bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Future uncertain: Expected vs. attained job mobility among managers
Authors: NICHOLSON NIGEL , WEST MICHAEL , CAWSEY THOMAS F.
Published: August 2011

How good are managers at predicting their own job mobility? A one‐year follow up (n = 1082) to a large scale survey of British managers allowed respondents' original predictions of their own likely job changes over the coming year to be tested. Results showed expectations were predictive of actual attainments well above chance level, more so for employer changes than for promotions and other job changes, but the level of prediction in general was not high, only equivalent to correlations of between 0·2 and 0·3. Most managers, it seems, have inaccurate perceptions of their short‐term career futures. The implications are considered for the relationship between intention and behaviour, ‘the illusion of control’ and biases affecting judgement under uncertainty. It is suggested that career development practice would be enhanced by a more realistic and open analysis of uncertainty and its causes. The findings also carry a cautionary message about statistical inference from contingency tables.
Perceptions regarding standards for evaluating pay equity and their determinants
Authors: DORNSTEIN MIRIAM
Published: August 2011

The paper reports the results of a research study dealing with perceptions regarding standards and norms of pay equity evaluation. The research was carried out among a sample of blue‐collar and white‐collar industrial employees in Israel.

The major aims were to investigate what standards of evaluation are perceived as relevant and how they are scaled, what normative frameworks guide these perceptions, and what factors account for the variances in these variables.

The findings reveal the existence of considerable variances in perceptions and indicate that a number of variables specified in the hypotheses explain a substantial amount of the variances. Occupational status was found to be the most important of these variables. The implications of these findings are discussed.
Career goals, organizational reward systems and technical updating in engineers
Authors: STEINER DIRK D. , FARR JAMES L.
Published: August 2011

The relationships among engineers' career aspirations, technical obsolescence, personal variables, work characteristics, and perceptions of the organization's reward system were examined in this study. A discriminant function analysis indicated that (a) perceptions of the organization's reward system for management careers and (b) administrative performance were two dimensions that could correctly classify 59·8 per cent of the engineers into one of three career‐orientation groups. Career orientation was unrelated to the amount of technical updating an engineer was currently engaged in; however, individuals aspiring to management careers were engaged in more coursework of a general, broadening nature. Also, the better technical performers most desired future management careers. Career orientations are discussed in terms of age, career stages, and organizational reward system. Changes in organizational reward systems and in work characteristics are suggested because of their consequences for technical personnel.
The halo effect: It is a unitary concept! A reply to Fox et al. (1983)
Authors: NATHAN BARRY R.
Published: August 2011

Fox et al. (1983) concluded that halo is not a unitary concept. This paper argues that their conclusion is erroneous and that it is based on a misunderstanding of the role of variance in statistical analysis, a mistaken use of ANOVA to calculate halo, and the confusion of those analyses that measure the similarity in ratings across raters with those that compare the similarities in ratings under different rating conditions.
Transfer of training: A field study of some training methods
Authors: FOTHERINGHAME JUNE
Published: August 2011

This study investigated, in the field, the effect on transfer of training of four different training methods. A ‘transfer module’ of one of four sorts for each trainee was added to training in micrometer use then, after a 13‐week lay‐off, training in vernier height‐gauge use was undertaken. The subjects were trainees on Youth Training Scheme construction courses. The results showed that subjects who received a transfer module consisting of exposition of the principle of vernier scales were more effectively trained to use vernier height‐gauges than subjects in all other groups. Subjects whose transfer module consisted of practical use of a wide variety of high‐accuracy measuring tools were more effectively trained to use a vernier height‐gauge than subjects in a control group who received no transfer module. Subjects whose training module was further practice with micrometers and those who learned about relationships between measuring tools, tasks, and jobs were no more effectively trained to use a vernier height‐guage than were control subjects. Results are discussed in terms of knowledge/action structures of memory which may be mechanisms of transfer.
Heroism is no substitute for success: Effects of strategy and outcome on perceptions of performance
Authors: KNIGHT PATRICK A. , SAAL FRANK E.
Published: August 2011

Two studies were conducted to determine whether performance ratings are more heavily influenced by raters' perceptions of the ratee's ‘heroism’—that is consistent behaviour in the face of failure—or by raters' perceptions of the ratee's level of success. Effects of ratee gender were also investigated. Neither a student sample (n=179) nor a management sample (n=127) provided evidence in support of a heroism effect; the effects of strategy (consistent or experimenting) and timing of success or failure (immediate or delayed) were relatively small. Success and failure had the strongest and most consistent effects on performance ratings. These results supported the proposition that raters' perceptions of a ratee's performance—level of success—are the primary determinants of ratings, and that ‘heroic’ perseverance in the face of failure does not result in higher ratings.
Effects of applicant sex, applicant physical attractiveness, type of rater and type of job on interview decisions*
Authors: GILMORE DAVID C. , BEEHR TERRY A. , LOVE KEVIN G.
Published: August 2011

