bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Decision Model for Integration across the Business Curriculum in the 21st Century
Authors: Hamilton Diane , McFarland Dan , Mirchandani Dilip
Published: March 2007

The integration of business curricula is an important trend in management education that will continue well into the 21st century. Primary approaches for curricular integration are described, and an organizing framework is synthesized. The framework consists of two major dimensions: curriculum context and pedagogical approach, yielding four groups of integrative approaches. The key goals and potential problems associated with each integrative approach are identified and discussed. Finally, a heuristic decision model demonstrates how an institution can narrow its focus to a small set of integrative approaches that are consistent with local preferences regarding goals and constraints.
Change Requires Intensive Care: An Experiential Exercise for Learners in University and Corporate Settings
Authors: McDonald Kimberly S. , Mansour-Cole Dina
Published: March 2007

As educators, we must ensure that organizational change and transformation are at the core of our 21st-century management curriculum. In this article, we explore our rationale for changing the design of our leadership course and discuss the development of an experiential exercise that focuses on new themes associated with leading change. The exercise and implementation issues described provide an effective and efficient link between change theory and practice.
Fit in the Classroom: Predictors of Student Performance and Satisfaction in Management Education
Authors: Westerman James W. , Nowicki Margaret Dawn , Plante David
Published: March 2007

The purpose of this study is to enhance the understanding of person-environment fit and examine its effectiveness in predicting student performance and satisfaction in the management education field. Three person-environment fit measures were used: (a) values congruence (the congruence between a student’s ideal value set and the existing value set in a classroom), (b) personality congruence (the fit between a student’s and their professor’s personalities), and (c) classroom environment congruence (the fit between a student’s ideal classroom environment and their perceptions of the existing environment). Data were collected from 171 students in five different sections of management classes taught by 3 different instructors from state-funded educational institutions in the western United States. The results indicated that student-professor personality congruence was a significant predictor of student performance and that classroom environment congruence and values congruence were significant predictors of student satisfaction. Results and implications for classroom practice are discussed.
Negotiating for Grades: Theory into Reality in the Classroom
Authors: Volkema Roger J.
Published: March 2007

This article describes a course that was offered in (rather than about) negotiation and conflict management, in which students negotiated with the instructor for grades. The purpose of the methodology was to bring a level of reality to the course that would go beyond simulation. Issues associated with this course, including student-teacher power differential, responsibility for negotiating, equity, negotiating on promises, and evaluating versus negotiating for grades, are discussed.
Devices to Enliven Text Review
Authors: Lundberg Craig C. , Lundberg Jenna
Published: March 2007

This article describes a number of approaches to assist students to develop a better grasp of the material they are assigned to read. These include devices for learning key terms, developing relationships between ideas, capturing and reinforcing knowledge, and combining ideas in creative ways.
An Integrated Behavioral Approach to Transfer of Interpersonal Leadership Skills
Authors: Fleming Richard K.
Published: March 2007

There is growing concern that academic institutions need to better prepare students of management by teaching interpersonal leadership skills. Yet bridging the gap between classroom learning and later work performance represents a major challenge to educators. Operant, or behavioral, instructional techniques may help us to meet this challenge. This article (a) reviews current experiential methods in management education; (b) presents an operant conceptualization of transfer; (c) illustrates applications of behavioral instruction in management, social work, and psychology; (d) proposes a comprehensive, classroom-and field-based behavioral approach that management educators may use to teach interpersonal leadership skills; and (e) compares that approach with current experiential methods.
On Linking Leadership Theories
Authors: Jackson Conrad N.
Published: March 2007

Students are sometimes confused by the proliferation of leadership theories and concepts and have trouble seeing how these relate to one another and apply to leadership style in real situations. This article discusses an approach to presenting leadership that has been used by the author with encouraging results. It is built around a simple graphic representation, with initiation of structure and substitutes for leadership as the integrating concepts. Implications for participative leadership and employee development are discussed.
Textbook Test File Multiple-Choice Questions can Measure (A) Knowledge, (B) Intellectual Ability, (C) Neither, (D) Both
Authors: Hampton David R.
Published: March 2007

Textbook test file multiple-choice questions have come to play a substantial role in management education, particularly in the large undergraduate introductory course. Most of the questions test the recall of knowledge rather than the exercise of intellectual skills and abilities; many are not accurately classified as to "cognitive type." Instructors can learn to classify questions correctly and to determine if ones now used serve their objectives. They can change old ones, create new higher-level ones, and involve students in the process. Instructors can convey their requirements for test file standards to textbook publishers.
A Quick Way to Defuse Anxiety Before the First Exam: One Professor's Experience
Authors: McNeely Bonnie L.
Published: March 2007

