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Showing papers in "Group & Organization Management in 1978"


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the centrality of interpersonal trust for effective managerial problem solving was illustrated by inducing either a high-trust or a low-trust mental set in experimental groups, and the results indicated that subjects operating in a high trust environment were significantly more effective in problem solving than those working in a low trust environment.
Abstract: The centrality of interpersonal trust for effective managerial problem solving was illustrated by inducing either a high-trust or a low-trust mental set in experimental groups. The results indicated that subjects operating in a high-trust environment were significantly more effective in problem solving than those working in a low-trust environment.

206 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The conclusions indicate that those with different cognitive styles do not use different diagnostic information and change tactics, compared with previous research findings on change agents' personal styles.
Abstract: One hundred fifty-two change agents were given a list of twenty-four diagnostic questions they might ask the client organization, questions related to the change agents' cognitive styles and the tactics most likely used by the change agents to bring about organizational and/or individ ual change. The conclusions indicate that those with different cognitive styles do not use different diagnostic information and change tactics. The conclusions are compared with previous research findings on change agents' personal styles.

45 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors developed a conceptual model that describes how and why employees learn to resist planned change within an organizational set ting and developed a set of change strategies for management to break this perceived link and thereby reduce the probability of employee resistance.
Abstract: The article develops a conceptual model that describes how and why employees learn to resist planned change within an organizational set ting. The argument is made that planned change, when introduced by management, has the potential of blocking affected employees from satis fying their dominant need structures. As a result, the employees learn to associate negative tension states, i.e., anxiety, frustration, or fear, with the introduction of change. It is further argued that the existence of a perceived link between change and blocked need satisfaction increases the probability that employees will resist future change programs. A set of change strategies is developed for management to break this perceived link and thereby reduce the probability of employee resistance.

43 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The present underdeveloped state of the art of OD evaluation demonstrates that practitioners must determine appropriate measures for assessing; develop more adequate instruments for measuring change related to OD; and consistently utilize more rigorous designs for their studies.
Abstract: The author reviewed OD evaluation as described in the literature and assessed twenty-six studies against Campbell and Stanley's twelve criteria for validity; only three met all criteria The studies varied from highly rigorous, experimental designs to nondesigns totally inadequate for an assessment of validity Most of the studies reviewed did not utilize designs rigorous enough to adequately determine the outcomes of the OD process The present underdeveloped state of the art of OD evaluation demonstrates that practitioners must (1) determine appropriate meas ures for assessing; (2) develop more adequate instruments for measuring change related to OD; and (3) consistently utilize more rigorous designs for their studies

35 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors take little account of the indi vidual learner's needs and learning processes and propose a method to overcome internal forces that oppose the educator's learning process.
Abstract: Traditional educational design methods take little account of the indi vidual learner's needs and learning processes. Effective design involves overcoming internal forces that oppose the educator's...

20 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The author’s justification for a paid vacation is that it is good for both the individual and the organization, leading to increased worker productivity and creativity.
Abstract: ed by Anthony G. Banet, Jr. Barbara A. Gunn. Vacation Skipping—An Occupational Health Hazard. Journal of Extension , 1978, 18 , 6-9. The author’s justification for a paid vacation is that it is good for both the individual and the organization, leading to increased worker productivity and creativity. Because vacations can be seen as necessities, not luxuries, the author’s contention is that people who claim they do not need one are either extremely single-minded or fear job competition. Some reasons to consider taking a vacation: You’ll probably live longer and be in better health; you can enjoy nature; it is a change of pace; you’ll probably do a better job on your return; it will give others a chance to gain supervised experience in your post; vacations renew closeness among family members; and vacations help prepare you for leisure time to come in retirement. Abstracted by Anthony G. Banet, Jr.ed by Anthony G. Banet, Jr. James A. Driscoll. Trust and Participation in Organizational DecisionMaking as Predictors of Satisfaction. Academy of Management Journal, 1978, 21 , 44-56. College faculty members were surveyed to determine the relationships between trust in administrators and satisfaction and participation in decision making and satisfaction. Trust was found to be much more strongly related to satisfaction than was participation, regardless of the degree of participation respondents reported they had or desired.

