bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Developmental Changes in the Conceptual Friendship Expectations Associated with Children's Friendship Preferences
Authors: Bigelow Brian John
Published: August 2005

The relationship between friendship preferences for a hypothetical age-mate and the developmental levels of the dyadic friendship expectations (FEs) were obtainedfrom two samples (ages 9 to 10 and 11 to 12) of both sexes (N = 80). Two experiments were conducted, one for each sample. Subjects were first interviewed and classified into their dominant FE levels on a developmental scale. Subjects then rank-ordered preferences for tape recordings of four hypothetical age-mates, each representing alternative FE level statements. These four conditions were one FE level below (1), same level, one level above (+1) and two levels above (+2) the subject's dominant FE level. Sociometric choices were also observed on the 9and 10-year-olds. There was a successive age-shift of first choices from a random distribution over conditions to a -1, + I bifurcation, followed by a predominance of + 1. These changes were accompanied by increased FE interview responses at adjacent FE levels and better recall of condition most preferred. Tentative interpretations were in terms of equilibration mediated by developmental changes in verbal and memory skills. Sociometric choices were mainly in terms of FE level similarity, but were less similar for the older subjects. The reasons for the differences between hypothetical and sociometric choices were interpreted in terms of social compromise and/or measurement error.
Organic Structure and Innovation in Small Work Groups
Authors: Meadows Ian S. G.
Published: August 2005

This study develops the Burns and Stalker (1961) concept of organic structure, in operational terms, applying it to small work groups. A core dimension emerges, called "organicity, " which correlates strongly with the innovativeness of a group's task. The concept and the instruments for its measurement could find applications in studying the relation between individuals and their organizational work roles.
A Function of Friendship: Social Comparisons as a Frame of Reference for Marriage
Authors: Titus Sandra L.
Published: August 2005

This is a descriptive study that examines the perceptions couples have about their interactions with friends and whether these interactions were believed to influence their own marriages. The possible influence of friends on marriage was analyzed in terms of the concept "social comparison." Social comparison is a process whereby people seek out information about other people's responses, feelings, abilities, and expectations and then derive or evaluate their own behavior, goals, feelings, and expectations. In over half of the couples, at least one member of the couple makes comparisons of their own marriage to a friend's marriage. Making a social comparison appears to provide a frame of reference that yields more realistic expectations about marriage.
Comparison of Selected Work Factors in Japan and the United States
Authors: Pascale Richard Tanner , Maguire Mary Ann
Published: August 2005

Industrial relations practices in Japanese companies in Japan and the United States were compared with practices used in American companies. The competing theoretical models underlying these comparisons are those of cultural diversity and sociology of organizations/convergence. Survey and organizational data from thirty-seven companies in ten industries were analyzed in testing hypotheses concerning differences in work environment, style of supervision, job satisfaction, and attendance. More support was received for a modified convergence argument than for cultural diversity.
Social Network Interaction Among Older Adults: Implications for Life Satisfaction
Authors: Mancini Jay A. , Quinn William , Gavigan Miriam Aberg , Franklin Helerietta
Published: August 2005

In-depth interviews were conducted with older adults to ascertain the importance of social relations for life satisfaction. Probability sampling techniques yielded 74 respondents. The findings indicate that older adults are generally not isolatedfrom others, and that life satisfaction is not necessarily enhanced by interpersonal interaction. Two myths of aging, those concerning alienation and enrichment are thereby not supported.
The Formal and Informal Social Structure of a South African Gold Mine
Authors: Moodie T. Dunbar
Published: August 2005

The primary purpose of this article is to examine the structures of domination in a South African gold mine from the perspective of black migrant miners. The formal management organizational blueprint for mine and compound is compared with the actual social structure of the mine. The article concludes that the black miner's experience of domination in the South African gold mines is a complex combination of management-ordained authority and personal power on the part of a series of overlapping, sometimes conflicting, sometimes complementary, black fiefdoms; namely those of the Team Leader [boss boy], Personnel Assistant, Induna, and the clerks.
Correlates of Life Style: Personality, Role Concept, Attitudes, Influences, and Choices
Authors: O'Connell Agnes N.
Published: August 2005

Using the California Psychological Inventory, the Inventory of Women's Life Styles, and the Inventory of Women's Role Concept and Attitudes, three separate life-style patterns were delineated for women leading Traditional, Neotraditional, and Nontraditional life styles. These women differed significantly in personality; role concepts; attitudes; choices of college majors and occupations; motivation; quality of employment experiences; parents' life styles; perceptions of husbands' preferred life styles and attitudes toward male/female roles; own and husbands' education; and family size. Influence of parents' life style, the single most potent variable, contributed .64 of the variance to the daughter's choice of life style. Personal and professional variables which remained significant when influence of parents' life style was controlled were attitude towards college training, educational level, and choice of occupation.
Towards the Development of a Sociotechnical Systems Model in Woodlands Mechanical Harvesting
Authors: Kolodny Harvey F. , Kiggundu Moses N.
Published: August 2005

