bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Interactive Effects of Uncertainty and Self-Control on the Acceptance of Responsibility for, and Satisfaction with, Performance
Authors: Dermer Jerry D.
Published: August 2005

This study investigates the interactive effects of environmental uncertainty and self-control on the acceptance of responsibility for, and the satisfaction with, performance. A sample of graduate management students completed a questionnaire containing Rotter's locus of control scale and descriptions of four administrative situations, differing in environmental uncertainty and in the amount of self-control possible. Each case was followed by questions about the amount of responsibility they would accept if put in charge, and their satisfaction if they performed above or below average. An analysis of variance was then performed on these data.

It was found that the situational factors identified significant differences and interactions but that the locus of control factor did not. Specifically, under both the low and high self-control situations, increasing the amount of environmental uncertainty reduced the amount of responsibility accepted. However, under the low self-control environment there was a significantly greater reduction both in the responsibility accepted and also expected of a subordinate. Similarly, under both levels of self-control, increasing environmental uncertainty lessened satisfaction with good performance and also lessened dissatisfaction with poor performance. However, again there was a significantly greater change under conditions of low self-control than for high self-control. Implications of the findings for the design of administrative systems are discussed.
Socio-Technical Systems in Weaving, 1953-1970: A Follow-up Study
Authors: Miller Eric J.
Published: August 2005

In 1953-54, experimental changes in work organization were introduced in automatic and non-automatic loom-sheds of an Indian textile mill (Rice, 1953, 1955a, b, 1958, 1963). In each case semi-autonomous work-groups were established with responsibility for production and routine maintenance on a group of looms. Subsequently, these forms of working were extended to other loom-sheds. In 1970 a follow-up study of the 'group system' in four locations, including the two original sites, showed that in one the non-automatic experimental loom-shed the work organization and levels of performance had remained virtually unchanged over the 16 years, while in a newer automatic loom-shed group working had largely disappeared. Considerable regression had occured in the site of the automatic loom experiment, and the remaining non-automatic site displayed variation in modes of group working. The paper suggests that the effective persistence of the 'group system' in at least one area implies that the assumptions in Rice's original experiment were substantially confirmed. Regression in the two automatic loom-sheds is explained in terms of failure to maintain the necessary boundary conditions for group working in the face of progressive changes in the market and other environmental factors. In conclusion it is suggested that Rice's innovations were more radical than was recognized at the time.
Freshman Socialization: The Influence of Social Class Backgrounds on the Adaptation of Students
Authors: Bumstead Dennis C.
Published: August 2005

A questionnaire based study of the entering students at a major American university examines their social-class backgrounds and the effects of these backgrounds on the students' adaptation to the university. It is shown that less than 20 per cent of the students came from genuinely working-class or blue-collar backgrounds. This is followed by analysis of adaptation differences between higher and lower background groups. Some indications of poorer adaptation among the lower background group are found in terms of anomie, academic performance and advisors' ratings. However, no significant differences are found in terms of personal control, political alienation or satisfaction. It is concluded that both prior socialization and socialization at the university contribute to the fact that the social-class origins of this university's students do not differentiate their subsequent occupational achievement. However, it is shown that the similar levels of satisfaction shown by the two groups do have different sources. A more instrumental orientation among the lower background group is argued to exist because satisfaction is directly related to academic performance for this group, which is not the case for the higher background group.
Interdependence Among Organizational Variables
Authors: Knowles M. C.
Published: August 2005

This study aimed to investigate the interrelationship between a set of organizational variables. It used a matrix analysis whereby fourteen work organizations or Sections within a company were assessed with respect to ten variables - production, quality, costs, job satisfaction of operatives, job satisfaction of supervisors, work anxiety, accidents, absence, labour turnover and industrial unrest.

When the Sections were ranked on the individual measures it was found that wide and consistent differences existed between the Sections; within the Sections the variables were clearly interrelated. This effect could be called the interdependence phenomenon of organizational behaviour.

This property was most pronounced in one group of Sections characterized by high performance achievements, favourable attitudes and organizational stability, and in another group of Sections characterized by low achievements, considerable dissatisfaction, and organizational instability involving high levels of accidents, absence, labour turnover or industrial unrest.

