Training, counseling, and retention of the hard-core unemployed.

Examined the effect of training and counseling on the retention of the hard-core unemployed (HCU), using both cross-sectional and longitudinal data from 130 programs in 114 firms involved in hiring the HCU. Results indicate that the content of training, rather than whether training is offered, was the critical variable. Job-skills training was positively related to retention; attitudinal training measured by the use of role playing was negatively related to retention. Personal counseling activities that encouraged the trainee to attend were also related to retention. Also, an interaction effect on retention between counseling and the length of training was identified. A theoretical framework for explaining the relationship between program characteristics and retention is discussed. (24 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

When do procedural fairness and outcome fairness interact to influence employees’ work attitudes and behaviors? The moderating effect of uncertainty.

Prior research has shown that procedural fairness interacts with outcome fairness to influence employees’ work attitudes (e.g., organizational commitment) and behaviors (e.g., job performance, organizational citizenship behavior), such that employees’ tendencies to respond more positively to higher procedural fairness are stronger when outcome fairness is relatively low. In the present studies, we posited that people’s uncertainty about their standing as organizational members would have a moderating influence on this interactive relationship between procedural fairness and outcome fairness, in that the interactive relationship was expected to be more pronounced when uncertainty was high. Using different operationalizations of uncertainty of standing (i.e., length of tenure as a proxy, along with self-reports and coworkers’ reports), we found support for this hypothesis in 4 field studies spanning 3 different countries. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Values, structure, process, and reactions/adjustments: A comparison of French- and English-Canadian industrial organizations.

Presents the first major attempt since the 1969 Report of the Royal Commission on Bilingualism and Biculturalism to explore a broad range of values, attitudes, and reactions/adjustments of French- and English-Canadian working people. Responses from 1,000 working people in a matched sample of 20 industrial organizations in Ontario and Quebec provided comparisons on 4 dimensions: (a) the Theory X-Theory Y value system of organization members; (b) organizational structure (e.g., degree of formalization, centralization, and standardization of procedures); (c) organizational processes (e.g., decision-making and conflict resolution); and (d) reactions/adjustments of organization members (e.g., job satisfaction, attitudes towards work, and alienation). (French summary) (18 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Influence of subordinate characteristics on trust and use of participative decision strategies in a management simulation.

Examined the influence of subordinate characteristics on use of participative decision strategies by administering a decision exercise to 148 business students. Ss evaluated the extent to which participative decision-making strategies were appropriate for work groups of varying job status and minority composition. Results indicate that willingness to use participative approaches is lower when subordinates are lower in job status or are predominately from a minority group. Potential organizational consequences of this tendency are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Investigating newcomer expectations and job-related outcomes.

The initial experiences of newcomers as they enter an organization can provide important information that substantially influences the subsequent relationship between the individual and the organization. For example, the application of realistic job previews (RJPs) often results in desirable organizational outcomes (e.g., increased satisfaction and reduced turnover). RJPs are typically job specific and job-content laden and serve to reduce the expectations of organizational newcomers. The present study indicates that an expectation lowering procedure (ELP), which is not job specific and is relatively content free, may yield similar benefits (i.e., reduce expectations). Both the organizational implications of this research and suggestions for using ELPs in conjunction with RJPs in the newcomer socialization process are offered. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The Effects of Sexual Harassment on Turnover in the Military: Time-Dependent Modeling.

Sexual harassment has consistently negative consequences for working women, including changes in job attitudes (e.g., lower satisfaction) and behaviors (e.g., increased work withdrawal). Cross-sectional evidence suggests that harassment influences turnover intentions. However, few studies have used actual turnover; rather, they rely on proxies. With a sample of 11,521 military servicewomen with turnover data spanning approximately 4 years, the authors used the appropriate method for longitudinal turnover data--Cox's regression--to investigate the impact of harassment on actual turnover. Experiences of harassment led to increased turnover, even after controlling for job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and marital status. Among officers, harassment also affected turnover over and above rank. Given turnover's relevance to organizational bottom lines, these findings have important implications not only for individual women but also for organizations. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Intracellular signaling of osteogenic protein-1 through Smad5 activation

This research examines job satisfaction and need for autonomy of 190 registered nurses in Hong Kong using a cross-sectional survey design. The level of job satisfaction towards six job components (autonomy, professional status, pay, interaction, task requirements and organizational policies) was measured using the Index of Work Satisfaction. Results showed that the sample was dissatisfied more than satisfied, they valued the job components of autonomy, professional status and pay more than interaction, task requirements and organizational policies. In addition, comparisons were made between nurses working in different hospitals and also different nursing units within a hospital. The level of need for autonomy was assessed using the autonomy subscale of the Edwards Personal Preference Schedule. Results showed that the level of need for autonomy of this group of nurses was below the mid-score of the sub-scale and there was no significant relationship between their satisfaction with job autonomy and their individual need for autonomy.     

