bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Industrial relations, worksite stress reduction, and employee well‐being: A participatory action research investigation
Authors: Heaney Catherine A. , Israel Barbara A. , Schurman Susan J. , Baker Elizabeth A. , House James S. , Hugentobler Margrit
Published: July 2007

The workplace has become the locus of many stress management and stress reduction interventions. However, little attention has focused on how worksite factors affect the implementation and impact of such interventions. In this paper, we investigate the effect of new versus traditional industrial relations practices on the impact of a worksite stress reduction program in a manufacturing setting. More specifically, a participatory action research (PAR) stress project is described and evaluated in two different labor–management relations contexts. One organization is characterized by the emerging ’new‘ industrial relations system where labor–management relations incorporate elements of joint problem‐solving. The other organization has a more traditional approach where labor–management relations are formally adversarial. Results indicate that the labor–management relations context did influence the impact of the stress project. Involvement in the PAR stress project enhanced employee participation in decision‐making in both contexts. However, involvement in the stress project enhanced employees' perceptions of the climate for participation only in the organization with more cooperative industrial relations. Increases in coworker support and decreases in depressive symptoms were associated with involvement in the PAR stress project in the organization with more adversarial industrial relations.
Relationship of work‐family conflict, gender, and alcohol expectancies to alcohol use/abuse
Authors: Frone Michael R. , Russell Marcia , Cooper M. Lynne
Published: July 2007

Numerous studies have documented a positive relationship between work‐family conflict and both psychological distress and somatic symptoms. Little research, however, has explored the relationship of work‐family conflict to alcohol use/abuse. Consequently, this study investigated the relationship of work‐family conflict to several indicators of abusive alcohol consumption. In addition, the moderating influence of gender and tension‐reduction expectancies was examined. Data were obtained through household interviews with a random sample of 473 employed adults. As hypothesized, work‐family conflict was positively related to abusive alcohol consumption. In addition, there was strong support for the moderating influence of tension‐reduction expectancies. As anticipated, the positive relationship between work‐family conflict and abusive alcohol consumption was found almost exclusively among individuals who believe that alcohol use promotes relaxation and tension reduction. In contrast, the hypothesis that gender moderates the relationship between work‐family conflict and alcohol use/abuse was not supported. Implications for future research and intervention efforts aimed at reducing alcohol abuse in the workforce are discussed.
Success and failure in the labor market: Some comments
Authors: Feather N. T.
Published: July 2007

These comments on the Schaufeli and Van Ypersen (1993) article on success and failure in the labor market consider the generalizability of their results across different samples and cultures. They also consider the need to move beyond empirical studies that are primarily concerned with identifying predictor variables to theory‐drive studies that tie research on unemployment into existing or new theoretical frameworks, thereby providing order and meaning to the findings from unemployment research.
The construct validity of two burnout measures
Authors: Schaufeli Wilmar B. , Van Dierendonck Dirk
Published: July 2007

The present study was carried out among a sample of 667 Dutch nurses and assesses three aspects of the construct validity of the two most widely used self‐report burnout questionnaires: The Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) and the Burnout Measure (BM). Although the factorial validity of the three‐dimensional structure of the MBI was convincingly demonstrated by confirmatory factor analysis with LISREL, four weak and ambiguous items were identified. Regarding the BM, some doubts have arisen about its one‐dimensionality. The congruent validity of the questionnaires was well established: They both refer to the core element of the burnout syndrome (i.e. exhaustion). Moreover, linear structural analyses suggested that burnout is a two multi‐dimensional construct consisting of an affective component (i.e. exhaustion) and an attitudinal component (i.e. a negative attitude towards recipients and towards one's job performance). However, the discriminant validity of the first component is rather poor since it considerably overlaps with self‐reported somatic complaints and psychological strain. It is concluded that the MBI can be employed as a reliable and valid multi‐dimensional indicator of burnout in professionals who work with people. The BM assesses the non‐specific affective component of burnout (i.e. exhaustion) and should therefore be supplemented by a scale that measures the attitudinal component of the syndrome.
Pregnancy as a source of bias in performance appraisals
Authors: Halpert Jane A. , Wilson Midge L. , Hickman Julia L.
Published: July 2007

