bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Takeover Legislation and Corporate Purpose
Authors: Mallette Paul
Published: March 2007

Many states, focusing on the protection of enterprise-dependent nonshareholders, have passed statutes that protect companies from takeovers. These statutes shift the balance of power along the existing shareholder/manager axis and alter the essence of corporate purpose. These issues and their implications for shareholders, corporate governance, and society at large are discussed.
Toward a New Social Contract Theory in Organization Science
Authors: Mahoney Joseph T. , Huff Anne S. , Huff James O.
Published: March 2007

This article suggests that strategy research (and other management disciplines as well) should move beyond a neo-Hobbesian approach to contracting toward a new social contract approach. Work from an agency theory perspective in particular has generated utilitarian insights, but its description of agent behavior is too limited and its assumptions are not a useful guide to productive alliances among firms. Altruism, ethics, goodwill, moral sentiments, and trust need to be placed in the foreground of our vision, and society must be accepted as the ultimate principal to which both individuals and firms are responsible.
Comment: The Resource-Based View of the Firm and "Austrian" Economics
Authors: Young Greg
Published: March 2007

The Austrian school of economics has informed current thinking in strategy, such as in the area of dynamic competitive action and response. Austrian economics also is likely to contribute to theory development for the resource-based view of the firm. For example, entrepreneurial vision and activity are core constructs of the Austrian school that also play central roles in the relationship between resources and organizational capabilities that lead to competitive advantage. The Austrian school, however, needs to be interpreted and transposed to a managerial perspective if it is to be useful for theory development in strategy. Further, the Austrian school may be complementary with, rather than opposed to, other root disciplines of strategy, such as industrial organization economics. McWilliams and Smart (1995, this issue) and Hunt (1995, this issue) may be the beginning of an important ongoing dialogue that adds, rather than trims, constructs in the strategy field.
Excavating the Paths of Meaning, Renewal, and Empowerment
Authors: Spreitzer Gretchen M. , Quinn Robert E. , Fletcher Jerry
Published: March 2007

Although myths have been comprehensively examined at a cultural or macro level in organizational studies, they have received little attention at an individual level of analysis. This article uses Campbell's "hero's journey" as an analogy for understanding managerial performance myths. The article begins with a review of the literature on individual myths and the hero's journey and then turns to an empirical exploration of managerial high-performance myths. A typology of managerial high-performance myths is derived from data on high-performance experiences. Each of the four myths assumes a different meaning structure. The findings suggest a model for the construction of individual meaning systems in organizations. They also provide important insights on empowerment, leadership, and high performance.
Applications of Tensor Functions in Continuum Damage Mechanics
Authors: Betten Josef
Published: March 2007

The mechanical behaviour of anisotropic solids requires a suitable mathe matical modelling. The properties of tensor functions with several argument tensors con stitute a rational basis for a consistent mathematical modelling of complex material be haviour.

This paper presents certain principles, methods, and recent successful applications of tensor functions in continuum mechanics. The rules for specifying irreducible sets of ten sor invariants and tensor generators for material tensors of rank two and four are also dealt with.

Furthermore, it is very important to determine the scalar coefficients in constitutive and evolutional equations. This problem is explained in more detail.
A Method of Nonlinear Damage Analysis for Anisotropic Materials and Its Application to Thin Composite Laminates
Authors: Chow C.L. , Yang F. , Asundi A.
Published: March 2007

A method of analysis describing the damage response of anisotropic brittle materials introduced earlier by the authors is generalized based on the concepts of damage surface and damage potential. The applicability and validity of the method is demonstrated by characterizing, for the first instance, the behavior of composite lamina, and then, the damage response of thin, continuous, and symmetric composite laminate subjected to in- plane loading. The global constitutive equation of the laminate with damage is derived from that of lamina and its interaction with other laminae. The method developed is finally applied to examine damage characteristics of angle-ply laminates subjected to in-plane loading, and a satisfactory agreement between the predicted and experimental results dem onstrates the viability of the proposed method.
Effect of Stochasticity on the Damage Accumulation in Solids
Authors: Silberschmidt Vadim V. , Chaboche Jean-Louis
Published: March 2007

The influence of stochasticity of external action on damage accumulation is studied in terms of CDM. The accounting for microscopic mechanisms is based on the introduction of additional parameters—traditional damage and shear damage. Kinetic equations of damage accumulation are reformulated to account for the stochastic compo nent of loading. The characteristic features of the evolution of the ensembles of defects are discussed on the basis of the stationary solutions of the Fokker-Planck equations.
On Damage Induced Anisotropy for Fiber Composites
Authors: Matzenmiller Anton , Sackman Jerome L.
Published: March 2007