Work redesign and motivation.

The redesign of jobs and work systems is frequently carried out to increase organizational productivity and/or to improve the quality of the work experiences of organization members. Four theoretical approaches to work redesign (activation theory, motivation–hygiene theory, job characteristics theory, and the sociotechnical theory) are reviewed and compared, and the kinds of personal and work outcomes that can reasonably be expected from restructuring jobs are discussed. A number of unanswered questions (e.g., the role of individual differences, diagnostic and evaluation methodologies, and the job of the supervisor) about the strategy and tactics of redesigning jobs are presented, and some problems in installing work redesign programs in existing organizations are outlined. (47 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Hiring, training, and retaining the hard-core unemployed: A selected review.

Reviews studies concerning the hiring, training, and retaining of the hard-core unemployed. Evidence indicates that the characteristics of the hard-core unemployed (e.g., age, sex, and marital status) and the characteristics of the supervisory and counseling roles and their occupants are related to turnover. Although training does not seem to affect the propensity to terminate, it does have both functional and dysfunctional effects on work attitudes. Job structure, pay level, and other organizational variables are related to turnover. (38 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Occupational role stress in the Canadian forces: Its association with individual and organizational well-being.

Studies on workplace stress have been conducted in various occupational environments. However, published reports exploring occupational stress in the military are rare. This study examines occupational stress in the Canadian Forces within the framework of social role theory and its relation to employee health, job satisfaction, and organizational commitment. Ss were 1,068 Regular Forces military members who completed a survey questionnaire. Of interest were the psychological resources (e.g., individual coping skills, workplace leadership, and perceived organizational support) that have the potential to alter the perception of work stress and/or alleviate its association with individual and organizational outcomes. Regression analyses indicated a negative association between occupational role stress and both individual (strain) and organizational (job satisfaction and organizational commitment) well-being. No moderating effects were found for coping strategies, workplace leadership, or perceived organizational support, although these factors had direct relationships with both individual and organizational well-being The results are discussed in terms of the potential of organizational resources and role stress to cascade across organizational levels. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The role of personal work goals in newcomers' job satisfaction and organizational commitment: A longitudinal analysis.

This study examined the importance of 3 characteristics of personal work goals (i.e., commitment, attainability, and progress) in accounting for changes in newcomers' affective job attitudes (i.e., job satisfaction and organizational commitment) during the 1st months of employment. Twenty weeks after organizational entry, 81 newcomers provided a list of their personal work goals. Goal attributes and job attitudes were assessed at 3 testing periods covering 8 months. Goal commitment was found to moderate the extent to which differences in the attainability of personal goals at the workplace accounted for changes in job satisfaction and organizational commitment. Goal progress mediated the interactive effect of goal commitment and attainability on newcomers' job attitudes. Findings are discussed with respect to their relevance for proactive approaches to organizational socialization. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Perceived organizational support: A review of the literature.

The authors reviewed more than 70 studies concerning employees' general belief that their work organization values their contribution and cares about their well-being (perceived organizational support; POS). A meta-analysis indicated that 3 major categories of beneficial treatment received by employees (i.e., fairness, supervisor support, and organizational rewards and favorable job conditions) were associated with POS. POS, in turn, was related to outcomes favorable to employees (e.g., job satisfaction, positive mood) and the organization (e.g., affective commitment, performance, and lessened withdrawal behavior). These relationships depended on processes assumed by organizational support theory: employees' belief that the organization's actions were discretionary, feeling of obligation to aid the organization, fulfillment of socioemotional needs, and performance-reward expectancies. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Reexamining the Job Satisfaction-Performance Relationship: The Complexity of Attitudes.

The present article argues that organizational researchers tend to adopt an overly simplistic conceptualization and operationalization of job satisfaction (and job attitudes in general). Specifically, past research has failed to examine the affective-cognitive consistency (ACC) of job attitudes and the implications this has for the strength of the attitude and its relationship with behavior (e.g., job performance). Results from Study 1 suggest ACC is a significant moderator of the job satisfaction-job performance relationship, with those employees higher in ACC showing a significantly larger correlation between job satisfaction and performance than those lower in ACC. Study 2 replicated these findings. Implications for the study of job attitudes, limitations of the current studies, and multiple avenues for future research are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Longitudinal outcomes in supported employment: A survival analysis.