Notwithstanding recent gains, women have still not achieved parity with men in the workplace. This is further complicated by common negative images of pregnant women (Taylor and Langer, 1977). The present study investigated (1) stereotypes about pregnant working women, and (2) the effect of an employee's pregnancy on performance evaluation. In the first study, subjects' attitudes about pregnant employees were assessed via questionnaire. Substantial negative stereotyping was found to exist, especially among males. In Study 2, subjects viewed videotapes of either a pregnant or a non‐pregnant women doing assessment‐center‐type tasks and were asked to evaluate her performance. When the employee was pregnant, she was consistently rated lower compared to when she was non‐pregnant. A main effect of rater sex and a rater sex by pregnancy condition interaction were found, indicating that males assigned lower ratings than females and were also more negatively affected by the pregnancy condition. Implications for organizational policy regarding employee pregnancy and performance appraisal systems are discussed.
From job‐based to competency‐based organizations
Authors: Lawler Edward E.
Published: July 2007

The efficacy of designing organizations around job structures is challenged. Although this approach has dominated the fields of organizational behavior and human resource management for decades, a number of forces have converged to suggest that a competency‐based approach often is more appropriate. In the global competitive environment which large, complex organizations face, the competency‐based approach and the capabilities that individuals need to acquire and develop should be the major focus. Reward systems, career tracks, selection systems, and the structure of organizations need to change to focus on competencies. The challenges and opportunities for research, theory, and practice development that a change to a competency‐based approach raises are many and diverse. For example, new pay systems are needed, new selection systems are needed, indeed whole new concepts about what constitutes selection validity and career development are needed.
Influences on the quality of supervisor–subordinate relations: The role of time‐pressure, organizational commitment, and locus of control
Authors: Kinicki Angelo J. , Vecchio Robert P.
Published: July 2007

Despite a growing literature devoted to the study of differences in the quality of leader–member exchange, little empirical evidence is available concerning factors that influence the degree of differentiation among leader–member dyads on the dimension of quality of working relationships. As time‐pressure has been suggested as one potential influence, the impact of time‐based stress on leader–member exchange was examined with a sample of 138 loan officers representing 24 bank branches. Results indicated that unit‐level variability on leader–member exchange was inversely related with time‐based stress, while unit‐level mean on leader–member exchange was positively related with time‐based stress. Additionally, leader–member exchange acted as a mediator of the relation between employee locus of control (a suspected antecedent of dyadic quality) and organizational commitment (a suspected outcome), while employee locus of control correlated with leader–member exchange, and leader–member exchange correlated with employee organizational commitment. The results suggest the usefulness of considering time‐based stress in conjunction with current models of leadership.
Factors affecting supervisors' use of disciplinary actions following poor performance
Authors: Trahan Wanda A. , Steiner Dirk D.
Published: July 2007

The present study, as an extension of Mitchell and Woods (1980), examined the relationships between supervisor and subordinate variables and disciplinary action severity in a field setting. Hypotheses were tested using questionnaire data from nursing supervisors. Analyses confirmed that supervisor attributions, severity of the incident of poor performance, supervisor intent, and subordinate work history were related to disciplinary action severity. Moreover, regression analysis indicated that severity of the incident of poor performance was the largest contributor to the choices of a disciplinary action. Implications of the study for organizations and future research are discussed.
Relocation attitudes and adjustment: A longitudinal study
Authors: Fisher Cynthia D. , Shaw James B.
Published: July 2007

This study identified correlates of attitude toward an impending employer‐initiated relocation, then followed up by predicting post‐transfer attitude and adjustment difficulty in the same sample. Predictors suggested by past research on mobility attitudes (i.e. demographic characteristics and attributes of the pre‐move location) were less important in explaining pre‐move attitude toward the transfer than were expected attributes of the new location. After the move, experienced aspects of the new location such as role ambiguity, degree of advancement, and community and job satisfaction were the strongest predictors of overall post‐move attitude and adjustment difficulty. In many cases, pre‐move expectations about attributes of the new location were not related to affect or adjustment after the move, suggesting that pre‐move expectations may have been inaccurate. Implications for theory, research, and organizational practice are discussed.
A psychological process investigation for the effects of recruitment source and organization information on job survival
Authors: Saks Alan M.
Published: July 2007

The purpose of this study was to examine the psychological processes for the effects of recruitment source and organization information on newcomers' job survival. Formal sources of recruitment were compared to informal sources, and a model based on the realism and met expectations hypotheses for the effects of information accuracy received from one's recruitment source and the organization on job survival was tested. Employees recruited through informal sources of recruitment (employee referrals, rehires, and self‐initiated walk‐ins) were found to have greater job survival in comparison to employees recruited through formal sources of recruitment (newspaper and radio advertisement, and posters), and reported receiving more accurate job information from their recruitment source, greater met expectations, and ability to cope. The results of a path analysis indicated that the accuracy of information received from one's recruitment source and the organization was significantly related to several of the hypothesized process variables of the realism hypothesis that are related to subsequent job survival. Further, the results support the met expectations hypothesis as one of the key psychological processes underlying the relationship between information accuracy and job survival. The implications for future research and practice are discussed from an information acquisition perspective that integrates the literature on recruitment sources and socialization.
Person‐based reward systems: A theory of organizational reward practices in reform‐communist organizations
Authors: Pearce Jone L. , Branyiczki Imre , Bakacsi Gyula
Published: July 2007