Applicant sex, applicant physical attractiveness, type of rater (120 students and 105 professional employment interviewers) and the type of job were manipulated experimentally in a 2 times 2 × 2 times 2 design. Physical attractiveness of job candidates had the broadest influence on employment decisions. There was no main effect for applicant sex, but professional interviewers were biased in favour of female applicants while student raters were not. Also, as expected, professional interviewers rated job applicants less leniently than students did.
A longitudinal study of the effects of employment and unemployment on school‐leavers
Authors: FEATHER N. T. , O'BRIEN GORDON E.
Published: August 2011

The effects of employment and unemployment were investigated in a longitudinal study involving large samples of school‐leavers from State high schools in metropolitan Adelaide. The study was also designed to control for possible testing and societal effects. A wide range of variables was investigated that included measures of self‐concept (perceived competence, positive attitude, depressive affect, power, activity, and anger), values (desired skill‐utilization, variety, influence, employment value, and Protestant work ethic), affect (stress symptoms, life satisfaction, unemployment disappointment), job need, job expectancy, external locus of control, unemployment attributions, academic potential, and social class. Results showed that unemployment led to decreases in perceived competence, activity, and life satisfaction and increases in depressive affect. Unemployment also led to an increased tendency to blame youth unemployment on factors relating to economic recession and a decreased tendency to blame it on lack of motivation on the part of the unemployed; employment had the reverse effect on these unemployment attributions. Some differences between the subsequently employed and unemployed were also present when they were at school. Sex differences were obtained on a number of variables.
The multidimensionality of union participation
Authors: McSHANE STEVEN L.
Published: August 2011

In spite of numerous methodological improvements to the study of union participation, recent studies have continued to operationalize the criterion by combining several different union activities to form a single composite index. Yet there are indications that union participation is a multidimensional construct which means that, for research purposes, specific types of union involvement ought to be studied separately in order to maximize an understanding of this phenomenon. This study tests the multidimensionality of union participation by examining the internal consistency and parallelism of several union activities through factor analysis, reliability analysis and multiple regression analysis. The results strongly support the multidimensional perspective and are discussed in terms of moving towards this new direction in union‐management research.
Union growth and decline: The impact of employer and union tactics
Authors: LAWLER JOHN J.
Published: August 2011

The past decade has generally not been a time of prosperity for organized labour, especially in the United States. It is now estimated that only about 19 per cent of the American workforce is unionized (Adams, 1985), compared with an all‐time high of approximately 30 per cent. It is widely believed that this results from changes in organizing strategies used by both unions and, in particular, employers. The resistance of American employers to unionization has clearly increased over the past quarter of a century, spawning a multimillion dollar industry (Bureau of National Affairs, 1985). At the forefront of the ‘union‐free environment’ movement is a formidable array of management consultants and attorneys, dubbed ‘union busters’ by a disdainful labour movement. This paper examines the nature of union organizing and employer counter‐organizing efforts and the role of the new breed of union resistance specialists. Although written from a North American perspective, the activities and research findings discussed here should be of relevance in Europe and elsewhere. Indeed, many American multinationals have implemented union resistance programmes in foreign subsidiaries and aspects of these programmes have been adopted by some non‐American firms.
Third parties at work: Conflict resolution or social control?
Authors: WEBB JANETTE
Published: August 2011

This paper outlines field and experimental research on third party intervention in industrial disputes. The majority of research has been carried out on the basis of an instrumental, individualistic model of social relations, which conceives of mediators as conciliatory devices and arbitrators as threatening devices. The main aim of research has been to demonstrate, in terms of a relatively simple causal model of behaviour, the effectiveness of such interventions in producing settlements, but the results have been mixed. First, conciliatory techniques, which are directed at improving personal relations, seem to be most useful in disputes where negotiators are not committed to represent a party and where negotiations themselves are primarily interpersonal and without long‐term consequences. The same techniques are likely to be regarded suspiciously or interpreted differently in actual conflicts between employers and unions. Second, given that the favoured norm of the parties is voluntary settlement, arbitration is regarded paradoxically as more successful the less it is used. Comparisons of types of arbitration suggest that parties will act strategically, depending on whether they expect the arbitrator to offer a compromise solution or choose the final offer of either side. In general, it can be argued that third parties are also parties to negotiation rather than ‘neutrals’. The positivist approach adopted by the majority of researchers has resulted in very restricted models of third party intervention and little work has been carried out on the development of an interpretative model of third party processes. Many interesting psychological processes have therefore been excluded: in particular, the normative frameworks which define socially acceptable forms of dispute and legitimate types of argument.
Changes in self‐perceived ability as a function of performance in an assessment centre
Authors: SCHMITT NEAL , FORD J. KEVIN , STULTS DANIEL M.
Published: August 2011

