bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Coordinating work in complex organizations
Authors: Victor Bart
Published: July 2007

Differentiation, interdependence, and interest conflict between work units were investigated as determinants of managerial selection between coordination strategies. One hundred and four MBA students with managerial experience participated in a simulation in which they were required to select a strategy to manage systematically different relations between work units. Findings reveal a three‐way interaction between differentiation, interdependence, and interest conflict affecting the degree of cooperation and centralization of selected strategies. The formalization of such strategies was affected by an interaction between differentiation and interest conflict. Implications for theory and practice are described.
A Process investigation of realistic job previews: Mediating variables and channels of communication
Authors: Saks Alan M. , Cronshaw Steven F.
Published: July 2007

A laboratory experiment was conducted to investigate the role of three possible mediating variables (job attitude, job knowledge, and job acceptance intention) to explain the effects of realistic job previews (RJPs) on entry‐level outcomes. In addition, the effectiveness of an oral realistic job preview presented by an employment interviewer was compared to a written RJP. Sixty undergraduate student volunteers were randomly assigned to one of three conditions: (1) an oral RJP presented to job applicants by the employment interviewer during an employment interview; (2) a written RJP given to job applicants to read before an employment interview; and (3) a control condition in which job applicants received general job information from the interviewer during an employment interview. Results indicated that knowledge was an important mediator of RJP effects on several entry‐level outcomes whereas attitude and job acceptance intention did not mediate RJP effects although both were strongly related to job acceptance decisions. In addition, the oral RJP was more effective than both the written RJP and general job information in creating positive preceptions of interviewer and organization honesty. Both the oral and the written RJP lowered subjects' job expectations and increased role clarity in comparison to the control group but did not affect job acceptance or commitment to job choice. The implications for future RJP research and application are discussed.
Job insecurity in managers: Antecedents and consequences
Authors: Roskies Ethel , Louis‐Guerin Christiane
Published: July 2007

To date, popular accounts and systematic studies of the effects of job insecurity have focused exclusively on firms in acute crisis. In contrast, this study examines perceptions of the reactions to insecurity as a chronic, ambiguous threat. None of the 1291 managers surveyed was currently facing layoff, but half worked for firms that had laid off managers in the previous five years and half worked in a stable, expanding firm. As in previous studies, concern about any aspect of job insecurity was associated with decreased personal well‐being and deterioration of work behavior and attitudes. However, only a small minority of managers were seriously worried about imminent job loss, with substantially more anxious about a deterioration in working conditions and long‐term security.
Invisible men and women: A status report on race as a variable in organization behavior research
Authors: Cox Taylor , Nkomo Stella M.
Published: July 2007

Twenty‐five years after passage of the Civil Rights Act, the full integration of racial minorities in the Unites States workforce has still not been achieved. Recent demographic trends indicating that the workforce will be increasingly composed of racial minorities make this a critical issue for academics and practitioners alike. This paper reports on a review of journal research addressing issues of race in organizations. Articles published in twenty major outlets for organization behavior research between 1964 and 1989 were reviewed. Data on the quantity, types and topics of published work are presented. Results indicate that the amount of total published research is small relative to the importance of the topic, that the recent trend is for less rather than more research, that the designs and research questions have been very narrow, and that the topics covered are not representative of the domain of organization behavior. Based upon the findings, some suggestions for future research are offered.
The bicultural life experience of career‐oriented black women
Authors: Bell Ella Louise
Published: July 2007

This study explores the bicultural life experience of black career‐oriented women. Seventy‐one women participated in a larger study on the life experiences of black women. Of this sample, 21 (29 per cent) of the women were identified as being career‐oriented. Findings reveal that the women perceive themselves as living in two distinct cultural contexts, one black the other one white. The women compartmentalize the various components of their lives in order to manage the bicultural dimensions. In addition, they tend to have highly complex life structures to embrace both cultural contexts.
The impact of race on managers' experiences of developmental relationships (mentoring and sponsorship): An intra‐organizational study
Authors: Thomas David A.
Published: July 2007

This study examines the influence of race on protégés' experiences of forming developmental relationships. Data were collected from 88 black and 107 white managers, who, collectively, accounted for 487 developmental relationships. The results indicate that white protégés have almost no developmental relationships with persons of another race. Black protégés, however, form 63 per cent of their developmental relationships with whites. Blacks are more likely than whites to form relationships outside the formal lines of authority and outside their departments. Furthermore, same‐race relationships were found to provide significantly more psychosocial support than cross‐race relationships.
Work‐load, perceived control and psychological distress in Type A/B industrial workers
Authors: Kushnir T. , Melamed S.
Published: July 2007

The effects of work‐load (WL) and perceived control (PC) on the psychological well‐being of Type A and Type B industrial workers were studied using Karasek's Job Demands‐Control model (1979). Subjects were 3562 male workers from 21 factories in Israel.