18 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A Managerial Grid seminar training program for 131 participants from an oil refinery and chemical plant of a major American oil corporation as discussed by the authors was used to assess the effects of the program on organizational cli mate, job satisfaction, power relationships, and leadership style with pre-test, post-test and fourteen-month longitudinal, follow-up measurements.
Abstract: A Managerial Grid seminar training program was instituted for 131 participants from an oil refinery and chemical plant of a major American oil corporation. The effects of the Grid program on organizational cli mate, job satisfaction, power relationships, and leadership style were assessed with pre-test, post-test and fourteen-month longitudinal, follow-up measurements. One-way analysis of variance and Duncan's multiple range test were used to analyze the data. Over the assessment period the participants showed decreases in satisfaction with supervi sion, opportunities for promotion, pay, and overall satisfaction, as well as a decrease in the organizational climate variable of warmth and trust. A comparison group of twenty-nine employees for the follow-up measure ment was not significantly different from the participants on the vari ables studied, except for lower satisfaction with promotion oppor tunities. It was concluded that the Grid program itselfhad not caused any major variables to change and that a...

16 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors summarized the applied organizational change literature on the elements/factors most often related to successful implementation of change programs and related these findings to a prescr....
Abstract: The article summarizes the applied organizational change literature on the elements/factors most often related to successful implementation of change programs and relates these findings to a prescr...

15 citations



Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the authors investigated whether school participation in an organization development (OD) program is associated with positive classroom climate and interpersonal behavior, and found that participants in OD participated in a sixteen-month OD program that included organizational training for teams, inter-school coordinating council, in-service training, and followup consultation.
Abstract: The focal issue is whether school participation in an organization development (OD) program is associated with positive classroom climate and interpersonal behavior. Three experimental schools participated in a sixteen-month OD program that included organizational training for teams, interschool coordinating council, in-service training, and followup consultation. Three matched control schools did not participate. A classroom-climate measure was administered to 593 sixth-, seventh-, and eighth-grade male students from the experimental and control schools. To evaluate interpersonal behavior, these students participated in threechoice experimental games. Students in experimental schools tended to report more positive classroom climate than did controls. The relationship between OD participation and positive classroom climate declined as grade level increased. Interpersonal behavior and participation in the OD program were not related. Implications for school selection and implementation of OD interventions are discussed.

12 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the NASA ranking task and similar ranking activities used to demonstrate the superiority of group thinking are examined both analytically and by means of a computer simulation for fairness of the scoring algorithm.
Abstract: The NASA ranking task and similar ranking activities used to demonstrate the superiority of group thinking are examined both analytically and by means of a computer simulation for fairness of the scoring algorithm. It is argued that the current scores cannot be used to prove the superiority of group-consensus decision making in either training or research settings. Recommendations are given for an improved modified scoring format and a discussion is presented concerning situations in which group consensus may not be desirable, based on the individual resources of the group members.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A group approach has evolved in response to increasing inter personal alienation in our society as mentioned in this paper, and Symbolic interaction theory suggests that the antidote to alienation is development of a group approach.
Abstract: Recent group approaches have evolved in response to increasing inter personal alienation in our society. Symbolic interaction theory suggests that the antidote to alienation is development of a sen...

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The authors found that FIRO-B was a power ful stimulus to change, although individual team membe...Energizing individuals to change relationships with other team members is the prime objective of team building.
Abstract: Energizing individuals to change relationships with other team members is the prime objective of team building. FIRO-B was found to be a power ful stimulus to change, although individual team membe...

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors examined the relationship between job satisfaction and job stress to organizational factors using personal or individual difference variables of race, Type-A personality, and higher order needs.
Abstract: The literature on the relationships among organizational factors, per sonal or individual difference variables, andjob satisfaction and stress is reviewed briefly. The relationships of job satisfaction and job stress to organizational factors are examined for a sample of minority professional personnel in a large manufacturing and sales firm. These relationships are studied using the personal or individual difference variables of race, Type-A personality, and higher order needs. job satisfaction was found to be significantly related to more organizational factors than was job stress. Race was found to moderate the relationships between supportive supervisor behavior andjob stress and organizational level und job stress. The strength of higher order needs significantly moderated the relation ship between role clarity andjob satisfaction, as did Type-A personality. The implications of the findings are discussed.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The problem-solving method that is most often used in problem solving groups is likely to create relationships among the members of the group that will lead to a win-lose solution as mentioned in this paper.
Abstract: The problem-solving method that is most often used in problem-solving groups is likely to create relationships among the members of the group that will lead to a win-lose solution. Some members wil...

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, empirically based information on organiza tion development careers and their personal knowledge of the field was synthesized to synthesize a systems model of the OD career milieu.
Abstract: The authors bring together empirically based information on organiza tion development careers and their personal knowledge of the field to synthesize a systems model of the OD career milieu. The OD...