The data illustrated how processes operating within the functional and dysfunctional work organizations tended to be self-reinforcing and the situations self-perpetuating. The psychological impact of being a member of the different work organizations was marked, and the more dysfunctional the work organization the more prevalent were the manifestations of withdrawal behaviour.
Interrelationships Among Mobility, Health and Attitudinal Variables in an Urban Elderly Population
Authors: Fine Margret
Published: August 2005

169 urban elderly Ss were interviewed to study (1) the interrelationships among mobility, health, demographic and factor analytically derived attitudinal variables and (2) the characteristics of users and non-users of an innovative transportation program. Positive correlations were obtained between mobility and each of the following variables: self-assessed health (p < .001); functional ability (p < .001); current income (p < .005); Life Satisfaction (p < .001); and Ego Integrity (p < .001). Current income was positively correlated with Life Satisfaction (p < .001) and Optimism about the Future (p < .005) and negatively correlated with Authoritarianism (p < .005) and Political Powerlessness (p < .005). Life Satisfaction and Ego Integrity were positively correlated with selfassessed health (p < .001 in both cases). Age, income and education did not differentiate between users and non-users, nor did four of the five attitude factors. However, users manifested significantly poorer self-assessed health and functional ability, significantly less mobility and less Ego Integrity than non-users. The findings suggested that further experimental studies be undertaken to investigate whether increased mobility would have an impact on the attitudes with which it was found to be correlated. This was discussed in light of the intervening variable of health and the relationship between psychological and somatic states.
Person-Job Congruence and Individual Adjustment and Development
Authors: Morse John J.
Published: August 2005

This research was conducted at the clerical and hourly employee levels in two large organizations. It investigates the congruence or 'fit' of five personality predispositions with the relative certainty of jobs. The hypothesis tested is that this person-job congruence is related to individual psychological adjustment and development at work, as represented by an individual's 'sense of competence' on the job. The hypothesis is supported and the implications of the findings, especially regarding understanding the meaning of work for an individual, are discussed.
Employee Participation: An Experimental Field Study
Authors: Lischeron J. A. , Wall T D.
Published: August 2005

An experimental field study involving over three hundred blue-collar male employees and their superiors was conducted to investigate the hypothesis that participation in management decision-making is a determinant of satisfaction at work. A system of participation - Action Planning Groups - based on regular meetings between shop-floor employees and management proved effective in influencing organizational decisionmaking and was seen to be worthwhile by both parties. However, the increased participation achieved was not reflected in greater employee satisfaction. It is argued that these findings are consistent with previous experimental evidence. The reasons which lie behind the frequently expressed belief that participation is an important determinant of satisfaction at work are discussed. Employee desires for participation were also found to be unaffected by the experimental manipulation.
The Inclination to Reimmigrate: A Structural Analysis of the Case of Israelis Residing in France and in the U.S.A.
Authors: Elizur Dov , Shye Samuel
Published: August 2005

This study analyzes the structure of the relations between experiences in Israel and abroad, and expectations for the future in Israel as reported by Israelis residing in the U.S. and France. A facet definition of the inclination to reimmigrate to Israel is presented, and, on its basis, hypotheses are formulated regarding the relations between the definitional framework and the empirical observations. The results support the main hypotheses. An empirical double-ordered conceptual system is obtained, which reflects the two facets of the definition: Situation (manner, country, and time), and Areas of Life (spiritual, material, and intermediate). Some structural differences were found between the U.S. and the French samples.
A Framework for Analyzing Interorganizational Relationships
Authors: Akinbode I. Adefolu , Clark Robert C.
Published: August 2005

Earlier theories on interorganizational relationships have adopted either the social or psychological approach, resulting in incomplete analysis of the nature of and the parameters influencing the phenomenon. This study proposed and tested a framework that combines the two approaches. It analyzed four most common types of interagency relationships-cooperation, conflict, competition, and merger-among three agricultural institutions, and the organizational and personality factors determining their occurrence. Findings show that a limited number and degree of cooperative relationships existed, whereas competition and conflicts were more prevalent. Cooperation was facilitated by dynamic and democratic leadership, while competition and conflicts were attributed to change in leadership style and centralized administrative practices.
Values and Practice in the Therapeutic Community
Authors: Manning Nicholas
Published: August 2005

This paper considers the problem of putting ideology into practice. The radical idea of the therapeutic community within psychiatry in the 1950s never became completely translated into action. This ideal-real discrepancy is explored for a major therapeutic community established in the 1950s, Henderson Hospital, and a comparison is made between staff and patient treatment values and their evaluation of the helpfulness of actual group practice over an 18-year period. It was hypothesized that the gap between values and practice would widen under the impact of informal social processes, distorting the transfer of ideology into practice. The results confirm this hypothesis, which is explicated by reference to the generation of group norms and informal social processes, such as leadership "careers. "
Environmental Change in a Psychiatric Setting
Authors: Holahan Charles J.
Published: August 2005

