bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Power and Influence in and Around the Boardroom
Authors: Pettigrew Andrew , McNulty Terry
Published: August 2005

This paper presents the early findings of a pilot study of the power and influence of part-time board members in the top 200 U.K. industrial and commercial firms by turnover and the top 50 U.K. financial institutions. The part-time board members hold multiple roles of either chairman and/or non-executive director of these organizations. The findings are presented around a tripartite model of power and influence. The results indicate that the power and influence of part-time board members is shaped by the simultaneous and interactive effects of a set of structural and contextual factors, position and skill in mobilizing a constellation of power sources, and skill and will in converting potential power into actual influence.
Organizational Chiaroscuro: Throwing Light on the Concept of Corporate Governance
Authors: Jackson Norman , Carter Pippa
Published: August 2005

Corporate governance describes an apparent attempt by the corporate sector to put its house in order. Relative to a number of notorious examples of illegal or unethical corporate malpractice, corporate governance is seen as a recent, welcome and well-intentioned concern. However, rather than the universal good which it would appear to be, by reference to the work of Foucault corporate governance is disclosed as partial and interested. Far from being a new response to a contemporary problem, corporate governance is shown to have a long history, both of academic interest and of ineffectuality. Apparent differences in orientation over its history are dissolved and, via the analogy of chiaroscuro, corporate governance is shown to be just another reactive and manipulative defense of capitalism.
Corporate Control, Crime, and Compensation: An Empirical Examination of Large Corporations
Authors: Bilimoria Diana
Published: August 2005

This study investigates whether the agency cost of corporate crime leading to executive pay is greater when monitoring and incentive alignment activities by principals is low. The results indicate that executive compensation is positively associated with the incidence of corporate crime in manager controlled firms but not in owner controlled firms. Implications for the monitoring of business activities in owner and manager controlled firms are developed.
Internal Polity
Authors: Baddeley Simon
Published: August 2005

Innovation in the governance of external polities prompts a resonant internal rhetoric. This paper attempts to expand the concepts of citizenship and individuality by applying political language to the internal life of individuals. Repression has been a conditional means of civilizing the psyche, but in pluralistic democracies where diversity is valued, where assimilation is not a condition of citizenship and where aspirations are formed within consumerism, this tradition of self-definition may be insufficient. At a time when neither individualism nor collectivism seem able to nurture individuality, the idea of an internal polity can enrich self-awareness and strengthen a sense of agency in the world. (See Appendix for definitions of terms.)
American and Japanese Expatriate Adjustment: A Psychoanalytic Perspective
Authors: Schneider Susan C. , Asakawa Kazuhiro
Published: August 2005

Although there is a growing literature regarding expatriate adjustment, little attention has been paid to the influence of personality development, particularly within different sociocultural contexts. A psychoanalytic perspective may provide important insights into expatriate adjustment and reasons why, for example, Japanese and American expatriates differ in their adjustment response.
Relationship on Work-Related Values of Singaporean and Japanese Managers in Singapore
Authors: Chew Irene K H. , Putti Joseph
Published: August 2005

This study attempts to assess work-related values in Singapore and how these work values may differ from those of another nationality. The aim of this study is to replicate Hofstede's model in the Singapore managerial context. A comparison is made between Singaporean Chinese managers and Japanese managers in Singapore. Hofstede's four value dimensions of Individualism, Power Distance, Uncertainty Avoidance and Masculinity are used. The mean Power Distance and Masculinity scores of Singaporean Chinese managers and Japanese managers are found to be different from the samples in Hofstede's study. These differences in work values indicate that interpretations of Hofstede's cultural constructs cannot be made without modifying or redefining the constructs in terms that are relevant to the cultural context. This finding is supported by the differences in factors that make up the Individualism and Masculinity value dimensions of Singaporean Chinese and Japanese managers. The differences in work values between are explained by cultural and national factors. The impact of these work values on work behavior is discussed with respect to implications on motivation, leadership, employment stability, and orientation toward work goals.
Organizational Governance and Employee Cooperation: Can We Learn from Economists?
Authors: Mueller Frank
Published: August 2005

Organizational economics attempts to resolve the problem of cooperation through appropriate design of governance structure. The paper argues that this represents a largely static approach, which does not take into consideration the dynamic aspects of design choice, such as the history, the external context and the continuous feedback loop between behavior and choice. Furthermore, organizational economics systematically draws upon sociological concepts, such as trust or social conventions which are variables exogenous to its own framework, and which consequently remain unexplored and unresearched.
Exploring Knowledge and Cognitions in Decisions About Technological Innovation: Mapping Managerial Cognitions
Authors: Swan Jacky A.
Published: August 2005