Test anxiety is a serious problem for some students. This article describes a quick and easy approach to help reduce tension before the first exam. The costs are low and the benefits are high.
Assessing and Developing a New Strategic Direction for the Executive MBA
Authors: Heimovics Dick , Taylor Marilyn , Stilwell Richard
Published: March 2007

This article chronicles the efforts and challenges to design and deliver a new executive MBA program at the Henry W. Bloch School of Business and Public Administration at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. It explores the planning phase and process, the unique design and structure of the program, the trials of first-year implementation, overall learning from the experience, and future administrative and curricular challenges.
Teaching and Evaluation in an Integrated Curriculum
Authors: Schlesinger Phyllis Fineman
Published: March 2007

Many schools of management are revising their curricula to present an integrated, cross-functional focus. This should prepare graduates to perform well in organizations of the future. This article describes how a team of MBA faculty members developed an integrated management curriculum. Rationales for developing an integrated curriculum are described. Detailed design processes and delivery methods are presented. Techniques for student and faculty evaluation are included. Advantages and disadvantages of integrating curricula are discussed. Finally, implications of teaching in this manner for organizational behavior faculty members are presented.
What's Fair is Fair: A Case Study in Affirmative Action on the Global Scene
Authors: Stroh Linda K. , Dennis Leslie E.
Published: March 2007

With the increase in globalization, more expatriate managers confront on-the-job problems for which their U.S. training and experience have not prepared them. This case study addresses issues of affirmative action and fairness while helping students and managers in international organizational behavior and global management evaluate whether they could make the compromises necessary to manage in some non-U.S. environments.
The Assessment of Coping
Authors: McHaffie Hazel E.
Published: March 2007

Major methodological problems attend any attempt to measure coping. Some of these difficulties relate to the timeframe, the units of evaluation, and who should judge the effectiveness of coping behaviors. Account must be taken of factors as diverse as the social context of the individual and the balance of costs and benefits to a person as a result of adopting a given strategy. Although many instruments exist to measure aspects of coping, there is a need to lay a sure foundation in subjective assessments by patients and never to lose sight of the individuality of each person and situation. The article reports on research conducted in the Nursing Research Unit at the University of Edinburgh in which an attempt has been made to examine both measurement issues and the components that explain coping.
Multiple Sclerosis
Authors: O'Brien Mary T.
Published: March 2007

This descriptive study explores the types and sources of social support and examines the relationship between types and sources of social support and physical disability and length of illness of 101 individuals with multiple sclerosis. The Norbeck Social Support Questionnaire was used to examine functional support (affect, affirmation, and aid) and structural support (size of network, duration of relationships. And frequency of contact). Findings reveal that subjects perceived "moderate" to "quite a bit" of affect (love, respect, and admiration) but only "moderate" to "little" amounts of affirmation (support of one's thoughts or actions) and tangible aid. Results of multivariate analysis of variance carried out on 44 subjects reveals that subjects perceived more support from spouse/partner than from any other source. Correlational analysts indicates that subjects with higher levels of disability perceived less overall support from spouse/partner and family. Findings also indicate that subjects with a longer period of illness perceived less amount of affect and affirmation and had less contact with network members.
The Development of Mothers' Understanding of Infant Crying
Authors: Drummond Jane E. , McBride Michelle L. , Wiebe C. Faye
Published: March 2007

This study examines the development of mothers' understanding of their infants' crying. Semistructured tape-recorded interviews were conducted with 17 mothers at 6 weeks, 10 weeks, and 16 weeks postpartum. The mothers (9 primiparous, 8 multiparous) were chosen for their good health status and for their immediate support system. Two major themes were identified from the interviews. In general, it was found that as the mothers became more experienced, the understanding of the cry situation became more complete and soothing was more effective. The relation between crying and soothing became more differentiated, more cohesive, and more complete. The effect of experience on understanding was particularly dramatic in the case of multiparous mothers. Both health promotional and illness prevention programming are proposed as nursing care measures for mothers of crying infants. The important assumptions underlying each approach are delineated.
Narratives by District Nurses about Elder Abuse within Families
Authors: Saveman Britt-Inger , Hallberg Ingalill R. , Norberg Astrid
Published: March 2007