A stress-strain relation on the basis of a homogenized continuum is devel oped from a potential energy function for an elastic material with anisotropic damage. It is assumed that the influence of the state of damage can be represented by a vector-valued function, resulting from an array of surface discontinuities with coinciding orientation such as disk-like, parallel cracks. Usually, only low-order polynomial expansions in terms of the damage variable have been considered in the literature, limiting the results to non- interacting microcracks. In this paper, a complete polynomial expansion of the potential function with respect to the damage variable is developed and the general form of the con stitutive tensor for the damaged material is derived. This allows account to be taken of nonlinear dependencies of the effective elastic properties on the damage variable in the case of interacting microcracks.
Free-Edge Influence on CFRP-Laminate Strength
Authors: Kress Gerald
Published: March 2007

Stress perturbations at free edges of CFRP-laminates may induce initial failure events at low load levels and accelerated damage growth, eventually reducing ulti mate strength in tensile-test situations. Lower values of measured strength must be ex pected from specimens with free edges than without.
Bail Interviewing: A Case Study of a Cross-National Policy Transfer
Authors: Schachter Hindy Lauer
Published: March 2007

This article analyzes a cross-national policy transfer. It explores how England and Wales adapted bail interviewing that had been pioneered by the Vera Institute in the United States. The exploration centers on some of the reasons for the failure of an initial attempt to transfer the policy in the mid-1970s and for the comparative success of a second attempt that was made after 1985. Emphasis is placed on the explanatory role of incentives and organizational culture. Since many aspects of England's pretrial system remained constant during the interval between the two attempts, the study of both attempts offers a good opportunity to analyze factors that influence success in policy transfers between countries that perceive similar criminal justice problems.
Status Inequality and Property Crime: The Effect of Design, Scope, and Specification
Authors: Bennett Richard R. , Lynch James P.
Published: March 2007

Much of the sociological literature on crime and social control posits a positive relationship between social heterogeneity and crime. In this literature, status inequality is a particularly important form of heterogeneity. Theory suggests that levels of status inequality should be positively related to levels of crime. Although empirical tests are supportive of this theory in the case of violent crime, the findings are inconsistent for property crime.

This paper reexamines the relationship between status inequality and property crime in an effort to explain this inconsistency, Specifically, it explores whether the difference in findings across studies could be due to the analytical methods used in previous studies, the particular scope of those studies, or a misspecification of the empirical models. Analyses suggest that the inconsistent findings between status inequality and property crime are not a function of the analytical designs employed but that they are a function of scope and specification of the model. That is, the relationship between property crime and inequality differs by level of democracy and value of inequality.
The Development of Product and Process Improvements in Work Groups
Authors: Weldon Elizabeth
Published: March 2007

Case studies of product and process improvements in four work groups were analyzed to determine the extent to which formal planned change processes; ad hoc, emergent change processes; individual activities; and group activities contributed to those improvements. Results showed that (a) improvements were nearly always a reaction to an immediate problem or a suggestion from someone outside the group; (b) the development and implementation of ideas for change usually took place as group members pursued their normal work activities; and (c) individual ideas for change and individual follow through were important. Together these results suggest that a theory of process and product improvements in groups must include reactive, emergent processes; proactive, deliberate processes; and a better understanding of how individual commitment to innovation and change contribute to group success.
No Safety in Numbers
Authors: Houghton Susan M. , Simon Mark , Aquino Karl , Goldberg Caren B.
Published: March 2007

Because individuals can have cognitive biases that lower their perceptions of decision risk, some suggest that teams, not individuals, should make decisions. Prior research, however, has not explored whether a team’s risk perception is affected by information-processing biases that are similar to the cognitive biases that individuals exhibit. This study examines whether three biases—the law of small numbers bias, illusion of control, and overconfidence—influence perception of risk of a first move at the team and individual levels. It was found that the law of small numbers and illusion of control decreased the risk perception at both levels and that the law of small numbers had a significantly greater effect on team risk perception than on individual risk perception. In contrast, the effect of overconfidence was not significant at any level. Implications of the findings are discussed and future research directions are offered.
Attitudinal and Behavioral Outcomes of an Upward Feedback Process
Authors: Waldman David A. , Atwater Leanne E.
Published: March 2007