A type of organizational reward system based on personal power is described and partially tested. The theory, developed from observations of Hungarian organizations, is grounded in theories of procedural justice and learned helplessness. Person‐based organizational reward systems are characterized by highly valued rewards combined with personalistic criteria for reward distribution. Such organizational reward systems were hypothesized to lead to employee perceptions of organizational unfairness; negative evaluations of others; anxiety; and perceptions of self, collegial and organizational inefficacy. These hypotheses were supported in tests in a sample of three Hungarian state‐owned organizations classified as having person‐based systems and five non‐person‐based organizations (two Hungarian privately‐owned companies, one American state‐owned and two American privately‐owned organizations). In addition, several behavioral effects of person‐based reward systems were proposed: they foster bargaining behavior, withholding of information, avoidance of collaborative tasks, ingratiation and noncompliance with rules.
Careers as repositories of knowledge: A new perspective on boundaryless careers
Authors: Bird Allan
Published: July 2007

This paper argues for a reconceptualization of careers as repositories of knowledge. Careers are visualized as accumulation of information and knowledge rather than simply progressions of work experiences. This definition is considered in light of theories which characterize organizations as knowledge creators. The paper then applies this perspective to the emerging phenomenon of boundaryless careers and concludes that a knowledge perspective provides significant insight into the implications of such careers for individuals and organizations.
Psychological success and the boundaryless career
Authors: Mirvis Philip H. , Hall Douglas T.
Published: July 2007

The boundaryless career could be a bane or boon to people's experience of psychological success. This paper describes the contours of the boundaryless career and then looks at how workers will have to deal with aging over several career cycles, integrate diverse experiences into their identities, and come to terms with new types of employer‐employee relationships. This introduces the idea of finding psychological success in one's life work, encompassing not only a job and an organization, but also work as a spouse, parent, community member, and as a self‐developer.
Work experiences and marital interactions: Elaborating the complexity of work
Authors: Hughes Diane , Galinsky Ellen
Published: July 2007

Previous research suggests that work experiences affect family interactions and family processes but does not adequately specify the job characteristics that influence such family‐level outcomes. This study examines relationships between the quality of marital interactions and a range of job characteristics including the level of enrichment provided by the job, job time demands, job pressure, schedule flexibility, and job insecurity. The sample consisted of 523 married full time employees at a major U.S. company. Multiple regression analysis indicated that these job characteristics significantly predict the quality of marital interactions. Some directly influenced the quality of marital interaction while the influence of others was moderated by the presence or absence of stressful household roles. Results suggest that characteristics workers' jobs, and not merely workers' reactions to them, are associated with family interactions and family processes.
Third party roles played by Turkish managers in subordinates' conflicts
Authors: Kozan M. Kamil , Ilter Selim S.
Published: July 2007

This study investigated the third party roles of Turkish managers and how these roles were related to the conflict management styles used by their subordinates. Questionnaire data were collected from 295 Turkish managers in seven firms. Mediation and facilitation were found to be the third party roles reported more frequently than autocratic intervention andlaissez‐faire. Subordinates reported increased use of collaboration and compromise toward the other party when their managers, in a third party role, were seen as using more mediation and facilitation. Competitive behavior increased when the third party was seen as autocratic. The paper discussed the relationship of these findings to cultural characteristics such as uncertainty avoidance and collectivism.
Issues, behavioral responses and consequences in interpersonal conflicts
Authors: Bergmann Thomas J. , Volkema Roger J.
Published: July 2007

This paper reports on a study of interpersonal conflicts in the workplace using a process model proposed by Thomas (1992) as a framework. Three stages of this model are examined: the issues involved, the behavioral responses elicited, and the personal consequences. The relationship of issues and behaviors to consequences is determined within the context of the organizational positions of the parties (supervisor, subordinate, co‐worker).
A model of the antecedents of early union commitment: The role of socialization experiences and steward characteristics
Authors: Fullagar Clive , Clark Paul , Gallagher Daniel , Gordon Michael E.
Published: July 2007

