Effect of flexible working hours on employee satisfaction and performance: A field experiment.

64 federal workers were randomly assigned to flexible or fixed working hours, and after 6 mo they completed the Index of Job Satisfaction. In addition, their supervisors rated their 6-mo performance on a 9-point scale. Results indicate that flexitime caused a significant increase in worker satisfaction but had negligible effects on performance, whether assessed by output or ratings. Research should aim at uncovering the reasons for the positive effect of flexitime. (6 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Impact of employee participation in the development of pay incentive plans: A field experiment.

Ss were part-time workers who clean buildings in the evenings. 3 autonomous work groups with 10, 9, and 8 Ss developed their own pay incentive plans to reward good attendance on the job (Condition A). These plans were then imposed by the company on other work groups with 13 and 26 Ss (Condition B). Of 2 control groups, 1 (N = 17) talked with Es about job attendance problems but received no additional experimental treatment, and the other (N = 34) received no treatment. A significant increase in attendance followed only Condition A. Possible reasons cited: (a) participation caused Ss to be more committed to the plan, (b) Ss who participated in the development of their plan were more knowledgeable about it, and (c) participation increased Ss' trust of the good intentions of management with respect to the plan. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Participation in the performance appraisal process and employee reactions: A meta-analytic review of field investigations.

The relationship between participation in the performance appraisal process and various employee reactions was explored through the meta-analysis of 27 studies containing 32 individual samples. The overall relationship (ρ) between participation and employee reactions, corrected for unreliability, was .61. Various conceptualizations and operationalizations of participation and employee reactions also were discussed and analyzed. Overall, appraisal participation was most strongly related to satisfaction, and value-expressive participation (i.e., participation for the sake of having one's "voice" heard) had a stronger relationship with most of the reaction criteria than did instrumental participation (i.e., participation for the purpose of influencing the end result). The results are discussed within the framework of organizational justice. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A bumpy train ride: A field experiment on insult, honor, and emotional reactions.

The present research examined the relationship between adherence to honor norms and emotional reactions after an insult. Participants were 42 Dutch male train travelers, half of whom were insulted by a confederate who bumped into the participant and made a degrading remark. Compared with insulted participants with a weak adherence to honor norms, insulted participants with a strong adherence to honor norms were (a) more angry, (b) less joyful, (c) less fearful, and (d) less resigned. Moreover, insulted participants with a strong adherence to honor norms perceived more anger in subsequent stimuli than not-insulted participants with a strong adherence to these norms. The present findings support a direct relationship among insult, adherence to honor norms, and emotional reactions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Long-term impact of employee participation in the development of pay incentive plans: A field experiment revisited.

Reports a follow-up on a study by E. Lawler and J. Hackman (see record 1970-05759-001). In the original study, 3 work groups developed their own incentive plans to reward high attendance. Identical plans were then imposed by company management in 2 other work groups. A significant increase in attendance was found in the groups where the plans were participatively developed. After data had been collected, the incentive plans were discontinued by company management in 2 of the 3 participative groups. In the present study, attendance data covering a 12-wk period 1 yr. later revealed that attendance had dropped below pretreatment levels in those 2 groups, but had continued high in the 3rd participative group. A slight increase in attendance was found in those groups where incentive plans had been imposed by company management. Results suggest that long-lasting changes can be effectively introduced into an organization only when all levels involved accept them. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Procedural justice and participation in task selection: The role of control in mediating justice judgments.

Two experiments on task-assignment procedures, one conducted in a laboratory and one conducted in a field setting, examined the effects of voice and choice on perceived control, perceived procedural justice, task commitment, and task performance. Three models of procedural justice—two positing control mediation of justice judgments and one positing covarying, but not mediating, effects of control—suggested that the procedural justice effect of voice beyond choice would be especially potent when the participation involved decisions about task selection procedures as opposed to decisions about specific task assignments. The models differed with respect to the causal relations they predicted. Both studies examined the effects of three modes of participation (choice?+?voice, choice only, or no participation) in either the selection of a specific task or the selection of a procedure to be used to assign a task. In the laboratory experiment, 72 students worked on a business simulation task; in the field experiment, 72 employees of a mail-order firm worked at taking telephone orders. In both experiments the hypothesized effects were found, and in both experiments LISREL VI analyses showed that the justice judgment effects were not mediated by perceived control. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Information, choice, and reactions to stress: A field experiment in a blood bank with laboratory analogue.