A pretest-posttest design was used at a large telecommunications firm whereby a 6-month interval separated the first and second rounds of an upward feedback administration. The purpose was to examine outcomes including perceived usefulness of the process, additional feedback-seeking behavior on the part of recipients, and optimal uses of upward feedback information. Results indicated that managers who receive lower formal appraisal scores from their bosses are more likely to perceive an upward feedback process to be useful. Furthermore, those managers receiving lower subordinate ratings are more likely to seek clarification through additional feedback. In addition, subordinates are more likely than managers to believe that upward feedback scores should be incorporated into formal performance appraisal. These beliefs are accentuated when either upward feedback or formal appraisal scores (i. e., by superiors) are lower. Upward feedback scores appear to possess convergent validity in that subordinate ratings were correlated with formal appraisal scores.
Correlates of Networking Behavior for Managerial and Professional Employees
Authors: Forret Monica L. , Dougherty Thomas W.
Published: March 2007

Networking is an important strategy for managing one’s career, but little is known about those who engage in networking behaviors. A study of 418 managers and professionals was conducted to examine the relationship of personal and job characteristics to involvement in networking. Multiple regression results showed that gender, socioeconomic background, self-esteem, extraversion, favorable attitudes toward workplace politics, organizational level, and type of position are significant predictors of involvement in networking behaviors. Implications of these results and directions for future research on networking are discussed.
The FIRO Administrator: Theory, Criteria, and Measurement of Effectiveness
Authors: Schutz Will
Published: March 2007

The FIRO theory of interpersonal behavior provides a framework for clarify ing the administrator role, for measuring effectiveness, and for synthesizing previous studies of administration. Effective FIRO administrators excel in their use of human resources, their task ability, and their interpersonal skills. They create conditions under which individuals within their ken realize them selves optimally.
A Comparison of Spread and Change Strategies in Two Applied Behavioral Science Movements
Authors: Blake Robert R. , Mouton Jane Srygley
Published: March 2007

The spread and change strategies relied on in institutionalizing two applied behavioral science movements, psychoanalysis and the labora tory method of experiential learning, within the larger social system have been described in previous articles. This paper contrasts the strategies in the two cases and concludes that one movement was premised on elitist concepts of purity and discipline in matters of applied practice, while the other relied on egalitarian notions of spread through participation, involvement, and "ownership." This conclusion poses a clear issue regard ing choices of approach that can be selected by present and future inter ventionists who would lead major movements.
Organizational Change Through Feedback and Research (OD) Efforts
Authors: Frye Nelson , Seifert George , Yaney Joseph P.
Published: March 2007

Action research was undertaken by a large midwestern utility company. Although 3,000 individuals were in the affected areas, particular atten tion was paid to 300 engineers and technicians. The study was undertaken to learn what would happen to an organization that was undergoing severe reorganizational stresses while attempting to use organization development techniques to reduce those stresses. The OD work included inside and outside consultation with the top executive, team-building activities, attitude surveys and survey feedback, and vertical communi cations meetings. The dependent variables of organizational per formance and process improved during the ten-month test period. The research identified structural changes that may have had some effects, but these could not be isolated because of the multidimensionality of the situation. Additional research is needed to determine what impact the different OD interventions actually have on an organization and to de termine the half-life of those interventions.
Implementing Change: From Research to a Prescriptive Framework
Authors: Howes Nancy J. , Quinn Robert E.
Published: March 2007

The article summarizes the applied organizational change literature on the elements/factors most often related to successful implementation of change programs and relates these findings to a prescriptive framework of changing. Twelve strategic, manipulable, managerial change levers are discussed.
How to Design and Conduct Self-Directed Learning Experiences
Authors: Harrison Roger
Published: March 2007

Traditional educational design methods take little account of the indi vidual learner's needs and learning processes. Effective design involves overcoming internal forces that oppose the educator's learning goals. When it is successful, the learner is changed but has gained little ability to create and manage his or her own learning processes. Self-directed learn ing principles and practices work selectively with the learner's own needs and motives, strengthening confidence and the ability to learn indepen dently. Such learning designs permit much greater individualization in content and direction. Learners respond by undertaking greater personal risks but experience less stress in doing so. Principles of self-directed learning design include: providing a clearly articulated conceptual framework; providing equally valued alternatives for participants to choose among; using structure and direction to support the learner until he or she can move ahead independently; and giving "maximum feasible choice" at all points in the learning process.
Trust and Managerial Problem Solving Revisited
Authors: Boss R. Wayne
Published: March 2007

The centrality of interpersonal trust for effective managerial problem solving was illustrated by inducing either a high-trust or a low-trust mental set in experimental groups. The results indicated that subjects operating in a high-trust environment were significantly more effective in problem solving than those working in a low-trust environment.
The Destructive I mpact of a Positive Team-Building Intervention
Authors: Boss R. Wayne , Mcconkie Mark L.
Published: March 2007