Twenty-one district nurses (DNs) narrated 44 cases of elder abuse within families. A phenomenological-hermeneutical analysis revealed that the experiences were complex and often included families providing care for an elderly person. The abuse seemed to be related to the inability of one party to meet the care demands required by the elderly, by him- or herself, or by the situation. It also seemed to be related to an inhibiting dependency between the parties, a negative execution of power over the weaker party, and a history of violence. When the experiences were considered within the perspective of Lögstrup's ethics, it appeared that the DNs tried to remain neutral by not consciously reflecting on the ethical demands in the abuse situations. The findings suggest that nurses need support to enable them to decide about provision of care at home and to judge "the core" in abuse situations. They might gain this support through reflection on a meta-level, taking various perspectives into account, and thus making it possible to achieve new dimensions for decision making.
Intravenous Therapy Needle Choices in Ambulatory Cancer Patients
Authors: Olson Karin L. , Gomes Valerie
Published: March 2007

The purpose of this research utilization project was to evaluate a set of research-based decision rules designed to guide needle choice for peripheral intravenous (IV) therapy in ambulatory cancer patients. A consecutive series of 100 patients receiving IV therapy for one day were assigned to receive either a plastic catheter or a steel needle using the decision rules based on age, weight, vein condition, solution to be administered, and infusion volume, and were evaluated for phlebitis, local or systemic infection, and extravasation. None of the patients experienced phlebitis or infection, and a 25% cost savings ($6,800 Canadian) was obtained. Two patients (5%) from the "steel needle group" experienced an extravasation of 5FU but neither required treatment nor experienced changes to subsequent peripheral IV therapy. Our nursing procedure for initiation of IV therapy has been changed to reflect the needle choice decision rules evaluated in this project.
Urinary Continence Changes after Hip-Fracture Repair
Authors: Palmer Mary H. , Myers Ann H. , Fedenko Katherine M.
Published: March 2007

Hip fractures can adversely affect an older adult's functional well-being. Little is known about the changes in continence status after hip-fracture repair, To investigate postoperative complications, the authors reviewed a convenience sample of 100 medical records of adults ages 55 years and over who were admitted to two metropolitan Baltimore hospitals for surgical repair of a fractured hip. There were data regarding postoperative incontinence for 95 individuals. Prevalence of urinary incontinence significantly increased from the preoperative rate of 20% to 43% postoperatively. That is, 19 individuals were incontinent preoperatively, and 41 individuals were incontinent postoperatively. Two individuals who had been incontinent preoperatively became continent postoperatively. Men were more likely to become incontinent than women, as were cognitively impaired individuals compared to cognitively intact individuals.
Diary Reports of Nausea and Vomiting during Pregnancy
Authors: O'Brien Beverley , Relyea Joyce , Lidstone Terri
Published: March 2007

Nausea and vomiting during pregnancy can have a profound effect on the lives of some women. Symptoms have been reported across cultures and throughout recorded history, but interventions that consistently relieve symptoms have not been documented. As part of a larger study, strategies or situations that stimulate or relieve nausea and vomiting or retching were evaluated qualitatively. Participants (n = 124) who experienced nausea during pregnancy with or without vomiting/retching kept a diary for 7 days, recording any interventions or symptom relief measures that they used, evaluating the effectiveness of these measures, and recording activities or situations that exacerbated their symptoms. Data from the diaries were categorized using content analysis. Rest, particularly napping, was a measure that was universally employed to relieve symptoms. Participants reported that almost any type of sensory perception could stimulate symptoms. Sensory stimuli were often exaggerated or altered. with perceptions of odors being profoundly affected. Implications for nursing practice are discussed.
Nurses' Descriptions of Caring for Culturally Diverse Clients
Authors: Kim Sheryl Reimer
Published: March 2007

The nursing profession has responded to today's cultural diversity through theory development, association statements, research, and inclusion of cultural content in nursing curricula. This qualitative study was completed to explore whether this increased attention to cultural diversity is resulting in culturally sensitive nursing care. In this preliminary description of cross-cultural care, eight recently graduated nurses were each interviewed twice. Caring for culturally diverse clients is reflected by these participants as complex and challenging, due to the interrelatedness of multiple personal and contextual factors. Nurses' commitment to caring for culturally diverse clients varies, ranging from "resistant" to "generalist" to "impassioned." Contextual factors include the setting of health care, the support of colleagues, the institutional climate, the foundation of education, and the presence of racism. Despite the nursing profession's attention directed toward issues of cultural diversity, it seems that the goal of culturally sensitive care remains a distant ideal.
Is the Glass Ceiling Unbreakable?
Authors: Corsun David L. , Costen Wanda M.
Published: March 2007

The phenomenon of the glass ceiling is examined through the lenses of macro-organizational and sociological theory. Presented are several theoretical bases for viewing the glass ceiling and its perpetuation as the consequences of U.S. history, the distribution of capital among its people, the actions of the powerful that help them retain power, and the reality that the majority of the powerful in America have White maleness in common.
"Evil" Manifested in Destructive Individual Behavior
Authors: Delbecq Andre L.
Published: March 2007

