bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Relationship of Cues to Assessed Infant Pain Level
Authors: Fuller Barbara , Thomson Michelle , Conner Douglas A. , Scaniian James
Published: March 2007

Cues that 46 pediatric nurses with a BS in Nursing reported as key to their pain assessments of 88 videotaped infants, ages 0 to 12 months, are identified. Frequencies with which these cues were used for infants of different ages and the relationships between key cues and assessed levels of pain are described. Greater pain was strongly associated with tears, stiff posture, guarding, and fisting. Greater pain was moderately associated with inadequate type or dosage of analgesia, more recent surgery, Inconsolability, difficult to distract, does not focus on surroundings, frown, grimace, wrinkled face, flushed face, pain cry, and increased arousal in response to touch of sore area. Internurse variability in cue use was sizable. Most of the often-used cues had weak or no association with assessed pain level Only consolability, pain cry, grimace, and stiff posture were frequently used and correlated> .51 with assessed level of pain.
Couples' Evaluations of Foreknowledge of Fetal Impairment
Authors: Sandelowski Margarete , Jones Linda Corson
Published: March 2007

The Western cultural presumption that knowledge is a right and a good is integral to current discussions of prenatal diagnosis. Little is known, however, about how couples obtaining positive fetal diagnoses evaluate this knowledge for their own lives and whether or how, they are advantaged in relation to couples learning about their baby's impairment after birth. Findings from 40 Interviews with expectant parents obtaining positive prenatal diagnoses suggest that couples both value and question the value of fetal foreknowledge and that this knowledge temporally relocates, rather than substantively alters, parental responses and infant outcomes.
Sexual Counseling Following Acute Myocardial Infarction
Authors: Steinke Elaine , Patterson-Midgley Pat
Published: March 2007

Sexual counseling needs of myocardial infarction (I patients are frequently overlooked by nurses. This study sought to determine to what extent sexual counseling of MI patients was addressed in the acute care setting. The survey of 96 patients showed that sexual counseling was largely not addressed for this group of patients and that specific information on resuming sexual activity was not provided for most patients. Seventy-one percent of patients believed that staff should address sexuality in the hospital setting. It was found that receipt of sexual counseling significantly differed by marital status of the patient. Nurses need to take a more active role in sexual assessment and education in order to improve the quality of life of patients post-MI.
Becoming a Father to a Stillborn Child
Authors: Worth Nancy J.
Published: March 2007

The purpose of this study was to identify and describe the reaction offers to a stillborn child. Because little research has been done on this topic, an exploratory descriptive study was conducted Eight fathers who had experienced a stillborn child were interviewed in-depth within the first 5 years following the death Although the fathers exhibited grief reactions and behaviors such as shock, denial, anger, and acceptance, it was evident that taking on a fathering role was of central importance. The basic social process that the fathers in this study experienced was becoming a father to the stillborn child. The fathers were trying to assume a fathering role while they were grieving the death of their child. Understanding the process of becoming a father to a stillborn child is of value to health care professionals when considering ways to help fathers who have experienced such a loss.
I Love New York, More Than Ever
Authors: Bartel Caroline A.
Published: March 2007

This article offers personal observations of the emotional, cognitive, and behavioral reactions of New Yorkers in the days immediately following the World Trade Center attacks. Social identity theory is used as an interpretive lens through which to understand how a group facing extreme adversity found ways to fortify themselves by marshaling socioemotional, informational, and physical resources. Emphasis is placed on how initial emotional reactions to perceptions of threat in the hours after the attacks prompted people to seek out others to mobilize information and manage emotional distress. This article takes the position that these social gatherings became arenas in which people redefined group boundaries, modified the group’s identity, erected new symbols, and transformed each other’s emotions in ways that triggered actions to protect and restore the group.
From Me to We... and Back Again
Authors: Barnett Michael L.
Published: March 2007

The events of September 11, 2001, unified our nation. But how long can this unity last? I examine the dynamics of the national shift between individualism (“me”) and communalism (“we”) on the heels of September 11 through comparison with analogous patterns in interorganizational behavior. Based on these patterns, I conclude that, despite the severity of the crisis, the United States will again return to “business as usual”.
The Management of Crises and Tribulations
Authors: Scott William G.
Published: March 2007

National crises leading to public tribulations, such as in war and in depression, prompted management to seek solutions in centralized systems of authority and in autocratic styles of leadership. These "solutions" tended to remain in place after an emergency had ended. The resulting increase in managerial power, based on hierarchy, became institutionalized, and that encouraged abuses that now jeopardize management legitimacy. The management project for the millennium must be the restoration of legitimacy either by reform or by revolution. An agenda for management's renewal is suggested.
The Uniqueness Value and its Consequences for Organization Studies
Authors: Mone Mark A. , McKinley William
Published: March 2007