An empirical study was conducted among eight similarly organized work groups numbering between 17 and 23 mechanics, operators, and supervisors each and employing similar and very sophisticated mechanical-harvesting equipment. Productivity of the higher-performing groups was double that of the lower performers. This article identifies key variables and their interactions in a model designed to explain the productivity variance. The model is developed from a sociotechnical systems perspective.
Targeting and the Humorous Episode in Group Process
Authors: Scogin Forrest R. , Pollio Howard R.
Published: August 2005

The present experiment concerned an evaluation of the number, nature, and pattern of targeted and nontargeted humorous remarks produced by individuals in six different group settings. Results indicated that humorous targeting occurred in about two-thirds of the cases except for short-term problem-solving groups where only 36%l'o of humorous remarks were directed. For all six groups, however, the ratio of appreciative to deprecating targeted remarks was about 2:1 or 3:1. Humorous remarks often occurred in episodes of from two to five remarks, with enduring groups producing more and longer episodes. Single item and more extended episodes contained a greater number of appreciative and neutral remarks while episodes of intermediate length contained more deprecating remarks. For groups in which cross-person targeting was evaluated, there was a reasonably strong correlation between targeting and being targeted by others. Present results were interpreted to suggest that the meaning and function of a humorous event can best be understood from the point of view of the group and not from some external, objective point of view. When this is done, even deprecating remarks can be seen as providing a condition of group support for such remarks allow an acceptable expression of personal and group discomfort even as they single out and specially note individual group members. In addition, such remarks strengthen intragroup bonding by bringing about the communal response of group laughter.
The Development of Professional Role Commitment Among Graduate Students
Authors: Weiss Carin S.
Published: August 2005

This paper focuses on one aspect of the socialization process in graduate and professional schools. Specifically, it examines salient aspects of the socialization experience fostering or inhibiting the development of professional role commitment. The study is based on two indices of professional role commitment, a productivity index and a self-concept index. The results suggest that the frequency and nature of contact with faculty members is significantly related to the amount of professional role commitment. Surprisingly, contact with graduate students in one's discipline does not affect a student's level of professional role commitment. The length of time in graduate school, academic discipline, and prestige of the institution do not alter the relationships suggested. Furthermore, the relationships reported remain and some additional findings are suggested when the influence of sex is examined.
The Double Bind and Social Change in Communal Amana
Authors: Andelson Jonathan G.
Published: August 2005

The sectarian Amana Society of Iowa existed for 89 years as a communal enterprise. In 1932, for a combination of reasons, the Society abandoned communalism and reorganized as a joint-stock corporation. The reasons for the change are discussed in terms of double-bind theory. It is argued that all members faced a conflict between the demands of the sect's plan for salvation and the group's economic dependence on external markets. In addition, the elders experienced a second bind between preserving the community and upholding its rules. The stresses in the Society were resolved through reorganization.
Usefulness of Group Feedback Analysis as a Research Method: Its Application to a Questionnaire Study
Authors: Brown Alan , Heller Frank
Published: August 2005

This paper describes the use of a field research method called group feedback analysis (GFA) applied in two British companies. The study used two phases of questionnaire administration separated by over 12 months. Three majorfunctions of GFA are elaborated and analyzed with examples based, in part, on tape-recorded sessions: (1) validation of the results; (2) producing a deeper understanding of the data; and (3) providing an opportunity for mutual learning.
The Means and End of Work
Authors: Herrick Neal Q.
Published: August 2005

This paper offers a teleological perspective on efforts to improve the quality of working life. Our view of working arrangements and what they "should" be is often confused by contradictory ideas of "what we are pursuing" when we seek to alter the present arrangements. At the enterprise level, there is disagreement among the workplace interest groups (e.g., supervisors, the top manager, local-wide union officers, rank-and-file workers, middle managers, etc.) on which are the means and what is the end of work. There is less disagreement at the societal level about what constitutes the "bottom line": in general, there is an implicit acceptance of the view that the end of work is economic. The schemata presented here recognizes the economic value of work, but only as one means toward a higher end: human well-being.
Conflict, Power, and Organization in a Changing Community
Authors: Gricar Barbara Gray , Brown L. Dave
Published: August 2005