This article reflects on the self-reported experiences of senior executives who encounter "dark and destructive" personalities among professionals who "suck the life juices"from their organizational group, crippling the group in such a way that all positive spirit is lost. Shying from clinical terms outside their domain, these executives label this behavior as evil. The article undertakes a description of evil as reflected in their reports and sets forth tentative recommendations and cautions for dealing with this complex subject. It concludes that management theory by avoiding this difficult topic gives greater power to the dark side of organizational life.
The Idols of Organizational Theory
Authors: Kessler Eric H.
Published: March 2007

The comic strip Dilbert has been commercially successful in portraying dysfunctional aspects of the workplace. However, it is not well linked to related academic work, and its descriptive success is not matched by its prescriptive usefulness. This article (a) employs Francis Bacon's "idols of the mind"framework (b) to organize academic research in the field of organizational theory (c) for the purposes of better understanding the Dilbert principle and outlining appropriate coping mechanisms or, if changeable, managerial actions to address its different root causes.
The Roman God Mercury
Authors: Bird Barbara J.
Published: March 2007

The emergence of new organizations, the making and losing of personal fortunes, the waxing and waning of egos and influence, and the altering landscape of competition are aspects of entrepreneurship that at the same time impress and arouse suspicion in the observer. The central character in this fascination is the entrepreneur and the central activities are creativity, change, and transformation. This article explores a story of the Roman god Mercury that suggests an archetype of entrepreneurship. This Jungian look at entrepreneurs focuses on appetite, vision, changeableness, fast action, and networks at the individual level and on economic chaos at the social level. The shadow sides of Mercury and entrepreneurship are also explored for sources of suspicion. The essay offers implications for entrepreneurs and venture stakeholders.
Personal Values and Management
Authors: Connor Patrick E. , Becker Boris W.
Published: March 2007

Research into the relationship between personal values and organizational phenomena has enjoyed a lengthy history. As a result, there is fair agreement among management scholars about two things: what values are and with what they vary. There are also substantial gaps in understanding, including how (if) values cause behavior and what happens to them when the individual joins an organization or enters an occupation. The authors identify some possible reasons for these gaps, having to do with the level(s) at which the values construct is conceptualized, methodological irregularities in values research, and neglect by management scholars, and discuss attendant corrective actions.
Combined Bending and Thermal Fatigue of High-Temperature Metal-Matrix Composites: Computational Simulation
Authors: Gotsis Pascal K. , Chamis Christos C.
Published: March 2007

The nonlinear behavior of a high-temperature metal-matrix composite (HT-MMC) was simulated by using the METCAN (Metal Matrix Composite Analyzer) computer code. The simulation started with the fabrication process, proceeded to thermo mechanical cyclic loading, and ended with the application of a monotonic load. Classical laminate theory and composite micromechanics and macromechanics are used in MET CAN, along with a multifactor interaction model for the constituents' behavior. The simu lation of the stress-strain behavior from the macromechanical and the micromechanical points of view, as well as the initiation and final failure of the constituents and the plies in the composite, was examined in detail. It was shown that, when the fibers and the matrix were perfectly bonded, the fracture started in the matrix and then propagated with increas ing load to the fibers. After the fibers fractured, the composite lost its capacity to carry ad ditional load and fractured.
A Cylindrical Void Growth Model in Visco-Plastic Materials
Authors: Pan K.L. , Huang Z.P.
Published: March 2007

Based on the general macroscopic potential theory, a method to find macroscopic plastic potential and the corresponding constitutive relation is developed for visco-plastic materials containing cylindrical voids. The constitutive relation of the matrix has a generalized overstress form. A comparison of the exact macroscopic potential with its upper bound is made. The numerical results show little difference between the upper bound potential and the exact one. The macroscopic constitutive relation is investigated under triaxial loading conditions. When the strain rate sensitive parameter tends to zero, Gurson's model (1977) is retrieved. When the loading condition is axisymmetric, the pres ent result reverts to Licht and Suquet's result (1988). When the matrix becomes infinite, the result of Budiansky et al. (1982) is obtained. Finally, the macroscopic constitutive rela tion and the corresponding dynamic loading surface are investigated for the case of axi symmetric load. An approximate analytical expression of the dynamic loading surface is suggested through analysis and numerical fitting.
Void/Bridged-Crack Interactions and Their Implications for Defect Coalescence
Authors: Chandra A. , Hu K.X.
Published: March 2007

