Three studies examined the interrelationships among work experiences, perceived organizational support (POS), affective commitment (AC), and employee turnover. Using a diverse sample of 367 employees drawn from a variety of organizations, Study 1 found that POS mediated positive associations of organizational rewards, procedural justice, and supervisor support with AC. Study 2 examined changes of POS and AC in retail employees over a 2-year span (N = 333) and a 3-year span (N = 226). POS was positively related to temporal changes in AC, suggesting that POS leads to AC. Study 3 found a negative relationship between POS and subsequent voluntary employee turnover that was mediated by AC in retail employees (N = 1,124) and in poultry- and feed-processing workers (N = 262). These results suggest that favorable work conditions operate via POS to increase AC, which, in turn, decreases employee withdrawal behavior.

Affective commitment to the organization: the contribution of perceived organizational support.

Despite the widespread use of self-report measures of both job-related stressors and strains, relatively few carefully developed scales for which validity data exist are available. In this article, we discuss 3 job stressor scales (Interpersonal Conflict at Work Scale, Organizational Constraints Scale, and Quantitative Workload Inventory) and 1 job strain scale (Physical Symptoms Inventory). Using meta-analysis, we combined the results of 18 studies to provide estimates of relations between our scales and other variables. Data showed moderate convergent validity for the 3 job stressor scales, suggesting some objectively to these self-reports. Norms for each scale are provided.

Development of four self-report measures of job stressors and strain: Interpersonal Conflict at Work Scale, Organizational Constraints Scale, Quantitative Workload Inventory, and Physical Symptoms Inventory

A meta-analysis and conceptual critique of research on role ambiguity and role conflict in work settings

New Patterns of Management.

The authors developed and meta-analytically examined hypotheses designed to test and extend work design theory by integrating motivational, social, and work context characteristics. Results from a summary of 259 studies and 219,625 participants showed that 14 work characteristics explained, on average, 43% of the variance in the 19 worker attitudes and behaviors examined. For example, motivational characteristics explained 25% of the variance in subjective performance, 2% in turnover perceptions, 34% in job satisfaction, 24% in organizational commitment, and 26% in role perception outcomes. Beyond motivational characteristics, social characteristics explained incremental variances of 9% of the variance in subjective performance, 24% in turnover intentions, 17% in job satisfaction, 40% in organizational commitment, and 18% in role perception outcomes. Finally, beyond both motivational and social characteristics, work context characteristics explained incremental variances of 4% in job satisfaction and 16% in stress. The results of this study suggest numerous opportunities for the continued development of work design theory and practice.

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Integrating Motivational, Social, and Contextual Work Design Features: A Meta-Analytic Summary and Theoretical Extension of the Work Design Literature

Relationships of stress to individually and organizationally valued states: Higher order needs as a moderator.

An integrated model of perceived job characteristics

Perceived mobility channels: Criteria for intraorganizational job mobility☆

On January 16, 1975, MN Industries announced their decision to phase out operations at their Great River, Michigan plant. The announcement triggered a course of events that culminated in an innovative social experiment, the impact of which cannot be fully known. The experiment melded management, union, university, and community representatives into a temporary interorganizational system. This voluntary coalition assumed responsibility for organizing available human services into a coordinated attack on the complex and intense problems expected to result from sudden widespread unemployment. Since the coalition was unique, it required equally unique combinations of organizational theory and intervention to facilitate its development. This paper describes critical phases in the development of the system, action steps taken to facilitate passage through each phase, and organizational theory useful for understanding and evaluating the processes that took place.

Jeffrey T. Walsh

Papers

Relationships of stress to individually and organizationally valued states: Higher order needs as a moderator.

An integrated model of perceived job characteristics

Perceived mobility channels: Criteria for intraorganizational job mobility☆

Developing a Community-Based Program for Reducing the Social Impact of a Plant Closing:

Relationships between job evaluation ratings and self-ratings of job characteristics