This paper analyzes a case study of conflict among groups of differing power in a community, drawing upon two distinct traditions of conflict theory: integrative and adversarial. The paper examines the evolution of organization within and among groups over a two-year period and the impacts of that evolution on conflict among them. Essentially, a new organization, composed of representatives of the groups in conflict, was created, and mechanisms for regulating information exchange and for handling differences were evolved that reduced the conflict among them. The evolution of the Committee on Residential Lending (CORL) as an institution is examined from the vantage points of level of organization and balancing unequal power relations, and implications for joint use of integrative and adversarial conflict traditions are considered. Three propositions for guiding the joint use of the two traditions are articulated and illustrated.
Situational and Behavioral Moderators of Subordinate Satisfaction with Supervision
Authors: Vecchio Robert P.
Published: August 2005

The additive and interactive relationships of supervisor behaviors (con-sideration, initiation of structure) and work-setting attributes (role clarity, role conflict) relative to criteria of individual job satisfaction were investi-gated with bivariate and multivariate regression analyses. For a sample of 107 supervisor-subordinate dyads, results indicated that situational attributes moderated the influence of supervisor behaviors on satisfaction with supervision, but these attributes did not moderate the influence of supervisor behaviors on other satisfaction criteria. The evidence is inter-preted as underscoring the validity of contingency approaches to the study of leadership and pointing to the need for specifying "relevant" (i.e., con-ceptually proximal) criteria for theoretical networks.
Is Ignorance Bliss? A Reconsideration of the Folk Wisdom
Authors: Sigelman Lee
Published: August 2005

The validity of the proverb that "ignorance is bliss" is tested via analysis of data from the 1974 and 1976 General Social Surveys. A shortened version of a previously validated indicator of general intelligence, when correlated with measures of happiness, life satisfaction, and anomia, is found to be significantly related to all three; only the correlation with anomia, however, is of an impressive magnitude. Intelligence is then used as one predictor of psychological well-being in a series of multivariate models. The multiple regression and partial correlation results indicate that intelligence has no independent impact on either happiness or life satisfaction, but that it is a good predictor of anomia. But the impact of intelligence on anomia is negative, indicating that even when the effects of all the other variables in the analysis are controlled, more intelligent people tend to be less anomic. Overall, these results point toward rejection of the maxim that "ignorance is bliss.."
Conventional vs. Worker-Owned Organizations
Authors: Rhodes Susan R. , Steers Richard M.
Published: August 2005

Based on a sample of worker-owners in a producer cooperative and employees in a conventional organization, this study empirically tests portions of a theoretical model explaining the relationship between worker ownership and control and work attitudes and behaviors. According to the model, worker-owners in the cooperative are hypothesized to have higher perceptions of particiption in decision-making, pay equity, performance-reward contingencies, and group work norms than are employees in the conventional organization. These perceptions, in turn, are expected to lead to an increased commitment to the organization and lower levels of absenteeism, tardiness, accidents, grievances, and turnover. Results partially support the model with members of the cooperative being more committed to their organization, while at the same time having higher absenteeism and tardiness levels than employees in the conventional firm. Implications of results are presented, and directionsforfuture research are discussed.
Leader Behavior in a Police Organization Revisited
Authors: Brief Arthur P. , Aldag Ramon J. , Russell Craig J. , Rude Dale E.
Published: August 2005

For a sample of police personnel, a longitudinal design was employed to examine the relationships between leader role clarification behaviors and subordinate job satisfaction and attitudes toward citizenry as well as the role of perceived skill variety as a potential moderator of those relationships. Further, both the relationships of perceived skill variety to employee responses and the potential moderating role of job longevity on those relationships were considered. Only weak support was provided for the contention that leader role clarification behaviors are favorably associated with subordinate responses. Contrary to the findings of previous studies, relationships of skill variety to responses were weak and inconsistent and neither perceived skill variety nor job longevity played a meaningful moderating role on focal relationships. Relevant differences between the current and past studies, implications of findings of the current study, and suggestions for future research are presented.
The Maturation of Career Theory
Authors: Sonnenfeld Jeffrey , Kotter John P.
Published: August 2005

Career theory, like the phenomena it describes, has grown and developed over the past century. During that time, four main types of theory have emerged. This paper examines the contributions and limitations of each type, starting with the oldest, and identifies the most fundamental trends in the evolution of this theory. The key trend identified is a continuous shift from a relatively static to a relatively dynamic theory. The paper offers a synthesis of this literature, and concludes by suggesting what types of research and theoretical development are now needed if career theory is to continue to mature.
Differences in Job Motivation and Satisfaction Among Female and Male Managers
Authors: Forgionne Guisseppi A. , Peeters Vivian E.
Published: August 2005