The extensive physical remodeling of a psychiatric admissions ward was conducted to investigate the relationship between ward design and patient behavior. This paper presents an analysis of important changes in the ward social system, including staff role relationships, distribution of power, and communication styles, which were generated by the physical changes and mediated the effects on patient behavior. The social system impacts are conceptualized as operating through a time-ordered process of environmental change involving four phases-petrification, unfreezing, resistance, and personalization. Psychological issues underlying the translation of environmental change into change at the level of the ward social system are discussed. Finally, comparisons are drawn between interventions based on environmental strategies and those based on organizational development techniques.
The Search for Environmental Complexity
Authors: Osborn Richard N.
Published: August 2005

Contingency organization theory suggests that the match between environmental complexity and formal structure is an important determinant of organizational performance. However, there are a number of different interpretations of environmental complexity which may or may not be related. The purpose of this paper is to outline several different views of environmental complexity and empirically test the extent to which they predict the performance of 26 mechanistically structured antipoverty agencies. Statistical analysis is based on multiple linear regression. Measures for complexity include the general level of socioeconomic development, the occupational mix in the surrounding area, the uncertainty in the immediate environment of the agency, and the reliance of the agency on outside units. The performance criteria are based on an analysis of the degree of goal attainment of the sample units. Results suggest that there are considerable differences in different interpretations of environmental complexity in regard to predicting agency performance. It appears that the combined impact of general environment conditions (socioeconomic development and occupational mix) and reliance on external units forms a basis for measuring environmental complexity.
Ethnomethodology
Authors: Gordon Raymond
Published: August 2005

This article argues that ethnomethodology is subjectivist and psychologically reductionist. It neglects the importance of social structure, and collective realities in its methodology and its findings are not subject to confirmation. Ethnomethodologists put a mistaken reliance upon phenomenology, whereas a more heuristic means of understanding would be gained by employing a dialectical and materialist method, which would link modes of consciousness with existential conditions. Such a link would facilitate an appreciation of the reality of social facts, their impingement upon human social consciousness, and the ways in which consciousness modifies reality. The essential difference between this approach and that adopted in ethnomethodology is that the dialectical method recognises that knowledge grows out of the conflict between "being" and "consciousness, " and in the contradictions between conditions of life and perceptions of its alternatives. For the ethnomethodologist, knowledge is a taken-for-granted condition. This approach makes for a microfunctionalist conception of social order, ultimately based on consensus and recipelike persistence in human processes.
A Graphic Approach to Rosenberg's Affective-Cognitive Consistency Theory
Authors: Milne Robert A. , Meier Kenneth J.
Published: August 2005

The Abelson-Rosenberg consistency theory has failed to live up to its potential in providing adequate explanation andfostering creative research. Specifically, the theory fails to fully operationalize "least effort" and rarely presents falsifiable hypotheses. This paper attempts to adapt consistency theory to a geometric framework correcting the above shortcomings and several others so that consistency can be fruitfully applied in psychology, political science, and other social sciences. Two examples are included from political science to illustrate the geometric approach.
Operationalizing the Concepts of Goals and Goal Incompatibilities in Organizational Behavior Research
Authors: Kochan Thomas A. , Cummings L. L. , Huber George P.
Published: August 2005

This paper demonstrates the theoretical relevance and validity of using utility models and scaling techniques as an approach to operationalizing the concepts of goals and goal incompatibilities. The approach was used, with empirical data from municipal government officials in 380 cities, to test the propositions that (1) structural differentiation in organizations is associated with goal incompatibilities, and (2) goal incompatibilities are correlated with conflict in organizations. Both propositions were supported. On the basis of a literature review, it was concluded that (1) the concepts of goals and goal incompatibilities play important, but controversial, roles in organization behavior, and (2) there has been very little empirical research directed toward operationalizing these concepts. On the basis of the empirical research, it was suggested that the approach generates valid operationalizations of goals and goal incompatibilities. Goals which were shared across units tend to be of moderate importance to organizational decision makers within these units, while disagreements regarding goals were found to focus upon unit power preservation and procedures.
A Frame of Reference for the Measurement of Institutional Leadership Concepts and the Analysis of System States
Authors: Nelson Charles W. , Smith Eugene V.
Published: August 2005