Successes and failures with technological innovation can, in some cases, be attributed to the decision-making processes in the user organization. There has been a growing interest among strategy researchers in managerial cognitions. This paper describes the nature and importance of knowledge bases and cognitions for decisions about technological innovation and suggests how knowledge and cognitions can be explored using process research. An example is given from research comparing firms who had tried to adopt computer-aided production management technologies. This research illustrated that knowledge bases provided the potential to innovate but that cognitions of individuals also shaped the outcomes of decisions about the design of the innovation. Cognitive mapping methodologies could be used to explore systematically and in more detail the cognitions of individuals and groups. The paper provides an overview of these methodologies. It concludes that they are useful to researchers, particularly in conjunction with process research, and potentially useful to practitioners, for understanding managerial cognitions and for anticipating problems that may arise as a result of these cognitions.
Segregated Occupations and Gender Stereotyping: A Study of Secretarial Work in Europe
Authors: Truss Catherine , Goffee Robert , Jones Gareth
Published: August 2005

Much has been written about the "gendered" nature of many occupations, especially to explain how they have developed and maintained their female-dominated identity. This article reports the findings of one study of women working as secretaries in England, France, and Germany, in an attempt to assess the validity of this explanation. Data were collected by questionnaire and interview from secretaries, and by interview from their bosses. It was found that secretarial work in all three countries does conform to some of the gender stereotypes, but that organizational and societal factors impinge on the social construction of secretarial work. Some consideration is given to the role of the secretary as agent, acting to shape her work identity, which has hitherto been ignored in the literature.
Factors Predicting Employees' Approval of Lean Production
Authors: Shadur Mark A. , Rodwell John J. , Bamber Greg J.
Published: August 2005

A number of influential studies advocate the adoption of a lean production system (LPS) in order to improve quality and efficiency in Western automotive plants. Critics argue that such systems place excessive demands upon employees. Very little survey data, however, is available on employees' attitudes toward lean production since companies are frequently reluctant to grant such access. Our survey of 200 employees in a Japanese-owned automotive plant in Australia using lean production found that commitment to the company, speed of work and, in special circumstances, age were predictors of employees' approval of the LPS. Employees' perceived levels of stress and Japanese management techniques, such as consultation and a teamwork orientation, were not predictors of approval of the LPS, a finding that contradicts earlier research in this field. Other variables in the analysis, including employee demographics, had no predictive value. We use the results to comment on the wider debate about the transfer of Japanese manufacturing practices to Western countries.
Innovation Use: Performance Assessment in a Community Mental Health Center
Authors: Gorin Sherri N. Sheinfeld , Weirich Thomas W.
Published: August 2005

This paper discusses the influence of the political economy on the use of performance assessment systems (PAS) in the case of the Community Mental Health Center (CMHC). Performance assessment is defined, and scales for measuring use are discussed. A factor analysis of the influences revealed four separate factors; organizational polity, new money, governmental political-economy, social-task, and cultural contexts. Multiple regression analyses of the impacts of these factors on the use of performance assessment showed the organizational polity and new money to be dominant. Implications of organizational determinism and a stage model of innovation use are discussed.
Coping with Stress: Public Welfare Supervisors Doing Their Best
Authors: Erera-Weatherley Pauline Irit
Published: August 2005

This study examines the coping mechanisms used by public welfare supervisors to deal with organizational stress. The findings, based on a qualitative study, indicate that the 14 supervisors examined employed two different coping categories which differ with regard to (a) their focus, (b) the source of stress, (c) the target person who is meant to benefit from them, and (d) the specific coping mechanisms. The first category is basically problem-focused, and serves the purpose of buffering subordinates from policy-ambiguity. The second category is essentially emotion-focused, and aims at buffering supervisors from stressful expectations of management and peers.
Job Insecurity and Its Outcomes: Moderating Effects of Work-Based and Nonwork-Based Social Support
Authors: Lim Vivien K. G.
Published: August 2005

The moderating effects of work-based support on the relationship between job insecurity and several work-related outcomes, namely (i) job dissatisfaction, (ii) proactive job search, (iii) noncompliant job behaviors; and nonwork based support on the relationship between job insecurity and a nonwork-related outcome, (iv) life dissatisfaction, were examined. Data were gathered through a mail survey to MBA graduates of a large northeastern university in the U.S. The findings of this study suggested that support derived from others at the workplace can contribute significantly in buffering individuals against job dissatisfaction, proactive job search, and noncompliant job behaviors when their job security is at stake. Equally important is support provided by family and friends which may buffer individuals against negative outcomes such as life dissatisfaction associated with job insecurity. Implications of the study are discussed.
Developing an Organization Capable of Implementing Strategy and Learning
Authors: Beer Michael , Eisenstat Russell A.
Published: August 2005