Two experiments examined the effects of various operations of personal control on reactions to stress. Exp I with 40 17–50 yr old blood donors incorporated 2 features into the blood-drawing procedure at a blood bank: providing donors with accurate information and allowing donors to choose the arm to be used. Measurement of nurses' actions to prevent donors from fainting and self-reports of discomfort indicated that the combination of choice and information was somewhat effective in reducing distress. However, providing either information or choice alone was more effective. In Exp II, using a cold pressor stimulus as stressor, 44 undergraduates given a choice (the option to terminate the aversive stimulus and choice of hand used) showed a reduction of aftereffects on a measure of attention to detail. Ss given information but not choice also showed this reduction. Combining information and choice was no different from either treatment alone. Results of both studies indicate that moderate levels of choice and information are optimal for coping with stress. An explanation is suggested, based on a contextually determined relationship among choice, information, and perceived control. (23 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Procedural justice, stress appraisal, and athletes' attitudes.

In this study the authors examined a model in which procedural justice may serve as an external-situational resource that improves athletes' appraisals of stress and enhances their attitudes toward their team. Eighty-one Israeli male athletes were questioned on the degree of procedural justice employed on their team, how they appraised stress, and their attitudes toward their team. Results showed that higher procedural justice was associated with more positive appraisals of stress as a challenge and greater team loyalty and commitment and that the relationship of procedural justice to team commitment and loyalty was mediated by how stress is appraised. Findings integrate the cognitive-phenomenological model of stress/coping with the relational factors of the procedural justice approach and extend their validity to the field of sport. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Procedural justice in the context of civil commitment: A critique of Tyler's analysis.

This article is a critique of T. R. Tyler's 1992 review of procedural justice and its effect on therapeutic outcome in patients involved in civil commitment hearings. The article clarifies critical elements of Tyler's analysis by drawing on the social cognition construct of information control and elements in the consumerism literature that may mirror and facilitate procedural justice effects. The importance of the committing psychiatrist's role during the commitment hearing is emphasized and issues unique to civil commitment respondents that might affect their susceptibility to procedural justice effects are highlighted. Further research examining the effects of judges', attorneys', and psychiatrists' behavior on the patient's perception of procedural justice and subsequent therapeutic outcome is suggested. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Equity and workplace status: A field experiment.

In a field experiment, 198 employees in the underwriting department of a large insurance company were randomly reassigned on a temporary basis to the offices of either higher, lower, or equal-status coworkers while their own offices were being refurbished. The present study tested the hypothesis, derived from equity theory, that the status value of the temporary offices would create increases, decreases, or no change in organizational outcome levels. The resulting pattern of performance supported equity theory. Specifically, relative to those workers reassigned to equal-status offices, those reassigned to higher status offices raised their performance (a response to overpayment inequity) and those reassigned to lower status offices lowered their performance (a response to underpayment inequity). As hypothesized, the size of these performance changes was directly related to the magnitude of the status inconsistencies encountered. The value of these findings in extending equity theory to the realm of nonmonetary outcomes is discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Procedural justice in resolving family disputes: Implications for childhood bullying.

High levels of family conflict and poor family conflict resolution strategies are often associated with externalizing behaviors in children, including the behavior of bullying. Through family interactions, parents have the opportunity to convey a variety of messages to the child. Some of these messages are sent through the child’s appraisal of procedural justice, which refers to the judgments of fairness directed at the process by which a conflict is resolved. The current study investigated the relationship between appraisals of procedural justice in family conflict resolution and bullying among middle-school students. A sample of 1910 sixth through eighth graders completed a self-report survey on school violence. Structural equation modeling revealed a significant relationship in which higher appraisals of procedural justice during family conflict resolution were associated with lower frequencies of bullying by the child. Furthermore, this relationship was partially mediated by the internalization of the parent’s conduct during the conflict resolution process. The current study extended the research literature addressing the relevance of procedural justice in child development. Implications of these findings and suggestions for future research are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Applicant reactions to face-to-face and technology-mediated interviews: A field investigation.

This field study examined applicant reactions (N = 802) toward face-to-face as compared with technology-mediated interviews (through videoconferencing or by telephone) for 346 organizations. Face-to-face interviews were perceived as more fair and led to higher job acceptance intentions than were videoconferencing and telephone interviews. Perceived interview outcomes were higher with face-to-face and telephone interviews over videoconferencing. Self-monitoring moderated the relationship between interview medium and perceptions of fairness. Specifically, this relationship was (a) positive for face-to-face, (b) negative for telephone, and (c) nonsignificant for videoconferencing interviews. Moreover, the number of offers an applicant received moderated the relationship between interview medium over, and perceived fairness. The relationship between number of offers and perceived fairness was positive for face-to-face and negative for technology-mediated interviews. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The shortened workweek: A field experiment.