This article argues that the field of organization studies is characterized by a "uniqueness value." This value prescribes that uniqueness is desirable, and therefore organizational scholars should strive to make unique contributions to their discipline. The authors document the existence of this value through several sources, including articles that analyze the discipline of organization studies, published comments by editors of major journals in the field, materials used in reviewing journal and conference papers, and special issues of journals. They then discuss a number of consequences of the uniqueness value, arguing that some of these consequences are functional for the field, whereas others are dysfunctional. Attention is also given to feedback effects that tend to make the uniqueness value self-reinforcing. Implications are drawn and suggestions are made for future theory development and knowledge building in organization studies.
Technology Policy
Authors: Palmer David R.
Published: March 2007

This article argues that the increased salience of technology policy in the political agenda of the Clinton administration constitutes a pressing ideological challenge for business academe. Basic assumptions and conceptual foundations need reexamination if the business academe is to understand, interpret, and influence rapidly evolving trends in business/government relations and public policy in the United States. A conceptual and issue-specific teaching and research agenda is offered.
On the Fundamental Importance of Ethical Management
Authors: Mitroff Ian I.
Published: March 2007

Management is the most fundamental of all human activities. This article argues for a new conception of management known as ethical management (EM). EM leads to a different conception of truth, one that is rooted fundamentally in ethical actions. Because most problems of any importance contain significant barriers to the implementation of actions designed to remove the problems, EM is concerned with the discovery, invention, and adaptation of systems of management that attempt to overcome the barriers to ethical actions. One such system is the 12 steps of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). Spirituality not only plays a highly important role in AA but more generally in EM. Spirituality may in fact be the most important component of all management systems.
The Strength and Modulus of Imperfectly Bonded Whisker Reinforced Ceramic Matrix Composites
Authors: Carroll Douglas R. , Dharani L.R.
Published: March 2007

The whisker reinforced ceramic matrix composites show a significant improvement in room temperature strength and modulus over those of monolithic ceramics. However, at elevated temperatures, these materials do not exhibit any improve ment in the above mechanical properties. It is postulated that the degradation in modulus and strength with temperature occurs due to a deterioration of the whisker/matrix interface bond, that is, imperfect bonding. A micromechanics model was developed to explain this behavior and to predict the modulus and ultimate strength of whisker reinforced ceramic matrix composites at elevated temperatures. It was assumed that the interface was purely frictional in nature, and degradation in the mechanical properties was a result of the change in the bond strength and growth of preexisting interface imperfections. A paramet ric study was done to show the role of various micromechanical parameters on the ultimate strength and modulus of the composite.
Fatigue Performance of Repaired Aluminum Panels
Authors: Lai M.O.
Published: March 2007

Fatigue lives of some pre-cracked 7075-T6 aluminum panels that had been repaired using four different repair techniques have been investigated. The panels were repaired by patching over the cracks either with aluminum plates using rivets or with car bon/epoxy composite patches using adhesive. The same repair techniques, together with a 2 mm diameter hole drilled at the tip of the pre-crack, were also studied to evaluate the effectiveness of blunting the crack with such "stop holes." In comparison to the virgin panels, fatigue crack growth rates of the repaired panels were found to have decreased, with composite patches resulting in longer fatigue lives than the riveted patches. The intro duction of "stop holes" was observed to further retard the growth of the crack where an in crease in fatigue life of the repaired panels by some 50% was possible. No crack retarda tion was evident from panels repaired without the "stop holes."
Nonprofit Organizations and Democratic Accountability in Implementing Supervised Pretrial Release Programs
Authors: Schachter Hindy Lauer
Published: March 2007

This article explores some of the implications of the use of private organizations to deliver supervised pretrial release services in England and the United States. The impact of the use of private organizations depends both on the division of responsibility between the state agencies and the nonprofit organizations and on the policies of the particular nonprofit involved in a specific case. The most potentially problematic alliances occur when the private organization has responsibility for both provision and production of services, but some programs that utilize this division of labor are among the most innovative, helping to maintain a system that returns as many pretrial defendants to the community as can be accomplished without compromising safety. Case studies of programs developed by the Vera Institute in the United States and the Rainer Foundation in England are examined.
Do My Contributions Matter? The Influence of Imputed Expertise on Member Involvement and Self-Evaluations in the Work Group
Authors: Karakowsky Leonard , McBey Kenneth
Published: March 2007