The purpose of this paper is to review the conceptual and methodological approach of one of the authors who has been identifying and modifying system states while a consultant to educational, industrial, and govern-mental institutions. We set out the approach as follows: First, we identify the elements which comprise the general system andfunction to maintain its existent state. These elements are called GIST (Groups, Individuals, Struc-ture, and Technology) and make up the subsystems of any organization which has begun to undergo bureaucratization. Second, we present the hierarchy of organizational values and human needs which are met depend-ing upon the social-psychological state of the system at a given time. Third, we review the development of social-psychological measurement tools.
The Human Relations Ideology
Authors: Bartell Ted
Published: August 2005

This paper examines cultural, institutional, and motivationalfactors which have produced acceptance of the human relations approach in industrial organizations. The unique relationship existing between the postwar emergence of human relations and academic sociology is analyzed for its simultaneous impacts on the ideology and on the development and institutionalization of sociology itself.
When Love Is Blind
Authors: Hall Judith A. , Taylor Shelley E.
Published: August 2005

Three studies investigated the degree and maintenance of idealized images in the marriage relationship. The first study provided strong evidence that one's image of one's spouse is highly idealized vis-a-vis relevant comparison persons. Studies two and three provided evidence that idealization is maintained through a pattern of biased causal attributions, such that one's spouse is credited with responsibility for good behaviors whereas bad behaviors are regarded as situationally caused. The role that idealization serves in perpetuating marital constructions of reality (Berger & Kellner, 1964) is discussed.
Urban Social Relations during Divali
Authors: Peterson Mary
Published: August 2005

This paper reports the findings of an intensive study of 11 families in Bombay during Divali in 1973-74. It also uses materialfrom interviews and social interaction with a number offactory workers and clerks. I willfocus on the way in which employment influences patterns of social relations. Urban dwellers are conscious of alternative modes of behavior and different values, which they attempt to manipulate to provide themselves with the best opportunities, both economically and socially.
Behavioral Science Engagements: Taxonomy and Dynamics
Authors: Cherns Albert B.
Published: August 2005

In this paper we discuss the modes of engagement between social scientists and their clients. There are three significant variables: the negotiability of the problem, the openness of the client to the nature of the solution, and the discretion allowed to the social scientist in choice of method. During engagements clients experience pressure to close options, while social scientists wish to keep them open. The resulting balance determines the nature of the engagement at any time.
On the Number and Size of Subgroups
Authors: Lindsay John S. B.
Published: August 2005

The fact that a group may subdivide into smaller subgroups is examined in the light of probability theory. It is argued that the largest number of ways in which any size group can divide into subgroups of different sizes (including the monad) is the likeliest variant to occur. Such "commonest" variants include both monads (individuals) and polyadic subgroups; and it is inferred that the coexistence of worlds constructed in an individual idiom and those constructed in a collective mode is a natural consequence. Recorded data relating to the biological individual in his family context, to the "casual" individual in informal groups, to solo and group medical practices, and to larger occupational and religious groups are found to be consistent with the probability hypothesis put forward.
An Experiment in Autonomous Working in an American Underground Coal Mine
Authors: Trist Eric L. , Susman Gerald I. , Brown Grant R.
Published: August 2005

This paper presents a work-in-progress report on an action research project which began in the summer of 1973 at an underground coal mine in the eastern United States. Its aim has been to improve safety and increase job satisfaction while at the same time raising the level of performance. It is a joint undertaking of union and management and is part of a national program of demonstration quality of work-life projects. The first phase consisted of a sheltered experiment of one year's duration in which volunteers manned a selected mine section as autonomous groups. The responsibilities of the section were extended to include support work. The experiment was sufficiently successful that a decision was made to extend this method of working to the mine as a whole. This constitutes the second phase of the project which is still under way. The paper gives a detailed account of the complexities and difficulties so far encountered in proceeding from a sheltered experiment in a part system to the operational transformation of a whole production system.
Effects of Different Leadership Styles on Individual Risk-Taking in Groups
Authors: Wehman Paul , Goldstein Melvin A. , Williams Jeral R.
Published: August 2005

Four leadership styles were varied to study effects on individual risk-taking behavior in group settings. Democratic and authoritarian leadership styles significantly depressed a shift toward risk in groups when compared to laissez-faire led groups and no designated leader groups. These findings were in opposition with the usual shift toward risk noted when individuals meet in groups. Future research directions and implications of these findings are discussed.
Evolving Alternative Organization Designs: Their Sociotechnical Bases
Authors: Davis Louis E.
Published: August 2005