Team-building interventions seek to build competent, collaborative, and creative work teams by removing the barriers to effective group functioning and by helping participants better understand and utilize the group processes associated with effective group behavior. This article examines a confron tation-team-building intervention that was highly successful in building the supervisors into a cohesive, trusting, and unified group. However, the team became the most important variable, with little consideration given to the rest of the organization. As a result, the whole organization was severely crippled and had to be completely rebuilt. Lessons are drawn from this excellent example of a lopsided intervention.
A Contingency Approach to Organization Development Based on Differentiated Roles
Authors: Lavan Helen , Welsch Harold P. , Full James M.
Published: March 2007

As a logical extension of the principle of individual differences, it is suggested that there are various differentiated groups within organizations that may require customized interventions. Administrators and professionals are two such groups represented in most organizations. Focusing on job satisfaction as the dependent variable in a health-care organization, the results indicate that a contingency perspective is warranted. Overall, the theory predicted accurately and significantly in sixty-five of a possible 136 relationships for the professionals and in only forty-four of the relationships for the administrators. This result indicates that differential-intervention strategies should be utilized for the two groups, even in the same organization.
The Learning Potential of the Dominant Personality Within Small Intensive-Training Groups
Authors: Waldie K.F.
Published: March 2007

The author investigates the proposal that in an unstructured, small-group training situation, participants who have dominant behavioral characteristics learn more than do other members. Two such groups, with a total membership of thirteen, were studied. Personality tendencies were established by analyzing verbal behavior during the first three hours of participation. Leary's (1957) interpersonal-behavior model was used to define the behavioral categories. Two measures of learning level were used: the Problem Expression Scale, based on Roger's (1958) model of therapeutic learning, and group members' ratings of self and others. These measures confirmed the original proposal, and the findings are discussed in relation to the origins of small-group work.
Organizational Termination as an Organization Development Issue
Authors: Nicoll David
Published: March 2007

This article addresses the subject of organizational termination, suggesting that it is an appropriate concern for the field of organization development. The author's consulting experience with one dying organization and the intervention strategies with which he experimented are described. Also described are the behavioral reactions of the staff to their organization's termination, which are categorized into conceptual patterns: paralysis, catastrophic fantasizing, exag geration of organizational hierarchy and power, language shifts, personal disaffiliation with the agency, and so on. It is concluded that (a) organizational termination is an important, challenging issue for organization development; (b) that present OD methodologies are inadequate for the task of consulting an organization undergoing termination; (c) that OD, if it is to be successful in these circumstances, must find practical focal issues and (d) that it is the con sultant's responsibility to become expert enough to develop these answers.
Effects of Personal Control Beliefs: An Explanatory Analysis of Bargaining Outcomes in Intergroup Negotiations
Authors: Ford David L.
Published: March 2007

A simulated collective bargaining game characterized by face-to-face interaction between five-person bargaining teams was used to investigate the effects of team locus of control on level of aspiration and bargaining outcomes (either strike or settlement). Locus of control was measured using an IE scale developed espe cially for use with persons having business training. Level of aspiration was measured by (a) magnitude of target point and (b) magnitude of resistance point. Results suggest that the more internal a team's personal control beliefs, the more likely it is that the team would not reach a negotiated settlement with its oppo nent. The results are discussed in light of previous findings from bargaining studies.
How Organization Development Can Develop Organizational Theory
Authors: Bartunek Jean M.
Published: March 2007

Organization development practitioners devote considerable atten tion to the application of theory and research in their practice. They less often consider the potential for their practice to contribute to theory. To foster a more even balance between contributions of theory and practice, this article discusses several types of contributions OD practice can make to theory. These include modifying established theories, addressing new problem areas, and exploring the internal logic of organizations' experiences.
Trust Differences Between Men and Women in Superior-Subordinate Relationships
Authors: Scott Dow
Published: March 2007

Trust perceptions of male and female respondents toward on-site supervisors, area supervisors, and top management were investigated in a large state agency. Although trust differences between men and women toward management were not found, respondents reporting to someone of the same gender had significantly higher trust in their superior than did men or women reporting to a superior of the opposite sex. Perceptions of trust were also found to be significantly related to the respondent's position level in the organization.
Management by Trust: A Conceptual Model
Authors: Dwivedi R.S.
Published: March 2007