Exploiting the diversity of expertise in a work team is a critical factor in maximizing group performance. This article attempts to assess several sources of influence on group member perceptions regarding the value of their input to the group as well as the level of member involvement in group activity. The participants selected for this study were 216 university students (108 men, 108 women) who were randomly assigned to 36 mixed-gender groups. Groups were required to generate a negotiation strategy for two business-related cases. Measures of individual interaction styles were provided by expert judges who viewed videotapes of the group discussions and observed member behavior. Participants completed questionnaires that assessed selfevaluations of their contributions to the group’s efforts. The findings of this study offer striking evidence that imputed expertise can clearly affect group member perceptions and behavior.
POI Outcomes in Studies of Growth Groups: A Selected Review
Authors: Knapp Robert R. , Shostrom Everett L.
Published: March 2007

With the growing application of personal-growth-group techniques to the enhance ment of intra- and inter-personal actualizing, a great deal of speculative literature has been generated concerning the possible benefits or damage to the participants. Only recently have the results of a number of studies provided objective evidence concerning the effects of group-therapy techniques. Such studies are, in part, the result of the comparatively recent availability of relevant personality measures sensitive to the measurement of change, including the Personal Orientation In ventory (POI). The article summarizes and integrates the major findings from these studies. The evidence is that positive change from pre- to post-test administrations of the POI are significant for participants in growth-group experiences.
The Laboratory Method: A Historical Perspective
Authors: Bradford Leland P.
Published: March 2007

The laboratory method has institutionalized itself in the larger social system, and an investigation of how this came about provides an impor tant case study of social intervention. One of the founders of NTL, whose subsequent career was totally invested in the movement, describes how the laboratory method was calculated to meet the needs of the post-World War II world. Uses of the method's intrinsic "change-agent" concept are illustrated, and particular aspects of the growth of the movement are examined. Some unanticipated problems of collaboration and coordina tion and their solutions during NTL's formative years are described. The article concludes with a comparison of the societal conditions in which the psychoanalytic and laboratory movements, respectively, were begun.
Adaptability and Copability: A Study of Social Systems, Their Environment, and Survival
Authors: Motamedi Kurt Kourosh
Published: March 2007

This paper explores two central processes that are basic to any social system's sur vival-adaptability and copability. Adaptability refers to a social system's ability to sense and understand its internal and external environments and to take action to achieve a fit or balance between the two. Adaptability leads to greater relevancy of a system. Copability (cope-ability) is a social system's ability to conserve its identity, deal with internal disharmonies, and internally overcome change-in duced problems. They are not totally independent of one another and are com plementary. Emery and Trist's typology of environments is used to construct an appropriate model of behavior for system survival. Implications of these concepts and their contingent characteristics with other organizational variables are dis cussed. The author stresses that as the environment becomes more turbulent it be comes increasingly important that social-system practitioners (managers, organization development consultants, therapists) assess the system's adaptability and copability.
Evaluation in OD: A Review and an Assessment
Authors: Morrison Peggy
Published: March 2007

The author reviewed OD evaluation as described in the literature and assessed twenty-six studies against Campbell and Stanley's twelve criteria for validity; only three met all criteria. The studies varied from highly rigorous, experimental designs to nondesigns totally inadequate for an assessment of validity. Most of the studies reviewed did not utilize designs rigorous enough to adequately determine the outcomes of the OD process. The present underdeveloped state of the art of OD evaluation demonstrates that practitioners must (1) determine appropriate meas ures for assessing; (2) develop more adequate instruments for measuring change related to OD; and (3) consistently utilize more rigorous designs for their studies.
A Longitudinal Assessment of a Managerial Grid® Seminar Training Program
Authors: Keller Robert T.
Published: March 2007

A Managerial Grid seminar training program was instituted for 131 participants from an oil refinery and chemical plant of a major American oil corporation. The effects of the Grid program on organizational cli mate, job satisfaction, power relationships, and leadership style were assessed with pre-test, post-test and fourteen-month longitudinal, follow-up measurements. One-way analysis of variance and Duncan's multiple range test were used to analyze the data. Over the assessment period the participants showed decreases in satisfaction with supervi sion, opportunities for promotion, pay, and overall satisfaction, as well as a decrease in the organizational climate variable of warmth and trust. A comparison group of twenty-nine employees for the follow-up measure ment was not significantly different from the participants on the vari ables studied, except for lower satisfaction with promotion oppor tunities. It was concluded that the Grid program itselfhad not caused any major variables to change and that any changes in satisfaction and cli mate were probably due to separate factors in the organization. Reasons for the minimal impact of the Grid program were discussed.
An Autopsy of an Intended OD Project
Authors: Boss R. Wayne , Mcconkie Mark L.
Published: March 2007