Compared to Type B, Type As showed higher stress symptoms (irritability, somatic complaints, anxiety) but also higher job satisfaction. Contrary to our hypotheses, Type As were not more stressed under conditions of low load or low PC. These findings run counter to intuitive deductions based on the ambitious, hard‐driving characteristics and control needs attributed to Type As. However there is some indication that a combination of low load and low PC (passive jobs) can be stressful for Type As, as indicated by high irritability scores. In addition, Type As were adversely affected by high load while Type Bs were not. Moreover, Type Bs reported high job satisfaction. Tests of Karasek's model revealed significant main effect for WL and PC on all dependent variables, but no interaction effects. Finally, incorporating Type A/B into the model indicated that the hypothesized high strain jobs combining high load and low PC proved to be stressful for Type As only.
The stability of comparative referent choice and feelings of inequity: A longitudinal field study
Authors: Stepina Lee P. , Perrewe Pamela L.
Published: July 2007

This study examined the stability of comparative referent choice and feelings of inequity, and the effects of changes in feelings of inequity on employee reactions. At two points in time, 24 months apart, employees' choices of comparative referents and feelings of inequity with regard to four job facets (compensation, security, job complexity, and supervisory behavior) were assessed. Results indicated that many employees used the same comparative referents at both times, especially for the compensation facet. For three of the facets (security, job complexity, and supervisory behavior), employees tended to either change from a disadvantaged status at T1 to an advantaged or equitable status at T2 or to maintain at T2 the advantaged/equitable status they experienced at T1. However, for the compensation facet a different picture emerged: employees who felt disadvantaged at T1 also felt disadvantaged at T2. Finally, employees who changed to or maintained an equitable or an advantaged status with regard to the job complexity and supervisory behavior facets generally reacted more positively (i.e. were more satisfied and productive and attended more frequently) than employees who changed to or maintained a disadvantaged status. Implications of these results for future research on equity theory were discussed.
Laboratory research in management: Misconceptions and missed opportunities
Authors: Griffin Ricky , Michele Kacmar K.
Published: July 2007

Laboratory research has long been a common method of inquiry in the behavioral sciences. In recent years, however, laboratory methodologies appear to have fallen from favor with many management researchers. This paper summarizes reasons for this trend including limited external validity and appropriateness of using laboratory methodologies. Additionally, a number of situations in which laboratory research may hold considerable promise and utility are identified such as using multiple samples or multiple studies in one paper, or when sensitive topics are the focus of research. The paper concludes with the reminder that the questions asked should dictate the methodology selected, not the preferences of a reviewer or editor.
The influence of subordinate age on managerial actions: An attributional analysis
Authors: Dedrick Esther J. , Dobbins Gregory H.
Published: July 2007

The present research examined the effects of employee age on managers attributions and actions toward subordinates. The major prediction was that managers attributions would mediate the effects of age on managerial actions. One‐hundred and twenty‐four undergraduate management students participated in a laboratory experiment in which subordinate age (30 versus 60 years) and performance (high versus low) were manipulated. A laboratory study was conducted so that subordinate credentials and performance levels could be controlled. Analyses indicated that poor performance by older subordinates was attributed more to stable factors than similar performance by younger subordinates. In addition, job simplification was rated as more appropriate and training was recommended as less appropriate for older subordinates. A series of hierarchical regression analyses indicated that the differences in managerial actions were a function of subjects' attributional patterns. Implications of the findings for practice and future research are discussed.
Routinization of job context and job content as related to employees' quality of working life: A study of Canadian nurses
Authors: Baba Vishwanath V. , Jamal Muhammad
Published: July 2007

The literature on routinization of work is both ambiguous and equivocal when its impact on quality of working life is considered. The classical management literature suggests that routinization of work has a positive influence on individual performance and by implication on the quality of working life resulting from the overall prosperity generated. However, more recent literature on job characteristics and job design argues that routinization of work has a negative impact on individual performance as it suppresses creative expression on the job. This paper suggests that these mixed findings are due to an inadequate theoretical grasp of the concept of routinization and presents empirical evidence which attempts to clarify the ambiguity. Data were collected from 1148 nurses working in anglophone hospitals in the greater Montreal area in the form of a field survey questionnaire. The results indicated that nurses who worked routine shifts perceived higher levels of quality of working life compared to those on non‐routine shifts. The results also indicated that nurses who experienced high routinization in job content perceived lower levels of quality of working life compared to those nurses who experienced low routinization in job content. Implications of these findings for future research are discussed.
Stress and mental strain in hospital work: Exploring the relationship beyond personality
Authors: Arsenault André , Dolan Shimon L. , Van Ameringen Marie Reine
Published: July 2007

