Showing papers in "Journal of Organizational Behavior in 1981"

The measurement of experienced burnout

Abstract: A scale designed to assess various aspects of the burnout syndrome was administered to a wide range of human services professionals. Three subscales emerged from the data analysis: emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal accomplishment. Various psychometric analyses showed that the scale has both high reliability and validity as a measure of burnout.

A longitudinal field study of group work redesig

Abstract: The paper describes an action research project on group work redesign which involved blue-collar employees in a confectionery company. A theoretical framework, derived from previous research on semi-autonomous work groups and the Job Characteristics Model modified to apply to group working (Hackman, 1977), was used as a guide to diagnosis, redesign and evaluation. Hie findings, based on a short term evaluation after six months and a longer term evaluation after eighteen months, reveal that substantial increases in group autonomy and group work identity were achieved, and were followed, as predicted, by increased work motivation, performance, job satisfaction and mental health, as well as reduced labour turnover. Of particular interest to subsequent theoretical development is the sensitivity of mental health as an outcome variable, and the existence of differential rates of change in the dependent variables.

Predicting turnover: a comparison of part-time and full-time employees

Abstract: The predictability of turnover was compared for part-time versus full-time workers. This was accomplished using variables (1) that were hypothesized by Mobley (1977) to precede the turnover decision and (2) that have been shown in previous research to be significantly related to turnover. Measures of these variables were assessed via questionnaires following the second month of employment. Turnover was assessed directly from company records for a period of up to twelve months following employment. None of the hypothesized antecedent variables were significantly related to turnover within the part-time group. However, within the full-time group, all of the hypothesized precursors to turnover were found to be at least marginally related to actual turnover. Further, there was evidence to suggest differential predictability of turnover across full-time and part-time employment status groups, suggesting that the two groups may have a different ‘psychology of work’. These results are discussed in terms of the supportive evidence provided.

The interdependence of work and family roles

Abstract: The circumstances of the lack of attention to the interdependence of family functions and external employment in the research to date are considered. Major problems and barriers to progress are noted. One problem is the conceptual-theoretical barrier of viewing work as masculine and family responsibility as feminine. A second problem is a differential focus in the research to date in which either the family is studied with inadequate attention given to work, or the work setting is studied with insufficient consideration of family responsibilities. Research strategies are reviewed and discussed, including the need to identify combinations of types of occupations and family situations. Five work-family groups are identified. One of the five groups, single parent is used to illustrate policies pertaining to the interdependence of work and family roles. The relevance of research on role interdependence for both governmental policy and organizational policy is considered in a discussion of the effects of policy on effective integration of work and family roles.

Determinants of organizational commitment in working women: Some implications for organizational integration

Abstract: This study proposed and examined determinants of organizational commitment in working women. Among the selected determinants of role stress, personal characteristics, and satisfaction with various aspects of the organization, satisfaction with promotional opportunities was die best predictor of commitment. Experienced role stress was the second best determinant, although the observed relationship was inverse. Other variables such as age, education, and need for achievement, found to be antecedents of organizational commitment in earlier empirical studies, failed to predict commitment in this heterogeneous sample of working women. Findings were discussed in terms of the implications for further research and theory development in the area of organizational commitment as well as for the integration of women into modern work organizations.

Role stress—a methodological trap?†

Abstract: SUMMARY This study explores the notion that many existing studies which show moderate relationships between role variables and stress symptoms are doing so because of the operational similarity of independent and dependent variables. It was predicted that the removal of such an artefact by clearly separating the two sets of variables would result in a nil relationship. Matched 'cases' and 'controls' were compared in two different organizations. The independent judgments of occupational health specialists were used to measure stress on a number of agreed dimensions, and role measurements were taken by the researchers in three different ways. On all comparisons made there was a strong trend suggesting no role/stress associations. The implications of the results for role stress studies are discussed.

Stress among air traffic controllers: Occupational sources of coronary heart disease risk

Abstract: SUMMARY This study attempts to assess the sources of occupational stress on air traffic controllers. It is based on data collected from a maj ority of air traffic controllers at a large U.K. airport. There are two unique methodological features described in this article. First, the use of the repertory grid technique as a method of generating work stressor variables, and second, the use of the multiple logistic equation as a coronary heart disease risk index.

Relationships among employees' work and nonwork responses

Abstract: This study was concerned with an examination of the relationships among employee responses to the work setting. Responses in the work and nonwork spheres were examined, and an attempt made to determine the stability of the relationships across organizations. Data were obtained from 651 employees of five midwestern organizations using four data sources—structured interviews, on-the-job observations, supervisory ratings, and personnel records. The analysis indicated that, in general, employee reactions in the work and nonwork spheres loaded on separate factors, and that the relationships among employee responses were relatively stable across organizations. Some directions for future research on this issue are suggested.