A series of consultant omissions and errors is traced over the course of a five-month organization development (OD) project that was terminated by top management. Although some positive results were obtained, only the major problems and flaws are examined in detail here. Most of the defects in the OD process could have been avoided had the consultants had a better understanding of the fifteen pitfalls discussed. The primary problems center on diagnosis of the system, the development of client expectations, and effective communication between the consultant group and top managers.
Evaluation of Organization Development in a Large State Government Organization
Authors: Morrison Peggy , Sturges Jack
Published: March 2007

This research was conducted to measure the impact of a six-month organ ization development (OD) effort with a top management group in a large state government organization. Such research is needed because little is known about the effects of OD on public-sector organizations. Six pre- post measures were used to control for threats to validity of the research. The impact of the OD was assessed by measuring change in collaboration, communication, and role clarity as well as the managers' ability to select and apply effective leadership styles. Although no change in management styles was detected, the data demonstrated that OD in the public sector can result in mild to moderate improvement in role clarity, collaboration, and communication effectiveness among participants. The multiple- measures design proved to be more rigorous than designs typically used for evaluating OD.
Isn't It Time We Were Moving On?: Necessary Future Research on Women in Management
Authors: Larwood Laurie , Powell Gary N.
Published: March 2007

A critique of recent research in the field of women in management suggests that only a small portion of potential topics has been investigated. This paper recommends intensive efforts to identify and evaluate alternative solutions to the problems of discrimination and differential socialization.
Work-Role Stress and Attitudes Toward Co-Workers
Authors: Beehr Terry A.
Published: March 2007

Role theory has been used to conceptualize the findings regarding job stress, suggesting that the source of job stress is one's co-workers. If this is so, individuals in stressful jobs are likely to be especially dissatisfied with their co-workers. In interviews with 651 employees of five Midwestern work organizations, it was shown that three role stresses (role ambiguity, role overload, and underutilization of skills) were related to five employee outcomes: overall job dissatisfaction, life dissatisfaction, low self-esteem, depressed mood, and fatigue. As hypothesized, each stress was most strongly correlated with dissatisfaction with the stress itself, second most strongly correlated with dissatisfaction with co-workers, and least strongly correlated with dissatisfaction with the nonsocial aspects of the work role. It was concluded that people who experience job stress blame the social system in the organization, resulting in their dissatisfaction with co-workers, who are the elements of that system.
Explicit Problem Modeling: An Intervention Strategy
Authors: Sims David , Jones Sue
Published: March 2007

The problems that organizational team members define depend on their idiosyncratic, subjective, and organizationally political beliefs. Organization development (OD) consultants are frequently highly skilled in attending to and working with the nuances of the team processes. They are frequently less skilled at finding ways of representing explicitly the complex problems that members bring to a team and the complex responses of other members in the processes of problem definition. The authors contend that OD consultants could usefully employ more explicit and less piecemeal representations of the problems that they work on with client teams. They examine some reasons why this is not usually done and offer one approach to overcome many of the difficulties and provide a strategy for intervening in the processes of problem definition in teams.
Change in the Organization: The Detriment and Benefit of the Double Bind
Authors: Soldow Gary F.
Published: March 2007

Messages that demand spontaneous behavior or messages that pose subtle inconsistencies are referred to as "paradoxical communication." Such communication can result in a dysfunctional double band characterized by withdrawal and denial of personal responsibility. This paper presents double-bind theory as a framework for looking at organizational-change attempts. The role of the change agent is then examined to show how double binds can be avoided.
Introduction
Authors: French Wendell L.
Published: March 2007

Wendell L. French is well known as co-author of the first major textbook on organization development. He has, in addition, published widely in the fields of human resource development, organizational behavior, and organization development. His Personnel text (Houghton-Mifflin, 1982) is now in its fifth edition. In the following article, French summarizes his most current update on the history of OD that first appeared in his OD text. For the third edition of Organization Development (Prentice-Hall, 1982), French has in a vareity of ways expanded and extended this overview of how OD began, including a detailed examination of various trans-Atlantic links between U.S. and Tavi stock researchers. Our reviewers responding to an earlier draft of this article had a variety of reactions, each taking exception to some of French's discussion and interpretation. We will therefore present a set of reactions to French's article in the next issue of G&OS.
Suffering in Silence: The Effects of Fear of Talking on Small Group Participation
Authors: Lederman Linda Costigan
Published: March 2007

The article examines the effects of communication apprehension (fear of talking) on participation in small groups. It reviews the literature on communication apprehension, presents information regarding high communication apprehen sion generated from three in-depth group interviews with identified high apprehensives, and discusses the implications and applications for trainers working with small groups.
Introduction
Authors: Nufrio Philip M.
Published: March 2007