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The planning processes used, responses within the organization to the planned changes, and organizational lessons learned by the CMHC are presented, along with necessary information regarding the overall focus of the community mental health movement and the environmental pressures impinging on these organizations.
Abstract: Comprehensive organizational change was planned and implemented in a community mental health center (CMHC). These efforts are placed in the context of environmental pressures that create serious organizational difficulties for CMHCs. The planning processes used, responses within the organization to the planned changes, and organizational lessons learned by the CMHC are presented, along with necessary information regarding the overall focus of the community mental health movement and the environmental pressures impinging on these organizations.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The Clarifi cation Group (C-group) as discussed by the authors is based on social-psychological and sociological knowledge and is focused on intergrategies and intergenerational knowledge.
Abstract: This article is a presentation of the method and application of the Clarifi cation Group (C-group). The C-group is based on social-psychological and sociological knowledge and is focused on intergr...

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the effects of videotape feedback on group and self-satisfaction were investigated and it was found that subjects' post-meeting satisfaction with "group" per formance was significantly altered after receiving objective feedback through videotape playbacks.
Abstract: This study investigated the effects of videotape feedback on group and self-satisfaction. All subjects were given a problem-solving activity and were videotaped on a split-screen monitor. Immediately after completion of the activity a pre-test, designed to measure (1) perceived group satis faction and (2) perceived self-satisfaction, was administered. After the pre-test the groups viewed the videotape playbacks on a closed-circuit monitor. A post-test was administered to the experimental subjects. Re sults revealed that subjects' post-meeting satisfaction with "group" per formance was significantly altered after receiving objective feedback through videotape playbacks. Post-meeting self-satisfaction was not sig nificantly changed. Implications of these findings and the positive and negative effects on behavior and learning are discussed.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: This paper explored the use of structured experiences (experience-based learning) in reducing communication apprehension and found that the structured experience as a means of re-ducing communication apprehension was significant at the.005 level.
Abstract: Although the importance of communication in organizations is obvious, little effort has been made to examine the trait called "communication apprehension" in terms of its effect on organizations. Research has been conducted on an interpersonal and small-group level about the anxiety that precedes communication, and university courses in organizational communication have increased in the last five years, but the need for research that is applicable to organizational life still exists. The research reported here explores the use of structured experiences (experience- based learning) in reducing communication apprehension. A pre-test, post-test design was used. The structured experience as a means of re ducing communication apprehension was found to be significant at the .005 level.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A follow-up study of forty-five change agents who were originally studied five years earlier showed that change agents, who make a living helping others deal with change, are having to cope with major shifts and changes in their own profession as mentioned in this paper.
Abstract: A questionnaire/interview was used as a follow-up study of forty-five change agents who were originally studied five years earlier. The results show that change agents, who make a living helping others deal with change, are having to cope with major shifts and changes in their own profession. Various changes in their methods are described, along with their own appraisals of the results of these changes.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Sys tems Improvement Research (SIR) as discussed by the authors resolves the dilemma of using their diagnostic skills to create high-quality change plans, yet the clients must be involved to increase the likelihood of the change plans being implemented.
Abstract: OD practitioners are faced with the dilemma of using their diagnostic skills to create high-quality change plans, yet the clients must be involved to increase the likelihood of the change plans being implemented. Sys tems Improvement Research (SIR) resolves the dilemma by establishing a team composed of inside workers and outside consultants who jointly collect data and make plans for change. The development of SIR, its theoretical bases, and several field experiences with the approach are described.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Sensitivity training is now well entrenched in about half of the MBA programs in schools of business administration accredited by the Ameri can Association of Collegiate Schools of Business as discussed by the authors, and the experiences, attitudes, and recommendations of academics were found to be congruent with those of management-development direc tors in business firms that utilize the technique.
Abstract: Sensitivity training is now well entrenched in about half of the MBA programs in schools of business administration accredited by the Ameri can Association of Collegiate Schools of Business. In this study, the experiences, attitudes, and recommendations of academics were gener ally found to be congruent with those of management-development direc tors in business firms that utilize the technique. Participating faculty appeared to be well qualified, used sensitivity training in elective-credit courses, utilized conservative methodologies, graded the participants, felt that they were successful in attaining their objectives, saw little probability of psychological danger for participants, and encountered the most resistance to their objectives from the prevailing business- school atmosphere.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the central elements of Crozier's theory of "illegitimate power" are abstracted, and the applica tions of the theory to American settings are evaluated.
Abstract: Michel Crozier's ideas about organizational dynamics have been avail able in English for almost twenty years, but Americans have tended to regard them as artifacts of the French culture and have not applied them to organizational life in the United States. A premise of this article is that both comparative and provincially American studies can be enhanced through attention to the Crozierian perspective. Central elements of Crozier's theory of "illegitimate power" are abstracted, and the applica tions of Crozier's viewpoint to American settings are evaluated. Findings from a study of an American university are discussed as they bear on the theory.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A case study of a consultation is presented that illustrates how two theories concerning organizational change and systems analysis were applied to a small, informal organization.
Abstract: A case study of a consultation is presented that illustrates how two theories concerning organizational change and systems analysis were applied to a small, informal organization. The primary intervention tasks outlined by Argyris (1970) were applied throughout the consultation and the systems theory detailed by Katz and Kahn (1966) provided a con ceptual model for organizing and discussing the data. Systematic inter vention with small, less structured groups is advocated.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the authors investigated the comparative ability of a marathon and a weekly encounter group to produce gains in self-actualization and found that both groups increased self- actualization scores from the pretest.
Abstract: This study investigates the comparative ability of a marathon and a weekly encounter group to produce gains in self-actualization. The sub jects were twenty-three undergraduates who volunteered for each of the experiences. The marathon group was conducted for sixteen relatively continuous hours. The weekly group met for two hours, twice weekly, for four weeks-a total of sixteen hours. Both treatment groups, conducted by the same leader, received the same sequence of group exercises. A signifi cant group effect indicated that both groups increased their self- actualization scores from the pretest. No significant differences were found between the two experimental groups on self-actualization or per ceived adjustment to life events over the two-year follow-up. No signifi cant group differences were found on participants' retrospective ratings of short-term and long-term group effects. Among other issues, the possi bility that certain treatment goals may be selectively influenced by one time format over the ...