This study focuses on the relationship between job stressors and mental strain in hospital work, adjusting for differences in personality traits. Questionnaires were obtained from 760 full‐time employees. Fourteen scales of job stressors were clustered into four factors: professional latitude, clinical demands, workload problems and role difficulties. A mental strain index was derived from the addition of three sub‐scales: depression, anxiety and irritation. Two personality traits were measured: Locus of Control (Rotter) and Striver‐Achiever (Sales). The four job demand factors were dichotomized into high‐low grouping variables. A 24 factorial analysis of covariance was conducted, using the two personality traits as covariates, in order to test and adjust for trait‐related strain.

Results show that Locus of Control adjusted differences in mental strain appear significantly related to work stressors. A direct relationship was found with role difficulties, professional latitude and workload problems. Moreover, high levels of role difficulties and low levels of professional latitude interact significantly with adjusted levels of mental strain. The Striver‐Achiever trait, however, appears most strongly correlated with workload problems but not with mental strain. We believe that this exploratory analysis suggests that the stressor‐strain relationship might be best conceived as a combination of direct and complex pathways, relating facets of both job demands and of personality with outcomes, under a cognitive and conditional paradigm.
Work stress among long‐distance coach drivers: A survey and correlational study
Authors: Raggatt Peter T. F.
Published: July 2007

This paper presents findings from an Australian survey of work conditions, coping behaviors and stress among 93 long‐distance coach drivers. A tripartite model of coach driver stress is presented. The model proposes that the impacts of job demands (e.g. driving hours) on work‐related stress outcomes (e.g. doctor visits) are mediated by a set of maladaptive coping behaviors and responses (e.g. stimulant use, speeding). Correlational analyses of the survey data provided general support for the model. Results suggested that long driving hours provide the single best predictor of maladaptive behaviors such as stimulant use and sleep disturbance among the drivers. The maladaptive behaviors, in turn, consistently predicted stress outcomes such as doctor visits and symptom reports. Direct correlations between job demands and stress outcomes were also consistent with the model, but the correlations were of a lower magnitude. The data suggests that stimulant use and sleep disturbance may be important mediators in the link between job demands and stress outcomes for long‐distance coach drivers. Path modelling with larger samples is recommended for future research along the present lines. Implications for work practices within the long‐distance transport industry are briefly considered.
The effects of job demands and control on employee attendance and satisfaction
Authors: Dwyer Deborah J. , Ganster Daniel C.
Published: July 2007

We examined the impact of stressful job demands on employee attitudes and attendance. Using Karasek's (1979) theory of job decision latitude as the conceptual foundation, we hypothesized that mental and physical work demands would interact with employee beliefs of personal control. Survey data from 90 male manufacturing employees regarding their control beliefs were combined with objective job analysis data concerning mental and physical demands and one year's worth of archival data regarding unexcused absences, sick days, and days tardy. There were significant interactions between control and objective psychological demands that indicated that these demands were associated with higher levels of tardiness and sick days only under conditions of low perceived control. In contrast, subjective workload ratings showed no relationship with tardiness and sick days, but, in interaction with control, predicted work satisfaction and voluntary absence. We discussed these results in terms of a stress process that affects health‐related attendance independent of employee attitudes.
Construing of self and others at work in the early years of corporate careers
Authors: Arnold John , Nicholson Nigel
Published: July 2007

Research has examined personal change and stability in early adulthood but generally with standardized scales and without inviting explicit comparison of self with other people. The present work uses the repertory grid method to examine how graduates construe themselves and others during early career. Ninety‐four graduate entrants to a multinational corporation with zero to four years' tenure completed repertory grids on two occasions one year apart. Results shed much light on the graduates' concepts of self relative to others in their work setting, and how these change over time. The graduates generally had fairly positive self concepts, though these did not become more positive with tenure. Most saw themselves much as they thought others saw them. Change in concepts of self varied greatly between graduates, as did the constructs on which those concepts were described. The results cast further doubt on whether organizational socialization affects people in uniform ways.
The role of facet importance as a moderator in job satisfaction processes
Authors: McFarlin Dean B. , Rice Robert W.
Published: July 2007