The present study aimed at investigating the influence of shop steward characteristics and early union socialization experiences on new members' attitudes toward unions and their affective commitment to the union. Two thousand surveys were mailed to the most recent members of the National Association of Letter Carriers. Of these, 658 (33 per cent) were returned. Focusing on those individuals who had joined the union within the past 12 months yielded a usable sample of 585. A two‐stage, structural equation modeling approach indicated a satisfactory goodness‐of‐fit for both the measurement and structural models. Individual socialization experiences significantly affected union attitudes. The latter variable was a significant predictor of union commitment. These results are discussed in the context of the organizational socialization literature and union commitment research.
A longitudinal assessment of the determinant relationship between employee commitments to the occupation and the organization
Authors: Vandenberg Robert J. , Scarpello Vida
Published: July 2007

A review of the research literature suggested that occupational commitment may be an antecedent to employees' commitment to the organization. Although several studies have assessed the general relationship between occupational and organizational commitment, none have attempted to establish the causal priority between the two constructs. In the present study, occupational commitment was viewed as a causal antecedent to organizational commitment. Based on longitudinal data from 100 management information systems professionals, this view was supported through cross‐lagged analysis. Further, we examined a longitudinal causal model of the turnover process in which occupational commitment was placed as an antecedent to organizational commitment. Structural equation analysis supported the fit of this model to the data. Implications of the findings are discussed.
Coping with transition: A study of layoff survivors
Authors: Armstrong‐Stassen Marjorie
Published: July 2007

This study examined the determinants and consequences of survivors' coping responses to a recent workforce reduction involving permanent layoffs. The participants consisted of 200 unionized technicians in the telecommunications industry. Survivors with high optimistic predispositions and a strong sense of mastery were more likely to engage in control‐oriented coping. Perceived threat of job loss was positively related to the use of both control and escape coping whereas sense of powerlessness was negatively related to the use of control coping. Control coping was associated with positive outcomes and escape coping with negative outcomes. Coping had both additive and interactive effects on the outcome variables. The implications of these findings for management are discussed.
The role of fairness in implementing large‐scale change: Employee evaluations of process and outcome in seven facility relocations
Authors: Daly Joseph P. , Geyer Paul D.
Published: July 2007

Organizational transitions may be difficult to implement if employees resist the change. ‘Participation’ and ‘education’ (Kotter and Schlesinger, 1979) are hypothesized to enhance commitment to change, however mechanisms for those effects are unclear. In a sample of employees from seven relocated organizations, a test of our model showed that the effects of justification (a form of education) on intent to remain are mediated by outcome and procedural fairness judgements. Voice (a form of participation) showed no effects on fairness judgments, perhaps because employees did not expect voice in relocation decisions. Supplementary analyses yielded no evidence for direct effects of voice and justification on intention to remain. The findings extend our understanding of fairness to transition settings.
Organizational commitment, turnover and absenteeism: An examination of direct and interaction effects
Authors: Somers Mark John
Published: July 2007

A three component model of organizational commitment was used to study job withdrawal intentions, turnover and absenteeism. Affective commitment emerged as the most consistent predictor of these outcome variables and was the only view of commitment related to turnover and to absenteeism. In contrast, normative commitment was related only to withdrawal intentions while no direct effects for continuance commitment were observed. Continuance commitment, however, interacted with affective commitment in predicting job withdrawal intentions and absenteeism. The form of the interaction was such that high sunk costs tempered relationships between affective commitment and the relevant outcome variables.
Relations of incumbent affect‐related personality traits with incumbent and objective measures of characteristics of jobs
Authors: Spector Paul E. , Jex Steve M. , Chen Peter Y.
Published: July 2007

The present study examined the possibility that individuals with certain personality traits tend to be found in certain types of jobs. Specifically, we examined correlations between two personality traits, anxiety and optimism, and measures of job characteristics obtained via self‐reports and through job analysis. Results showed that those who were high in trait anxiety tended to be in jobs characterized by low autonomy, variety, identity, feedback, significance, and complexity. Conversely, those reporting high levels of optimism tended to be in jobs characterized by high levels of each of these job characteristics. Further research to clarify these findings was suggested.
Demographic similarity to the work group: A longitudinal study of managers at the early career stage
Authors: Kirchmeyer Catherine
Published: July 2007

A sample of 141 Canadian business school graduates responded to questionnaires at 3, 9 and 14 months after beginning full‐time jobs. Their job experiences including challenge, work group fit, supervisor support, and mentorship were measured along with organizational commitment, turnover, and promotion. There was little evidence of treatment discrimination against the female and minority members of the sample. However, dissimilarity to one's work group in terms of age, education, and lifestyle meant lower job challenge and poorer work group fit. In contrast, being dissimilar in terms of gender meant greater challenge, and, if the manager was male, greater likelihood of promotion. Being dissimilar in terms of culture was not associated with any of the job experiences. Relationships between the early experiences and organizational commitment were strongest for those who were most dissimilar in terms of gender, whereas relationships between the experiences and turnover were strongest for those who were most dissimilar in terms of age, education, and lifestyle.
Methods and impact of health screening for hospital staff
Authors: Michie S. , Johnston M. , Cockcroft A. , Ellinghouse C. , Gooch C.
Published: July 2007

This study examines: (1) the impact of two methods of giving screening results on health behaviour and beliefs, evaluated in a randomized controlled trial. (2) The association between uptake of screening and health risk behaviours and beliefs.