In this issue we examine the role of the internal OD consultant from that person's viewpoint. Mr. Nufrio is an internal OD consultant at Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program in Oakland, California. He earned his master's degree in public administration from Syracuse University and is a Ph.D. candidate in applied behavioral science and computer technology at the Union of Experimenting Col leges, Cincinnati, Ohio. He has worked for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Executive Office of the President (President's Reorganiza tion Project), and the National Bureau of Standards. He has written and practiced on third-party conflict management, objective-setting systems, and assessing organizational effectiveness. In this article Mr. Nufrio attempts to derive learnings from a long-term internal consulting project. The "diary"presents his experience in terms of the major phases of the OD effort as he saw them.
Evaluating OD Evaluations: A Status Report
Authors: Vicars William M. , Hartke Darrell D.
Published: March 2007

Fifteen recent studies that attempted to evaluate the effectiveness of OD programs were analyzed to determine the quality of their research designs. According to a standard set of validity criteria, there was improvement in methodological rigor in comparison to an earlier group of similar studies. It was concluded that there is a noticeable trend among OD evaluation studies to increasingly follow recommendations for better controls and thus obtain more reliable, valid, and meaningful results.
Organization Development in Faculties of Education
Authors: Hopkins David , Wideen Marvin , Fullian Michael
Published: March 2007

An assessment is made of the effectiveness of a survey feedback intervention in engendering a capacity for change within a sample of 10 Canadian teacher training institutions (TTIs). This article establishes a conceptual framework for the intervention, presents data on the process of program change, and considers the positive and negative effects resulting from the intervention. Unanticipated outcomes are described, and suggestions are made concerning future research. The results suggest that a survey feedback intervention can be moderately effective in engendering a capacity for change in TTIs, but success can only be anticipated if the model of intervention is diligently imple mented (especially thefollow through phase), is used selectively, and is sustained over time.
Correlates of Burnout Phases Among Police Officers
Authors: Burke Ronald J. , Shearer Jon , Deszca Eugene
Published: March 2007

This investigation examined the usefulness of a phase model of burnout. Data were provided from 426 men and women in police work using a questionnaire completed anonymously. Using high and low divisions on the three subscales of the Maslach Burnout Inventory, 8 progressive phases of burnout were created. Measures of work setting, experienced stress, and emotional and physical well-being were significantly related to progressive phases of burnout. Work and personal exper iences grew worse as burnout progressed through more advanced phases. Comparisons with other data revealed significant differences in numbers of respondents in the various phases of burnout.
Rational Bias and Interorganizational Power in the Employment of Management Consultants
Authors: Larwood Laurie , Gattiker Urs E.
Published: March 2007

A review of the organizational discrimination literature indicates that a potentially important source of discrimination, referred to here as "rational bias, " has received little attention. Defined as discrimination originating in the service of economic self-interest, rational bias is specifically tested in the management-client relation ship. As anticipated, the results show a preference for male management consultants in some types of activities. The findings are interpreted as providing support for the new model of discrimi nation in organizations.
Systems Theory and Therapeutic Systems
Authors: Bedi Ashok R.
Published: March 2007

This article examines the role of a psychiatric consultant in a psy chiatric hospital undergoing a major change. The principles of group phenomenon, systems theory, sentient, task, and basic as sumption groups were utilized in diagnosis of organizational re gression, elucidation of its precipitants, and strategies for helping the organization towards higher level of integration in face of po tentially regressive changes.
The Impact of a Job Redesign Intervention on Salespersons' Observed Performance Behaviors
Authors: Luthans Fred , Kemmerer Barbara , Paul Robert , Taylor Lew
Published: March 2007

A field experimental design was used to analyze the effects of a job redesign intervention on a large department store's salespersons' functional and dysfunctional performance behaviors. Both the functional and dysfunctional directly observed performance behaviors of the experimental group moved in the desired directions during the redesign intervention. However, only the dysfunctional behaviors dropped significantly when statistical analysis was conducted. The performance behaviors of the control group remained relatively constant throughout the phases of the experiment. A subanalysis using a quasi-experiment indicated that the redesign also had a generally positive effect on salespersons' satisfaction.
Quality of Work Life
Authors: Bocialetti Gene
Published: March 2007

This article examines some unintended effects of a quality of work life (QWL) effort in a metals processing plant in the midwestern United States. The project spanned 18 months with employee surveys and interviews at both project start-up and start plus 18 months. Overall analysis demonstrated many desired effects were achieved. However, when more detailed analysis was performed, it revealed that workers of relatively low seniority benefited more than, and sometimes at the expense of. workers with relatively high seniority. Additionally, data revealed that in some respects senior workers suffered negative effects (i.e., lost ground), whereas junior workers remained unchanged. Causes of these effects are explored with recommen dations for avoiding the undesirable consequences.
Centralization of Decision Making and Accountability Based on Gender
Authors: Sherman J. Daniel , Ezell Hazel F. , Odewahn Charles A.
Published: March 2007