Void-crack interactions with crack bridging play an important role in the determination of rupture failure modes of composite materials. In this paper, an integral equation approach is developed to study the behavior of systems containing multiple in teracting voids and cracks with a general form of crack bridging. The formulation is based on a superposition technique that decompose the interacting voids and cracks into a number of subproblems, each involving only a single void or single crack. The integral equations are fully non-singular and thus can be solved effectively with a Gauss integra tion scheme. Numerical examples are given in order to study the effects of bridging, bridg ing anisotropy, void size, and void spacing, among others, on the crack-tip behavior. The influence of void-crack interactions on the fracture path are also investigated. For a material containing doubly periodic collinear holes arranged with offsets in subsequent rows, it is found that the fracture path can be formed either by the coalescence of the holes in a row or by the coalescence of the holes across neighboring rows, depending on the ratio of vertical to horizontal void spacing.
An Exploration of Employee Participation Using a Scaling Approach
Authors: Drehmer David E. , Belohlav James A. , Coye Ray W.
Published: March 2007

Organizations considering having their employees participate in workplace decision making are faced with significant decisions about the nature and extent of activities in such programs. In general, the managerial literature provides mixed reviews on the success of these types of programs. The present study examines, by means of Rasch model analysis, the experiences of a large sample of organizations undertaking a variety of participation-related activities. The results suggest that there is an underlying relationship among differing employee participation activities, and, consequently, attention must be given to the processes used to choose and implement those activities.
The Influence of Empowerment and Job Enrichment on Employee Loyalty in a Downsizing Environment
Authors: Niehoff Brian P. , Moorman Robert H. , Blakely Gerald , Fuller Jack
Published: March 2007

Maintaining survivors’ loyalty in a downsizing environment is a difficult problem for management practitioners. Theorists have suggested that empowerment and job enrichment are mechanisms that allow survivors to cope with the stress of downsizing. This study examined the relationships between managerial empowerment behaviors, perceptions of job enrichment, and loyalty behaviors with employees who have survived downsizing in an organization. Results showed that empowerment does not have a direct effect on loyalty but affects loyalty indirectly through job enrichment. The results are discussed in terms of their implications for theory and practice.
Organization Development Techniques: Their Impact on Change
Authors: Margulies Newton , Wright Penny L. , Scholl Richard W.
Published: March 2007

Organization development (OD), as an applied arm of the field of organizational behavior, purports to facilitate organizational change through the use of a variety of change interventions. Its proponents feel that the tools and techniques of OD can improve an organization's problem-solving ability, increase its ability to adapt to rapid societal change, and provide managers an updated set of concepts and methods for managing their organizations. This article reviews and evaluates the research on the impact of organization development interventions. Although there is an abundance of literature on OD, there is very little research on its effects that can withstand the rigorous testing most social scientists would expect. Further more, there is research available on only six interventions of the wide variety re ported in the literature. Although there is a paucity of research information in this area, what is available does help to identify what is known and what is speculation about OD. More important, the review reported here indicates areas for improved research and directions for future research.
Perspectives
Authors: pfeiffer j. william
Published: March 2007

The December 1977 issue of G&OS included Warner Burke's American perspective on organization development in Japan. We hope that the views of Burke and Nobuaki Kuniya in combination with editorial comments will give readers a balanced presentation on the salient dimensions of organization development in Japan.
The C-Group Approach to Laboratory Learning
Authors: Babad Elisha Y. , Birnbaum Max , Benne Kenneth D.
Published: March 2007

This article is a presentation of the method and application of the Clarifi cation Group (C-group). The C-group is based on social-psychological and sociological knowledge and is focused on intergroup phenomena, socio-identities, stereotypy, and prejudice. In the first part of this article, the authors delineate the nature of the C-group; its philosophical and societal value bases; and the major needs and concerns met by the C-group approach (in and of itself and in comparison with other human relations approaches). The major goals of the C-group are explicated in detail. A major part of the paper is concerned with C-group application for the use of trainers and group practitioners. The application portion includes a description and analysis of the major structured activities utilized in the C-group laboratory and some general considerations con cerning C-group design and application.
Learned Behavior: The Key to Understanding and Preventing Employee Resistance to Change
Authors: Mealiea Laird W.
Published: March 2007

The article develops a conceptual model that describes how and why employees learn to resist planned change within an organizational set ting. The argument is made that planned change, when introduced by management, has the potential of blocking affected employees from satis fying their dominant need structures. As a result, the employees learn to associate negative tension states, i.e., anxiety, frustration, or fear, with the introduction of change. It is further argued that the existence of a perceived link between change and blocked need satisfaction increases the probability that employees will resist future change programs. A set of change strategies is developed for management to break this perceived link and thereby reduce the probability of employee resistance.
Staff Development and Organization Development: An Analysis of Their Interaction in a Community-College Setting and Resulting Changes
Authors: Kozoll Charles E. , Means Robert P. , Weichenthal Phyllis B.
Published: March 2007