Changes in self‐perceived ability as a function of performance in an assessment centre were evaluated. Centre participants (n = 1693) provided self‐ratings on eight ability dimensions before and immediately after the assessment centre experience. Performance measures on five different exercises were provided by assessors. Hierarchical regression analyses indicated significant changes in perceived ability on five of the eight assessment centre dimensions. Further, the effect of specific centre exercises reflected changes in self‐perceived ability (e.g. planning and organizing) which were consistent with the type of exercise (e.g. in‐tray) under study. Suggestions for further research on self‐assessments specifically in the context of assessment centre participation are provided.
A note concerning the comparability of the standard and automated versions of the Vocational Preference Inventory
Authors: HODGKINSON G. P.
Published: August 2011

This study investigated the feasibility of administering the Vocational Preference Inventory (VPI) by computer. Ninety‐nine subjects completed the standard and automated versions of the VPI on an alternate‐forms test‐retest basis. The two forms were found to be comparable. Consequently, it is recommended that the use of the computerized version of this test be continued.
Managerial motivation among MBA students: A longitudinal assessment
Authors: BARTOL KATHRYN M. , MARTIN DAVID C.
Published: August 2011

A longitudinal study of the effects of business school training on the motivation to manage of Masters of Business Administration (MBA) students was conducted using the forced‐choice version of the Miner Sentence Completion Scale (MSCS). Male MBA students had significantly higher levels of motivation to manage than female MBA students, with part‐time females registering the lowest managerial motivation levels among the MBA students. Managerial motivation scores were significant predictors of salary after graduation, but failed to predict programme completion and MBA grade point averages. Based on measurements taken at the beginning of the degree programme and after graduation, results indicated no significant difference in managerial motivation levels associated with business school MBA training. Implications of these findings are discussed.
Locus of control as a potential moderator of the turnover process
Authors: BLAU GARY J.
Published: August 2011

Internal‐external locus of control is an individual difference characteristic which, it has been proposed, affects the turnover process. Using a sample of 119 nurses, this longitudinal study found that locus of control moderated the relationships between two facets of satisfaction, promotion and pay, both to withdrawal cognitions and turnover. In addition, locus of control moderated the relationship between withdrawal cognitions and turnover. Internals showed significantly stronger negative relationships than externals between these satisfaction facets and withdrawal cognitions and turnover. Internals also showed a stronger positive relationship than externals between withdrawal cognitions and turnover. The results are discussed in terms of their implications for helping to understand employee turnover.
Normative data for assessing the manual dexterity of visually handicapped adults in vocational rehabilitation
Authors: TOBIN M. J. , GREENHALGH R.
Published: August 2011

Nine hundred and ninety‐one newly blinded and visually handicapped adults were tested with the Purdue Pegboard test of manual dexterity while they were undergoing vocational rehabilitation. Normative data were derived to enable comparisons to be made among various subgroups of the population on the basis of degree of residual vision, which together with the gender of the subjects is shown to be a significant determining variable. The results are also discussed in terms of the magnitude of the disparity between the performance of the visually impaired and the fully sighted adult subjects on whom the test was originally standardized.
Transitions into newly created jobs
Authors: WEST MICHAEL A. , NICHOLSON NIGEL , REES ANNE
Published: August 2011

The paper reports on a study of adjustment to change, a topic of fundamental importance in the development of individuals and organizations. The study, involving 2304 male and female British managers (extended longitudinally with 1100 of the original sample) reveals that between 34 and 50 per cent of job moves are into jobs for which there was no previous role incumbent. The character and outcomes of these job moves are related to Nicholson's (1984) theory of work role transitions and Van Maanen & Schein's (1979) theory of organizational socialization. The frequency, industrial contexts, main types, and role requirements of these moves are described. Satisfaction and personal change as outcome of moves into newly created jobs are related to role information sources, organizational culture, work characteristics, job characteristics, pre‐transition anxiety, self‐concept, work motivation and organizational commitment. These findings generally support Nicholson's predictions about how specific role requirements and personal characteristics will influence transition outcomes, but also suggest the need to refine some of the theory's constructs. The results further imply that proactive growth models of adjustment are more generally applicable to radical job change than reactive stress‐coping models. The paper concludes by considering the implications of the findings for organizational practice.