Two methods of feedback of screening results were given: simple informational feedback, and more extensive feedback, including target‐setting and a written contract. At six month follow‐up, those who received simple informational feedback had lost less weight and had increased their exercise less than those who received more extensive feedback.

Attenders believed more strongly in the relationship between lifestyle and health, perceived themselves as less healthy than others and scored higher on the GHQ than staff who did not attend for screening. These results suggest that belief in the effectiveness of lifestyle change in promoting health, and anxiety about health, can influence uptake of screening. Second, the method of presenting screening results can influence the impact of screening on subsequent behaviour change.
A task‐level assessment of job satisfaction
Authors: Taber Tom D. , Alliger George M.
Published: July 2007

Research on job satisfaction traditionally has gathered data at the level of the overall job. But a job consists of many distinct tasks—some of which may be enjoyable, complex, and important, and some not. Job satisfaction research so far has not assessed affective or motivational properties of individual tasks; therefore, it is not known how experiences with individual tasks contribute to global job satisfaction. To address that question, a task analysis technique was developed and used to gather detailed descriptions of the time‐allocation, importance, autonomy, attention demands, complexity, and enjoyment of each individual task performed by 573 employees on a diverse sample of jobs. The task‐level data allowed the examination of relationships between task experiences on the one hand, and both global and facet measures of job satisfaction on the other. Results suggested that task‐level measurement assessed different psychological processes than those assessed by traditional global and facet measures. Global and facet measures of job satisfaction were found to be consistent with, but only partially predictable from, individual task properties. Task analysis is a cumbersome process; nevertheless, by complementing traditional, global measurement procedures, task‐level assessment may facilitate new research into the nature of job satisfaction.
Individualism‐collectivism as an individual difference predictor of organizational citizenship behavior
Authors: Moorman Robert H. , Blakely Gerald L.
Published: July 2007

Though it appears intuitively appealing that individual differences should be related to a person's decision to perform citizenship behaviors, the search for such individual differences has yet to yield clear results. In this study, data were collected to assess the extent of a relationship between individualism–collectivism as a within culture individual difference and self‐reports of organizational citizenship behaviors. Results suggest that if an individual holds collectivistic values or norms, he/she would be more likely to perform citizenship behaviors. In addition, this relationship was found to be robust to common method effects and to the effect of the relationship between procedural justice and OCB. Implications for the way collectivistic tendencies within cultures may be used in organizations are discussed.
Crossover of stress, strain and resources from one spouse to another
Authors: Westman Mina , Etzion Dalia
Published: July 2007

The main focus of the study was the crossover of burnout and of coping resources from husbands to wives and vice versa. The study was carried out on 101 couples, male military officers and their wives, who were randomly selected by the Israel Defense Force computer. They filled out questionnaires that measured their level of burnout, job stress, work support, family support concerning work problems, and their sense of control. Findings reveal that the husbands' sense of control and burnout were positively related to the corresponding variables measured for their wives. To establish the crossover effect, the theoretical model was tested by structural equation analysis (LISREL), which showed a positive effect of wives' burnout on husbands' burnout, after controlling for the husbands' own job stress and coping resources. The husbands' burnout likewise affected their wives' burnout. Thus, a crossover of burnout was exhibited from husbands to wives and vice versa. Furthermore, for both sexes, sense of control had the highest impact on their own burnout and on their spouse's burnout, after controlling for their own job stress and resources. Thus, the spouse's sense of control was found to be an additional resistance resource working to the benefit of the other partner. The relevance of these findings to burnout prevention is discussed.
School Principal Burnout: The concept and its components
Authors: Friedman Isaac A.
Published: July 2007

This study attempted to identify the unique components of burnout among school principals using Facet Theory as a theory construction tool. A total of 571 elementary and secondary school principals in Israel completed a questionnaire containing items relating to their feelings about themselves, their environment and work. Data were analyzed employing Small Space Analysis (SSA). Results indicated that burnout among school principals may be presented in a two‐dimensional space, incorporating: experiences (weariness or discontent), and the focus (internal or external) of those experiences. Four components of the burnout phenomenon in principals emerged in this two‐dimensional space: exhaustion, self‐discontent, aloofness, and deprecation.
Structural equation modelling in perspective
Authors: Kelloway E. Kevin
Published: July 2007