This article examines the dynamics of a project to increase professional- development opportunities for part-time faculty members in three Il linois community colleges. The project involved efforts by a land-grant institution to encourage a unique and interactive approach to staff and organization development in community colleges. Strategies used by a project team from the land-grant institution were based on a low-key consultative technique designed to build community-college ownership of the program. The project staff linked the resources of the three colleges, collected information, and suggested approaches to professional devel opment for part-time faculty members that could be implemented by their own staffs. The approach led not only to staff development, but to organizational change within three institutions without the threat that often accompanies such action. Strategies involved senior administrative support and teams of interested faculty members, administrators, and opinion leaders. The project resulted in staff-development activities at each college, including resource handbooks for part-time faculty, meet ings with full-time personnel, and greater access to existing services. The institutions were more positive toward professional development for part-time faculty as a result of the project, and the project team learned a great deal about a low-key approach to consultation with two-year in stitutions to promote staff and organizational change.
Perspectives
Authors: jones john e.
Published: March 2007

Affirmative-action issues with regard to organizational consulting remain current, despite years of practice and discussion. We asked a member of the UA staff, Dr. Phyliss Cooke, to prepare a position paper on the subject from the standpoint of her own experience and values. We invited Dr. Alice Sargent, an organizational consultant in Washington, D.C., to respond to the issues. She is well known for her views on sexism and androgyny. We offer these overlapping views to help focus the continuing concerns around this topic.
The Relationship Between Management Styles and Functional Specialization
Authors: Forbes J. Benjamin
Published: March 2007

This article explores differences in self-reported managerial be havior across five functional specialties. The functions are analyzed with respect to the need to process uncertainty and equivocality. Systems theory propositions are used to predict aspects of mana gerial style related to the use of (a) formal rules and authority, (b) information search, and (c) delegation and group decision making. Significant differences across functions were found in the first two areas but not the third. In addition, it was hypothesized and found that differences in interpersonal orientation across functions were related to the content of the job, not to equivocality or uncertainty.
Meaning Making and Management Action
Authors: Merron Keith , Fisher Dalmar , Torbert William R.
Published: March 2007

This research suggests that management styles are shaped by developmental stage, that is, by the way the individual makes meaning of his or her world. Subjects were 49 MBA alumni and students, all of whom held full-time positions in a variety of organizations. Managers at later developmental stages, measured by Loevinger's Sentence Completion Test, were more likely to redefine problems on an in-basket exercise than to accept them as presented. The data also indicated, though less clearly, that later-stage managers were more likely to act collaboratively. Implications are offered for leadership theory and management development.
Organizational Restructuring
Authors: Olson Deborah A. , Tetrick Lois E.
Published: March 2007

The impact of an externally imposed organizational restructuring on role per ceptions, satisfaction, and relationships among organizational members was investi gated. Representative samples, randomly selected, from a large Midwestern organization completed the annual employee opinion survey at two points in time, the first survey was conducted approximately one year before the restructuring process was officially mandated, and the second survey was conducted three months after the mandated restructuring effective date was determined. Results indicated that organization level moderated the impact of organizational restructuring on satisfaction with supervision and security. The effect for satisfaction with security was found only for those individuals who had experienced a job change within the 12 months prior to the second survey.
Contextual and Internal Variables Affecting Task Group Outcomes in Organizations
Authors: Bushe Gervase R. , Johnson A. Lea
Published: March 2007

This study evolved from a concern with helping managers to increase the probability of creating effective task groups when they are not group members. A survey of 59 members of 10 different task groups in 5 different organizations was used to study the varying effects of contextual and internal group variables on group outcomes. Three dimensions of group context which can be manipulated by managers were studied: resource mix, motivating task, and environmental support. Regression analysis showed that contextual variables accounted for 41% of the variance in task accomplishment, while mainly internal group variables explained 48% of the variance in output quality. Limitations of the current study and directions for future research are discussed.
Empathy Training for Hospital Staff Nurses
Authors: Herbek Thomas A. , Yammarino Francis J.
Published: March 2007

Extensive research indicates that individuals in helping professions such as nursing must be empathic. The purpose of this study was to design and assess the effectiveness of an empathy-training program for hospital staff nurses. The nursing staff from two medical/surgical units in a large medical center participated in the study. The experimental group of nurses (n = 20) participated in an intensive training program designed to help them become more empathic and improve their interactions with patients. The control group of nurses (n = 16) did not receive any training. Pre- and posttraining measures of emotional empathy/empathic tendency were used, and results indicated that the training program enhanced nurses' empathy in the experimental group.
The Use of Organizational Tasking
Authors: Sparks P. Michael
Published: March 2007

