing homes. This theory extends previous contingency theory research and conceptualization by including performance as the main focus behind organization design activities. Thirty proprietary nursing homes in the state of Washington responded to comprehensive interviews and survey questionnaires designed to measure variables specified in the configurational theory. The results of this study suggest partial support for the configurational theory; most notably in explaining differences in efficiency among nursing homes operating in low intensity environments.
Examination of a Measure of Higher-Order Need Strength
Authors: Aldag Ramon J. , Brief Arthur P.
Published: August 2005

Characteristics and correlates of higher-order need strength measure B of the Job Diagnostic Survey are examined. In particular, the following issues related to the measure are considered: (a) internal consistency reliability; (b) convergent and discriminant validity; (c) relationships to perceptions of task dimensions and a variety of affective responses; (d) correlations to indices of urbanization of area of socialization and adherence to Protestant Work Ethic ideals; and (e) demographic correlates. Data are considered for 516 employees in five dissimilar samples. Numerous significant relationships are isolated. Suggestions for future research are presented.
From Alienation to Admiration: Developmental Stages of Group Leaders in Encounters with Culturally Deprived Mothers
Authors: Sharni Shoshana
Published: August 2005

This study presents the problems, dynamics and developmental stages that group leaders face while working with culturally deprived mothers. The data was derivedfrom process recorded sessions of two groups of leaders (N = 30) who met regularly in order to work out the problems they encountered in their work. Clinical analysis of the data pointed to three simultaneous processes that took place: (1) characteristic of groups participants; (2) characteristic of group leaders' working with diverse populations; (3) a developmentalprocess specific to leaders activating groups of culturally deprived mothers. Each process was discussed and conclusions were drawn.
From Thin Air to Firm Ground: Empirical Guidelines for a General Processual Model of Institution Building
Authors: Ganesh S. R.
Published: August 2005

This paper reports one set of contributions from an exploratory study of management education institutions in India to ground the Institution Building (IB) theory. It develops empirically a general processual model of institution building using five concepts: context; capability development, innovative thrust, and penetration (performance); and process mechanisms. The paper outlines the various process mechanisms affecting institutional development. Implications for planned change at macrosystem (social change) and microsystem (organizational change) levels are highlighted.
Some Sociobehavioral and Other Determinants of Compliance: A Voluntary Health Service Campaign
Authors: Barth Richard T. , Vertinsky Patricia , Yang Chung-fang
Published: August 2005

Various aspects of compliance behavior were investigated in connection with a genetic screening clinic designed to rest for the Tay-Sachs gene in a specified target population. Selected antecedents of compliance were combined into an integrativeframework based on data obtainedfrom 392 members of the Jewish community in Vancouver, Canada. Drawing on and extending several "health belief models" proposed in the literature, it was hypothesized that compliance would be a function of several endogenous (social responsibility, susceptibility, family planning, family discussion, and objective knowledge of the disease) and exogenous (age, education, sex, and exposure to a carrier) variables. A path-analytic investigation of the hypothesized linkages suggested that a more parsimonious model of compliance determinants may be adequate.
Effects of Goal Specificity and Performance Feedback to Work Groups on Peer Leadership, Performance, and Attitudes
Authors: Koch James L.
Published: August 2005

This study reports findings from a field experiment in which specific goals and performance feedback were provided to nominal "teams" of female sewing machine operators. Specific goals and feedback from management were associated with significant improvements in group cohesion and goal commitment in addition to improvements in product quality. However, overallsatisfaction and intrinsic job satisfaction decreased. These findings, together with decreases in turnover, are examined within a longitudinal comparison group design. Results are discussed with reference to theoretical and practical issues in field research and work systems redesign.
A Causal Analysis of Attitudes Toward Leadership Training in a Classroom Setting
Authors: Hunter John E. , Hunter Ronda F. , Lopis John E.
Published: August 2005

This paper presents a longitudinally replicated and cross-validated path analysis of the relations between students' attitudes in a leadership training program. Attitude toward thefacilitator as a person affects attitude toward the facilitator as a teacher and as a role model, and affects the student's sense of belonging in the group. Acceptance of others affects sense of belonging and feelings of self-acceptance. Attitude toward the class is affected by attitudes toward the facilitator as a role model and by sense of belonging. Willingness to speak out in class is affected by sense of belonging and by feelings of self-acceptance. The use of skills outside of class depends on attitude toward the course. Feelings of mastery depend on the willingness to speak out in the group and on the use of the skills outside of the class.
Individual and Occupational Determinants of Life Satisfaction and Alienation
Authors: Vredenburgh Donald J. , Sheridan John E.
Published: August 2005

Using National Opinion Research Center data from 1973 and 1974 samples representative of the full-time employed United States population, this study investigates the relative importance and patterns of interaction among individual, job, and community predictors of life satisfaction and alienation attitudes. Automatic Interaction Detector (AID) analyses indicate the importance of job satisfaction and marital status to life satisfaction and the prominence of education and need for accomplishment in explaining alienation. An eclectic view of life satisfaction is suggested, and the desirability of adding need for accomplishment as a moderating variable to the traditional socialization/stratification model of alienation is discussed.
Unconscious Planning in Small Groups
Authors: Gustafson James P. , Cooper Lowell
Published: August 2005