Different gender combinations in superior-subordinate dyads were examined and results indicated that female employees perceived that they were delegated less authority or influence in decisions affecting their work. These results were consistent regardless of the gender of the manager and no differences were found across industry. Implications for career advancement and organizational socialization of female employees are discussed.
Detecting Scale Recalibration in Survey Research
Authors: Buckley M. Ronald , Armenakis Achilles A.
Published: March 2007

The accurate detection of scale recalibration is an issue that should not be ignored by organizational researchers and practitioners concerned with the accurate assessment of change interventions. In an effort to more effectively operationalize one methodology that is designed to detect scale recalibration (using ideal scales), three research questions were developed and investigated in a laboratory study utilizing videotape technology. It was concluded that ideal scale methodology can be used to accurately detect the presence of scale recalibration in survey research data. The implications of these findings for both researchers and practitioners are discussed.
A Measure of Psychological Maturity
Authors: Blank Warren , Weitzel John , Blau Gary , Green Stephen G.
Published: March 2007

Traditional scale construction procedures were used to develop an 11-item scale to measure psychological maturity. Preliminary results from two independent samples suggest an internally consistent scale when completed by managers, peers, and by self-report. Manager and peer ratings were significantly correlated, suggesting convergent validity between "objective" raters. Manager and peer ratings were also both significantly correlated with a performance measure. Findings suggest the scale warrants additional examination in other samples and settings. Variables that might show relationships with psychological maturity are suggested.
Toward a Phase Model of Burnout
Authors: Burke Ronald J.
Published: March 2007

Golembiewski and his colleagues (1986) have proposed a model of psychological burnout centering on the notion of phases within the burnout concept itself. This article, while supportive of the thrust of their work, raises some conceptual and methodological concerns. These include definition, usefulness of the phase model, measurement, and the development of norms, among others. The purpose of this article is to encourage others to join in the dialogue and to move psychological burnout into the mainstream of occupational stress research.
The Impact of Purpose, Participant Preconceptions, and Rating Level on the Acceptance of Peer Evaluations
Authors: Fedor Donald B. , Bettenhausen Kenneth L.
Published: March 2007

This study investigates the effects of appraisal purpose (feedback vs. grading), participant preconceptions, and favorability of the peer ratings on user acceptance of peer evaluations in an experiential management course. The results indicate more favorable acceptance of the peer evaluations when used for grading purposes and when initially viewed as beneficial. The validity of the research setting as well as possible explanations of these results are discussed, followed by suggestions for future research on the acceptability of peer evaluations as a management tool.
Career Orientations and Work Outcomes Among Industrial R&D Professionals
Authors: Aryee Samuel , Leong Chong Chee
Published: March 2007

The competitive global marketplace and the need for technological leadership in achieving competitive advantage have made it necessary to understand the factors that influence the performance and work attitudes of research and development (R&D) professionals. Data obtained from 165 industrial R&D professionals in Singapore were used to examine the relationship between career orientations and selected work outcomes. Factor analysis revealed two factors that underlie career orientations—professional/scientific and managerial. Both career orientations showed a significant and negative relationship with turnover intentions. Zero-order and partial correlation analyses indicated managerial career orientation to be related to organization-based performance and professional/scientific career orientation to be related to scientific performance. Implications of the findings and directions for future research are discussed.
Insurance Company Effectiveness Under Extreme Conditions
Authors: Moore Dorothy P. , Moore Jamie W.
Published: March 2007

Insurance companies project images of concern about people and commit themselves to the prompt delivery of services in time of need. This article uses the perception of insurance company effectiveness in dealing with policyholders after a major natural disaster as a model for an analysis of customer satisfaction. Findings indicate that repeat business and company success largely depends on the degree the company image matches consumer expectations. Extrapolations from the findings are recommended for testing by other organizations interested in delivering quality service to customers to gain a competitive edge.
OD Practitioners as Facilitators of Change
Authors: Church Allan H. , Waclawski Janine , Burke W. Warner
Published: March 2007