Acting as consultants, the authors developed a process by which leadership teams in Alpha Technologies' many business units could develop an organization capable of implementing strategy and learning. Leadership teams of 20 units implemented the self-diagnosis and redesign process between 1988 and 1994. The process was designed to develop the ongoing capacity of the client organization to achieve systemic change, to surface undiscussible data about barriers, as well as to develop a partnership with employees. Research was conducted to determine whether the intervention achieved its intended objectives, as well as to understand the elements of the intervention design, and managerial and organizational context that lead to these results. The research, funded by the Harvard Business School, relied on the following methods: content analysis of task force reports, interviews, questionnaires, and participant observation. The process succeeded in the short term in all of its attended objectives. The process, however, does not appear to have increased the client's underlying capability for organizational learning. The implications of the findings for intervention theory and practice are discussed.
A Predictive Model of Self-Managing Work Team Effectiveness
Authors: Cohen Susan G. , Ledford Gerald E. , Spreitzer Gretchen M.
Published: August 2005

This paper tests a theoretically-driven model of self-managing work team effectiveness. Self-managing work team effectiveness is defined as both high performance and employee quality of work life. Drawing on different theoretical perspectives including work design, self-leadership, sociotechnical, and participative management, four categories of variables are theorized to predict self-managing work team effectiveness: group task design, encouraging supervisor behaviors, group characteristics, and employee involvement context. Data is collected from both a set of self-managing and traditionally managed teams from a large telephone company, and the model is tested with structural equations modeling. Support is found for hypotheses concerning group task design, group characteristics, and employee involvement context, but not encouraging supervisory behaviors.
The Anatomy of the Entrepreneur: Clinical Observations
Authors: Kets de Vries Manfred F. R.
Published: August 2005

In psychoanalytic theory, studies of work behavior have been relatively scarce. Most of the existing literature concerns itself with cases of work inhibition or compulsion. Occasionally, one finds a discussion of people in the creative professions. No attention has been paid, however, to a major contributor to economic development in society, the entrepreneur. This contrasts sharply with the amount of attention given to entrepreneurs by other disciplines. The object of this study is to better understand the dynamics of entrepreneurship, and in particular the work behavior of entrepreneurs. First, there is a brief overview of the role of work in psychoanalytic theory. Then a number of factors important to entrepreneurship are reviewed from the perspective of economic, sociological, anthropological, psychological, and organizational theory. A case history is presented of one entrepreneur who chose to be treated through psychoanalysis. The intensity of this type of treatment means that continuity in observation is provided. This case study therefore offers a unique insight into the complex "inner theater" of one particular entrepreneur. Previous research on entrepreneurship has identified a number of themes common among some entrepreneurs. In the entrepreneurial theater a need for control, a sense of distrust, a desire for applause, and resorting to primitive defensive mechanisms such as splitting, projection, denial, and the flight into action ("the manic defense") appear to be common. The behavior of a number of entrepreneurs also seems to have a cyclothymic quality. Moreover, for many of them, their narcissistic development tends to be of a "reactive" nature reflecting difficulties in the regulation of self-esteem. This case history illustrates these themes, and furthermore, shows that running a business is not necessarily a rational process. On the contrary, in many instances, the process seems to be more a question of retrospective "rationalizing" of decisions already made. Finally, inferences are made about the person-organization interface by identifying some of the characteristics of the dramatic organization, a configuration typically created by a number of entrepreneurs.
Values and Organizational Structure
Authors: Hinings C. R. , Thibault L. , Slack T. , Kikulis L. M.
Published: August 2005

Recent developments in organizational theory emphasize the need to examine the relationship between organizational values and structure. Values underpin organizational structure and give it meaning. Drawing on concepts of culture, institutional theory, and archetypes, this paper tests hypotheses on the value/structure relationship. The sample used for the study was a set of Canadian amateur sport organizations undergoing institutional change. This test shows that there is a fit between elite values and the nature of the institutionally prescribed organizational archetype.
The Determinants of Career Intent Among Physicians at a U.S. Air Force Hospital
Authors: Kim Sang-Wook , Price James L. , Mueller Charles W. , Watson Thomas W.
Published: August 2005