Two studies were designed to test hypotheses derived from Locke's (1969, 1976, 1984) model of job satisfaction. Consistent with the model, both studies found that perceived have‐want discrepancy scores were powerful predictors of facet job satisfaction. In addition, facet importance tended to moderate this relationship in the manner predicted by Locke. Workers who viewed a job facet as having high importance were more satisfied with a small perceived have‐want discrepancy and more dissatisfied with a large discrepancy than workers who viewed the facet as having low importance. Finally, as expected, facet importance failed to moderate the relationship between facet satisfaction and overall job satisfaction. This finding supports Locke's proposition that facet satisfaction scores are ‘implicitly weighted’ by facet importance. Implications and directions for future research are discussed.
Computer attitudes and learning performance: Issues for management education and training
Authors: Gattiker Urs E. , Hlavka Angela
Published: July 2007

This study examines how attitudes held before attending a computer course differ on the basis of gender, intention to purchase a computer, and computer ownership. Results indicate that gender and ownership are responsible for attitudinal differences, while intent to purchase is not. Further analyses reveal that attitudes differ between learning performance groups. More than all other groups, students who withdrew from the course during the semester and students with the highest performance level in the course perceive computers as increasing job complexity. Ownership eliminated nearly all gender differences in computer attitudes. The implications of these results for managers and future research are discussed.
Generalizing the importance of occupational and career views to job satisfaction attitudes
Authors: Scarpello Vida , Vandenberg Robert J.
Published: July 2007

There is a preponderance of theory postulating that the level of job satisfaction is a direct function of the perceived discrepancy between what the employee desires from a job and what the employee actually receives from it. To date, the only job satisfaction research program that has systematically examined the relationship between job satisfaction and the degree to which perceptions of job rewards match the expressed desires of the individual is that conducted by the Minnesota Work Adjustment Project (MWAP). Although the MWAP has had success in predicting job satisfaction some of the time, it also encounters many unpredictable cases. Based on research with industrial R&D personnel, Scarpello and Campbell (1983a) suggested that one reason for the unpredictable cases is that people's views of their occupations and careers help explain their reactions to current job situations. This paper discusses the limitations of the MWAP for job satisfaction research and reports the results of a study with 806 manufacturing plant employees, that assessed the external validity and thus, generalizability of Scarpello and Campbell's (1983a) findings. Results supported the external validity and generalizability of the previous findings. Implications for future job satisfaction research are discussed.
The relations of personality and cognitive styles on job and class performance
Authors: Lee Cynthia
Published: July 2007

This research examines the relations of the cognitive factors of beliefs and fears proposed by Price (1982) with the revised Jenkins Activity Survey (JAS) factors of achievement striving and impatience‐irritability as well as the outcome measures of job and class performance. Results provide support for Spence, Helmreich, and Pred (1987), and Spence, Pred, and Helmreich's (1989) findings of the positive association between achievement striving and class performance but provide limited support for Price's (1982) model.
Sociometric and ability‐based assignment to work groups: Some implications for personnel selection
Authors: Colarelli Stephen M. , Boos Amy L.
Published: July 2007

We conducted a longitudinal field experiment to examine whether sociometric and ability‐based assignment methods have different effects on multiple outcomes. We assigned subjects (N = 258) to sociometric or ability‐based conditions, and assembled them into three‐person workgroups. Subjects in the sociometric condition chose their own workgroup members; we assigned subjects in the ability‐based condition to groups on the basis of ability. The results show that sociometric workgroups report higher levels of communication, coordination, peer ratings, group cohesion, and job satisfaction than workgroups in the ability‐based condition. In addition, the results indicate that organizational forces tended to equalize the influence of ability on performance.
Work technology and the needs for achievement and nurturance among nurses
Authors: Medcof John W. , Wegener John G.
Published: July 2007

Critical care nursing units have less routine work technology and provide greater opportunities for nurses to satisfy the need for achievement than do chronic and rehabilitative units. There is no difference between the types of units in opportunities to satisfy the need for nurturance. On units which have non‐routine work technology, nurses with a high need for achievement have greater work satisfaction than nurses with a low need for achievement. On routine work technology units there is no correlation between need for achievement and work satisfaction.
Unraveling the mysteries of gender differences in intentions to leave the organization
Authors: Miller Jane Giacobbe , Wheeler Kenneth G.
Published: July 2007