A study was undertaken to determine the degree of knowledge and understanding that organization development (OD) practitioners have regarding key issues in the management of change in organizations. Other variables of interest included the preferred mode of influence or consulting style based on a transformational versus transactional framework and the degree of tolerance for ambiguous situations. Data were collected using two survey instruments, the Managing Change Questionnaire (MCQ) and the Change Agent Questionnaire (CAQ), which were mailed to 1,500 OD practitioners randomly selected from the membership rosters of three professional associations. Of the sample, 24% returned completed questionnaires. Responses were compared with previous findings from managers and executives and then analyzed using multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) and multiple regression techniques to identify differences among categories of practitioners. Overall, OD practitioners were found to be quite knowledgeable about the concepts covered in the MCQ, more likely to be transformational than transactional in their consulting approach, and relatively tolerant of ambiguous situations. Formal educational background and nonacademic training experiences were identified as contributing factors in these trends, as well.
CEO Successor Choice, its Antecedents and Influence on Subsequent Firm Performance
Authors: Bommer William H. , Ellstrand Alan E.
Published: March 2007

Prior CEO succession research has been inconclusive, and studies suffer from threats to external validity from sampling limitations. This study uses 219 succession events over a 2-year period to investigate the antecedents and consequences of CEO successor type. Our findings suggest that institutional ownership interacts with firm performance to influence successor choice. Firm performance subsequent to the succession is not influenced by the successor's origin.
A Syncretical Model of Charismatic/Transformational Leadership
Authors: Behling Orlando , McFillen James M.
Published: March 2007

Two key problems hamper the study of charismatic/transformational leadership. First, the field lacks a generally accepted conceptual framework to guide research and practice. Second, only limited efforts have been made to operationalize key constructs. The authors report on an effort to remedy both problems here. They present a model that captures many of the major points common to existing models of charismatic/transformational leadership, that describes the development of instruments to measure attributes of the behaviors of charismatic/transformational leaders as well as key follower beliefs, and that hypothesizes the relationships between charismatic leadership behaviors, follower beliefs, and follower behavior.
The Effects of Co-Worker Simiilarity on the Emergence of Affect in Work Teams
Authors: Glaman Joan M. , Jones Allan P. , Rozelle Richard M.
Published: March 2007

The present study examined the impact of various types of co-worker similarity (demographic, value, and behavioral style preference) on the evolution of co-worker affect Data were collected in conjunction with a 4-week training program designed to provide executive training and development to senior-level executives. Study participants were 43 senior-level managers enrolled in the program. These managers were assigned to five- or six-person case study teams as a part of the training. At three times during the 4-week program, team members rated each other on social liking, co-worker preference, and behavioral attributions (190 dyadic pairs were used in the analyses). Similarity in demographic characteristics and in behavioral style preferences contributed significantly to the prediction of liking and co-worker preference. All three types of similarity predicted various attributions and perceptions, although the pattern of prediction changed over time. The results and possibilities for future research are discussed.
Determinants and Process of the Choice of Goal Difficulty
Authors: Moussa Faten M.
Published: March 2007

A laboratory study was designed to examine the impact of methods of payment (piece-rate vs. hourly flat-rate), choice of self-set goals (hard, easy, and free-choice), and self-esteem on the choice of goal difficulty. A significant (p = .01) two-way interaction between task-specific self-esteem and methods of payment was found to influence the choice of goal difficulty. High task-specific self-esteem subjects-as opposed to low task-specific self-esteem subjects-set significantly harder goals under the piece-rate plans than under the hourly flat-rate plans. In addition, a significant (p = .003) two-way interaction between choice of self-set goals and task-specific self-esteem was found to influence perceived total valences of job performance. Perceived total valences of job performance mediates the effects of task-specific self-esteem and choice of self-set goals on the choice of goal difficulty.
Performance Implications of International Strategy
Authors: Luo Yadong
Published: March 2007

This study explores the systematic relationship between business unit-level performance and strategic dimensions of international strategy. To capture the "match" effect between different-level strategies, this study examines parent-level investment strategy and subsidiary-level business strategy together within an integrated model. On the basis of a cross-sectional empirical analysis of the data on foreign-invested enterprises (FIE) operating in China, it is found that (a) among business strategy variables, product quality, sales force marketing, and liberal credit granting have significantly positive influences on FIE performance; (b) among investment strategy variables, industry selection and timing of entry are significant ones affecting venture's return and market growth; (c) interactions between business strategy and investment strategy significantly impact on FIE performance.
Extending Latent Role and Psychological Contract Theories to Predict Intent to Turnover and Politics in Business Organizations
Authors: Larwood Laurie , Wright Thomas A. , Desrochers Stephan , Dahir Veronica
Published: March 2007