The management by trust (MBT) model is developed to ascertain the most effective system of management. It involves a trust-based managerial approach to design organizational structures and processes, assimilate conflicts, and integrate goals as an independent variable, and effective performance as a dependent variable. The theoretical soundness of the model is established through a survey of research literature, while its validity is determined through action and basic objective researches conducted by the author in India. MBT action research interventions in two plants led to significant improvement in several performance measures and generated a trusting climate. Field data collected from two industrial organiza tions in a basic objective research reveal that effective and ineffective organizations differ in terms of their adherence to trust-based and distrust-based managerial approaches, respectively. Tentatively, the MBT system seems to be an effective managerial device for accomplishing improved performance in industrial organizations.
The Nominal Group Technique: Expanding the Basic Procedure and Underlying Assumptions
Authors: Bartunek Jean M. , Murninghan J. Kenneth
Published: March 2007

Practitioners often apply theories and techniques, but the results of their applications rarely inform the original theory. Consequently, theories and theory-based techniques are seldom altered on the basis of practice, even when such attention is appropriate. This article describes an application of the Nominal Group Technique (NGT) and suggestions for altering the technique on the basis of learningsfrom the application. The NGT was used in two decision-making meetings. On the basis of problems experienced with NGT during the first meeting, it was modified in ways that increased its ability to (1) achieve decision acceptance and (2) address ill-structured problems. The modified technique was used successfully during the second meeting. After describing the use of NGT, the article presents an expanded model of the technique and its underlying assumptions.
On Slipping When You Thought You Had Put Your Best Foot Forward: Self-Promotion, Self-Destruction, and Entitlements
Authors: Giacalone Robert A.
Published: March 2007

The article comprises three studies that investigated the efficiency of an impression management tactic known as an entitlement. Partici pants read a brief scenario describing the work of a fictitious research team in all three studies. Study 1 manipulated whether the entitlement was verified by a third party; Study 2 manipulated whether consensus regarding the direction the research team had taken would affect the entitlement's efficacy, and Study 3 manipu lated whether a self-entitlement and an other-entitlement would be differentially effective. Results showed that the entitlement could increase and decrease ratings of the entitler; these findings were discussed in terms of their effect on perceptions of scenario selection, promotion, and organizational politics.
Dynamics Within Participation: An Experimental Investigation
Authors: Tjosvold Dean
Published: March 2007

Research has neglected the dynamics by which participation af fects organizational outcomes. This study argues that the effects of participation depend substantially on how employees interact as they discuss organizational problems. Results indicate that coop erative compared to competitive context facilitates expectations of assistance, exchange of information and ideas, enhanced work re lationships, and high-quality solutions. Findings suggest that re search on the dynamics within participation can help resolve conflicting findings and suggest ways to implement successful participation.
A Meta-Analysis Method for OD Case Studies
Authors: Bullock R.J.
Published: March 2007

This article develops and tests the hypothesis that random assign ment to OD interventions has a negative impact on attitudes. Three published empirical studies using random assignment in work organizations are reviewed; the results were consistent with the hypothesis. The issues of negative attitudinal effects of random assignment are discussed.
In Search of the Right Consultant
Authors: Glassman Alan M. , Lundberg Craig C.
Published: March 2007

With increasing frequency the field of organizational development (OD) is being dominated by debates over the success or appropriateness of different intervention approaches. This fable of an executive's search for an OD consultant cautions us that it is not the "technical" aspects, but the humanistic values of OD that must remain critical.
Social Network Analysis as Intervention Tool
Authors: Nelson Reed Elliot
Published: March 2007

This article uses cases from the field to demonstrate the potential of network analysis as an intervention tool. Social networks are defined as sets of contacts linking individuals. These networks may be represented by "adjacency matrices." Analysis of adjacency matrices is found especially useful for diagnosing formal organizational arrangements, for identifying coalitions, and for analyzing intergroup relations.
Conceptual Implications of Two Models of Burnout
Authors: Leiter Michael P.
Published: March 2007

This article focuses on differences between the model of burnout developed by Leiter and the phase model of Golembiewski. The advantages of utilizing the full range of the subscales are contrasted with the phase approach based on dichotomizing the subscales. Directions for future model building are discussed.
Signaling Participation Through Relational Communication
Authors: Sorenson Ritch L. , Savage Grant T.
Published: March 2007