Examined the effects of the 4-day, 40-hr workweek by comparing 2 experimental groups (n?=?97, n?=?111) and a comparison group (n?=?94) of operating employees in a medium-sized manufacturing company. Comparisons were made on dimensions of self-actualization, autonomy, personal worth, social affiliation, job security, pay and overall job satisfaction, anxiety-stress, absenteeism, and performance over a 13- and a 25-mo period. Analysis of 13-mo data indicated that Ss in the 4-day, 40-hr groups were (a) more satisfied with autonomy, personal worth, job security, and pay; (b) experienced less anxiety-stress; and (c) performed better with regard to productivity than did the comparison group. However, these improvements were not found with the 25-mo data. It is suggested that uncontrolled variables may account for the differences in the short- and long-term effects of the shortened workweek. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Managing organizational stress: A field experiment.

79 public agency employees (mean age 39 yrs) were randomly assigned to stress-management training or control conditions. The training program consisted of 16 hrs of group exposure over 8 wks. Using procedures based on those developed by D. H. Meichenbaum (1975), treatment Ss were taught to recognize and alter their cognitive interpretations to stressful events at work. Ss were also taught progressive relaxation techniques to supplement this process. Dependent variables were epinephrine and norepinephrine excretion at work, anxiety (State-Trait Anxiety Inventory), depression, irritation, and somatic complaints, all measured at 3 times (pretest, posttest, and 4 mo after treatment). Treatment Ss exhibited significantly lower epinephrine and depression levels than did controls at posttest, and 4-mo follow-up levels did not regress to pretest levels. However, treatment effects were not replicated in a subsequent intervention on the original control group. The general adoption of such stress management programs is not recommended. (26 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Correlates of employee reactions to performance appraisals and appraisal systems.

474 exempt employees in a research and development organization were surveyed regarding their opinions and perceptions of the appraisal process. After controlling for perceived favorability of the appraisal via multiple regression, Ss' opinions of the appraisal and appraisal system were positive to the extent they believed that (a) there was an opportunity to state their own side of the issues, (b) the factors on which they were evaluated were job relevant, and (c) objectives and plans were discussed. Contrary to predictions, reports of goal setting and discussion of plans and objectives did not moderate the relationship between perceived favorability of the appraisal and the opinions of the appraisal. (10 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Explanations for selection decisions: Applicants' reactions to informational and sensitivity features of explanations.

The effects of explanation features on participants' reactions toward a selection decision were examined in 2 studies. In Study 1, students were provided with scenarios where informational (justification, procedural, personal, control) and sensitivity (sensitive or control) features of explanations were crossed with a selection decision to assess their effects on 3 applicant reactions: process fairness, self-perceptions, and organizational perceptions. In general, personal information enhanced fairness and organizational perceptions but harmed the reported self-perceptions of students role-playing rejected applicants. Explanations given in a sensitive manner accentuated these effects. Study 2 used a similar methodology to assess the effects of giving different types of procedural information. Self-reported reactions were influenced by the interactive effects of the type of procedural information provided and the selection decision. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Sex effects in workplace justice outcomes: A field assessment.

Recent research on sex effects in workplace justice leads to different conclusions based largely on whether simulations or field assessments were relied on for experimental protocol. Our examination provides a field assessment that replicates in part and extends the investigation of dispute and disciplinary outcomes in the workplace. We argue that it is not merely the sex of the actor, but the nature of the dyadic composition (man/man, woman/woman, man/woman, woman/man) that is a critical influence on outcomes. This hypothesis is supported by significant differences in workplace justice outcomes based on the dyadic composition of the actors involved in dispute proceedings (N?=?498). (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Procedural context and culture: Variation in the antecedents of procedural justice judgments.

T. R. Tyler and E. A. Lind (1992) identified 3 relational variables that make authoritative procedures seem fair: indications of status recognition, trust in benevolence, and neutrality in decision making. In Study 1, students from the United States, Germany, and Hong Kong recalled a conflict and reported their reactions. In Study 2, U.S. and Japanese students rated 3rd-party and dyadic procedures as ways of resolving a hypothetical dispute. In both studies, trust in benevolence correlated more strongly with procedural justice judgments in 3rd-party procedures. Study 2 showed stronger links between status recognition and procedural justice in the U.S. sample. In both studies, the relational variables appeared to mediate the effects of voice on procedural justice judgments. The results suggest that the basic processes posited in the theory generalize to dyadic conflict situations and across cultural contexts. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Procedural justice and status: Status salience as antecedent of procedural fairness effects.

The current article explores status as an antecedent of procedural fairness effects (the findings that perceived procedural fairness affects people's reactions, e.g., their relational judgments). On the basis of the literature, the authors proposed that salience of the general concept of status leads people to be more attentive to procedural fairness information and that, as a consequence, stronger procedural fairness effects should be found. In correspondence with this hypothesis, Experiment 1 showed stronger procedural fairness effects on people's relational treatment evaluations in a status salient condition compared with a control condition. Experiment 2 replicated this effect and, in further correspondence with the hypothesis, showed that status salience led to increased cognitive accessibility of fairness concerns. Implications for the psychology of procedural justice are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)