What should a consultant have managers do between intervention sessions to help further the process of change? This case study suggests that the concept of organizational tasking can provide one answer to this question. Two kinds of organizational task assignments, drawn from the literature on family therapy, are discussed: prescription task assignments and formula task assignments. Their use in helping to resolve a troubled situation in a transit property is described. Time series data are presented that offer evidence on the possible effectiveness of the use of organizational tasking.
A Structural Analysis of the Formation of a Network Organization
Authors: Bovasso Gregory
Published: March 2007

The development of network organizations is increasingly necessary in a global information-oriented economy. The network organization is a highly decentralized and densely integrated social system that maximizes mutual influence and communication. An intervention to develop a network organization in the context of a merger conducted by a major multinational corporation is evaluated here, using a network analysis of sociometric survey data. The computer program, STRUCTURE, developed by Burt, was used to compute indexes of the structure of social influence. Repeated measures multivariate analysis of variance indicated a decrease over time in structural differences between hierarchy levels and between geographic divisions. These changes in social networks may be attributable to the organizational merger, particularly the intervention designed to facilitate that merger. Leadership style appeared to be associated in a reciprocal fashion with the structure of social influence. Network analysis may be a practical tool in structural and process approaches to organizational development, especially in network-style organizations.
Factors Associated with Workers' Inclination to Participate in an Employee Involvement Program
Authors: Miller Robert W. , Prichard Frederick N.
Published: March 2007

Understanding factors associated with workers' inclination to participate in employee involvement programs can contribute to program success. The results of this study support hypotheses that predict that employees who are interested in participation will be younger, more interested in job advancement, more optimistic about program benefits, and more active in their union than those who are uninterested. These findings are consistent with viewing workers' interests in participation as a search for increased responsibility, self-expression, and personal need fulfillment.
Managerial Level and Subunit Function as Determinants of Networking Behavior in Organizations
Authors: Michael James , Yukl Gary
Published: March 2007

This article describes a field study conducted to test a conceptual model on situational determinants of networking behavior. The findings indicated support for a new measure of internal and external networking behavior. Consistent with our model, external networking was affected by managerial function and level, but internal networking was affected only by managerial level. Dependencies partially mediated the effects of managerial function and level on networking behaviors. The amount of dependency on different types of network members also varied by level and function. However, the reasons given by managers for dependency on key network members were similar for internal and external networks. Rate of advancement for managers was predicted weakly by their internal and external networking.
Putting the Work Back into Work/Family
Authors: Perlow Leslie A.
Published: March 2007

This article locates the source of the work/family conflict in our shared underlying assumptions about how work must be done if one is to succeed. Based on a 6-month field study of engineers in a Fortune 100 company, three barriers to the successful implementation of work/family policies and programs were identified. Examining the source of these barriers reveals an assumption that individuals must be present at work to succeed. Gidden's theory of structuration is applied to explain why this assumption perpetuates. The article further indicates that to alter this assumption will require rethinking the organization's reward system and the recurrence of impromptu interactions that result. At the end, the article suggests that surfacing this and other underlying assumptions about work has potential benefits for organizations, as well as individuals.
The Impact of a Developmental Performance Appraisal Program on Employee Perceptions in an Australian Federal Agency
Authors: Tharenou Phyllis
Published: March 2007

A developmental performance appraisal program was introduced into an Australian Federal agency. Pre- and posttest measures of appraisal characteristics, employee responses, and appraisal beliefs were gathered by surveying 108 appraised and 64 nonappraised employees. Increases occurred in some characteristics of appraisal, those of feedback and action planning, as well as in employee responses of satisfaction with feedback and self-rated performance improvement, although not in perceived rewards and training effectiveness. For those appraised, compared to those not appraised, feedback, action planning and supervisor support enhanced satisfaction with feedback, supervisor support enhanced training effectiveness, and feedback enhanced rewards. Overall, employee beliefs about appraisal did not influence the positive relationships between appraisal characteristics and employee responses. For supervisors, relationships were more positive between appraisal characteristics and training effectiveness than for subordinates, but not with regard to employee responses.
Adopting High-Involvement Human Resource Practices
Authors: Sanchez Juan I. , Kraus Eyran , White Steve , Williams Marie
Published: March 2007