This study tests four hypotheses derived from the Leader Interpersonal Influence Model, which examines leaders' ability to adapt communicator styles that enhance problem-solv ing effectiveness in small groups. University students participated as leaders in problem- solving groups made up of confederates. The findings indicate that the two primary dimensions of leaders' communicator style are dominance and supportiveness. Addition ally, the results show that effective leaders displayed a wider repertoire of communicator styles than ineffective leaders. Also, within an experimental situation that demands strong direction, dominance was highly correlated with effectiveness for directive leaders, and both dominance and supportiveness were highly correlated with effective ness for participative leaders. Lastly, the findings reveal that leaders' relational com munication must exceed a minimal threshold before obtaining desired responses from group members. Implications for management are outlined and suggestions are made that future research should examine leaders' communicator styles in other decision-making contexts.
Mentoring and Other Communication Support in the Academic Setting
Authors: Kogler Hill Susan E. , Hilton Bahniuk Margaret , Dobos Jean , Rouner Donna
Published: March 2007

The purpose of this study was to determine the dimensional structure of mentoring and other communication support behaviors in an academic environment. Professors (N = 224) at two universities were surveyed. A communication support questionnaire was developed, and three separate factors emerged as elements of perceived communication support: the Mentor/Protégé Dimension, the Collegial Social Dimension, and the Col legial Task Dimension. The Mentor/Protégé Dimension appears to represent the tradition al concept of mentoring. The Collegial Social Dimension is more reciprocal and friendship oriented. The Collegial Task Dimension reflects reciprocal support that is work related. The study supported the idea of multidimensional support within an academic organization.
Adhering to Organizational Culture
Authors: Shockley-Zalabak Pamela , Morley Donald Dean
Published: March 2007

As a result of pervasive interest in communication and culture, increasing efforts are being focused on understanding communication/culture relationships and relating them to important organizational processes and outcomes. In an effort to contribute to our understanding, the present study was designed to determine whether thematic rules can be identified as direct reflections of culture and to relate thematic organizational rules to employee values, perceptions of actual and desired message sending and receiving activities, and organizational outcomes, such as perceptions of organizational success and satisfaction with organizational relationships and rewards. The results indicated that rule-value discrepancies, message sending differences, message receiving uncertainty, work satisfaction, and estimations of organizational quality and survival are interrelated and supportive of previously postulated theoretical relationships among values, culture, behaviors, and outcomes.
A Comparison of Techniques for Judgmental Forecasting by Groups with Common Information
Authors: Sniezek Janet A.
Published: March 2007

Forty-four groups made judgmental forecasts for five problems. All group members received the same task relevant information: historical data for each variable in the form of a graph, and numerical listing of 36 previously monthly values. Each person first produced an individual forecast, and then was assigned to one of four Group Technique conditions: Statistical, Delphi, Consensus, and Best Member. Results show: (a) low accuracy of group forecasts compared to Actual Best Member forecasts in difficult tasks, (b) under-confidence in unbiased easy tasks and overconfidence in biased difficult tasks, (c) some unequal weighting of individual forecasts to form Consensus group forecasts, and (d) an inability of groups to identify their best members.
The Activities of Organization Development Practitioners at the Turn of the Decade of the 1990s
Authors: Fagenson Ellen A. , Burke W. Warner
Published: March 2007

Organization development practitioners generated predictions about the activities they would engage in at the turn of the decade. Factor analyses were conducted and revealed 13 different activity factors. Examination of these factors suggest that group development and action research activities are predicted to be engaged in to a great degree in the future, whereas strategic planning and forecasting will be given much less attention.
Multicultural Groups
Authors: Kirchmeyer Catherine , Cohen Aaron
Published: March 2007

This study examined the effects of constructive conflict on decision-making groups that were culturally diverse. In a laboratory exercise, 45 four-person groups recorded their recommendations and assumptions regarding a business problem, and afterward members individually completed a questionnaire on the experience. Ethnic minorities contributed considerably less to decisions than nonminorities did. However, with increasing use of constructive conflict, groups made more valid and more important assumptions, and the performance and reactions of ethnic minorities improved at rates either the same as or greater than those of nonminorities. to North American managers, who face growing ethnic diversity in the workplace, the practices of constructive conflict offer a promising approach to group decision making.
Nonrespondents in Communication Network Studies
Authors: Stork Diana , Richards William D.
Published: March 2007

This article explores problems caused by nonrespondents in sociometric studies of organizational communication and describes how networks that include nonrespondents can be analyzed. An illustrative example is used to conceptualize the problems and issues in analyzing such networks. An empirical study is described that operationalizes the decision criteria for choosing a method of analysis. Suggestions are offered for the design of communication network studies that may enhance response rates and provide the information needed to justify how incomplete network data sets may be analyzed.
Individualized and Group-Based Views of Participation in Decision Making
Authors: Yammarino Francis J. , Naughton Thomas J.
Published: March 2007