The research reported in this paper attempts to explain variation in career intent among physicians at a U.S. Air Force hospital. A causal model which comes from the research of Price-Mueller and their colleagues is used to explain career intent. The model is estimated with data collected from Wilford Hall Medical Center, the U.S. Air Force's tertiary-care center. Data were collected by questionnaires and from records. The variables are assessed with widely used organizational measures which are generally valid and reliable. Data are analyzed by ordinary least squares regression analysis. Seven variables are the most important in explaining career intent: organizational commitment, job satisfaction, search behavior, opportunity, met expectations, positive affectivity, and promotional chances. The causal model that has been tested primarily for female employees in civilian hospitals was found to operate just as well among male physicians in a military hospital. Forty-one percent of the variance in career intent is explained in this study.
Organizational Transformation: A Case Study of Two Aboriginal Organizations
Authors: Newhouse David R. , Chapman Ian D.
Published: August 2005

This paper describes two Canadian aboriginal organizations which have attempted a second-order change, a transformation of their belief system, to make their organizations operate in a manner consistent with traditional aboriginal beliefs, values, and customs. One organization completed a successful change, the other organization's change process was abandoned after 2 years. The process of organizational change followed by the two organizations illustrates the link between interpretive schemes, organizational actions, and organizational structures. The process which focused primarily on the link between the aboriginally-based interpretive scheme and actions proved more effective than the process that linked the structure and the interpretative scheme. For the successful organization, the process of organizational transformation was shown to be incremental, iterative, multifaceted and required a lengthy period of time to complete. During the early stages of process of change, both old and new interpretative schemes were present within the organization. The process of organizational change then became a dialectic involving the old and the new. As a critical mass of people began to adopt the new interpretative scheme, the dialectic focused on different ways of implementing the new scheme. Leaders, critical to the process, had two essential tasks: enabling or permitting the presentation of new interpretative schemes and keeping the dialectic going for a sufficient period of time to ensure the emergence of a interpretative scheme shared by a critical mass of organizational members.
From Complex Organizations with Simple Jobs to Simple Organizations with Complex Jobs
Authors: de Sitter L. Ulbo , den Hertog J. Friso , Dankbaarl Ben
Published: August 2005

Organization redesign has become widely accepted as a regular task for management, recently invigorated by the interest in Business Process Reengineering. In spite of that, it is still a neglected area in organization science. This paper emphasizes the importance of design theory and design-oriented research. The potential role of design theory is exemplified by the description of Integral Organizational Renewal (I0R), a design theory grounded in practical experience in the Netherlands. This approach can be viewed as a Dutch variant of Sociotechnical Systems Design. The essence of this approach lies in the transformation of complex organizations offering simple jobs into simple organizations offering complex jobs. IOR can both be regarded as an expert approach and as a route for self-design. The approach enables the members of the organization to develop and use their own design expertise. IOR is therefore not only a strategy for organization design, but for organization development as well. The paper points to opportunities to make organization research more relevant to organization practice.
Lean Production: Denial, Confirmation or Extension of Sociotechnical Systems Design?
Authors: Dankbaar Ben
Published: August 2005

This paper makes a comparison between the basic elements of lean production and sociotechnical systems design (STSD) and compares them both with the characteristics of the traditional Fordist system of mass production. It argues that lean production can hardly be considered as an alternative to mass production, as its proponents suggest, but is on the contrary extending the life of mass production methods. However, lean production does appear to contain some building blocks for the innovative production systems that are expected to prevail in the 21st century. STSD, which has always presented itself as an alternative and possible successor to Fordist methods, will need to link its traditional concerns for quality of work and flexibility of work organizations with the new issues of continuous improvement, learning, and innovation.
Sociotechnical Systems and Unions: Nicety or Necessity
Authors: Cohen-Rosenthal Edward
Published: August 2005

Sociotechnical systems (STS) theorists have largely ignored the role of unions both in their theoretical framework and in STS implementation. This oversight weakens the potential application and dissemination of STS theory and practice. STS democracy is frequently seen by its proponents as preferable to union democracy except when they come to the same conclusion. Unions have historically played a key role in the development and success of seminal STS initiatives but are not seen as a critical specification for success. Many practitioners have noted the instrumental importance of unions in unionized settings without acknowledging class, conflict, or union values. As such, many unions have dismissed or resisted STS innovations. Despite these serious shortcomings, the labor process argument has failed to produce a credible alternative to STS principles. In some cases, the union role has been central to STS reforms and examples like these have prompted some national union movements to promote work reform with an STS base. Recently, the American labor movement has endorsed work reform approaches akin to STS approaches. STS changes are seen not just as ways to change managerial practices but also to alter union structures and functioning. As such, a union-rooted STS approach provides greater societal and workplace impact benefitting employees, employers, trade unions, and the society.
Sociotechnology and the Environment
Authors: Heller Frank
Published: August 2005