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Jerry Nadler argues that most OD interventions are data based and that all probably should be and this book fulfills most of his hopes and expectations.
Abstract: I must begin this review by confessing a positive bias. I have known and respected the author for several years; I knew that this book was in progress and have awaited it with real anticipation, so I am especially pleased to be able to report that it fulfills most of my hopes and expectations. The book has four parts. Part 1 includes three background chapters : a clear, solid introduction with definitions; a chapter detailing three case studies that are subsequently used for illustration in the rest of the book; and a chapter on the basic model of the data-collection/ feedback process. Nadler argues that most OD interventions are data based and that all probably should be. He defines data as &dquo;any form of information which can be collected and is relevant to individual, group,

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the authors investigated the effect of personal growth and assertive train ing classes on the sex-role self-concept of 116 women enrolled in personal growth classes and seventy women engaged in assertive training classes.
Abstract: This study investigated the effect of personal growth and assertive train ing classes on the sex-role self-concept of 116 women enrolled in personal growth classes and seventy women enrolled in ass...

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The authors analyzes the use of survey-feedback designs in organizations, and analyzes whether they encourage respondents to make unrealistic demands for resources to ameliorate unattractice features of work.
Abstract: This piece analyzes a central and neglected issue in the burgeoning use of survey-feedback designs in organizations: Do survey-feedback designs simply encourage respondents to make "unrealistic" demands for organi zation resources to ameliorate unattractice features of work? And assum ing an honest desire on the part of management to expend resources on targets highlighted by survey data, which specific respondents should have a claim on the resources? Survey-feedback designs might provide an opportunity for the "wrong people" to ask for "too much"; in the absence of research data on these questions, there is no way to know.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The picture format of a perception map allows a great amount of information to be packed into a single display as discussed by the authors, which highlights the different viewpoints among group members while maintaining their anonymity, and some illustrations of ways perception maps can be used in organizations are presented to help the reader learn how to read, interpret and possibly find his or her own use for these displays.
Abstract: Various combinations of tables, charts, graphs, and explanatory verbiage are normally used to analyze and feed back survey data to groups. Percep tion mapping provides an alternative to the many pages typically used in this process. The picture format of a perception map allows a great amount of information to be packed into a single display. Among other features, the display highlights the different viewpoints among group members while maintaining their anonymity. Some illustrations of afew ways perception maps can be used in organizations are presented to help the reader learn how to read, interpret, and possibly find his or her own use for these displays.