The anticipated labor shortages of the 1990's will intensify organizational needs to retain their existing employees. Women represent an increasingly important segment of the labor force and their turnover rates are thought to exceed men's. Earlier studies of turnover and its psychological antecedent, the behavioral intention to leave, suggest that work‐related factors may contribute to women's relatively higher turnover rates. The current paper reports the results of a study of the intentions of male and female executives, managers and professionals to leave their organizations. The results support the pattern of findings in earlier studies that gender differences disappear when job satisfaction is controlled in the analysis. Further analysis highlights the importance of two components of job satisfaction — meaningful work and opportunities for promotion. The authors conclude that organizations might improve their retention rates of female managers through job enrichment and by enhancing their advancement opportunities.
Coping with job stress: A conceptual evaluation framework for coping measures
Authors: Latack Janina C. , Havlovic Stephen J.
Published: July 2007

Intense interest in stress had led to a proliferation of coping measures. To aid researchers in choosing or developing coping measures applicable to job stress, this paper provides a conceptual evaluation framework. The framework serves to evaluate the extent to which coping measures are comprehensive (focus and method of coping) and specific (coping behaviors versus coping effectiveness, coping style, or coping resources; and stress management applications). Both theoretical and organizational stress management perspectives are incorporated.
Workload and psychological strain: A test of the French, Rodgers, and Cobb hypothesis
Authors: Kaldenberg Dennis O. , Becker Boris W.
Published: July 2007

This study of a random sample of self‐employed and non‐self‐employed dentists tests the French, Rodgers, and Cobb (1974) hypothesis, which predicts a curvilinear relationship between psychological strain and person‐environment fit. Self‐employed dentists had lower strain scores (based on measures of job satisfaction and self‐esteem) and greater congruency in P‐E fit (based on comparisons of preferred and typical hours in practice) than dentists who were not self‐employed. The relationship between strain and P‐E fit among self‐employed dentists was curvilinear. Both self‐esteem and job satisfaction were higher for dentists with a congruent fit between typical and preferred workload and lower for dentists with incongruent fit.
Predictors of willingness to relocate for managerial and professional employees
Authors: Landau Jacqueline C. , Shamir Boas , Arthur Michael B.
Published: July 2007

This study explored possible determinants, both inside and outside the job sphere, of willingness to relocate. Data were collected from a large sample of managerial and professional employees in one organization. Unlike previous research, this study investigated willingness to relocate for three different purposes: (1) for a better job or career development; (2) to help the organization; or (3) to remain employed. However, only two factors of willingness to relocate emerged: willingness to relocate for career enhancement or company needs, and willingness to relocate to remain employed. Results showed that the strongest predictors of willingness to relocate to remain employed were job sphere variables such as satisfaction with career development opportunities and propensity to remain, while family and community variables were much more important in predicting willingness to relocate for career enhancement or company needs. The implications of these results for both the organization and individuals are discussed.
Thought self‐leadership: The influence of self‐talk and mental imagery on performance
Authors: Neck Chris P. , Manz Charles C.
Published: July 2007

Self‐leadership theory can be described as the ‘process of influencing oneself ’as opposed to the influence of leaders over followers (Manz, 1983, 1986). We focus on and develop a model for a particular aspect of self‐leadership — thought self‐leadership — emphasizing two primary elements, self‐talk and mental imagery. The major thrust of this model is that employees can influence or lead themselves by utilizing specific cognitive strategies that focus on individual self‐dialogue and mental imagery. It is proposed that constructive thought management through the effective application of cognitive strategies can lead to enhanced individual and organizational performance.
A further examination of managerial burnout: Toward an integrated model
Authors: Lee Raymond T. , Ashforth Blake E.
Published: July 2007

A model of managerial burnout was examined among 148 human service supervisors and managers. The findings suggest that emotional exhaustion plays a central mediating role in the burnout process. Social support and direct control were associated with exhaustion through role stress. Job and life satisfaction, and time spent with clients and subordinates were also related to exhaustion. In turn, exhaustion was related to depersonalization, professional commitment, and turnover intentions. An expected reciprocal relation between exhaustion and helplessness was not found, as the former had only a weak impact on the latter. Implications for stress coping are discussed.
Status inconsistency in organizations: From social hierarchy to stress
Authors: Bacharach Samuel B. , Bamberger Peter , Mundell Bryan
Published: July 2007