The founders of the sociotechnical model perceived its relevance at the macro level of the community, at the meso level of whole organizations, as well as at the micro level of the primary work systems, but it is at the primary work system that most applications have been carried out. An efficient micro level sociotechnical solution may still cause the technology to have a harmful impact on the environment. An increasing popular awareness of environmental damage due to certain technologies leads one to consider an extension of the Important joint optimization concept to a systemic heuristic device called the socioecotechnical model in which the intra and extra-organizational factors can be jointly assessed and optimized.
The Protestant Ethic: Weber's Model and the Empirical Literature
Authors: Jones Harold B.
Published: August 2005

Empirical research with regard to the Protestant ethic is reviewed in relation to Weber's model of the part a specifically religious ethos played in the rise of capitalism. Weber argued that Western legal and commercial changes were not in themselves an adequate explanation. Essential also was the set of values emphasized by ascetic Protestantism: self-discipline, hard work, the careful use of time, the reinvestment of one's gains, personal honesty, creative innovation, and faith in the rewards of a just God. Empirical research has found positive correlations between Protestant ethic values and internal locus of control (self-discipline), hard work, honesty, and belief in a just world. Findings with regard to the use of time and money are inconclusive. The relationship with creative innovation has not been examined. There is a need for empirical study of the relationship between the Protestant ethic and personal religious orientation.
CEO Succession: Overcoming Forces of Inertia
Authors: White Michael C. , Smith Mark , Barnett Tim
Published: August 2005

Population ecologists suggest that inertial pressures make it difficult for organizations to adapt their strategies and structures in response to environmental changes. One way in which organizations may attempt to overcome these inertial tendencies is by selecting executive successors with different career specializations than their predecessors, which may enable them to better cope with changing environmental contingencies. The present study examined the relationship between the previous CEO's career specialization, the corporate strategy in place at the time of the succession event, and the career specialization of the new CEO from 1981-1990. The results suggest that organizations often chose successors with different career specializations than their predecessors, and that previous corporate strategy was a relatively poor predictor of successors' specializations. These results differ from earlier research findings concerning executive succession between 1957-1981. Possible reasons for these differences are discussed, and the implications for future research are considered.
Disciplines of Organizational Learning: Contributions and Critiques
Authors: Easterby-Smith Mark
Published: August 2005

The paper argues against attempts to create a single framework for understanding organizational learning. Relevant literature is reviewed from six disciplinary perspectives: psychology and OD; management science; sociology and organizational theory; strategy; production management; and cultural anthropology. It is argued that each discipline provides distinct contributions and conceptions of problems. Furthermore, a basic distinction between organizational learning and the new idea of the learning organization is noted. Whereas the former is discipline based and analytic, the latter is multidisciplinary and emphasizes action and the creation of an "ideal-type" of organization. Due to the diversity of purpose and perspective, it is suggested that it is better to consider organizational learning as a multidisciplinary field containing complementary contributions and research agendas.
Abjection and Organization: Men, Violence, and Management
Authors: Linstead Stephen
Published: August 2005

This paper explores case material to show the extent to which non-organizational experiences of violence can shape subsequent behavior within organizations. These connections are not commonly considered either in the study of organizational behavior or of managerial practice, because behaviors from other arenas, adaptations, and responses, can be reproduced many years away from the source of anxiety. These behaviors are widespread, patterned, cyclical, and carry an inevitability about them that cannot be modified simply by changing behavior alone. The paper concentrates on examples where the extent of pathological behavior is easily seen, but the processes which surface are common mechanisms of "ordinary" human behavior and more attenuated experiences of violence within organizations operate similarly. These processes are discussed through the work of object-relations theorists, Julia Kristeva, and recent theorists of masculinity, arguing that bureaucracies seek to deny the emotional dimension of their behavior and decision-making which creates emotion as an abject phenomenon, denied but present, ever potentially resurgent, never addressed as reality. Men are caught up in this web of societal and organizational denial because of their traditional dominance in formal organizations and the historical association of masculinity and rationality, compounded by the dynamics of male psychology. However traditional symbolic associations between men and physical violence introduce a problematic contradiction, and societal, cultural, and organizational arrangements tend to support and facilitate the psychodynamics of denial which deals with this contradiction by producing narcissistic and addictive responses. This is illustrated by a discussion of film, novel, and biographical data. The paper finally argues that men in organizations need to come to terms with the unacceptable in themselves and their experience in order to break this cycle of reproduction of dysfunctional behavior.
Supervisor Intervention with Troubled Workers: A Social Identity Perspective
Authors: Hopkins Karen M.
Published: August 2005

