Individual differences and reactions to job characteristics.

Evaluated 3 different methods of measuring individual differences as moderators of employee reactions to job characteristics. The 3 methods are urban vs rural background, strong vs weak belief in the Protestant work ethic, and high vs low strength for "higher order" needs. Each of these 3 methods was used as a moderator of the relationships between job characteristics on the one hand, and specific job facet satisfaction, overall job satisfaction, and job behavior on the other hand. Data were obtained from 80 newly hired female telephone operators. Based on the job satisfaction results, higher order need strength was the most useful way to measure this type of individual difference, followed by the Protestant work ethic, and lastly by urban vs rural background of the worker. There were no differences among the 3 individual differences as moderators of the job characteristics and job behavior relationship. (18 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Development of the Job Diagnostic Survey.

Describes the Job Diagnostic Survey (JDS) which is intended to (a) diagnose existing jobs to determine whether (and how) they might be redesigned to improve employee motivation and productivity and (b) evaluate the effects of job changes on employees. The instrument is based on a specific theory of how job design affects work motivation, and provides measures of (a) objective job dimensions, (b) individual psychological states resulting from these dimensions, (c) affective reactions of employees to the job and work setting, and (d) individual growth need strength (interpreted as the readiness of individuals to respond to "enriched" jobs). Reliability and validity data are summarized for 658 employees on 62 different jobs in 7 organizations who responded to a revised version of the instrument. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The job characteristics approach to task design: A critical review.

Reviews the development of the job characteristics approach of J. R. Hackman and E. E. Lawler (see record 1971-29858-001) and of Hackman and G. R. Oldham (see PA, Vols 54:02031 and 57:02075) to task design and evaluates subsequent research relevant to that model. Theoretical statements of the model are not considered entirely clear, the associated empirical work is seen to frequently fail to test the relations discussed, and adequate multimethod instruments were not found for the assessment of several constructs. It is suggested (1) that future task design research should attend to alternative theoretical perspectives that distinguish between situational attributes of tasks and incumbent cognitions about those attributes and (2) that tasks and employee responses to both types of task-relevant constructs should be examined in the organizational contexts in which they occur. (150 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Relationships between job difficulty, employee's attitude toward his job, and supervisory ratings of the employee effectiveness.

Using correlational techniques, an investigation was made of the relationships between job difficulty (estimated by job evaluation factors), employee attitudes toward his job, and job environment, and supervisory ratings of employee performance. As job difficulty increased, employee attitudes were significantly more positive toward the job, management, and communication, and opportunity for advancement. Partial correlations showed that the relationship between job satisfaction and job difficulty increased when the effects of general morale were eliminated. Supervisory ratings of employee effectiveness were significantly rated (negatively) to employee salary and job tenure. Correlations between employee's attitude dimensions indicate increasing complexity of job content and increased content with people as a part of the job, are positively related to an employee's attitude toward his job. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effects of need for achievement on the job performance-job attitude relationship.

Studied the effect of employee need for achievement (n Ach) on the job performance-job attitude relationship among 1st-level supervisors. Ss were 133 females with a mean age of 42 yrs employed in a large public utility. Before need strength variations were considered, overall performance was found to be somewhat related to job satisfaction but not to job involvement. However, when Ss were split into high and low n Ach groups, performance was significantly related to both satisfaction and involvement for high n Ach Ss but not for low n Ach Ss. (28 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Self-esteem as moderator of the relationship between expectancies and job performance.

Examined the implication of A. K. Korman's 1970 consistency hypothesis for predictions of work behavior, derived from L. Porter and E. Lawler's expectancy model, and evaluated the feasibility of moderating the expectancy-performance relationship with relevant variables. 367 male and female managerial-level employees were subgrouped by self-esteem scores (Ghiselli's Self-Assurance Scale), and correlations between expectancies and job performance were computed. 16 of 22 correlations for the high-self-esteem groups were higher. However, only 5 of the differences were significant, thereby providing equivocal support for the consistency hypothesis. Results indicate that moderator variables may be relevant to predictions of performance with expectancy measures. (23 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Locus of control and expectancies across multiple occupational levels.