Results from a survey of 107 organizations suggested that the organizational process of bench-marking mediates the effects of munificence on high-involvement human resource (HR) practices. The weak relationship between munificence and HR practices observed in past studies might be explained by the failure to account for this organizational process. Implications for HR managers and practitioners interested in the role that benchmarking plays in organizations are highlighted.
Leg Coordination Mechanisms in the Stick Insect Applied to Hexapod Robot Locomotion
Authors: Espenschied Kenneth S. , Chiel Hillel J. , Quinn Roger D. , Beer Randall D.
Published: March 2007

Three of the mechanisms believed to be responsible for leg coordination in the stick insect, Carausius morosus, are used to control the straight-line locomotion of a hexapod robot on a smooth surface. The robot walks with a continuum of statically stable insectlike gaits in response to a single, scalar user input that controls the speed of locomotion. This control strategy is highly robust in the sense that the controller continues to maintain its basic function of causing the robot to walk effectively despite large perturbations to the controller. This controller robustness was demonstrated by inducing a wide variety of lesions (severing of connections) and performing parameter sensitivity studies.
An Investigation into the Evolution of Communication
Authors: Di Paolo Ezequiel A.
Published: March 2007

This article presents a theoretical criticism of current approaches to the study of the evolution of communication. In particular, two very common preconceptions about the subject are analyzed: the role of natural selection in the definition of the phenomenon of communication and the metaphor of communication as information exchange. An alternative characterization is presented in terms of autopoietic theory, which avoids the mentioned preconceptions. In support of this view, the evolution of coordinated activity is studied in a population of artificial agents playing an interactional game. Dynamical modeling of this evolutionary process based on game-theoretical considerations shows the existence of an evolutionarily stable strategy in the total lack of coordinated activity which, however, may be unreachable due to the presence of a periodic attractor. In a computational model of the same game, action coordination evolves even with individual costs against it, due to the presence of spatial structuring processes. A detailed explanation of this phenomenon, which does not require kin selection, is presented. In an extended game, recursive coordination evolves nontrivially when the participants share all the relevant information, demonstrating that the metaphor of information exchange can be misleading. It is shown that agents engaged in this sort of interaction are able to perform beyond their individual capabilities.
Knowledge Capitalization and Time Reduction within Concurrent Engineering Concepts: Some Applications
Authors: Renaud Jean , Boly Vincent , Rault-Jacquot Valérie
Published: March 2007

This survey presents a new approach aimed at reducing time within new product development processes. The authors have based their proposition on four stages: formalization of the existing decision-making process, improvement of the decision-making process and memorization of know-how. The results of an experimentation using a panel of five firms are described. Among other, the following outcomes can be cited, considering decision-making is efficient in terms of modelization, participation remains necessary and some decisions can be made early in the process.
Product Quality in Optimization Models
Authors: Wilde Douglass J.
Published: March 2007

Definition of a "quality margin" concept permits putting product quality into an optimization model in the constraints instead of only in the objective function, as in Taguchi's method. This permits incorporating not only more than one quality attribute, but also other performance constraints, such as power or strength, into a single optimization model solvable by standard techniques, here monotonicity analysis These ideas are applied to an extended version of Taguchi's didactic electric circuit problem to obtain five very different designs. These illustrate the trade-offs between quality, power consumption, and cost characteristic of many consumer products
Integrated Design and Verification System for Finite Element Modelling
Authors: Jeppsson Peter , Svoboda Ales
Published: March 2007

This paper presents a computer-integrated system for design, manufacturing simulation, and inspection using a coordinate measurement machine (CMM). The work is concerned with the problem of predicting the shape of the container for hot isostatic pressing (HIP) and it focuses on the verification of a finite element (FE) simulation model for HIP. The verification is performed by comparing the simulated geometry of a real component produced by HIP. The geometry of the HIP component is measured by a CMM. The whole process from design and manufactunng simulation to inspection and geometry verification is performed within a computer-aided concurrent engineering (CACE) system. The system is built on both commercial and non-commercial software. The communication between a CMM, a geometnc modelling system, and the finite element simulation codes is developed. The manufacturing of a turbine component to net shape geometry using HIP is chosen as a demonstrator example. The benefits of the presented CACE system are time and cost savings as well as higher product quality.
Concurrent Axiomatic and Robust Design using Compromise Decision Support Problems
Authors: Bras Bert , Mistree Farrokh
Published: March 2007

Compromise decision support problems (DSPs) are used to model engineering decisions involving multiple trade-offs. In this paper we focus on how to use them to perform axiomatic and robust design in a concurrent fashion. A compromise DSP is presented and solved for the concurrent achievement of the design's functional requirements and Suh's independence and information content axioms. A model for the selection of principal design parameters from a set of design parameters is included in this compromise DSP. Taguchi's signal-to-noise ratio is used as a metric for the reduction of the information content and increasing the robustness of the design. As an example, an electrical network is designed.