Previous research has examined the effect of participation in decision making on various psychological and managerial variables, but has often overlooked levels of analysis considerations. In this study, levels of analysis were considered explicitly from theoretical and empirical perspectives to better understand participation in decision making. In a first demonstration of a new method to the participation literature, results from Within and Between Analysis (WABA) suggested that relationships between participation in decision making and several job activities and employee outcomes were based on between-groups differences. Some support also was obtained for an individual view of the associations between participation in decision making and activities and outcomes.
The Learning Performance and Cost Effectiveness of Mentally Disabled Workers
Authors: Pooley John M. , Bump Edwin A.
Published: March 2007

This article presents the results of an empirical test of the applicability of using a learning curve to plan and evaluate the performance of a group of mentally disabled production workers at a small manufacturing plant. A regression model of the worker's performance over 10 weeks shows that they experienced the standard log-linear learning curve relationship between task time per unit and cumulative units. Their learning rate was approximately 85%, which falls within the learning rate range of earlier studies of nondisabled workers. Comparison of mentally disabled and nondisabled workers on the same task shows that the latter had higher turnover, lower initial task time, and a slower learning rate. Extending the learning curve model shows how a firm can include wage differentials between disabled and nondisabled workers to evaluate the cost effectiveness of disabled workers. For the firm in this study, disabled workers created a short-term cost penalty but generated long-term savings. The firm's cost-effective break-even point was approximately midway between the 1st and 2nd month after employing the disabled workers.
The Relationship between "Traditional" Leadership, "Super" Leadership, and Organizational Citizenship Behavior
Authors: Schnake Mel , Dumler Michael P. , Cochran Daniel S.
Published: March 2007

In a field study of a small manufacturing plant, relationships between five dimensions of organizational citizenship and two sets of predictors, "traditional" leadership (initiating structure and consideration) and "super" leadership (self-goal-setting, self-observation, and self-expectation) were examined. Results suggest that traditional leadership contributes incremental explained variance beyond super leadership on all five dimensions of organizational citizenship. Both consideration and initiating structure contributed approximately equally to four citizenship dimensions, whereas consideration contributed most predictive power to the sportsmanship dimension. Super leadership explained no incremental variance in organizational citizenship behavior beyond traditional leadership.
CEO Beliefs, Management Development, and Corporate Strategy
Authors: Cianni Mary , Bussard David
Published: March 2007

This study explored possible relationships between management development (MD) and corporate strategy. First, the beliefs of CEOs and training officers (TO) concerning the role of MD in the strategy process were compared. Second, the study focused on the influence of CEO and TO beliefs on actual MD practices. And finally, possible relationships between MD and various measures of corporate performance were examined. Results revealed differences between CEOs and TOs regarding the role of MD in the strategy process and the link between MD and business need. Some evidence that CEO beliefs influence MD practices were found. No significant difference among firms on the nature of MD practices were revealed. Implications for practice are discussed.
Strategic Planning Openness
Authors: Bantel Karen A.
Published: March 2007

The effect of top management team demography on the strategic planning dimension of planning openness was examined in a sample of retail banks. The following demographic characteristics were analyzed: mean tenure, age, and education level, and heterogeneity on educational major and functional background. After controlling for firm size and performance volatility, low tenure mean, low education mean, and functional heterogeneity were found to have an influence on planning openness.
Team-Member Exchange Under Team and Traditional Management
Authors: Seers Anson , Petty M. M. , Cashman James F.
Published: March 2007

The quality of exchange relationships between work teams and their members was assessed for 103 manufacturing workers. Higher levels of team-member exchange quality, as well as of cohesiveness, satisfaction with coworkers, and general job satisfaction were reported by members of teams expected to be self-managing in contrast to teams expected to function as traditional work groups. Gains in departmental production efficiency were also found to be related to the work unit's average change in team-member exchange over time.
A Field Study of Reactions to Normative versus Individualized Upward Feedback
Authors: Smither James W. , Wohlers Arthur J. , London Manuel
Published: March 2007

In a field quasi-experiment, we examined differences in team leaders' reactions to individualized feedback (i.e., ratings from the leader's team members) versus normative feedback (i.e., information about how the average team leader was rated). Team leaders who received individualized feedback viewed the feedback as more useful, were more willing to discuss the feedback with team members, and were more satisfied with the feedback process. However, leaders who received individualized feedback did not indicate grater intentions to change their behavior than leaders who received only normative feedback. Also, among leaders who received individualized feedback, neither tem members' ratings, self-ratings, nor leader/team member agreement were related to reactions to feedback Results indicate that, although leaders may react favorably to receiving individualized feedback, merely providing such feedback nay not lead to behavior change.
Peer and Upward Appraisals
Authors: Bettenhausen Kenneth L. , Fedor Donald B.
Published: March 2007