Supervision has evolved from managing and directing workers to supporting workers. Supervisors are key people that workers go to for assistance with personal problems. This article reviews the contributions of various theoretical models to our understanding of supervisor intervention with troubled workers and identifies factors that have been left unexplored in the research. From this analysis, I explain how social identity theory may provide a framework that overcomes many of the limitations of the existing knowledge in this area. Social identity theory has the potential to capture the more personal aspects of the helping process between supervisors and workers that go beyond workers' job performance and productivity, including supervisors' beliefs and attitudes, personal experiences, and social identification with the organization and the work group.
Vertical and Lateral Information Processing: The Effects of Gender, Employee Classification Level, and Media Richness on Communication and Work Outcomes
Authors: Allen David G. , Griffeth Rodger W.
Published: August 2005

Data from 666 employees of a large midwestern telephone company were analyzed to identify communication pattern differences between: (a) males and females; (b) exempt and nonexempt employees; and (c) employees using rich and lean communication media. MANOVA and discriminant function analyses results indicated females sent less information to supervisors and experienced less information overload than males. Exempt employees interacted more with department heads and sent less information to peers than nonexempt employees. Those using the richest media communicated more with supervisors while those using the leanest media received most of their information from department heads. Additionally, interaction effects were detected. Discussion is advanced on how these findings might be used to improve intraorganizational communication.
Reputation, Image, Prestige, and Goodwill: An Interdisciplinary Approach to Organizational Standing
Authors: Shenkar Oded , Yuchtman-Yaar Ephraim
Published: August 2005

Reputation, image, prestige, and goodwill are concepts used by different disciplines, e.g., economics, marketing, sociology, and accounting, to denote the general standing of organizations among their counterparts. In this paper, the various concepts are reviewed and compared in terms of semantics, organizational cost, determinants, and implications, among others. An interdisciplinary, multiconstituency framework of organizational standing is developed, and research propositions are delineated.
The Evolution of Organizations: Suggestions from Complexity Theory About the Interplay Between Natural Selection and Adaptation
Authors: White Michael C. , Marin Daniel B. , Brazeal Deborah V. , Friedman William H.
Published: August 2005

There has been much debate in the management literature between neo-Darwinists (who believe in the natural selection of populations of organizations) and adaptationists (who contend that changes in organization structure and behavior occur in response to the environment). The general thesis of neo-Darwinism is that species are blindly selected for survival by the environment. The latest empirical support for the dominant neo-Darwinism perspective adopted by most biologists is based primarily on the experiments conducted by Salvador Luria who claims to have conclusively demonstrated that genes mutate randomly. Recently, however, biologists have re-examined Luria's research methods and, after replications of his experiments, now question some aspects of the validity of his results. Moreover, there is now new research which provides support for the earlier adaptationist position, namely, the existence of evolutionary drivers and directors existing within self-organizing systems. Of particular importance to the present study is the experimental indication that self-organizing systems play a conscious role in their own evolution. We propose that similar mechanisms or processes operate in organizational adaptation, thus pointing toward a theoretical modification of neo-Darwinism that embraces both adaptation and natural selection in a general, unified theory.
Research Selectivity, Managerialism, and the Academic Labor Process: The Future of Nonmainstream Economics in U.K. Universities
Authors: Harley Sandra , Lee Frederic S.
Published: August 2005

This paper reports the results of empirical research designed to explore the impact of research selectivity on the work and employment of academic economists in U.K. universities. Research selectivity is seen as part of the general trend toward "managerialism" in higher education in both the U.K. and abroad. Managerialism based on performance indicators and hierarchical control has been contrasted with collegiate control-based or informal peer review. However, analysis of the academic labor process has idealized collegiate relations at the expense of professional hierarchies and intellectual authority relations. We argue that in the U.K., there has evolved a mainstream economics which is located within a well-defined neoclassical core. We find that the existence of lists of core mainstream journals which are believed to count most in the periodic ranking exercise poses a serious threat to academic freedom and diversity within the profession, institutionalizing the control which representatives of the mainstream exercise over both the academic labor process and job market. In this way, managerialism combines with peer review to outflank resistance to new forms of controlling academic labor at the same time as reinforcing disciplinary boundaries through centralized systems of bureaucratic standardization and control.
Economic and Psychological Models of Job Search Behavior of the Unemployed
Authors: McFadyen R. G. , Thomas J. P.
Published: August 2005