Four current controversies in structural equation modelling are reviewed; the “causal” nature of structural equation models, the assessment of global fit, the use of specification searches to enhance model fit, and the call for a return to “simpler” forms of analysis. Within each area the nature of the controversy is reviewed and suggestions made to improve future practice.
The relationship between job experiences and psychological distress: A structural equation approach
Authors: Barnett Rosalind C. , Brennan Robert T.
Published: July 2007

Using structural equations, we estimated the relationship between employees' experiences of seven job conditions, that have been identified as potential job stressors, and psychological distress in a random sample of 504 full‐time employed men and women in dual‐earner couples. The seven job conditions were: skill discretion, decision authority, schedule control, job demands, pay adequacy, job security, and relations with supervisor. We found that two job conditions — skill discretion and job demands — were related to psychological distress, whereas five other conditions were not. These findings lend partial support to Karasek's job demand — job control model. In our analysis, skill discretion, one of the two components of job control (referred to jointly as decision latitude) was related to distress, however, decision authority, the second component, was not. A third aspect of control, schedule control, was also unrelated to distress. For full‐time employed women and men in dual‐earner couples, the additive effects of feeling concerned about having to do dull, monotonous work and having to work under pressure of time and conflicting demands were associated with psychological distress. Finally, the magnitude of the relationships between these job experiences and psychological distress did not differ between men and women.
Psychological contracts and OCB: The effect of unfulfilled obligations on civic virtue behavior
Authors: Robinson Sandra L. , Morrison Elizabeth Wolfe
Published: July 2007

This study examines the relationship between violation of an employee's psychological contract and civic virtue behavior. A psychological contract is a set of beliefs regarding mutual obligations between employee and employer. One hundred twenty‐six MBA alumni were surveyed at the time of hire (T1), and after 18 months (T2) and 30 months (T3) on the job. When employees felt that their employers had failed to fulfil employment obligations at T2, they were less likely to engage in civic virtue behavior at T3. There was evidence that this relationship was partly mediated by trust. These findings have implications for research on OCB and for managers seeking to maintain employee citizenship behavior.
The effects of transformational leadership on teacher attitudes and student performance in Singapore
Authors: Koh William L. , Steers Richard M. , Terborg James R.
Published: July 2007

Transformational leadership theory was examined in 89 schools in Singapore using a split sample technique (N = 846 teachers). The study sought to examine the influence of transformational leader behavior by school principals as it related to organizational commitment, organizational citizenship behavior, teacher satisfaction with leader, and student academic performance. Attitudinal and behavioral data were collected from both teachers and principals; student academic performance was collected from school records. School level analyses showed that transformational leadership had significant add‐on effects to transactional leadership in the prediction of organizational commitment, organizational citizenship behavior, and teacher satisfaction. Moreover, transformational leadership was found to have indirect effects on student academic achievement. Finally, it was found that transactional leadership had little add‐on effect on transformational leadership in predicting outcomes. Implications and directions for future research are discussed.
Implicit Stress Theory: An experimental examination of subjective performance information on employee evaluations
Authors: Fernandez Denise Rotondo , Perrewé Pamela L.
Published: July 2007

Implicit theories lead individuals to make assumptions about one trait based on their knowledge of another trait. These assumptions can be particularly costly to organizations if they bias performance evaluations. Two studies experimentally examined Implicit Stress Theory (IST) using a 2 (high and low stressor) × 2 (high and low performance) design across three dependent variables: ratings of effectiveness, commitment, and burnout. Results from a sample of MBA students and a sample of practicing managers showed that employees in a high‐stressor job were rated as more effective, committed, and burned out than employees in a low‐stressor job when performance was indicated using subjective descriptive anchors. Interactive patterns in the manager sample demonstrated that the biasing effects were more pronounced for low performing employees.
The justice perspective of job stress
Authors: Zohar Dov
Published: July 2007

The study presents a new variable, role justice, pertaining to the perceived fairness of role senders reaction when the focal individual is under conflict, ambiguity, overload, or restricted latitude. The effect of this variable on symptoms of strain was explored, with the expectation of finding either additive or interactive effects vis‐à‐vis the above four role stressors. Using hierarchical multiple regression, the data supported the additive model which suggested that role injustice constitutes an additional source of stress. The study was conducted with a sample of hospital nurses, known to have significant levels of job stress. The results suggest that the role stress model ought to be expanded to include social appraisal constructs because of the social origin of the stressor variables it deals with.
A new conceptualization of union commitment: Development and test of an integrated theory
Authors: Sverke Magnus , Kuruvilla Sarosh
Published: July 2007