The implicit assumptions underlying dominant or classic organization designs and the presentforces in society are examined as a background for rise of alternative organization designs. Some fourteen attributes commonly shared by the new designs are presented. These include systemic structure and roles, organizations as open systems, design by joint optimization, organizational uniqueness, stated organizational values or philosophy, quality of working life as an essential objective, comprehensive roles, selfmaintaining social units, flat structure, participation, minimal status differences, make large small, iterative evolutionary development, and minimal critical specifications. Some attributes are a response to needs for institutional survival, others for long-term economic survival, and still others for enhanced institutional effectiveness. A postscript compares evolving alternative organization designs with proposals of proponents of intermediate technology.
Some "Real-Life" Accounts of Influential Relationships
Authors: Shaw John
Published: August 2005

A preliminary study of influential relationships in their lives was carried out on the basis of reports from 10 subjects. These were content-analyzed for source characteristics, types of relationship, nature of the influence process, source/content orientation, and the functional autonomy of induced behavior or attitudes. A mixture of the processes of influence described by Kelman (1958) emerges in some cases, either through various combinations of socialpower, attractiveness, or credibility, or by successive stages of compliance, identification, or internalization. In long-term relationships, internalization may follow initial identification for source-oriented subjects, provided that conflicting influences are minimal. There is some evidence that the process of influence for content-oriented subjects operates in the way that Kelman and Eagly (1965) suggest. The functional autonomy of induced behavior or opinions is a likely outcome of long-term satisfying relationships whether the source characteristics are predominantly attractiveness or credibility.
An Historical Discontinuity: From Charisma to Routinization
Authors: Salaman Graeme
Published: August 2005

The article is concerned with the attitudinal and personal relations and structural consequences of a particular autocratic management style. It argues that even after the person responsible for this type of domination has left an organization the consequences of his leadership remain, and serve to produce manager-subordinate relationships and personal attitudes similar to those he encouraged and personified.
Assimilation and Contrast Effects in the 1972 Election
Authors: Granberg Donald , Jenks Richard
Published: August 2005

Longitudinal data from the 1972 election study of the Survey Research Center were analyzed to examine for possible displacement effects (assimi-lation and contrast) in estimations of the candidates'positions on 14 issues. Pervasive assimilation of one's preferred candidate occurred, and this appeared to be stronger than the contrast of one's nonpreferred candidate. The latter was deemed unreliable for Nixon voters placing McGovern and marginally reliable for McGovern voters placing Nixon. Displacement effects tended to be slightly larger before than after the election. Among the McGovern voters, those expecting him to win showed a greater change in displacement effects than those not expecting him to win. Among the Nixon supporters, the Republicans showed greater assimilation than the Demo-crats or Independents. Assimilation appeared to be directly associated with ambiguity while contrast tended to be inversely associated with ambiguity. People placing a preferred candidate tended to show less variance than people placing a nonpreferred candidate.
A Methodological Critique of Fifty-Eight Selected Work Experiments
Authors: Cummings Thomas G. , Molloy Edmond S. , Glen Roy
Published: August 2005

This paper evaluates the internal and external validity of 58 work experiments-e.g., job enrichment, participative management, and autonomous group studies. The experiments are classified according to their independent and dependent variables; then each study's research design is evaluated in terms of various threats to internal and external validity. The results show that the attitudinal and performance improvements reported in the experiments are questionable but not altogether implausible. The findings of the studies appear to be generalizable to a wide range of populations and settings. Several suggestions for the improvement of research in this field are presented in light of the results of this critique.
Marginality, Role Conflict, and Status Inconsistency as Forms of Stressful Interaction
Authors: Starr Paul D.
Published: August 2005

Many sociologists have hypothesized that persons who possess inconsistent or conflicting attributes will tend to experience stress and manifest certain psychological characteristics which are markedly different from those who possess ordinary combinations of attributes. This problem has been regarded from three theoretical perspectives, the "theories" of the marginal man, role conflict, and status inconsistency. After examining the ways in which each perspective has been employed, this paper discusses several points of convergence and specifies implicit assumptions each makes about the nature of the interaction involved. Some conclusions are offered which indicate the usefulness of a reductionist approach in the formulation of sociological theory and in the conduct of research.
The Role of Initiation Activities in Socialization
Authors: Feldman Daniel Charles
Published: August 2005