This study reports on the positive and negative outcomes that abroad cross section of employees associate with peer and upward appraisals used solely for administrative or developmental purposes. Appraisals used for development were believed more likely to produce positive and less likely to produce negative outcomes than appraisals used for administration. Upward appraisals were believed to produce more positive outcomes and fewer negative outcomes than peer appraisals, mainly because of participants' lower expectations of positive outcomes and higher expectations of negative outcomes for peer appraisal used for administrative purposes. Good coworker relations were also positively related to positive outcomes and negatively related to negative outcomes, but supervisor relations had no effect on participants' opinions. Experience giving and receiving peer and/or upward reviews had little effect on participants' opinions, except that those with experience generally believed negative outcomes were even less likely to occur when appraisals were used for development than those without experience. Results are discussed in terms of their implications for future empirical work and for the design of 360-degree performance appraisal systems.
Examining Employee Involvement in the Context of Participative Work Environments
Authors: Tesluk Paul E. , Vance Robert J. , Mathieu John E.
Published: March 2007

A systems-based, guided examination of employee involvement (EI) in the context of participative climates is presented. The authors proposed a theoretical multi-cross-level model to examine the relationship between participative climates as they exist at top and middle organizational levels and employee attitudes and behaviors. Data from an organization consisting of 11 relatively autonomous districts further divided into 88 units were used to examine the relationship of EI practices, participative climates, and individual ( n = 483) work-related attitudes and involvement in the EI process. Results indicated that district and unit participative climates interacted with one another in influencing work-related attitudes and behaviors. The importance of multiple participative climates operating in relation to one another to influence individual attitudes and behaviors, and how these climates are supported, is discussed.
A Neural Model of Synaptic Plasticity Underlying Short-term and Long-term Habituation
Authors: DeLiang Wang
Published: March 2007

It has been demonstrated that short-term habituation may be caused by a decrease in release of presynaptic neurotransmitters and long-term habituation seems to be caused by morphological changes of presynaptic terminals. A parsimonious model of short-term and long-term synaptic plasticity at the electrophysiological level is presented. This model consists of two interacting differential equations, one describing alterations of the synaptic weight and the other describing changes to the speed of recovery (forgetting). The latter exhibits an inverse S-shaped curve whose high value corresponds to fast recovery (short-term habituation) and low value corresponds to slow recovery (long-term habituation). The model has been tested on short-term and a set of long-term habituation data of prey-catching behavior in toads, spanning minutes to hours to several weeks.
The New Products Process: Effective Knowledge Capture and Utilisation
Authors: Poolton Jenny , Ismail Hossam S. , Shahidipour S.M.M.
Published: March 2007

This paper describes a method of knowledge capture and utilisation in new product development that can be used to improve firms existing performance. The method is intended to provide an effective bridge between expert knowledge generated internally, and the incorporation of best practice knowledge in the field. Past development projects (both successful and unsuccessful) provide the ba sis for analysis, allowing key "success" factors to be teased-out from the data. To supplement internally generated expertise, a large da tabase of new product's knowledge from the past literature is used to complement the analysis. From this data, a risk assessment frame work is developed that can be used to alert managers to the dangers of overlooking key activities and processes, and their likely effects on the new products process as a whole.
Distributed Design Theory and Methodology
Authors: Olivier Garro , Ibrahim Salau , Patrick Martin
Published: March 2007

Design of a product progresses from description of needs and functions to detailed design of its components The complexity and cre ativity associated with engineering design requires diverse problem-solving techniques and expertise Above all, the development, timely intro duction and cost-effective product that meets diversified customers' needs has become an important issue in today's competitive market This paper outlines a distributed design theory and methodology based on a connectionist approach in response to the above problem In order to accomplish this task, we postulate a subdivision of the design problem into modules which are functional, structural and fabrication modules Each module has its own objective and its proper point of view of the global problem The outcome of the designed product results from the com munication between these modules First of all, these modules are presented with the data that need manipulated in each of them as well as the treatment realised such that the required product can be produced Modal logic is then employed to formalise the specific data of each of the above modules While developing this architecture, an attempt is made to incorporate various constraints such as manufacturability, quality, reliability etc in the early stage of design under the context of concurrent engineering [15,16]