An introductory conceptual and empirical review stresses the need for a stable theoretical basis for union commitment research. The purpose of this paper is to develop a new conceptualization of union commitment based on the integration of two theories (the theory of reasoned action and the rationalistic approach to commitment). The integrated theory suggests that union commitment is composed of two dimensions, one based on instrumentality and one based on ideology, which are causally related to prounion behavioral intentions and, in turn, to union participation. Propositions derived from the integrated theory are tested using data on 1486 blue‐collar workers in Sweden. Results of linear structural equation modelling with latent variables and of multiple regression analyses provide strong support for the construct validity of the commitment dimensions and the overall applicability of the integrated theory. The central findings, their conceptual implications for the understanding of union commitment, and their practical implications for unions are discussed.
Antecedents of union loyalty: The influence of individual dispositions and organizational context
Authors: Iverson Roderick D. , Kuruvilla Sarosh
Published: July 2007

Previous research has consistently found relationships between union loyalty and the antecedent variables of demographics, job related variables, and union related variables. However, little or no research has investigated the relationship between union loyalty and individual dispositions and organizational context. The purpose of this study was to test a causal model which evaluated the influence of individual dispositions and organizational context in predicting union loyalty controlling for the effects of demographics, job related, and union related variables. Contextual data were collected from 405 schools and matched with union loyalty and other attitudinal data from 838 public school teachers in a large U.S. Midwestern city. The LISREL results indicate that the individual dispositions of positive and negative affectivity and the contextual variables of attendance rate, school type, race homogeneity and socio‐economic status had significant total causal effects on union loyalty. Implications of these findings are discussed.
A method to design high SNR nanoscale magnetic sensors using an array of tunnelling magneto-resistance (TMR) devices
Authors: Gomez P , Litvinov D , Khizroev S
Published: July 2007

This paper presents a systematic method to design and calculate tunnelling magneto-resistance (TMR) sensors with high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). The sensing module consists of four TMR devices arranged in a Wheatstone-bridge configuration. Closed-form equations were obtained to calculate TMR sensor current, array output voltage, magneto-resistance ratio, overall noise (thermal and shot) and SNR for a given bandwidth. Using this technique we were able to maximize the SNR by tuning the many parameters of the TMR devices. Typical SNR values are in excess of 45 dB.
Experimental study of transformer-coupled toroidal discharge in mercury vapour
Authors: Ulanov I M , Isupov M V , Litvintsev A Yu
Published: July 2007

Experimental investigations of the transformer-coupled toroidal discharge (TCTD) in a mixture of argon and mercury vapour were carried out for a wide range of discharge parameters: mercury vapour pressure (0.1–40 000 Pa), discharge current (1–260 A), diameter of a gas-discharge tube (20–75 mm) and current frequency (10–250 kHz). New experimental data on electric field strength and emission yield to visible and UV-range were obtained as functions of the discharge parameters. It was proved that the dependences of electrical and optical characteristics of TCTD on the discharge current, vapour pressure and tube diameter are close to those of dc arc discharges in mercury vapour. The possible reasons for parameter deviations were considered. Also, the effect of the reduction of emissivity for the visible triplet of mercury spectrum (404.7, 435.8, 546.1 nm) with the excitation potential of 7.73 eV was discovered under certain conditions: mercury vapour pressure is higher than 10 kPa, and the specific power is above 50 W cm−1.
Tai Chi for Disease Activity and Flexibility in Patients with Ankylosing Spondylitis—A Controlled Clinical Trial
Authors: Lee Eun-Nam , Kim Young-Hee , Chung Won Tae , Lee Myeong Soo
Published: July 2007

We investigated the effects of tai chi on disease activity, flexibility and depression in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS). We allocated 40 patients to either a tai chi treatment group or a no‐treatment control group. The tai chi group performed 60 min of tai chi twice weekly for eight consecutive weeks and 8 weeks of home‐based tai chi, after which the group showed significant improvement in disease activity and flexibility compared to the control group. All outcome measures were significantly lower in the tai chi group than they were during pre‐treatment, while they did not change in the control group. These findings suggest that tai chi can improve disease activity and flexibility for patients with AS. Tai chi is an easily accessible therapy for patients and, as such, may be an effective intervention for AS. However, we cannot completely discount the possibility that the placebo effect was responsible for the improvement.
Dysautonomia, a Heuristic Approach to a Revised Model for Etiology of Disease
Authors: Lonsdale Derrick
Published: July 2007

Dysautonomia refers to a disease where the autonomic nervous system is dysfunctional. This may be a central control mechanism, as in genetically determined familial dysautonomia (Riley‐Day Syndrome), or peripherally in the distribution of the sympathetic and parasympathetic systems. There are multiple reports of a number of different diseases associated with dysautonomia. The etiology of this association has never been explained. There are also multiple publications on dysautonomia associated with specific non‐caloric nutritional deficiencies. Beriberi is the prototype of autonomic dysfunction. It is the best known nutritional deficiency disease caused by an imbalance between ingested calories and the vitamins required for their oxidation, particularly thiamin. Long thought to be abolished in modern medical thinking, there are occasional isolated reports of the full‐blown disease in developed Western cultures.