New occasions teach new duties: Time makes ancient good uncouth …

J. R. Lowell
The dimensionality and scaling of job satisfaction: An internal validation of the Worker Opinion Survey
Authors: BELL RICHARD C. , WEAVER JOHN R.
Published: August 2011

The Worker Opinion Survey (WOS) is a multifaceted scale measuring job satisfaction with a simple yes/no/not‐sure mode of response. Exploratory techniques were originally used to define the scales and judgemental techniques were used to derive the scoring. In the present study, based on a broad sample of 636 government employees, three possible models for the dimensionality of the WOS were compared using confirmatory factor analysis, and variants on the scoring system were evaluated using a Rasch model. The six‐factor solution of Cross was confirmed as most appropriate (with correlated factors) but it was found that the scoring system could be improved by considering ‘not‐sure’ responses differently for different subscales.
An approach for assessing individual versus group effects in performance evaluations
Authors: YAMMARINO FRANCIS J. , DUBINSKY ALAN J. , HARTLEY STEVEN W.
Published: August 2011

A source of bias in performance evaluations is a rater's inability to differentiate an individual's (subordinate's) performance from his or her work group's performance. This paper describes an approach for specifying and assessing individual versus work group effects in performance evaluations. Multiple indicators of self‐ and supervisor ratings of performance were examined in two field samples. Study results suggest that the self‐ and supervisor ratings of individuals' performances were not biased by work group membership and that individual effects were present.
Occupational aspirations and attitudes to new technology
Authors: BREAKWELL GLYNIS M. , FIFE‐SCHAW CHRIS , LEE TERENCE , SPENCER JUDITH
Published: August 2011

Following Cotgrove's (1982) thesis that there is a stable relationship between political and economic beliefs and attitudes to science and technology this paper sets out to test the hypothesis that attitudes to science and technology have direct implications for individuals' job aspirations. Though attitudes to technology were found to be multidimensional the data provide evidence to support Cotgrove's thesis for those aspiring to technological jobs. Such individuals possess attitudes entirely congruent with their aspirations. However, the pattern of attitudes and beliefs for those aspiring to welfare oriented work, principally females, was less clear cut, thus providing only equivocal support for Cotgrove's position.
Leadership and outcomes of performance appraisal processes
Authors: WALDMAN DAVID A. , BASS BERNARD M. , EINSTEIN WALTER O.
Published: August 2011

The extent to which transactional and transformational leadership practices are related to the attitudinal and rated performance outcomes of a performance appraisal process was examined in this study involving 256 managers in a large business organization. Results indicated that only aspects of transformational leadership were related to performance appraisal scores. However, the contingent reward factor of transactional leadership, as well as all factors of transformational leadership, were related to satisfaction with performance appraisal processes. Management‐by‐exception was associated with lower satisfaction. Conclusions were drawn regarding the need for active transactional and transformational leadership in the performance appraisal process.
The effects of individual performance schemata and dimension familiarization on rating accuracy
Authors: CARDY ROBERT L. , BERNARDIN H. JOHN , ABBOTT JAROLD G. , SENDERAK MICHAEL P. , TAYLOR KAREN
Published: August 2011

Previous research has suggested that cognitive schemata serve as organizing frameworks which direct rater attention, categorization, integration and recall of ratee behaviour. It has been suggested that raters with more valid schemata, i.e. with cognitive organizing structures which are more sensitive to relevant ratee behaviours, rate more accurately. The study described here examined rater accuracy as a function of schemata derived from past experience and as a function of “imposed” schemata. Subjects were drawn from three populations (undergraduates, MBA students and personnel managers) who were expected to use successively more valid schemata for rating three videotaped personnel managers. Half of the subjects in each population were familiarized with the rating scales prior to ratee observation in order to impose schemata that incorporated the relevant performance rating dimensions. Multiple regression analysis indicated that raters who were expected to have acquired more valid schemata from experience, based on population membership and number of previous performance appraisals conducted personally, rated more accurately. In addition, they generated a greater number of relevant performance dimensions prior to ratee observation. Familiarization with the rating scales did not result in greater accuracy, perhaps due to the limited time made available for familiarization. Results are discussed with respect to past rater schemata research and the need to consider various types of schemata that raters may be using simultaneously.
Form, effect size and power in moderated regression analysis
Authors: CHAMPOUX JOSEPH E. , PETERS WILLIAM S.
Published: August 2011

