I argue that the impact of context on organizational behavior is not sufficiently recognized or appreciated by researchers. I define context as situational opportunities and constraints that affect the occurrence and meaning of organizational behavior as well as functional relationships between variables, and I propose two levels of analysis for thinking about context–one grounded in journalistic practice and the other in classic social psychology. Several means of contextualizing research are considered.

The Essential Impact of Context on Organizational Behavior

Theory building has lagged on the intermediate linkages responsible for the relationship between HRM and firm performance. We introduce the construct “strength of the HRM system” and describe the meta-features of an HRM system that result in a strong organizational climate, analogous to Mischel's “strong situation,” in which individuals share a common interpretation of what behaviors are expected and rewarded. The strength of the HRM system can help explain how individual employee attributes accumulate to affect organizational effectiveness.

Understanding HRM–Firm Performance Linkages: The Role of the “Strength” of the HRM System

This paper proposes that when optimally answering a survey question would require substantial cognitive effort, some repondents simply provide a satisfactory answer instead. This behaviour, called satisficing, can take the form of either (1) incomplete or biased information retrieval and/or information integration, or (2) no information retrieval or integration at all. Satisficing may lead respondents to employ a variety of response strategies, including choosing the first response alternative that seems to constitute a reasonable answer, agreeing with an assertion made by a question, endorsing the status quo instead of endorsing social change, failing to differentiate among a set of diverse objects in ratings, saying ‘don't know’ instead of reporting an opinion, and randomly choosing among the response alternatives offered. This paper specifies a wide range of factors that are likely to encourage satisficing, and reviews relevant evidence evaluating these speculations. Many useful directions for future research are suggested.

Response strategies for coping with the cognitive demands of attitude measures in surveys

The increasingly popular term 'problem-based learning' does not refer to a specific educational method It can have many different meanings depending on the design of the educational method employed and the skills of the teacher The many variables possible can produce wide variations in quality and in the educational objectives that can be achieved A taxonomy is proposed to facilitate an awareness of these differences and to help teachers choose a problem-based learning method most appropriate for their students

A taxonomy of problem-based learning methods

In order for researchers to understand and predict behavior, they must consider both person and situation factors and how these factors interact. Even though organization researchers have developed interactional models, many have overemphasized either person or situation components, and most have failed to consider the effects that persons have on situations. This paper presents criteria for improving interactional models and a model of person-organization fit, which satisfies these criteria. Using a Q-sort methodology, individual value profiles are compared to organizational value profiles to determine fit and to predict changes in values, norms, and behaviors.

/pdf/improving-interactional-organizational-research-a-model-of-3r4gy77gq5.pdf

Improving Interactional Organizational Research: A Model of Person-Organization Fit

The real test bias: Influences of testing on teaching and learning.

Cognitive theories of problem solving and suggestions made by cognitive psychologists regarding how to teach problem solving are reviewed. Theories and suggestions from creativity research are also considered. The results are summarized in a description of how high levels of proficiency in problem solving are acquired and how problem solving skills might best be taught, keeping in mind a distinction between well-and ill-structured problems. The need for practice materials is discussed, and some desirable qualities of such materials are suggested. Finally, several unresolved issues regarding instructional methods are considered.

Implications of Cognitive Theory for Instruction in Problem Solving

MF-$0.65 HC-$3.29 Behavior; *Behavioral Science Research; *Behavior Patterns; Classification; Environmental Criteria; Individual Differences; Multiple Regression Analysis; Performance Criteria; Personality Tests; *Predictor Variables; *Research Methodology; Situational Tests; Stimulus Behavior; *Taxonomy Criteria and methods for developing a taxonomy for dif2erent situational categories are presented. (CK)

/pdf/toward-a-taxonomy-of-situations-3tcw7b3qm8.pdf

Toward a Taxonomy of Situations.

Prediction of organizational behavior

Cognitive theories of problem solving and suggestions made by cognitive psychologists regarding how to teach problem solving are reviewed. Theories and suggestions from creativity research are also considered. The results are summarized in a description of how high levels of proficiency in problem solving are acquired and how problem solving skills might best be taught, keeping in mind a distinction between well and ill-structured problems. The need for practice materials is discussed, and some desirable qualities of such materials are suggested. Finally, several unresolved issues regarding instructional methods are considered.

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/j.2330-8516.1983.tb00019.x

Norman Frederiksen

Papers

The real test bias: Influences of testing on teaching and learning.

Implications of Cognitive Theory for Instruction in Problem Solving

Toward a Taxonomy of Situations.

Prediction of organizational behavior

Implications of cognitive theory for instruction in problem solving