The research examines the use of initiation activities during socialization, examining both "initiation to the task, " which serves to increase the feelings of competence of employees, and "initiation to the group," which serves to increase the feelings of acceptance of employees. Using interview and questionnaire data from 118 hospital employees, the research presents empirical evidence which suggests that people who undergo identifiable, symbolic initiations do not feel either significantly more competent or accepted than those who do not. In the context of a broader contingency model of socialization the research also examines: (a) those variables that do influence how competent and accepted employees come to feel; (b) the outcomes of initiation activities; and (c) the relationship between initiation to the task and initiation to the group.
Group Cohesiveness as a Determinant of Egocentric Perceptions in Cooperative Groups
Authors: Schlenker Barry R. , Miller Rowland S.
Published: August 2005

It has been consistently found that members of cooperative groups claim greater personal responsibility for their group's performance after a group success rather than failure. However, when high group cohesiveness is present, norms and interpersonal bonds may exist that mitigate against taking high personal credit for success and low blame for failure. Hence, it was hypothesized that in high cohesive groups, there would be little or no relationship between the assignment of personal responsibility and the quality of the group product, while in low cohesive groups, responsibility would be directly related to the quality of the group product. To test this hypothesis, 96 subjects interacted in four-person, problem-solving groups. Supposedly on the basis of prior individual test scores, subjects were informed that they were either highly compatible (high cohesiveness) or incompatible (low cohesiveness) with the other group members. After the group tasks, subjects were told that their group had been either very successful, very unsuccessful, or average on the problems. The predicted interaction between cohesiveness and performance feedback was obtained on ratings of personal responsibility, average member responsibility, and best group member responsibility. In high cohesive groups, the assignment of responsibility was unrelated to group performance, while in low cohesive groups, the assignment of responsibility was directly related to group performance. A comparable interaction was obtained on ratings of relative leadership within the group. In low cohesive groups, feelings of relative leadership were greater under success rather than failure conditions, while in high cohesive groups, relative leadership was unrelated to group performance.
An Approach to Kuranko Divination
Authors: Jackson Michael
Published: August 2005

An account and analysis of divinatory practices among the Kuranko of northeast Sierra Leone is presented, using the usual methods of ethno-graphical research, and also extrapolating from and discussing the author's own experiences of consulting diviners. Apart from examining the status of beliefs associated with Kuranko divinatory practices, this paper investigates some aspects of the method of participant observation in the human sciences. A praxeological interpretation of Kuranko divination and sacrifice is given, emphasizing the psychological and existential transformations which follow from and are enabled by the ritual procedures.
Who Knows Whom? Acquaintanceship and Contacts in the Israeli National Elite
Authors: Gurevitch Michael , Weingrod Alex
Published: August 2005

Based upon data collected by means of a mailed questionnaire, this article examines the widely held assumption that "everyone knows everyone else" within the compact Israeli national elite. Data were collected on acquaintanceships among political, bureaucratic, economic, professional, academic, and cultural-artistic elites. The elites tend to be drawn from among the European-origin well educated minorities, although such features as kinship, schooling, and army service are unimportant for making initial contacts. The analysis shows that elite members do not all know one another, although groups such as politicians and media specialists are acquainted with a strikingly high proportion of elite members. Moreover, there appears to be a central core group within the elite composed of politicians, bureaucrats, and economic specialists who are strongly acquainted with one another. Finally, the findings indicate the demise of the elite "generalist, " and their replacement by functional, well trained specialists.
Strategies of Change Leading to Equity Between Men and Women with Specific Implications for the Military Organization
Authors: Shalit Benjamin
Published: August 2005

The differences between identity (replication of conditions), equivalence (similarities of values), and equity (perception of equivalence of outcome for effort made), relevant for comparison between the sexes, are explained. These differences in perception are related to a schematic analysis of strategies of possible environmental changes within a military organization, with the aim of creating conditions for optimal integration and well-being of the sexes within it. A methodfor evaluating the various strategies is offered and some implications of the possible strategies are discussed.
Interpersonal and Interparty Exchange: An Experimental Study of the Effect of Seating Position on the Outcome of Negotiations Between Teams Representing Parties in Dispute
Authors: Stephenson Geoffrey M. , Kniveton Bromley K.
Published: August 2005

The experiment reported here examines the effect of opposite and mixed seating positions on the performance of negotiating teams in a role-playing debate where one team is given a markedly stronger case than the other. In line with Morley and Stephenson's previous findings, it was proposed that the greater visual accessibility of the other in the opposite condition would increase the salience of interpersonal as against interparty exchange. It was predicted and found that this could cause the side with the stronger case to be more successful in the mixed than in the opposite condition. In addition there was some evidence that the interaction between seating position and strength of case was particularly marked when participants were instructed to concentrate first on those issues which divided them. The results are discussed with reference to the importance of the balance between interpersonal and interparty factors in bargaining relationships.
Teleconferencing and Leadership Emergence
Authors: Strickland Lloyd H. , Guild Paul D. , Barefoot John C. , Paterson Stuart A.
Published: August 2005