This paper presents the results of a simulation study designed to show how a moderator variable affects the form of the relationship between two other variables. Particular attention is paid to the relationship of the strength of a moderator to statistical significance and the magnitude of the increment in R2 associated with the moderator. The increment in R2 is viewed as an incomplete measure of the strength of moderator effects. We propose a standardized measure of the strength of moderator effects based on the rate of change in the slope of the regression surface. The relation of sample size and statistical power to this measure is investigated.
Women on the assembly line: A comparison of main and interactive explanations of job satisfaction, absence and mental health
Authors: CLEGG CHRIS , WALL TOBY , KEMP NIGEL
Published: August 2011

This paper examines the relative merits of main and interactive explanations of the effects of assembly‐line work on the job satisfaction, absence and mental health of a sample of women operators. In an empirical study, it was found that assembly‐line work had a direct effect on job satisfaction thus confirming previous findings for men. No effect was found for absence. There was an interaction effect of assembly‐line work on mental health. It occurred for those who felt their job denied them the opportunity to use their abilities, and who daydreamed for substantial periods of time. The role of daydreaming is interpreted as a personal predisposition to disengage cognitively. Social support was not found to have a moderating role for any of the dependent variables.
Stress in two‐earner couples and stage in the life‐cycle
Authors: LEWIS SUZAN N. C. , COOPER CARY L.
Published: August 2011

This study examines some sources and manifestations of stress in two‐earner couples at different life‐stages. In all, 152 couples, who were parents, non‐parents or transitional between these two stages, participated in the study. There was little evidence that couples expecting their first child and intending to resume a two‐earner life‐style experienced anticipatory stress. Parents, especially mothers, experienced more pressures than non‐parents, but the negative impact of parenthood on well‐being was greater for fathers. Using multivariate analysis it was found that organizational, extra‐organizational and individual difference factors were associated with stress for all couples, but that different pressures were paramount for parents and non‐parents. Implications for practice and for future research in the area are discussed.
The influence of age and education on perceptions of occupational attractiveness
Authors: FIELDS MITCHELL W. , SHALLENBERGER WILLIAM R.
Published: August 2011

This study represents an effort to determine the differential effects of age and education on perceptions of occupational attractiveness. A total of 463 respondents ranging from high school seniors to college seniors rated the attractiveness of 41 job dimensions. Results indicated significant independent effects for both age and education on attractiveness ratings. An analysis of covariance demonstrated that education had a significant effect while age did not, suggesting that education is the more important influence.
Long wave cycles of sociotechnical change and innovation: A macropsychological perspective
Authors: De Greene Kenyon B.
Published: August 2011

Sociotechnical and other interventions in organization design and management have not always survived over time or lived up to expectations. The success rate of these interventions may be decreasing in spite of the spread of the associated paradigms. Lack of success may be due more to evolutionary changes in the economic or socio‐technical macrosystem than to local organizational factors. The concept of long waves or Kondratieff cycles can help explain changes in both societal and organizational behaviour and performance. Several long wave theories are briefly reviewed and contrasted. Particular attention is paid to cycles of psychological, social and technological change and innovation. The mutually causal nature of the evolving macro‐system is stressed, but particular attention is paid to macropsychological factors as a basic driving force of the long waves. A rough synthesis of factors contributing to the four phases of the long wave is made. Characteristics of the present downturn are briefly reviewed. Emphasis is placed on the possible mismanagement of advanced information technology. Several interpretations and recommendations are made with regard to the fit between organizational interventions and the state of the organization during the present recession/depression.
Strategic human resource management in the UK computer supplier industry
Authors: Sparrow Paul R. , Pettigrew Andrew M.
Published: August 2011

Technological, economic and market forces are causing organizations to make radical changes in both their strategy and human resource management (HRM). This study examines the impact of change on computer supplier firms using interviews with 11 personnel directors and executives and three industry experts, supported by secondary evidence. In response to strategic change firms are pursuing four streams of HRM activity: the management of culture; the development of skills; productivity improvements by the integration of roles, tasks and skills; and improving the quality of managerial processes and customer service. Firms are trying to match their HRM and strategy by developing rudimentary human resource plans, focusing the skills of employees on ‘niche’ markets, and setting up employment policies for a core group of flexible employees. A number of difficulties in HRM are emerging, however, including a lack of strategic management, organizational difficulties in managing across functions, personal and cultural problems in attempting to create the necessary synergy of skills in core functions, and a potential lack of internal consultancy skills in the personnel function. It is concluded that successful change will only be achieved by addressing these four problems simultaneously.
Parental influence and teenagers' motivation to train for technological jobs
Authors: Breakwell Glynis M. , Fife‐Schaw Chris , Devereux John
Published: August 2011