This paper adopts the concept of status inconsistency from the wider sociological literature in order to explain one of the social psychological processes possibly underlying the linkage between organizational demography and occupational stress. In doing so, we review the methodological and theoretical difficulties that arise in applying status inconsistency to an organizational setting. After explicitly discussing our assumptions, we develop out of the literature a series of propositions explicating the nature of the relationships between demography, status, status inconsistency and occupational stress. In offering these propositions we not only attempt to show how status inconsistency may be used to explain many of the empirical relations found to exist between demography and occupational stress, but also try to show the potential value of the status inconsistency concept as both an independent and dependent variable in general organizational research.
The measurement properties of the role conflict and role ambiguity scales: A review and extension of the empirical research
Authors: Smith Carlla S. , Tisak John , Schmieder Robert A.
Published: July 2007

The measurement properties of the Rizzo, House and Lirtzman (1970) role conflict and role ambiguity scales have been debated in the research literature for several years. The criticisms are that the scales do not measure separate constructs and are contaminated by method variance. However, some researchers have presented evidence supporting the scales' continued use as independent measures. We attempted to clarify the running debate by re‐examining these issues and presenting additional data, which focused on the item level of analysis. Using confirmatory factor analyses and item statistics, we show discriminant validity for the role conflict and ambiguity scales across three diverse samples of workers. We also contend that the evidence for method bias is not as strong as previously argued.
The proactive component of organizational behavior: A measure and correlates
Authors: Bateman Thomas S. , Crant J. Michael
Published: July 2007

This study investigated a personal disposition toward proactive behavior, defined as the relatively stable tendency to effect environmental change. We developed an initial scale to assess the construct and administered it to a sample of 282 undergraduates. Factor analysis led to a revised, unidimensional scale with sound psychometric properties. A second sample of 130 undergraduate students was used to determine the relationships between the proactive scale and the ’Big Five‘ personality domains: neuroticism, extraversion, openness, agreeableness, and conscientiousness. In a third sample of 148 MBA students, we assessed the proactive scale's relationships with three personality traits and three criterion measures. Consistent with hypotheses, scores on the proactive scale correlated with need for achievement, need for dominance, and independent measures of the nature of subjects' extracurricular and civic activities, the nature of their major personal achievements, and peer nominations of transformational leaders. We discuss the potential of the proactive construct to enhance our understanding of, and ability to predict, a wide range of behaviors.
A four‐year validation study of an assessment center in a financial corporation
Authors: Tziner Aharon , Ronen Simcha , Hacohen Dafna
Published: July 2007

Ratings on 18 assessment dimensions formulated independently by assessors (psychologists and high‐level managers), consensus ratings on the same dimensions, and overall assessment ratings were collected for 329 assessees. Two hundred and seventy‐four of the assessees were promoted based on their scores obtained in the assessment process. For 240 of these we succeeded in obtaining ratings on two criterion measures over a period of four years. These criterion data were provided by their superiors who were unaware of the scores obtained in the assessment process.

Multiple regression analyses were run on the data from all the assessment ratings and criterion measures. The results demonstrated a long‐term validity for the assessment center. However, we were not able to discern a consistent pattern of statistically significant differences between the predictive validities of high‐level managers and psychologists as assessors. Possibly, the type of criterion measure moderates the predictive validity of managers' and psychologists' ratings. Further, theoretical and practical implications of the findings are discussed.
A test of reciprocal causality for absenteeism
Authors: Tharenou Phyllis
Published: July 2007

The aim of the study was to test reciprocal causality hypotheses for absence, investigating self‐ and supervisor‐attitudes and behaviors as consequences, as well as antecedents of absence. Reciprocal relationships were proposed between absence and each of job satisfaction, performance, training achievement, and supervisory style. Questionnaire data on job satisfaction and supervisory style and organizational data on employee performance and absence were collected at time 1 from the 262 apprentices of an electricity authority and a year later at time 2 from the 241 then employed apprentices. The repeated data collection (n = 200) consisted of the time 1 first, second and third year apprentices, who became the second, third and fourth years at time 2. Causal tests indicated that uncertified frequency absence and time lost, but not certified absence, were more likely to lead to lower job satisfaction, training achievement, and supervisor‐rated performance and attendance than the reverse. Supervisory style, especially support, led to less uncertified but not certified absence. Absence did not influence supervisory style. The reasons for the direction of the significant causal effects and the alternative explanations for such effects were discussed.
Effects of new technologies with special regard for the implementation process per se
Authors: Korunka Christian , Weiss Andreas , Karetta Bernd
Published: July 2007