The effects of job-related stress on medical center employee communicator style†

Abstract: SUMMARY Founded on the assumption that communicator style is situationally and contextually influenced, this study investigates the effects of job-related stress on communicator style. It was specifically designed to measure the effects of job-related stress factors on employee communicator style within the context of a medical centre organization. Three central research questions are posed: (1) what, if any, meaningful differences in communicator style can be found from general work conditions to stress-specific conditions; (2) do different stress conditions give rise to meaningful differences in communicator style; (3) what communicator style differences exist among three major medical centre employee ltierarchies in response to stress-specific situations. The results indicate that communicator style in the stress-specific sample was significantly more dominant, open, attentive but less dramatic and friendly. Multivariate analysis revealed that communicator style accounted for the greatest differences between employees who were experiencing stress due to being unprepared to perform their work role. All role-related stress variables were more powerfully discriminated by the communicator style variables than department/unit stress (stress at the work group level). Finally, communicator style variables provided statistically significant discrimination of three occupational groups: physicians, administrators/managers, and line employees. Physicians appeared to be more assertive and less supportive in their communication; administrators/managers were assertive but also supportive while line employees were both submissive and supportive in their communicator style. These three employee groups were also discriminated using the job-related stress variables. Although statistically significant findings were obtained, the discriminant functions were less powerful than the communicator style discriminant functions.

A study of cross‐cultural differences in work attitudes among three groups of Israeli prison employees

Abstract: The study investigated differences in work attitudes among three cultural groups of Israeli prison officers: Druze (N = 83), Jews of North African origin (N = 127) and Jews of Georgian origin (N = 96). Several hypotheses were derived from previous knowledge of the three cultures and differences were explored in the relationships between perceptions and attitudes concerning specific aspects of the job on the one hand, and two measures of overall affective responses—general job satisfaction and tedium—on the other hand. Consistent cross-cultural differences that can be related to characteristics of the studied cultures were revealed only with regard to satisfaction with promotion and to role ambiguity. No other coherent and meaningful cross-cultural differences could be identified. The theoretical and practical significance of these results is discussed and a general direction for future studies in this area is recommended.

Exploring the impact of a ten-hour compressed shift schedule'

Abstract: The growing interest in changing the hours of work is reflected in such arrangements as flex-time (Ebbing et al., 1974; Golembiewski et al., 1974; Stein et al., 1977) and the compressed work week (Dunham and Hawk, 1977; Fottler, 1977; Nord and Costigan, 1973). Among the reasons for implementing these schedules are potential improvements in employee productivity and job satisfaction, as well as potential reductions in absenteeism and labour costs (Calvasina and Boxx, 1975; Goodale and Aagard, 1975; Maklan, 1977). Compressed schedules then appear to have many of the advantages as are claimed for strategies such as job enrichment and job enlargement (Herzberg 1966, 1968). The primary purpose of this note is to examine the effects of the implementation of a compressed work week on job-related variables (satisfaction, involvement and teamspirit) and on non-job-related variables (use of leisure time for social and professional activities). This note, which describes a case study of the implementation of a ten-hour shift schedule in a team of policemen in the Vancouver Police Department, provides some information on the feasibility of developing a hypothesis about these effects.

Internal‐external locus of control, perceived occupational stress, and cardiovascular health

Abstract: This paper reports an exploratory investigation of relationships between internal-external locus of control (Rotter, 1966), perceived occupational stress, and indicators of cardiovascular health. Previous research findings indicate that various stressors encountered on the job are associated with cardiovascular ill health and that certain individual difference factors (e.g. type A behaviour, several traits measured by the MMPI) differentiate between individuals who remain healthy versus those who fall prey to coronary heart disease (CHD), including myocardial infarction (see reviews by Copper and Marshall, 1976; Rosenman and Friedman, 1974; House, 1974; Jenkins, 1971; Kahn and Quinn, 1970). Recent evidence increasingly points to locus of control as an important influence on individuals' psychological and physiological reactions to potentially stressful events. In a review of the literature, Joe (1971) reports that 'internals' (those who believe rewards to be contingent upon their own actions) generally experience less anxiety than 'externals' (those who believe rewards to be contingent on factors beyond their personal control). In a study of small business owners/managers, Anderson, Hellriegel, and Slocum (1977) report that internals perceived a flood which threatened their businesses to be less stressful than externals. On the physiological side, Kobasa (1979) reports that locus of control significantly discriminated between a high stress/high illness group of managers versus a high stress/low illness group. Managers who had recently experienced highly stressful events, yet remained healthy, were significantly more likely to express internal beliefs about locus of control than were those who had fallen ill. These findings indicate that internals experience less stress as a result of encounters with potentially threatening situations than do their external counterparts. Although, it could be argued that externals fare better than internals when faced with difficult circumstances by 'resigning themselves to the

Renegotiating absence levels

Abstract: SUMMARY Absence figures show similar rising trends in a number of national surveys. Most of the figures utilize the Time Lost measure which is heavily weighted by sickness leaves. In general, the national computations of 'absenteeism' are inadequate for a variety of reasons, which are discussed. Previous attempts are summarized to relate absence rates to such factors as overtime, strikes, sex roles and an array of correlates. Techniques, managerial and psychological, for controlling absence levels are discussed and cost analysis of absence is also covered. The notion of an acceptable level in both cost and disciplinary terms is suggested and a negotiating approach to bringing absences to this level is proposed and developed subsequently. Thus, consideration of absence data within the North American context, leads to the argument that rates of casual absences might be changed by employer-employee negotiation of agreed levels. Possible reasons for management reticence over absence information are discussed.