Apart from genetically and epigenetically determined disease, evidence is presented that marginal high calorie malnutrition, particularly with reference to simple carbohydrates, is responsible for widespread dysautonomia. The brain and heart are the organs that have a fast rate of oxidative metabolism and are affected early by any mechanism that reduces oxidative efficiency. It is hypothesized that this results in a chaotic state of the hypothalamic/autonomic/endocrine axis. Due to the lack of adequate automatic controls, this may be responsible in some cases for breakdown of organ systems through long‐standing energy deficiency, thus leading eventually to organic disease.
The ArabidopsisBAP1andBAP2Genes Are General Inhibitors of Programmed Cell Death
Authors: Yang Huijun , Yang Shuhua , Li Yongqing , Hua Jian
Published: July 2007

Here we identify the BAP1 and BAP2 genes of Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) as general inhibitors of programmed cell death (PCD) across the kingdoms. These two homologous genes encode small proteins containing a calcium-dependent phospholipid-binding C2 domain. BAP1 and its functional partner BON1 have been shown to negatively regulate defense responses and a disease resistance gene SNC1. Genetic studies here reveal an overlapping function of the BAP1 and BAP2 genes in cell death control. The loss of BAP2 function induces accelerated hypersensitive responses but does not compromise plant growth or confer enhanced resistance to virulent bacterial or oomycete pathogens. The loss of both BAP1 and BAP2 confers seedling lethality mediated by PAD4 and EDS1, two regulators of cell death and defense responses. Overexpression of BAP1 or BAP2 with their partner BON1 inhibits PCD induced by pathogens, the proapototic gene BAX, and superoxide-generating paraquat in Arabidopsis or Nicotiana benthamiana. Moreover, expressing BAP1 or BAP2 in yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) alleviates cell death induced by hydrogen peroxide. Thus, the BAP genes function as general negative regulators of PCD induced by biotic and abiotic stimuli including reactive oxygen species. The dual roles of BAP and BON genes in repressing defense responses mediated by disease resistance genes and in inhibiting general PCD has implications in understanding the evolution of plant innate immunity.
Glucan, Water Dikinase Activity Stimulates Breakdown of Starch Granules by Plastidial β-Amylases
Authors: Edner Christoph , Li Jing , Albrecht Tanja , Mahlow Sebastian , Hejazi Mahdi , Hussain Hasnain , Kaplan Fatma , Guy Charles , Smith Steven M. , Steup Martin , Ritte Gerhard
Published: July 2007

Glucan phosphorylating enzymes are required for normal mobilization of starch in leaves of Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) and potato (Solanum tuberosum), but mechanisms underlying this dependency are unknown. Using two different activity assays, we aimed to identify starch degrading enzymes from Arabidopsis, whose activity is affected by glucan phosphorylation. Breakdown of granular starch by a protein fraction purified from leaf extracts increased approximately 2-fold if the granules were simultaneously phosphorylated by recombinant potato glucan, water dikinase (GWD). Using matrix-assisted laser-desorption ionization mass spectrometry several putative starch-related enzymes were identified in this fraction, among them β-AMYLASE1 (BAM1; At3g23920) and ISOAMYLASE3 (ISA3; At4g09020). Experiments using purified recombinant enzymes showed that BAM1 activity with granules similarly increased under conditions of simultaneous starch phosphorylation. Purified recombinant potato ISA3 (StISA3) did not attack the granular starch significantly with or without glucan phosphorylation. However, starch breakdown by a mixture of BAM1 and StISA3 was 2 times higher than that by BAM1 alone and was further enhanced in the presence of GWD and ATP. Similar to BAM1, maltose release from granular starch by purified recombinant BAM3 (At4g17090), another plastid-localized β-amylase isoform, increased 2- to 3-fold if the granules were simultaneously phosphorylated by GWD. BAM activity in turn strongly stimulated the GWD-catalyzed phosphorylation. The interdependence between the activities of GWD and BAMs offers an explanation for the severe starch excess phenotype of GWD-deficient mutants.