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of the implementation process to new technologies [e.g. drawing board/computer‐aided design (CAD), microfiche/electronic data processing] on the employees concerned. Since the emphasis of the study lay in the intrinsic relationship of the implementation process with stress reactions, the parameters were measured at the place of work in a longitudinal design. Employees (n = 279) in seven companies (work fields: CAD, clerical work, telephone information desk) were tested three times — two months prior to, during, and 12 months after implementation. Aspects of strain and satisfaction were taken into account at each measurement phase. A special test‐instrument was designed to describe the ’style of implementation‘ (manner in which implementation took place) particular to each company. The level of strain was found to increase during the implementation process. The amount of this increase was found to correlate with the company's style of implementation as well as with the type of the individual's work activity. The highest levels were found among those employees little included in the implementation process and those whose work is described as monotonous.
The role of situational factors in disciplinary judgements
Authors: Fukami Cynthia V. , Hopkins David M.
Published: July 2007

This study examined the effects of four situational factors on the severity of punishment chosen by a manager following a rule infraction. Two attributes of the offender, gender and performance history, and two outcomes of the infraction, physical damage and personal injury, were combined within a scenario evaluated by 421 graduate business students in a 2 × 2 × 2 × 2 ANOVA design. Results indicated strong main effects for performance history, physical damage, and personal injury but not for gender. Further analyses indicated that the gender composition of the superior/offender dyad did not have a significant effect on the severity of discipline, although some variation occurred across dyads. These results imply that superiors are likely to base disciplinary judgements on situational factors, and that situational factors affect superiors' decisions in a simple, linear fashion.
On the efficacy of credibility intervals as indicators of moderator effects in meta‐analytic research
Authors: Koslowsky Meni , Sagie Abraham
Published: July 2007

Researchers have suggested the use of credibility intervals for identifying moderator effects in meta‐analysis. In the present study, the accuracy of decisions derived from credibility intervals was determined from Monte Carlo generated correlations based on two series of meta‐analyses, one containing 20 studies and the other, 100 studies. Within each study, the responses of 100 subjects were simulated. Although in some marginal cases the accuracy measures (Type I error rate and power) from the credibility intervals were better than those derived from the SH‐75 per cent and U rules, the former technique was generally found to be a poor indicator of heterogeneity or homogeneity. Finally, the concept of a large interval was discussed and a rule of thumb for using it to detect moderators was suggested.
Organizational attitudes and behaviors as a function of participation in strategic and tactical change decisions: An application of path–goal theory
Authors: Sagie Abraham , Koslowsky Meni
Published: July 2007

Based upon path–goal theory of leadership, decision type (strategic versus tactical) was suggested as a moderator variable between employee participation in decision making (PDM) and work outcomes. A total of 249 respondents in five Israeli organizations undergoing planned changes, participated in the study. Results from four out of the five organizations revealed that participation in tactical rather than strategic decisions was a better predictor of an increase in change acceptance, work satisfaction, effectiveness, and time allotted to work. The stronger effects associated with tactics rather than strategy were found even if PDM expectations were included. Theoretical and practical implications of the results were discussed.
Staff burnout in a psychiatric hospital: A cross‐lagged panel design
Authors: Corrigan Patrick W. , Holmes E. Paul , Luchins Daniel , Buican Brett , Basit Abdul , Parks Joseph J.
Published: July 2007

Previous research has shown that burnout in staff members at psychiatric hospitals is significantly associated with state anxiety and collegial support. The directionality of these relationships may be inferred using a cross‐lagged panel design. To do this, 35 staff members representing various clinical disciplines completed measures of burnout, support, and anxiety twice, eight months apart. Burnout comprised three factors: emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal accomplishment. Findings from one cross‐lagged panel suggested that emotional exhaustion causes state anxiety. The second panel showed that lack of collegial support caused depersonalization. Understanding causes and effects of burnout for inpatient psychiatric staff may lead to training and resource development that will improve the quality of their work environment.
The impact of positive and corrective feedback on customer service performance
Authors: Waldersee Robert , Luthans Fred
Published: July 2007

Determining and interpreting the impact that different types of feedback have on performance has been difficult because there are a number of complex theoretical processes or mechanisms involved. To minimize some of this complexity and rule out possible alternate explanations in this study subjects in highly routine tasks were used (111 employees from 11 fast food restaurants). A quasi‐experimental field design compared the effects of positive versus corrective feedback. The term corrective feedback is deliberately used instead of negative feedback because of the close association that negative feedback has with noxious, punishment‐based feedback. In this study, the term corrective is more descriptive of the type of feedback given to subjects, but the term negative could be substituted when making comparisons with the literature on feedback. The corrective feedback in this study is based on a cybernetic, self regulation model and the positive feedback is based on a behavioral reward approach. Consistent with the Closed Loop Model of Self Regulation, the results showed that positive feedback did not improve performance. The control group improved significantly more than the positive feedback group. However, the corrective feedback group did not perform significantly different from the control group. A secondary part of the study examined the impact that the two types of feedback had on non‐performance variables of commitment, satisfaction and feedback acceptability. These latter results were mixed. The theoretical and practical implications of these performance and non‐performance results are discussed.
Supervisor behaviors, role stressors and uncertainty as predictors of personal outcomes for subordinates
Authors: O'Driscoll Michael P. , Beehr Terry A.
Published: July 2007