The authors offer a new hypothesis to solve the general theoretical and practical problem of how collaborative groups evolve: Namely, that these small groups engage in unconscious planning to solve their own problems, and that consultants work best by augmenting this group planning. This hypothesis borrows the concept of individual unconscious planning propounded by Weiss (unpublished) and furthered by Weiss et al. (1977) and Sampson (1976) from the context of individual psychoanalysis and explains group development as the coordinating of individual planning, i.e., as group planning. This involves making prominent in early meetings what general problem the group wishes to control and master, as well as a logical sequence of the order in which difficulties need to be confronted. After introducing the problem, the authors consider four major aspects of the group planning theory: First, the presentation of the theory itself, compared to previous theories of group development; second, exemplification of the theory by detailed narratives of two study groups in an experimental group relations conference conducted by the authors; third, the considerable scientific problems in this and further tests of the group planning theory; fourth, this theory as a special case of the general theory of biological evolution, and in particular the theory of more effective cultural evolution through the use of scientific method (Popper, 1972).
A Concept of Active Adaptation
Authors: Sachs Wladimir M. , Meditz Marybeth L.
Published: August 2005

It is suggested, based on a review of the literature, that the concept of "adaptation" should be extended so as to include adaptation by seizing opportunities (active adaptation). This is done formally, and a taxonomy of adaptive behavior is constructed. This taxonomy is related to Ackoff's typology of planning postures. The usefulness of the taxonomy is illustrated by a discussion of types of information-retrieval systems.
Supporting Reflective Learning: Towards a Reflexive Theory of Form
Authors: Boxer Philip J.
Published: August 2005

The paper develops a framework which extends Kelly 's theory of personal constructs so that it can incorporate concepts of consciousness and of structure. It shows both how this extension makes it possible to explore the dynamics of structures as they are apparent in managers' use of language and how the extension can be operationalized so that a manager cannot only think about the theory, but also think through it. It concludes that this operational form of the theory enables the manager to have a new kind of learning experience: reflective learning.
The Emergence of Organization Sets in Three Ecumenical Disaster Recovery Organizations: An Empirical and Theoretical Exploration
Authors: Ross G. Alexander
Published: August 2005

The paper focuses on the emergence of the organization sets of three ecumenical disaster recovery organizations. After outlining a model of the emergence of organization sets, it is demonstrated that the three phases in the model-crystallization, recognition, and institutionalization-are associated with specific changes in the characteristics of all three organization sets studied. The changes exhibited concern the size of the organization set, the hierarchical level of boundary personnel, the standardization of interorganizational contacts, and the specialization of boundary positions. The consistency of the model with the open systems perspective on organizations is discussed.
Status Concordance, Coordination, and Success in Interdisciplinary Research Terms
Authors: Gillespie David F. , Birmbaum Philip H.
Published: August 2005

The dynamics of status concordance theory are explored in a heterogeneous sample of 67 ongoing interdisciplinary research teams in universities. This theory implies positive relationships between concordance and coordination, coordination and success, and a positive but spurious correlation between concordance and success. Our findings show coordination posi-tively related to success at all stages of team development; concordance positively related to coordination only during early phases of team develop-ment; concordance positively related to success for young teams, unrelated for middle-aged teams, and negatively related for older teams. These patterns remain with coordination statistically controlled. We conclude that status concordance can depress as well as elevate a team's overall success, and that external status criteria play a decreasingly important role in the co-ordination of interdisciplinary teams.
Organizational Politics: An Exploration of Managers' Perceptions
Authors: Madison Dan L. , Allen Robert W. , Porter Lyman W. , Renwick Patricia A. , Mayes Bronston T.
Published: August 2005

Managers' perceptions of political activity associated with different situations, functional areas, and hierarchical levels were studied in 30 organizations. Politics was perceived to be related to power, uncertainty, and importance of the issue to the organization and to the individual. Perceived negative andpositive instrumentalities of politics werefoundfor individuals and organizations.
Spillover Versus Compensation: A Review of the Literature on the Relationship Between Work and Nonwork
Authors: Staines Graham L.
Published: August 2005

This paper reviews the evidence concerning the relationship between workers' experiences on and off the job. Of particular interest is the debate over two rival hypotheses: the "spillover" hypothesis and the "compensation" hypothesis. The former argues that workers' experiences on the job carry over into the nonwork arena, and possibly vice versa, such that there develops a similarity in the patterning of work and nonwork life. The latter marshals several arguments for a negative association between work and nonwork, for example, the contention that the work situation is likely to be deficient in needfulfillment, at least in some respects, for most workers and that they will compensate for these deficiencies in their choices of leisure and family activities. Data from relevant studies support the notions of spillover and compensation under different conditions but, overall, offer more evidence of spillover than compensation. Support for spillover, for example, is reflected in the positive correlations between general types of activities engaged in at work and corresponding types of activities in nonwork. Support is also shown in the positive correlations between subjective reactions to work and to leisure and family life. The most important exceptions to this pattern of spillover concern physical effort on the job. Workers who expend a relatively great amount of physical effort at work are less involved in nonwork activities and less likely to be physically active away from their jobs.