While governments are making attempts to attract young people into scientific and technical training programmes, these have yet to have any significant impact on numbers taking such training. This paper reports findings from a large, cross‐regional survey of factors influencing young people's (13–18‐year‐olds) motivations to take technological training. By focusing on teenagers' perceptions of the influence parents have exerted over their educational and occupational choices it has been possible to demonstrate that indirect, rather than direct, forms of parental influence are significant in the formation of this motivational state. The implications of these findings are discussed in relation to policy and our understanding of socialization processes.
The development of computer applications by non‐employed people in community settings*
Authors: Cassell Catherine , Fitter Mike , Fryer David , Smith Leigh
Published: August 2011

As information technology becomes an increasingly central feature in society, computerized information and the skills to access and transform it become valued commodities. This paper reports on the evaluation of a project, using action research, which aims to provide non‐employed people with access to IT in local community centres, thus encouraging the development of computer applications which are relevant to their community. It thereby differs from other studies of unemployment in that the emphasis is shifted away from documenting psychologically harmful effects to evaluating the potential of an intervention strategy. The approach also focuses on an analysis of groups and organizations within the community, rather than concentrating exclusively on individuals. The evaluation and progress of the project over the first 18 months are described. This includes training in computing skills and the development of computer applications such as databases.

‘Most of us here are unemployed, but we know from the very basics we've been taught that we can use the computer for our gains’.

Unemployed person, South Yorkshire, mid‐1980s
Information technologies and organizations: Lessons from the 1980s and issues for the 1990s
Authors: Blackler Frank
Published: August 2011

Lessons from the past decade concerning the impact of the new information technologies on organizations are reviewed and an analysis is offered of possible approaches that psychologists interested in new technologies might develop. The paper begins with an assessment of predictions made in the late 1970s that the technologies would lead to job deskilling and increased organizational centralization. Lessons about the effective management of information technologies which emerged in subsequent years are considered, and the achievements of established psychological approaches highlighted. In contrast to the pessimism of early predictions, it is now evident that the technologies may be used in various ways and can have a range of effects on organizations. Nonetheless, recent analysis suggests that, versatile as they are, the new information technologies are not infinitely flexible. Attention is drawn to the limits of choice which appear to be associated with them in practice. It is concluded that, if psychologists are to play an effective part in helping to overcome pressures towards minimalist or conventional applications of the new technologies, present approaches need to be broadened and new intervention strategies developed.
Biographical data, training success and turnover
Authors: Drakeley Russell J. , Herriot Peter , Jones Alan
Published: August 2011

A set of biographical data was collected for a sample of 420 Royal Naval officers in training. Different scoring keys were developed for four training criteria, using England's (1971) Weighted Application Blank technique, and cross‐validated on a further sample of 282 officers. Appropriately weighted biodata predicted one of the training performance criteria almost as well as the composite score of four psychometric tests of aptitude, and as the overall assessment rating of a lengthy assessment centre procedure. Of the two training wastage criteria, biodata succeeded in predicting voluntary withdrawal from training at a low level while neither of the other two predictors did so. Different biographical items predicted voluntary withdrawal and success in professional training. There was no evidence of differential validity for subsamples from different socio‐economic or educational backgrounds.
Spuriouser and spuriouser: The use of ipsative personality tests
Authors: Johnson Charles E. , Wood Robert , Blinkhorn S. F.
Published: August 2011

One of the more worrying features of recruitment and selection practices in the United Kingdom is the misuse of ipsative personality tests. Employers are understandably attracted by claims that these quick and easy to administer tests will give valid insights into the personality of job applicants. However, on the evidence we have seen, the publishers and the promoters of these tests are either unaware of, or do not understand, or are choosing to ignore their limitations. This is not to say that ipsative tests have no utility but that the claims made for their validity and reliability and their applicability to inter‐individual comparisons are misleading. Failure to take account of the mathematical properties of ipsative measures leads users to treat them as if they are normative measures, with startling consequences which ought to be obvious but unfortunately are not.
Cognitive climate and organizations
Authors: Kirton M. J. , McCarthy R. M.
Published: August 2011

It is argued that the identification of similarities in preferred ways of working and associated personality characteristics within occupational groups constitutes a ‘cognitive climate’ within the overall organizational climate. The empirical evidence for this hypothesis is reviewed, together with studies which examine the effects of inferred forces which act on the individual who finds him/herself in an ‘alien’ cognitive climate: selective recruitment and turnover; reported pressures and coping behaviour; interpersonal clashes. The implications of cognitive fit with regard to team functioning, tolerance and cohesion are discussed.
Links between work experiences and organizational commitment during the first year of employment: A longitudinal analysis*
Authors: Meyer John P. , Allen Natalie J.
Published: August 2011