Among employees of comparable organizations in the United States and New Zealand, role stressors (ambiguity and conflict), along with effort‐to‐performance uncertainty, performance‐to‐outcome uncertainty and doubt about acceptance by one's supervisor, generally predicted job satisfaction, psychological strain and turnover intentions. Path analyses of three alternative theoretical models highlighted the importance of job satisfaction as a mediator of the effects of role stressors and uncertainty on strain and turnover intentions. Role stressors contributed separately and via uncertainty to all three outcome measures, but subordinate perceptions of supervisor behaviors added little independent predictive power, once the role stressors and uncertainty were accounted for. These findings support the hypothesis that supervisors can influence the degree of role stress and uncertainty which their subordinates experience, which in turn may affect levels of satisfaction, strain and turnover intentions.
Social support and occupational stress: Effects of talking to others
Authors: Fenlason Kristofer J. , Beehr Terry A.
Published: July 2007

Employees' social support was examined using both the traditional global measures of emotional/instrumental support and more focused measures based on the contents (positive, negative, and non‐job) of verbally transmitted support. Contents were more closely related to global emotional support than to global instrumental support, with non‐job and positive communications especially strongly associated with emotional support, and they accounted for more variance in strains than did the global measures.
Violating the psychological contract: Not the exception but the norm
Authors: Robinson Sandra L. , Rousseau Denise M.
Published: July 2007

The occurrence and impact of psychological contract violations were studied among graduate management alumni (N = 128) who were surveyed twice, once at graduation (immediately following recruitment) and then two years later. Psychological contracts, reciprocal obligations in employment developed during and after recruitment, were reported by a majority of respondents (54.8 per cent) as having been violated by their employers. The impact of violations are examined using both quantitative and qualitative data. Occurrence of violations correlated positively with turnover and negatively with trust, satisfaction and intentions to remain.
The boundaryless career: A competency‐based perspective
Authors: Defillippi Robert J. , Arthur Michael B.
Published: July 2007

This paper proposes a competency‐based view of careers, derived from competency‐based models of employer firms. The implications for boundaryless careers are explored by reference to changing organizational, occupational and industry community contexts. All of these contexts are seen as likely to promote boundaryless career behaviors. Future research possibilities for each of three career competencies, and for interdependence among the competencies, are briefly examined.
Presence of drug screening and employee assistance programs: Exclusive and inclusive human resource management practices
Authors: Bennett Nathan , Blum Terry C. , Roman Paul M.
Published: July 2007

Drug screening and employee assistance programs (EAPs) are human resource management practices for addressing substance abuse among employees. The two practices reflect different human resource management strategies and lead to different outcomes for employees and applicants. Drug screening is designed to exclude drug users from the workplace whereas EAPs offer them ‘rehabilitation’. Characteristics of worksites and their surrounding labor market may influence the presence or absence of these personnel practices. The results suggest that, when controlling for number of employees, economic sector, industry, and union presence, worksites with low turnover and in areas with high unemployment rates are more likely to engage in pre‐employment drug screening, while worksites with low turnover more often provide an EAP.
Equity sensitivity and outcome importance
Authors: Miles Edward W. , Hatfield John D. , Huseman Richard C.
Published: July 2007

One recent approach that holds promise for building a conceptual framework for a psychological individual difference variable in equity theory is Equity Sensitivity (Huseman, Hatfield and Miles, 1987). Huseman et al. identify three types of individuals — Benevolents, Equity Sensitives, Entitleds. As originally defined, these three groups vary in their desire for outcomes (e.g. pay) in a relationship.

The purpose of this study is to test whether the three groups — Benevolents, Equity Sensitives, and Entitleds — vary in the importance they place on categories of outcomes. Hypotheses are tested regarding importance placed on extrinsic tangible, extrinsic intangible, and intrinsic work outcomes. The sample include 2617 employees from the banking and public utility industries. Results show that the three groups vary in the importance they place on extrinsic tangible and intrinsic outcomes, but not on the importance placed on extrinsic intangible outcomes.