Causal attributions for the success and failure of black and white managers

Abstract: One hundred and thirty-six white managers in South Africa evaluated the varying performances of a series of thirty subordinates. Of the subordinates, two (one black, one white) had identically good performance descriptions, and two (one black, one white) had identically poor performance descriptions. Although the supervisors rated their overall performances as equally good or poor, they ascribed the success of the whites mainly to internal factors (effort, ability) and that of the blacks mainly to external factors (luck, easy job). Conversely, they ascribed the failure of the whites mainly to external factors and that of the blacks mainly to internal factors. The results suggest the operation of a ‘cognitive bias’ against blacks that may help to explain the persistence of racial discrimination in reward allocation in work organizations.

Employee influence on decisions: An analysis

Abstract: Attitude data from a national sample of 2300 working adults are reported. The data show that employees feel they should have more influence on a number of decisions. This feeling is stronger for decisions affecting how their job is done, than for matters of corporate policy and personnel decisions. However, it is in the policy and personnel areas that they perceive the greatest discrepancy between the amount of influence they presently have and the amount of influence they feel they should have. Older, better educated, and higher-paid respondents felt they should have more influence on all decisions. The implications of these findings for the Quality of Work Life movement were considered. The data suggest a favourable future climate for certain types of employee influence/Quality of Work Life projects.

Organizational and behavioural consequences of uncertainty: a case study

Abstract: SUMMARY This paper examines some of the organizational and behavioural consequences of uncertainty through consideration of a case study. An industrial firm and its problems are described and an attempt is made to understand the origins of the situation using a systems analysis which draws on constructs from the structural, the behavioural and the 'bureaucratic' traditions within organization theory. The analysis demonstrates: that the problems are interrelated and stem from the structural arrangements in the firm which are unable to cope with the prevailing uncertainties; that the behavioural difficulties may be seen as manifestations of the underlying structural/environmental mismatch; and, that the problems are exacerbated by apparently logical but paradoxically inappropriate managerial choices and responses. The implications of this study for theory, practice and method are discussed.

Job scope relationships: A three‐wave longitudinal analysis

Abstract: Managers, as well as researchers, have been concerned with the effects of task design upon employee satisfaction for several reasons First, there has been the concern that poorly-designed tasks may result in job dissatisfaction, which in turn, may adversely affect productivity While this concern has been weakly supported at best in the literature, dissatisfaction may lead to other dysfunctional behaviour, such as increased grievances or lower quality of work A majority of past research on job enrichment and job characteristics has tended to be focused upon blue-collar workers This has been due, in part, to the assumption that the routine industrial task, such as an assembly line job, results in boredom and job dissatisfaction Alternatively, it has not been demonstrated in the literature that white-collar and/or management positions necessarily result in higher levels of job satisfaction Hence, the effects of task design upon employee satisfaction is a research issue of importance to managers in all types of organizations and at all levels within a given organization This research focused on longitudinal relationships between job scope and satisfaction and performance Recent years have seen an increasing volume of cross-sectional research which suggests that jobs with increased scope are associated with higher levels of satisfaction with the work itself This result has been found across a wide variety of samples and research instruments for the different job characteristic dimensions (Brief and Aldag, 1975; Champoux, 1975; Hackman and Lawler, 1971; Hackman and Oldham, 1975; Rousseau, 1977; Sims and Szilagyi, 1976) as well as for various measures of job scope (Champoux, 1975; Hackman and Lawler, 1971; Hackman and Oldham, 1975; Oldham, Hackman, and Pearce, 1976; Stone, 1975, 1976; Stone, Mowday, and Porter, 1977) In some of these studies, lower but statistically significant relationships between job characteristic dimensions or job scope and contextual satisfaction (eg, pay, security, promotion, co-workers, etc) have also been reported (Brief and Aldag, 1975; Champoux, 1975; Hackman and Lawler,

Predicting employee satisfaction from congruency among individual need, job design, and system structure

Abstract: SUMMARY Theoretical models designed to predict employee affective reactions from congruency among individual growth need strength, job attributes, and organizational structure have suffered from imprecision in predictions (Porter et al, 1975; Nemiroff and Ford, 1976) or inconsistency in the application of integration rules (Pierce et al, 1979) The present study competitively tested predictions generated by a congruency-weighted model with predictions generated by previous congruency models For two data-sets which manifested evidence of congruency interactions, the results indicated that a congruency-weighted model was a superior predictor of job satisfaction relative to previous congruency models