Economic and psychological theories relating to job search behavior by the unemployed are considered. There exists a noticeable contrast between the economic approach which is almost exclusively based on a single model of the rational job seeker, and the diverse approaches adopted by psychologists. Accordingly, the paper concentrates on areas of research by psychologists which are relevant to the economic model. The paper starts with an overview of the research program in economics. Next, the psychological literature on the general well-being of the unemployed is briefly surveyed; this research might be useful in informing economic studies of the effects of the duration of unemployment on an individual's search behavior. Two psychological approaches to job search behavior are then discussed, namely expectancy-value theory and prospect theory. Findings using the expectancy-value approach suggest that certain psychological variables, including normative pressures, might play an important role in job search. In addition, these findings highlight the complex relationship between job expectations and search intensity. Finally, it is suggested that the role and importance of certain psychological variables such as status might be expected to vary over the course of unemployment.
Antecedents of Union Commitment: The Impact of Union Membership Differences in Vertical Dyads and Work Group Relationships
Authors: Iverson Roderick D. , Buttigieg Donna M.
Published: August 2005

Relational demography has recently been employed to investigate the influence of workplace diversity on organizational outcomes, such as organizational commitment, turnover, and performance (O'Reilly, Caldwell, & Barnett, 1989; Tsui & O'Reilly, 1989; Tsui, Egan, & O'Reilly, 1992; Tsui, Egan, & Porter, 1994). In the present study, we utilize the techniques and theoretical framework employed in the relational demography literature to examine the impact of heterogeneous union membership status within work groups and vertical dyads, and the effect of these differences on union commitment. A composite dataset was created from two Australian hospitals. Analyses of the data were confined to 460 nursing staff who could be identified within 43 specific work groups (hospital wards). The results indicate that while no relationship was found between differences in membership status among co-workers in work groups on commitment, differences between members and their supervisors served to decrease union loyalty and belief in unionism (controlling for other union and organizational factors). Importantly, we found support for an interaction effect between work groups and vertical dyads. Differences in membership status among co-workers were observed to lower union loyalty and willingness to work for the union when supervisors were nonunion members. The implications of such findings for union policy are addressed.
Nonwork Influences on Withdrawal Cognitions: An Empirical Examination of an Overlooked Issue
Authors: Cohen Aaron
Published: August 2005

The aim of this research is to examine several dimensions of nonwork domains such as nonwork-to-work spillover, work/nonwork conflict, coping strategies, and organizational support for nonwork, and their relationship to withdrawal cognitions. Questionnaires were mailed to all employees of a school district in western Canada. A total of 300 usable questionnaires were returned: a response rate of 42%. The findings show that nonwork domain variables are significantly related to withdrawal cognitions. This was demonstrated mainly in two strong interaction effects between the importance of nonwork and personal coping strategies on the one hand, and between the importance of nonwork and perceived organizational support for nonwork on the other. The two interactions remain significant when two work variables, i.e., organizational commitment and job satisfaction, were entered into the regression as control variables. The paper concludes with proposed directions for future research based on the findings of this present work.
The Influence of Recruiter Characteristics and Organizational Recruitment Support on Perceived Recruiter Effectiveness: Views from Applicants and Recruiters
Authors: Connerley Mary L. , Rynes Sara L.
Published: August 2005

There is very limited information available about whether organizational recruitment practices influence the impressions made by recruiters on job applicants. In response to the scarcity of two-sided information about recruitment processes, the present study obtained data directly from 1571 applicants and 216 matched recruiters who interviewed them. Results suggest that, similar to previous research, a large proportion of variance in applicants' overall impressions of recruiters could be explained as a function of their impressions about more specific recruiter characteristics and behaviors, particularly perceived concern for the applicant and information given to applicants, and enthusiasm regarding the job vacancy. In addition, recruiters' self-perceptions of overall effectiveness were also highly predictable on the basis of more specific self-perceptions, particularly self-perceived interpersonal effectiveness. However, applicants' perceptions of recruiter effectiveness were not well predicted by recruiters' self-perceptions of behavior, or by reported organizational recruitment support. Implications for future research and practice are discussed.
Organization-Community Embeddedness: The Social Impact of Enterprise Restructuring in the Post-Communist Czech Republic
Authors: Clark Ed , Soulsby Anna
Published: August 2005