This study examines the influence of sex on satisfaction with job related factors, overall job satisfaction, attitudes toward various motivators, and overall job motivation among managers. Using a statistical analysis of survey data, the study identifies many significant differences between male and female managers'perceptions and attitudes. The article then compares the findings to previous research, presents some questions pertinent to policy formation, and suggests avenues for future research.
A Unified Model of Turnover from Organizations
Authors: Bluedorn Allen C.
Published: August 2005

A model of the turnover process is developed by synthesizing three turnover models: those of Price and Mobley and the model which has developed around the organizational commitment variable. This model is tested via path analysis and is generally supported. An attempt to cross-validate the new model also provided reasonable support Jor it.
Top Managers' Beliefs and Rationales for Participation
Authors: Dickson John W.
Published: August 2005

Top managers' beliefs about work were found to vary with rationales for the use of and the outcomes from participation. Endorsers of humanistic beliefs saw participation principally as a means of communication. Endorsers of the organization belief (value of group working) saw decision acceptance as a primary use. Individuals who considered their employees subject to some alienation and exploitation (Marxist-related belief), emphasized participation as a moral right of employees and as a means of increasing employee morale. Endorsers of the work ethic generally attributed less value to participation. As an overall group, the top managers saw decision acceptance, decision quality, and communication between themselves and their employees as prime rationales for participation.
Cybernetics and Organization Theory: Epistemology or Technique?
Authors: Morgan Gareth
Published: August 2005

Based on the view that theorizing is metaphorical, this paper examines the impact of cybernetic imagery on the study of organizations. Imagery treating organizations as "black boxes," "thermostats," "decision-makers," "morphogenic systems," "learning systems," and the concept of "organizational ecology" is explored. Developing the distinction between "cybernetics as technique" and "cybernetics as epistemology, " it is suggested that organization theory has for the most part used cybernetics in the former sense. The paper develops the view that the major challenge cybernetics poses conventional organization theory rests in its epistemological implications. Systematically developed, these have fundamental consequences for the way we view organizations and their mode of operation.
The Relationship Between Size and Performance of Mail Sorting Offices
Authors: Smyth D. S.
Published: August 2005

The paper gives the main results of studies on the size-performance relatio ship of mail sorting offices in two of the developed countries. A distinct optimum size was found at about 450 total operatives and the major factors causing the declining performance of larger offices were identified as deteriorating motivation, increasing specialization in work method, and a poorer industrial relations climate. The performance of small offices is believed to be adversely affected by the minimum number of operatives needed to guarantee service during periods of low demand but who cannot be fully occupied. Special attention was paid to the definition of terms and to statistical technique as these matters have been noted as weaknesses of some previous studies on the effects of size in organizations.
The Potential for "Groupthink" in Autonomous Work Groups
Authors: Manz Charles C. , Sims Henry P.
Published: August 2005

As a result of current problems facing modern organizations a number of strategies have been implemented. The introduction of a work system based on autonomous work groups is one such strategy. A danger to the effectiveness of autonomous work groups is the potential for "groupthink." "Groupthink" is described and suggested to provide a useful observational behavioral category system for studying autonomous work group decision processes. Actual autonomous work group cases are presented to illustrate the relevance and the usefulness of the groupthink framework.
Climate Discrepancy: Refining the Concepts of Psychological and Organizational Climate
Authors: Joyce William F. , Slocum John
Published: August 2005

Most climate research has emphasized either psychological or organizational climate without addressing the conceptual and empirical relationships between these concepts. This research e-xamined the performance and satisfaction correlates of discrepancies between individuals' psychological climates and the multiple aggregate organizational climates present in their work settings. Climate discrepancy was found to be the better predictor of work satisfaction, whereas membership in aggregate organization climates was the better predictor of job performance. Organization climates were identified on the basis of similarity of multidimensional psychological climate scores using hierarchical and nonhierarchical clustering methods. The implications of thesefindingsfor refining the concepts of psychological and organizational climate are discussed.
Top-Management Agreement and Organizational Performance
Authors: Hrebiniak Lawrence G. , Snow Charles C.
Published: August 2005

This paper relates top-management agreement on an organization's strengths and weaknesses with organizational performance. The findings are interesting and provocative, for the data show that agreement among managers is positively related to economic performance, even when controlling for other variables potentially related to organizational performance. The importance of top management agreement and its impact on organization performance are discussed.
Sociotechnical Systems: A North American Reflection on Empirical Studies of the Seventies
Authors: Pasmore William , Francis Carole , Haldeman Jeffrey , Shani Abraham
Published: August 2005