An attempt was made to assess the role of medium of communication on leadership differentiation in discussion groups. Groups of undergraduates met on five different occasions to solve human relations problems, either in face-to-face discussion situations or over video conferencing networks. In face-to-face conditions development of leadership took almost a classic form, with sociometric measures systematically related to behavioral indexes; in the video (teleconference) conditions, role differentiation tendencies were sharply curtailed, and the relationship of sociometric indexes with indexes of verbal output were greatly diminished. Speculations about how mediated communication may affect differentiation processes are offered.
Generalized Self-Management: The Position of Henri Lefebvre
Authors: Rose Ed
Published: August 2005

The intention of this paper is to introduce and analyze the concept of generalized self-management with particular reference to the work of Henri Lefebvre, and to offer a definition of self-management which is contrasted with existing usages of the concept in the social and behavioral sciences. It is argued that current practices and concepts of self-management, while useful within the specific contexts in which they operate, such as industrial organizations, are limited in theoretical scope and practical applicability. What is needed is a less partial view of self-management which is generalizable to the entire social structure, and which involves a recognition of the constraints upon the exercise of self-management which operate in the wider contexts of everyday life. Finally, it is suggested that generalized selfmanagement, asLefebvre views it, would involve the transformation of the entire life of a complex society, its organizations, institutions, cultures, and classes.
Prediction of Post-High School Labor Force Decisions
Authors: Schmitt Neal , White J. Kenneth , Coyle Bryan W. , Rauschenberger John , Shumway Scott
Published: August 2005

The present study investigates the utility of employing an interdisciplinary set of variables to predict labor force decisions. Comparisons of demographic, economic, high school experience, and psychological-motivational variables indicated that the best prediction of the post-high school plans of 1,074 high school seniors resulted from high school experience variables. However, a combination of the four sets of variables resulted in substantial improvement over any single set of predictors. It is suggested that laborforce behavior can be better understood and predicted if a multidisciplinary approach is utilized.
Minimal Social Categorization, Political Categorization, and Power Change
Authors: Ng Sik Hung
Published: August 2005

A theory has been proposed by Mulder that the tendency to take over superordinate power varies inversely with the power distance between ego and the target. As compared to the person who occupies the middle rank, an individual who is on the bottom rank has been shown to be less inclined to take over the top position. What will happen, however, if the latter individual had to act in terms of group instead of self? Will the induction of social categorization activate him to take over superordinate power? Three experimental conditions were set up by means of Mulder's cognitive representational method, using secondary school boys as subjects (N = 54). It was found that minimal social categorization did not enhance the tendency of the bottom member to take overpower. Enhancement effect was observed only in the condition of political categorization where the bottom member belonged to a majority group which had ingroup affinity to the source of power (p < .05). No such effect was found in the political categorization condition where the bottom member belonged to a minority group which did not have ingroup affinity to the source of power.
Decision Criteria in Person Recognition
Authors: Hilgendorf E. Linden , Irving B. L.
Published: August 2005

The application of the signal detection model to person recognition is discussed, emphasizing the significance of the decision criteria parameters. A recognition experiment is reported which suggests that the discriminability ofpersons is within the range in which shifts in decision criteria are of considerable importance. The results also show that there is much greater intersubject variability in decision criterion placement than in the discriminability of this material. The remainder of the article discusses the role of the two components of decision criteria of person recognition, namely, subjective probability and the payoff matrix.
Analyzing Social Systems:
Authors: Cherns Albert B. , Wacker Gerald J.
Published: August 2005

An analysis of a social system requires, in addition to data-collection instruments, an organizing paradigm by which the data can be made to depict the system as a unified, functioning entity. The Parsonian model of social systems is applied to organizations. Four basic social subsystemsgoal attainment, adaptation, latency, and integration-are discussed along with data-collection techniques. Some data can be obtained with formal instruments, others only with more casual techniques. The technology employed by an organization affects all four subsystems; it should not be looked upon as a monolithic subsystem by itself. There is a particular sequence of interaction among the four subsystems, beginning with goal attainment and ending with integration. This has implications for organizational diagnosis, design, and development.
The Organization-Client Relationship as an Aspect of Interorganizational Analysis
Authors: Inzerillil Giorgio
Published: August 2005