The aim of this paper is to examine the impact of the enterprise restructuring process, which has typified the experience of post-communist industry, on local communities. It is argued that restructuring has had differential impacts on communities, and one key factor in making this judgment is the nature of the enterprise-community relationship inherited from the former state socialist regime. Conceptually, this relationship can be understood in terms of the social and institutional embeddedness of the enterprise in its local community. The paper draws upon research into three large former state enterprises in the now Czech Republic in order to examine the effects of different degrees of embeddedness on the impact of restructuring decisions to reduce enterprise overstaffing, and to unburden the enterprise of its social and welfare assets and activities.
The Role Structure of Chinese Managers
Authors: Shenkar Oded , Ronen Simcha , Shefy Erella , Chow Irene Hau-siu
Published: August 2005

The study investigates the role structure of managers in China's Henan province. The results produce a two-facet classification consistent with Shapira and Dunbar's findings for North American managers, yet displaying a number of unique features attributed to the Chinese business environment. The leader's role of the Chinese manager splits into task-related and relationship-oriented activities, and the monitor role is plotted across the informational and decision facets. An addition to this study, the political role is also found across the two facets, providing integration across the various managerial activities. An open system model of the Chinese managerial role is proposed.
Family-Responsive Variables and Retention-Relevant Outcomes Among Employed Parents
Authors: Aryee Samuel , Luk Vivienne , Stone Raymond
Published: August 2005

This study examined the influence of family-responsive variables and the moderating influence of gender on the retention-relevant outcomes of organizational commitment and turnover intentions. Data were obtained with the aid of structured questionnaires from employed parents (N = 228) in a human service authority in Hong Kong. Results of regression analysis revealed that satisfaction with work schedule flexibility and supervisor work-family support were related to both retention-relevant outcomes. Contrary to our prediction, gender did not moderate the influence of any of the family-responsive variables on the retention-relevant outcomes. Limitations of the study, directions for future research and implications of the findings for enhancing the effectiveness of family-responsive human resource policies are discussed.
Impacts of Class on Hong Kong Peoplés Well-Being
Authors: Cheung Chau-kiu
Published: August 2005

Whereas class theory and research have offered evidence showing the significant effect of class on the individual's well-being, some researchers think that class has no impact on people in modem society because of reduced inequality in education and profession. In such a modern society as Hong Kong, further arguments suggest that people have vague images of class. This controversy may arise because of the failure to operationalize class. To amend this shortcoming, this study operationalized class by using Wright's (1985) definition. With data from 138 marital couples, it tested a causal model predicting the husband's and wifés well-being by class, through the mediation of problem-solving confidence, received social support, work alienation, pleasant and stressful life events, and income. Analysis via structural equation modeling indicated that well-being was significantly associated with a higher class position. That work alienation mediated the relationship between class and received social support, problem-solving confidence, and well-being supports the significance of class theory.
Making Employee Involvement Work: Cooperative Goals and Controversy to Reduce Costs
Authors: Tjosvold Dean
Published: August 2005

Organizations are involving employees to help reduce costs to succeed in the intensely competitive marketplace. However, many researchers have been skeptical of the value of participation. This study uses Deutsch's theory of cooperation and competition to examine the critical mediating variable of the interaction as employees discuss how to reduce costs. Results of structural equation analyses on data collected from interviews when employees participated in reducing costs indicate that cooperative goals contributed to constructive discussion among employees that resulted in productive work and stronger relationships, which in turn led employees to be committed to reducing costs. Competitive goals were negatively correlated with dynamics and outcomes. These results suggest that researchers and managers can agree that employee involvement has potential but employees need cooperative goals and skills to discuss issues open-mindedly and constructively to realize these benefits.
The "Three Waves" of Industrial Group Work: Historical Reflections on Current Research on Group Work
Authors: Moldasch Manfred , Weber Wolfgang G.
Published: August 2005

This paper deals with the three waves of the discourse on group work in social science and industrial practice that have helped pave the way for the current boom in the introduction of group work in companies. These waves are represented by the human relations approach, the sociotechnical systems approach, and the lean management debate. They are reviewed in two perspectives. The first relates to their concepts of work design and group work, following four questions: (a) What emphasis is put on work factors or on subjective orientations, on the design of working conditions or symbolic strategies? (b) How do the various approaches address the relationship between efficiency and control? (c) Which concepts of participation or democracy are involved? (d) How is the role of the social scientist in the process of industrial modernization conceptualized, explicitly or implicitly? The second perspective from a sociology of science relates to the context of production and utilization of social scientific knowledge. In general, two theses are put forward. The first states that a gap exists between the aspirations and reality of group work because the basic conflict of efficiency and control has been overlooked for ideological reasons. The second postulates that there is no linear progress in the theory and practice of group work. It seems that the socioeconomical context determines reasonably which group concept and ideology dominates certain historical phases of industrial modernization.