This paper reviews the development of sociotechnical systems theory and research over the past 30 years, paying particular attention to the evolution of the paradigm in North America during the past decade. Elements of sociotechnical systems theory discussed here include the conceptualization of social systems, technical systems, and open systems, joint optimization, organizational choice, variance control, boundary location, support congruence, quality of work life, and continuous learning. A review of 134 experiments is then summarized, indicating which features of sociotechnical systems design are used most frequently, and which in turn are associated with reported success on a number of critical outcome dimensions such as productivity, costs, quality, and satisfaction. An unexpected finding of this review was that while sociotechnical system experiments have been extremely successful overall, the number of experiments involving technological innovation or change is relatively small; moreover, from the results achieved in these experiments, it is obvious that we still have much to learn regarding the design of technical systems for joint optimization. Methodological issues and areas in need of further research are explored.
Values as Predictors of Social Activist Behavior
Authors: Thomas Charles B.
Published: August 2005

This study investigates values as correlates of social activist behavior. A stratified random sample of 75 black and white, Protestant and Catholic male clergy in mainline denominations in Boston and in the first ring of suburbs surrounding Boston were interviewed between July-December, 1975, during the midst of the major Boston school desegregation controversy. Respondents completed the terminal values section of the Rokeach Value Survey, and answered questions about the extent of their participation in activities to support the peaceful implementation of the school desegregation process. Zero-order correlations between social activism and specific values were computed for the clergy sample and compared to previous research with student populations. Partial correlations between social activism and specific values (controlling for the effects of intercorrelations among the values) reveal that "equality" and ':freedom" are the two values which are significantly (p < .05) and positively correlated with social activism. The findings are related to the Rokeach "two-value law of political activism, " with which these results are consistent.
Equity Perception in Multiple Comparisons: A Field Study
Authors: Ronen Simcha
Published: August 2005

Data from a survey of all 721 employees in a light manufacturing firm (553 workers and 168 managers) were used to investigate the role of reference groups inside and outside the organization within the framework of equity theory. Attitude toward pay was used as the basis for comparison. The results indicated that the outside reference group is more important than the inside reference group in explaining job attitudes and behavioral propensities. The results also indicated that the contributions of outside and inside pay components are similar for both managers and workers in evaluating pay satisfaction. The relationship between pay components was different for the two groups on overall job satisfaction, however, and may, in fact, be nonlinear for managers.
An Empirical Investigation of the Groupthink Phenomenon
Authors: Moorhead Gregory , Montanari John R.
Published: August 2005

This paper reports results of an empirical investigation of the groupthink theoreticalframework presented in Janis'second edition of Groupthink. Factor analysis was used to develop scales to measure the aspects of groupthink proposed by Janis (1982). Results supported some, but not all, of the symptoms and defects postulated by Janis. Next, a path analytic procedure was utilized to test the implied causal ordering of the Groupthink model (Janis, 1982, p. 244). This study provides limited support for the causal sequence specified in the model. However, the relationship between groupthink-induced decision defects and outcomes were not as strong as Janis suggests. These results prompt the authors to agree with Courtright (1978) that many intervening and/or moderating factors not included in the Janis framework influence decision outcomes.
The Dynamics of Interdependence in Organizations
Authors: Tjosvold Dean
Published: August 2005

A model is developed that stipulates that task, roles, and reward distribution of organizational structure, perceived goal interdependence, patterns of behavior, and corporate values and interpersonal attitudes form causal loops, and mutually reinforce and sustain each other. Positive and negative goal interdependencies and independence have been identified and result in much different dynamics and outcomes. Studies overall indicate that positive interdependence promotes coordination and productivity. Research is needed to determine generalizability of these findings and to identify the purposes and. situations when negative interdependence and independence are appropriate.
Impact of Extended Cooperative and Competitive Relationships on the Performance of Students in Science
Authors: Okebukola Peter Akinsola
Published: August 2005

The intention of this paper is to determine the effects ofa prolonged period of cooperative and competitive relationships among students on their performance in science. Among the results obtained using 131 class one (seventh grade) students were the following. (1) No significant difference was found to exist in the performance of students in the experimental (those exposed to cooperative and competitive situations) and the control conditions before the end of the first 4 weeks of treatment. (2) After the first 4 weeks, students who carried out intragroup cooperation with intergroup competition achieved significantly better than students who engaged in "pure" cooperation and 'pure" competition. The significance of these and other results of the study for the research on peer relationships and for improved performance of students are discussed.
Developmental Patterns in Self-Analytic Groups
Authors: Kuypers Bart C. , Davies Don , Hazewinkel Aart
Published: August 2005