The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania This paper presents an argument for viewing the relationship between organizations and their clients as a specific case of interorganizational relationship. Following a proposition related to interorganizational analysis suggested by Litwak and Hylton (1962), the paper argues that the organization-client relationship is characterized by interests that arepartly shared and partly conflicting. It is suggested that Litwak and Hylton's hypothesis on the need for mechanisms that preserve both cooperation and conflict between organizations can be applied to the relationship between the organization and its clients. When mechanisms for conflict maintenance are missing the equilibrium of this relationship may be altered in favor of the organization, by a process of overbureaucratization, or of the clients, by a process of debureaucratization. The discussion focuses on the second alternative with an analysis, illustrated by a case study, of the causes and consequences of debureaucratizaion.
Attribution and Symbolic Interaction: An Impasse at the Generalized Other
Authors: Zito George V. , Jacobs Jerry
Published: August 2005

Attribution theory and symbolic interactionism have developed independently of each another, although both are concerned with the processes employed by ordinary people to make sense of their everyday world. It was inevitable that developments in the one should at last collide with certain well-established tenets of the other. Recent developments in attribution theory respecting differential attributions by Ego of the causes of his own and Alter's behaviors seem to collide with Mead's notion of the Generalized Other. The authors seek to define the current impasse, which they see as further confounding the problem of intersubjectivity.
Broken Frame and Emergent Meaning: The Case of Student Evaluation of Teaching
Authors: Ingram Larry C.
Published: August 2005

Symbolic interaction stresses the personal definition of the situation, while frame analysis seeks to uncover the background assumptions within which interaction takes place. Although some see these as opposing approaches, the argument here is that they are complementary, particularly where social change undermines previous rules for interacting. The argument is illustrated by focusing on the emergence of student evaluation of teaching as an institutionalized method of increasing accountability, and the meaning of these evaluations for administrator-, faculty, and students is considered against the background rules of relationship among the three categories. The closing section examines the impact of social position on selfexpression using Mead's "I" and "me" concepts.
A Framework for Understanding the Definition and Formulation of Problems in Teams
Authors: Sims David
Published: August 2005

This paper proposes that, in order to understand how teams work with issues, we need to consider less the question "How does this team deal with its problems?" and ask instead "How does this team come by the problems it works on?" A framework is offered which is intended to facilitate the understanding of, rather than to make "truthful" statements about, problem finding in teams. It considers the nature of problems in teams, the alternative approaches implicit in the terms problem diagnosis and problem finding, the organizational politics of problem finding in teams, and some of the implications these factors have for those who wish to make things happen differently. While the framework was developed through research on the definition and formulation of problems in some Health Care Planning Teams, it is argued that it is likely to have wide heuristic applicability.
Network Analysis in Organizational Settings
Authors: Tichy Noel , Fombrun Charles
Published: August 2005

This article sets out to reinforce andfurther develop an emerging paradigm: social network analysis, which represents social structure in terms of relationships (ties) between social objects. Not all the social objects are directly linked, and objects may be connected by multiple relationships of affect, influence, information, or goods and services. Network analysis deals with the types and patterns of relationships, and the causes and consequences of these patterns. The article applies the paradigm to the study of organizational structure by both developing theoretical constructs and presenting methodology for carrying out social network analysis in organizations. An analysis of three organizations from the Aston Study is presented using social network analysis to test propositions about differences between mechanistic and organic structures.
Retirement and Life Significance: A Study of the Adjustment to Retirement of a Sample of Men at Management Level
Authors: Beveridge W. E.
Published: August 2005

An analysis of the content of a number of preretirement courses held by work organizations showed evidence of only limited concern with personal adjustment and the discovery of a meaning for retirement. Following a series of interviews and discussions, a questionnaire was therefore devised to test the relevance of course content by identifying the variables most closely associated with retirement satisfaction. The questionnaire was completed by a random sample of 185 retired male managers from seven work organizations in the United Kingdom. A concept termed "life significance" was found to discriminate most effectively between those most satisfied and those least satisfied with their retirement. The implications for preretirement education are indicated. It seems important to give emphasis to the life significance concept and not concentrate only on environmental issues.
Measuring Unemployment: Family Considerations
Authors: Moen Phyllis
Published: August 2005

Unemployment statistics are based on aggregates of individuals, not families, yet the family as a unit suffers from unemployment-especially of the major wage earner. This paper explores the ramifications of using the individual rather than the family as the unit of analysis. Two issues in particular are discussed: the tendency to equate employment/unemployment with family economic well-being and the narrow operationalization of the term "unemployed." Policy implications in the form of additional indicators are discussed.