Studied 90 consecutive job placements (46% minority) in a supported employment program for individuals with severe mental illness to examine employment longevity. Results indicate significant differences for long-term employment retention between minorities and nonminorities and among psychiatric diagnostic categories (i.e., schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorders, affective disorders, other personality disorders). The advantages of survival analysis methodology for studying employment retention data are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

What do people desire in others? A sociofunctional perspective on the importance of different valued characteristics.

Humans, as discriminately social creatures, make frequent judgments about others' suitability for interdependent social relations. Which characteristics of others guide these judgments and, thus, shape patterns of human affiliation? Extant research is only minimally useful for answering this question. On the basis of a sociofunctional analysis of human sociality, the authors hypothesized that people highly value trustworthiness and (to a lesser extent) cooperativeness in others with whom they may be interdependent, regardless of the specific tasks, goals, or functions of the group or relationship, but value other favorable characteristics (e.g., intelligence) differentially across such tasks, goals, or functions. Participants in 3 studies considered various characteristics for ideal members of interdependent groups (e.g., work teams, athletic teams) and relationships (e.g., family members, employees). Across different measures of trait importance and different groups and relationships, trustworthiness was considered extremely important for all interdependent others; the evidence for the enhanced importance of cooperativeness across different interdependence contexts was more equivocal. In contrast, people valued other characteristics primarily as they were relevant to the specific nature of the interdependent group or relationship. These empirical investigations illuminate the essence of human sociality with its foundation of trust and highlight the usefulness of a theoretically derived framework of valued characteristics. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

The effects of job insecurity on employee safety outcomes: Cross-sectional and longitudinal explorations.

Job insecurity research has focused primarily on attitudinal (e.g., job satisfaction), behavioral (e.g., employee turnover), and health outcomes. Moreover, research in the area of workplace safety has largely focused on ergonomic factors and personnel selection and training as primary antecedents of safety. Two cross-sectional structural equational modeling analyses and 1 longitudinal regression analysis of 237 food-processing plant employees unite these 2 disparate areas of research by exploring the relatively uncharted relationship between job insecurity and safety outcomes. Results indicate that employees who report high perceptions of job insecurity exhibit decreased safety motivation and compliance, which in turn are related to higher levels of workplace injuries and accidents. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

How different survey techniques can impact consultant recommendations: A scientist-practitioner study comparing two popular methods.

Very little research has compared how consultant survey methods may result in different recommendations for change. This study compared the job satisfaction method to the reason method to understand employee turnover motives. To control for content, measures from both methods were applied to the same attribute categories, such as job pay, the work itself, and job security. Results indicated that the reason approach demonstrated considerably more predictive validity than the job satisfaction approach and provided unique insight into specific turnover motives (e.g., salary and supervisor relationships). These results directly impacted subsequent intervention choices of the client. Results suggest that consultants can generate even better recommendations for clients if they include reason scales in their survey-based projects. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Executive turnover: The influence of dispersion and other pay system characteristics.

Using tournament theory as a guiding theoretical framework, in this study, we assess the organizational implications of pay dispersion and other pay system characteristics on the likelihood of turnover among individual executives in organizational teams. Specifically, we estimate the effect of these pay system characteristics on executive turnover decisions. We use a multi-industry, multilevel data set composed of executives in publicly held firms to assess the effects of pay dispersion at the individual level. Consistent with previous findings, we find that pay dispersion is associated with an increased likelihood of executive turnover. In addition, we find that other pay characteristics also affect turnover, both directly and through a moderating effect on pay dispersion. Turnover is more likely when executives receive lower portions of overall top management team compensation and when they have more pay at risk. These conditions also moderate the relationship between pay dispersion and individual turnover decisions, as does receiving lower compensation relative to the market. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Antecedents and consequences of satisfaction and commitment in turnover models: A reanalysis using latent variable structural equation methods.

A review of recent models of organizational commitment (e.g., J. H. Morris and J. D. Sherman; see record 1981-33773-001) and turnover (e.g., W. H. Mobley et al; see record 1979-29973-001) indicates that the causal relation between job satisfaction and organizational commitment had been overlooked and that attempts to identify the antecedents of these variables had suffered from conceptual and methodological limitations. To examine these 2 issues, structural equation methodology was used to reanalyze path analysis data from C. E. Michaels and P. E. Spector (see record 1982-10938-001) and A. C. Bluedorn (see record 1982-22265-001). Four causal models were examined. Across both samples, support was obtained for relations between personal/organizational characteristics and job satisfaction and between satisfaction and commitment. Commitment was also an important determinant of turnover intentions. Results suggest that the path analysis technique does not allow for the simultaneous examination of the effects of exogenous variables on 2 or more endogenous variables. (44 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)