This study outlines and tests a dialectical model of group development in self-analytic training groups. Part 1 establishes dimensions that differentiate between developmental phases using factor analysis and analysis of variance. In 18 observed groups, a factor named "group cohesion" differentiated most adequately. Part 2 defines the different developmental patterns. Trend analysis showed that, of the 18 groups five developed fully, two arrested in the authority dilemma, and six arrested in the intimacy dilemma. Expectations about the content of group communications for these different development patterns were tested, also through trend analysis, and results supported the theoretical model.
Leader Style, Leader Consistency, and Participant Personality Effects on Learning in Small Groups
Authors: Richardsen Astrid M. , Piper William E.
Published: August 2005

Twelve small experiential learning groups were conducted in which leader style and leader consistency were experimentally manipulated. The leaders were predominantly meaning attributive or predominantly caring in style, and either consistent or inconsistent in their behavior from session to session. Each group was composed of two high, two medium, and two low scorers on the change subscale of the PRF-E. Seventy-one participants provided self-report data concerning several aspects of learning. Evaluations of participant learning were also provided by the three leaders. Leader style that was characterized by a predominance of meaning attributive interventions relative to caring interventions was associated with greater learning. Consistent leader behavior as opposed to inconsistent leader behavior was also associated with greater learning. Evidence for the additive effect of meaning attributive style and consistency on participant learning was discussed. Relationships among participant perceptions of leader style and reports of learning were consistent with previous research findings. The personality trait, change, was associated with few significant findings. Contributions and limitations associated with the present investigation were considered.
The Craft Ideal and the Integration of Work: A Study of Potters
Authors: InksonI Kerr
Published: August 2005

Contemporary self-employed "home" craftspeople are considered in relation to an "ideal type" of craft worker described by C. Wright Mills and others. The ideal stresses absorption in the craft, control over the production process, the use and development of skill, and integration of work with non work. De-skilling and other consequences of employment frequently subvert the ideal, but under conditions of public demand for handcrafted work and self-employment by craftspeople, the ideal may be approached. In a questionnaire study of 67 New Zealand commercial potters, it was found that their perception of their work was largely in accord with the ideal, and, in particular, that work was highly integrated with other aspects of their lives. However, in most cases, the ideal was partly subverted by their status as traders in a market economy and their needs for economic as well as expressive satisfactions.
Value Structures, Formal Structures, and Technology for Lower Participants in Service Organizations
Authors: Mills Peter K. , Turk Thomas , Margulies Newton
Published: August 2005

The effects of technology and formal structures on value structure for lower level individuals in service operations is examined. Service providers (337) in direct contact with clients/customers were surveyed. The results indicate significant relationships among formal structure, task uncertainty, and employee value orientation to customers. Task uncertainty was also found to mediate the relationship between formal structure and value orientation for individuals in direct contact with clients/customers.
Tenure as a Moderator of the Absence-Intent to Leave Relationship
Authors: Ferris Gerald R. , Rowland Kendrith M.
Published: August 2005

Inconsistencies in the absenteeism-turnover relationship have prompted researchers to seek a more informed understanding of how these two forms of organizational withdrawal relate. Recent work on socialization and on job-related experiences at work suggests that the absenteeism-turnover relationship may vary as a function of tenure. The present study examined this notion and found a significant moderating effect for tenure. Low-tenured employees who were absent more frequently tended to be less inclined to leave, whereas high-tenured employees who were absent more reflected a stronger inclination to leave.
Perceived Importance of Job Facets and Overall Job Satisfaction of Industrial Workers
Authors: Khaleque A. , Rahman M. A.
Published: August 2005

The present study is an attempt to measure overall job satisfaction of industrial workers, to identify some determinants of job satisfaction, and to evaluate the perceived importance of job facets to their overall job satisfaction. The study was conducted on 1560 workers selected randomly from four jute industires in Bangladesh. The results indicate that the statisfaction variables are not unidirectional in their effects. Job facets can be sources of both satisfaction and dissatisfaction. Overall job satisfaction of industrial workers seems to be influenced by the satisfaction with job facets and personal life, and the degree of satisfaction appears to depend on the satisfaction with the number of job facets as well as their perceived importance.
Meta-Analysis of the Correlates of Employee Absence
Authors: Farrell Dan , Stamm Carol Lee
Published: August 2005

A quantitative review of employee absence correlates was conducted to address inconsistencies among findings and include the results of studies conducted since the last major review. Correlates were categorized as psychological, demographic work environment, or organization-wide factors and analyzed separately using two operationalizations (total time absent and absence frequency). Occupational status was used as a moderator for correlates with unstable effects. The results of the study indicate that work environment and organization-wide correlates are better predictors of employee absence than psychological or demographic correlates. Both the implications for volitional theories of absence and practical applications of the findings are discussed.
Attention State and Critical Psychological States as Mediators Between Job Dimensions and Job Outcomes
Authors: Fox Shaul , Feldman Gerald
Published: August 2005