In this study, the Organizational Commitment Questionnaire and self‐report measures of work experiences were completed by newly hired university graduates 1, 6 and 11 months after starting employment. The time‐lagged influence of work experiences on commitment, and of commitment on work experiences, was examined using structural regression analyses. The results revealed effects of work experiences in the first month of employment on commitment measured after 6 and 11 months. The strongest and most consistent effects were obtained for confirmation of pre‐entry expectations and the opportunity for self‐expression. Some, albeit weaker, evidence was also provided for time‐lagged effects of commitment on perceived work experiences, particularly in the 6–11‐month lag. Implications for theory and research concerning the development of commitment are discussed.
Variables affecting cardiopulmonary resuscitation skill decay
Authors: Glendon A. Ian , McKenna Stephen P. , Hunt Karen , Blaylock Stephen S.
Published: August 2011

This prospective study of 215 West Midlands shop‐floor and office workers reveals significant levels of skill decay in all aspects of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). While confirming findings from most earlier studies on the rapid decay of CPR skills over a period of a few months following training, the study also reveals that other variables exert independent effects upon the skill decay process. These variables are initial level of CPR skill and age and sex of trainee.
A meta‐analytic investigation of the impact of interview format and degree of structure on the validity of the employment interview*
Authors: Wiesner Willi H. , Cronshaw Steven F.
Published: August 2011

A meta‐analysis of the employment interview was carried out to investigate the impact of interview format (individual vs. board interviews) and interview structure (unstructured vs. structured) on the validity of interviews. A thorough review of the unpublished and published literature worldwide yielded 150 usable validity coefficients for the meta‐analysis. Contrary to the predominantly pessimistic views of previous researchers, the interview was found to be a generally good selection instrument. These findings suggest that the ‘received doctrine’ of interview invalidity is false. However, interview structure moderated predictive validity coefficients to a considerable extent. In fact, structured interviews produced mean validity coefficients twice as high as unstructured interviews. Although considerable variance in structured interviews remained unaccounted for after adjustment for statistical artifacts, all of the variation in observed validity coefficients for unstructured interviews was accounted for. It was concluded that a number of social psychological processes examined in previous interview research would have little effect in moderating the validity coefficients of the unstructured interview. The results also suggest that higher validity coefficients are associated with more reliable interviews and the use of formal job‐analytic information in developing interview questions. Implications for research and practice in personnel psychology are explored.
A preliminary analysis of the construct validity of Kerr & Jermier's ‘Substitutes for Leadership’ Scales
Authors: Williams Margaret L. , Podsakoff Philip M. , Todor William D. , Huber Vandra L. , Howell Jon P. , Dorfman Peter W.
Published: August 2011

Despite the intuitive appeal of Kerr & Jermier's (1978) ‘substitutes for leadership’ constructs, recent studies have provided only mixed support for this conceptualization of leadership. Perhaps the most compelling reason for the mixed findings is the lack of empirical construct validity of the substitutes subscales themselves. Internal consistency reliabilities are presented from 11 samples which indicate that over two‐thirds (nine) of the 13 subscales have a median reliability below 0.62. Following this, preliminary factor analyses of the Substitutes for Leadership Scales were conducted in five samples, and an iterative ‘item trimming’ procedure was then undertaken to improve the reliability and conceptual integrity of the original subscales. Even though a total of eight items was dropped from four of the subscales, the reliabilities of those scales which were modified generally stayed the same, and the factor structure was reduced from 16–18 factors for the original scale to 14–15 factors for the reduced scale. In addition, the discriminant validity of the revised version of the substitutes measures and their relationships with Crowne & Marlowe's (1964) social desirability measure were assessed. Suggestions for further improving the construct validity of the Substitutes Scale are then discussed.
A note concerning psychological well‐being and client experiences at an Employment Rehabilitation Centre
Authors: Arnold John , Partridge Denise
Published: August 2011

Previous research has suggested that attendance at an Employment Rehabilitation Centre (ERC) leads to some favourable psychological outcomes, but little is known about which aspects of client experience at the ERC produce those outcomes. In this study, the psychological well‐being and experiences of 38 clients at an English ERC were examined. Well‐being improved significantly during the ERC course. Specific experiences associated with this improvement mostly concerned ERC work activity, ERC staff and ERC facilities rather than social relationships with other clients or clients' perceptions of their employment prospects.
The determinants of employee absenteeism: An empirical test of a causal model*
Authors: Brooke Paul P. , Price James L.
Published: August 2011