Organizational researchers broadly accept Gouldner's (1957, 1958) early work describing the cosmopolitan-local latent role construct. In practice, however, measurement and external validity issues appear to have inhibited a more broad application to the general workplace environment. The present research provides a model demonstrating that local and cosmopolitan latent roles relate to such career and job concerns as job fit to the psychological contract and job satisfaction. These variables, in turn, predict intention to quit and organizational politics. Results are discussed in the context of structural equation modeling, which provides both theoretical and practical implications for better understanding quit rates and political behavior.
Giving Up Control without Losing Control
Authors: Spreitzer Gretchen M. , Mishra Aneil K.
Published: March 2007

Because involving lower echelon employees in decision making requires risk on the part of managers, we suggest that certain contextual features must be in place for managers to be more willing to do so. We hypothesize that managers’trust in employees, and two impersonal substitutes for trust—performance information and incentives—will increase managers’ involvement of lower echelon employees in decision making. Managers’involvement of lower echelon employees is further hypothesized to enhance organizational performance. Path analysis of survey data from the automotive industry provides support for the hypotheses.
A Productivity Evaluation of Teamwork at an Aluminum Manufacturing Plant
Authors: Moses Timothy P. , Stahelski Anthony J.
Published: March 2007

This study examined the relation between problem-solving teams and productivity in an aluminum plant. In a reversal design, changes in five productivity measures were examined throughout four time periods: No Teams Period 1 (1982-1986), Teams Period 2 (1988-1993), No Teams Period 3 (1993-1994), and Teams Period 4 (1993-1997). Significant improvements were found comparing No Teams Period 1 to Teams Period 2, and to Teams Period 4 on all measures. Nonsignificant changes between No Teams Period 1 and No Teams Period 3, and Teams Period 2 and Teams Period 4 occurred. The results were evaluated against three likely confounds: technology improvements, changes in the price of finished aluminum, and changes in the number of employees across the periods of the study. The confounds were unlikely to have systematically influenced the results of this study, providing support for the existence of a positive relation between problem-solving teams and productivity.
A Contingency Model of Response to Performance Feedback
Authors: Lant Theresa K. , Hurley Amy E.
Published: March 2007

This study examines patterns of strategic resource allocation decisions and performance feed-back over time for evidence of both incremental adaptation and escalation of commitment. The investment decisions of 20 teams participating in the management simulation MARKSTRAT are examined. The participants were managers enrolled in an executive education program and M.B.A. students. A contingent model of responses to performance feedback is introduced that includes the moderating factors of prior resource commitments, consecutive periods of positive or negative feedback, and performance distance from aspiration. Evidence is found for both incremental adaptation and escalation of commitment. The implication of this study is that responses to performance feedback should be viewed as contingent on a number of factors, such as distance from aspirations and sunk costs associated with a decision.
Effects of Genetic Dominance on Runaway Sexual Selection
Authors: Noor Mohamed A.F.
Published: March 2007

Distinguishing among theories of sexual selection requires that one develop diagnostic predictions that can be tested in living systems. Recently, genetic studies of female species preferences in Drosophila supported the predictions of a model of sexual selection through pleiotropy with adap tive traits: preferences generally behaved as recessive characters. However, the dominance predic tions of female preferences resulting from runaway sexual selection have not been investigated. Here, I present an extension of previous simulation models of runaway sexual selection by varying the dominance of the female preference and incorporating genetic drift. I show that runaway sex ual selection is generally more likely to favor the evolution of dominant female preferences than recessive ones. Also, in contrast to the results of a previous study, dominant preferred male char acters spread more quickly by runaway sexual selection than recessive ones under some conditions. Overall, the predictions derived from this model of runaway sexual selection are not supported by empirical data on the genetic basis of species preferences, suggesting that runaway sexual selection may not be a major force in the evolution of such preferences. More empirical studies will be nec essary to further evaluate both the predictions and the assumptions of this model, however.
The Use of Hierarchies for Action Selection
Authors: Tyrrell Toby
Published: March 2007

Several researchers of animal behavior, such as Tinbergen and Baerends, have proposed hierarchical mechanisms for action selection. Maes, among others, has argued against mechanisms of this type because of the top-down control and lack of robustness inherent in these hierarchical decision structures, or rigid switching mechanisms, in which decisions are made at every level. Two alternatives exist to these hierarchical decision structures: Maes and others have designed non-hierarchical action selection mechanisms, and Rosenblatt and Payton have outlined a hierarchical mechanism that does not make decisions at every level. In this article, use of the two types of hierarchies for action selection is discussed, and the Rosenblatt and Payton approach—with free flow of information, combination of evidence, and the ability to select compromise candidates—is supported. It is also argued that the problem of action selection is, by nature, intrinsically hierarchical, and so Rosenblatt and Payton-like hierarchies (free-flow hierarchies) are more suitable for action selection than non-hierarchical mechanisms. Evidence from observation of animal behavior and from computer simulation testing is used to lend support to these claims.