Activity-related-attention (ARA), representing the arousal level, is proposed as an intervening variable linking job characteristics to job outcomes. Two initial studies evaluated a new ARA state questionnaire assessing job-related attentional states. Worker responses displayed high internal consistency and were related to job satisfaction as well as to differences between mundane and enjoyable activities. Student responses displayed high test-retest correlations over a 2-week period. The third study compared the relative role of attention/arousal vs. the critical psychological states (CPS) appearing in Hackman and Oldham's (1976) job characteristics model. Questionnaires completed by 119 employees dealt with (1) job characteristics, (2) job outcomes of work satisfaction, effort, and performance, and (3) ARA state, and CPS. Regression analyses indicated that CPS tended to have a stronger mediating role than ARA in the relation between job characteristics and outcomes. However, ARA was found to contribute significantly to the prediction of perceived effort over and above the contribution of CPS. The article discusses the differences between ARA and CPS both in theory and measurement, and displays the potential value of the ARA state in future research.
The Mindlessness of Organizational Behaviors
Authors: Ashforth Blake E. , Fried Yitzhak
Published: August 2005

Much organizational behavior is argued to be performed mindlessly, on the basis of scripts learned through organizational socialization, work experience, and symbolic management. While scripts conserve cognitive capacity, provide a basis for organizing and evaluating behavior, legitimate organizational activities, moderate role conflict, andfacilitate sense making, prediction, and control, they also induce a lack of vigilance and authenticity in operating routines, and bunkered perceptions, premature closure, and superstitious learning in decision making. Directions for future research include documenting the existence and effects of mindlessness, and exploring the predisposing conditions of script processing and means of maximizing the functional and minimizing the dysfunctional aspects of scripts on organizational effectiveness.
Relations among Lateness, Absence, and Turnover: Is There a Progression of Withdrawal?
Authors: Rosse Joseph G.
Published: August 2005

The progression of withdrawal hypothesis predicts a hierarchy among withdrawal behaviors, with lateness being followed by absence, which in turn results in quitting. This paper presents longitudinal attendance data from a sample of 63 hospital employees. Analyses of conditional probabilities revealed progressions from lateness to absence, from multiple (but not single) absences to quitting, and tentative evidence of a lateness-quitting progression. Initial lateness was also found to result in increased subsequent lateness, and likewise for absence.
Personality and Relationship Dispositions as Determinants of Subjective Well-Being
Authors: McLennan Jim , Gotts Gordon H. , Omodei Mary M.
Published: August 2005

Costa and McCrae have proposed that neuroticism and interpersonal warmth are major determinants of subjective well-being (SWB) while gregariousness is not. To test this formulation, a range of standard SWB and self-report personality measures was administererd by means of a structured interview to 144 subjects. Multiple regression analysis showed general emotional vulnerability followed by interpersonal warmth to be highly predictive of SWB. Gregariousness was not significantly predictive of SWB. The findings imply that the amount of social support available to an individual may be less important in contributing to well-being than is generally believed.
Separating Leadership from Leaders: An Assessment of the Effect of Leader and Follower Roles in Organizations
Authors: Vanderslice Virginia J.
Published: August 2005

Findings reported in the research literature concerned with labeling, status and communication in groups, power, expertise, responsibility, and resistance support the position that leader-follower distinctions in organizations are likely to undermine the very goals they are established to achieve. Rather than being inspired by leaders to do their best, it is likely that followers will either limit themselves to status-appropriate behaviors or resist their low power roles. A case study is presented describing one organization's comprehensive set of internal structures that allows them to successfully fulfill leadership functions without creating leader roles. By drawing comparisons between this organization and another enterprise that has a flat structure, some preliminary suggestions regarding necessary conditions for the success of leaderless organizational structures are made. The implications for behavioral scientists are discussed.
Sales Force Motivation: A Theoretical Analysis
Authors: Bushardt Stephen C. , Fowler Aubrey R. , Debnath Sukumar
Published: August 2005

A wide variety of incentives are being employed in the financial services industry. An examination of these practices in light of reinforcement theory suggests that while encouraging higher levels of performance, these incentives fail to sustain the high levels of desired performance. A computerized video is discussed as one means of integrating theory and practice, which should yield high levels of sustained performance from the sales force.
Power Acquisition in a Health Care Setting: An Application of Strategic Contingencies Theory
Authors: Fried Bruce J.
Published: August 2005