LISREL estimates of the parameters of a causal model of absenteeism are reported for a sample of 425 full‐time employees of a 327‐bed medical centre. The model modifies and extends the conceptual framework of Steers & Rhodes (1978) and includes routinization, centralization, pay, distributive justice, work involvement, role ambiguity, conflict and overload, kinship responsibility, organizational permissiveness, job satisfaction, job involvement, organizational commitment, health status and alcohol involvement as the determinants of absenteeism. Based on self‐report measures of absence frequency, significant positive direct effects of kinship responsibility, organizational permissiveness, role ambiguity and alcohol involvement, and negative direct effects of centralization, pay and job satisfaction yielded an R2 for absenteeism of 21.6. Job satisfaction completely mediated the effects of routinization and work involvement, and partially mediated the effects of centralization and role ambiguity.
Industrial relations climate: Testing a construct
Authors: Dastmalchian Ali , Blyton Paul , Adamson Raymond
Published: August 2011

Using the concept of organizational climate, this paper reports a study conducted to validate a measure of industrial relations climate. Industrial relations climate is defined as a subset of organizational climate that pertains to the norms and attitudes reflecting union‐management relationships in an organization. Data were collected by means of extensive interviews with management and union representatives, and by distributing a questionnaire to 729 employees in two organizations in Canada. The results showed the validity and the reliability of five scales measuring industrial relations climate. Four of the climate scales also demonstrated strong within‐organization and within‐group agreement (based on union/non‐union membership, bargaining unit and departmental affiliation). The potential theoretical and practical use of this construct for future research is discussed.
An improved test of the disaggregation hypothesis of job and life satisfaction
Authors: Steiner Dirk D. , Truxillo Donald M.
Published: August 2011

This study sought to test the disaggregation hypothesis of the relationship between life satisfaction and job satisfaction (Rice, Near & Hunt, 1980) which proposes that the relationship is stronger for individuals who value work in their lives. To date, tests of the hypothesis have been inadequate due to insufficient measures of work value and life satisfaction. This study found support for the hypothesis using improved measures and a more appropriate analytic technique. Principal component regression was the appropriate technique to detect a moderating effect in data with linear dependencies.
The impact of rewards and punishments in a social context: A laboratory and field experiment
Authors: O'Reillys Charles A. , Puffer Sheila M.
Published: August 2011

Most research on the use of sanctions has proceeded from an operant conditioning perspective. The general hypothesis explored here draws on social learning theory and examines the impact of positive and negative sanctions on group members other than the member actually sanctioned. Results of a laboratory experiment using 48 subjects in a repeated measures design and a field study with 106 respondents suggest that both rewards and punishments can have positive effects on observers' motivation, satisfaction and feelings of equity. Failure to use an appropriate sanction is associated with significantly lower levels of motivation, satisfaction and equity among task group members.
‘Burnout’, absence and turnover amongst British nursing staff
Authors: Firth Hugh , Britton Peter
Published: August 2011

In a predictive study of qualified nursing staff in long‐stay settings, ‘burnout’ variables, role ambiguity and perceived support from their superior were assessed. Absence through sickness and job turnover were then measured over the subsequent two years. Ambiguity about authority predicted frequency of short absences in the subsequent 12 months. Perceived lack of support and emotional exhaustion predicted the frequency of absences of more than four days, and more than seven days, respectively, in the subsequent 12 months. Feelings of depersonalization were correlated with departure from the job during the subsequent two years. Hypotheses are offered to draw together these particular findings, emphasizing the mediating role which feelings of ‘professional depression’ may play.
Focus of attention at work: Construct definition and empirical validation
Authors: Gardner Donald G. , Dunham Randall B. , Cummings L. L. , Pierce Jon L.
Published: August 2011

This paper introduces a multifaceted construct labelled ‘employee focus of attention’. Conceptual and operational definitions for the construct are provided. Evidence from four different studies is presented to establish content, construct and face validity for the operationalization. Data support the general hypothesis that the degree to which employees think about various targets in their work environment affects their reactions to those targets. It is concluded that with further development the focus of attention construct may provide a viable way to enhance explanations of employee reactions to their work environments. Suggestions for future research on the focus of attention construct are provided.
Work characteristics, occupational achievement and the Type A behaviour pattern
Authors: Byrne D. G. , Reinhart M. I.
Published: August 2011

Occupational correlates of Type A behaviour were examined in a sample of 432 men and women employed in managerial and professional roles in a government service. Type A behaviour was, as expected, related to some aspects of the job profile and to occupational level as a whole. However, the relationship between Type A behaviour and occupational level was itself related to self‐imposed time commitments to the job. The data indicate, therefore, that Type A individuals achieve occupational status at least partly because they are willing to devote discretionary time to their employment. The implications of this for further epidemiological study of coronary heart disease risk are discussed.