Strategic contingencies theory suggests that uncertainty coping, nonsubstitutability, and centrality predict intra-organizational group power. This theory was tested in 20 ambulatory care clinic settings. Physician, nurse, and administrator power and roles were examined. Theoretical support was greatest among nurses, but less conclusive for physicians and administrative personnel, whose roles in the clinics were more clearly prescribed and determined, and influenced to a lesser degree by power-enhancing dynamics. Implications are discussed of the relevance and usefulness of strategic contingencies theory and other theories of organization in health services organizations.
Understanding the Dynamics of Self-Concept of Members in Dual-Career Families
Authors: Sekaran Uma
Published: August 2005

This study examined the gender differences in how self-esteem and sense of competence moderate the relationships between four specific work variables and job satisfaction among members of dual-career families. Based on the gender differences found among a sample of 85 couples in dual-career families, it is conjectured that women with high self-esteem and sense of competence might be experiencing tensions because of an excessive role overload and hence experience lower levels of job satisfaction. Suggestions are made for organizations and family members to enhance the quality of life of both working partners.
Office Design and the Behavior of Senior Managers
Authors: Crouch Andrew , Nimran Umar
Published: August 2005

In this study of office design it was predicted that the presence or absence of office co-workers would influence the behavior of senior managers, over and above the effects of their occupation of open or closed offices. This proposition was supported by a path analysis which was used to derive a descriptive model of the task performance and friendliness of a sample of senior managers. In particular, it was also found that the visibility and audibility of a manager's superior and the presence of other office occupants have both direct and indirect effects on managerial behavior.
Strategic Human Resource Management and Industrial Relations
Authors: Schuler Randall S.
Published: August 2005

It has recently been suggested that the potentially dynamic and proactive role of employers in industrial relations be recognized (Kochan, McKersie, & Cappelli, 1984). Because incorporating the notion of strategic human resource management appears consistent with that suggestion, it is done here integrating frameworks of competitive strategy and human resource management practices using the rationale of needed employee role behaviors and cost and market conditions. This is then merged with business life-cycles stages creating a contingency framework for understanding the impact of strategic human resource management on industrial relations. This is done also using the rationale of cost and market conditions and needed employee role behaviors. The integrated competitive strategy-human resource management model is extended by inclusion of strategic targets and industry chain. The implications for industrial relations are laced throughout the discussion along with three sets of propositions. Implications for employers, employees, unions, and government are presented in the summary and conclusions. Here, the dynamic and proactive role of employers is placed into perspective.
Organizational Politics and Its Effects on Members of Organizations
Authors: Kumar Pramod , Ghadially Rehana
Published: August 2005

The study examines the relationship between political behaviors, e.g., ingratiation, structure change, cooptation, and threat, and their outcomes such as interpersonal trust, alienation, and feeling about job performance. A negative relationship between political behaviors and interpersonal trust andfeelings about performance, and a positive relationship between political behaviors and alienation is hypothesized. Results largely support the hypotheses. However, a relationship between political behaviors and feelings about job performance is marginal. Findings are discussed in the light of available research.
A Study of Bion's Basic Assumption Groups
Authors: Karterud Sigmund
Published: August 2005

Bion's group dynamic theory can be divided into a general group dynamic part, a description of the basic assumptions fight/flight, dependency and pairing, and a metapsychological explanation of the basic assumption phenomena. Previous studies with somewhat questionable methodology have found that the basic assumption pairing seems more closely associated with fight/flight than dependency. This study replicates these findings. Seventyfive inpatient group therapy sessions were studied in detail by Group Emotionality Rating System and Group Focal Conflict Analysis. The phenomenological part of the study suggests quantitative levels when scattered emotional statements turn into manifest basic assumption. The groups demonstrating the association between pairing andfight/flight contained emotionality beyond these levels, thus indicating that they represented "true" basic assumption groups. Several observations suggest that the capacity for pairing is vitalfor the survival of fight/flight groups which otherwise risk the fate of disintegration. These observations call for new metapsychological explanations.
Environmental Determinants of Generic Competitive Strategies: Preliminary Evidence from Structured Content Analysis of Fortune and Business Week Articles (1983-1984)1
Authors: Calingo Luis Ma. R.
Published: August 2005

This paper seeks to determine whether the implementation of a generic competitive strategy (Porter, 1980) reflects variations in the competitive variables of customer price sensitivity and product differentiability, and whether tailor-fitting business strategy to the competitive environment is associated with a higher level of financial performance. Data on 59 companies cross-listed in the Compustat financial data base were obtained from a content analysis of Fortune and Business Week articles during the period 1983-1984. The data partially support the expectations from the Strategic Planning Associates (SPA) matrix, particularly those defining the determinants of differentiation and cost leadership. The findings further suggest the value of an environment/strategy fit to improving the firm's financial performance, particularly its long-term earnings growth.