Investigated E. E. Lawler's (1971) postulate that an individual's performance-to-reward subjective probability, or Expectancy II, is influenced by the individual's belief in J. B. Rotter's internal vs external locus of control construct (1966). Results confirm Lawler's postulate across multiple occupational levels in a hospital setting and show that the effort-to-performance probability (Expectancy I) is also related to locus of control. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Relationship between self-rated performance and pay satisfaction among sales representatives.

Tested E. E. Lawler's (1971) hypothesis that when amount of pay is controlled people who evaluate their own performance highly are less satisfied with their pay. 101 sales representatives completed a questionnaire containing measures of self-perceived performance, pay satisfaction, and other variables. They were also rated on job performance by their supervisors. The partial correlation between self-rated performance and pay satisfaction, holding amount of pay constant, was –.30, thereby supporting the hypothesis. Self-perceived performance was only slightly related to an objective measure of total sales/representative, supervisory ratings of performance, self-perceived age/tenure, or education. When these other variables were also controlled, self-perceived performance still correlated negatively with pay satisfaction. (9 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Happy, healthy, and productive: The role of detachment from work during nonwork time.

Mentally distancing oneself from work during nonwork time can help restore resources lost because of work demands. In this study, we examined possible outcomes of such psychological detachment from work, specifically well-being and job performance. Although employees may need to mentally detach from work to restore their well-being, high levels of detachment may require a longer time to get back into “working mode,” which may be negatively associated with job performance. Our results indicate that higher levels of self-reported detachment were associated with higher levels of significant other-reported life satisfaction as well as lower levels of emotional exhaustion. In addition, we found curvilinear relationships between psychological detachment and coworker reported job performance (task performance and proactive behavior). Thus, although high psychological detachment may enhance employee well-being, it seems that medium levels of detachment are most beneficial for job performance. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effects of procedural and distributive justice on reactions to a selection system.

Procedural and distributive justice were examined in an employee selection situation. Along procedural justice dimensions, job relatedness of and explanation offered for the selection procedures were manipulated. Distributive justice was examined through manipulation of a selection decision and collection of a priori hiring expectations. Dependent measures included fairness reactions, recommendation intentions, self-efficacy, and actual work performance. Undergraduates (n?=?260) were selected/rejected for paid employment. Job relatedness influenced performance and interacted with selection decision on perceptions of distributive fairness and self-efficacy. Explanations influenced recommendations of rejected applicants. Interactions between hiring expectations and selection decision were observed on perceived fairness and recommendation intentions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Conscientiousness and reactions to psychological contract breach: A longitudinal field study.

[Correction Notice: An erratum for this article was reported in Vol 95(5) of Journal of Applied Psychology (see record 2010-18410-006). Six correlations in Table 1 on page 1187 are incorrectly reported. A corrected table is presented in the erratum, with corrected values in bold.] The authors examined the role of employee conscientiousness as a moderator of the relationships between psychological contract breach and employee behavioral and attitudinal reactions to the breach. They collected data from 106 newly hired employees within the 1st month of employment (Time 1), 3 months later (Time 2), and 8 months after Time 1 (Time 3) to observe the progression through contract development, breach, and reaction. Results suggest that conscientiousness is a significant moderator for 4 of the 5 contract breach-employee reaction relationships examined (turnover intentions, organizational loyalty, job satisfaction, and 1 of 2 facets of job performance). Specifically, employees who were lower in conscientiousness had more negative reactions to perceived breach with respect to turnover intentions, organizational loyalty, and job satisfaction. In contrast, employees who were higher in conscientiousness reduced their job performance to a greater degree in response to contract breach. Future research directions are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Conditions under which employees respond positively to enriched work.

Tested the moderating effects of (a) employee growth need strength and (b) level of satisfaction with the work context on employee responses to enriched work. Data were collected from 201 employees who work on 25 jobs in a bank. Employees who had strong growth needs and also were satisfied with the work context (i.e., with their pay, job security, co-workers, and supervisors) responded more positively to enriched jobs than employees who had weak needs for growth and/or who were dissatisfied with the work context. Implications for the practice of work redesign are discussed. (19 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A field test of some attitudinal and behavioral consequences of flexitime.

Examined the effects of flexitime by comparing an experimental group of 173 and a comparison group of 66 nonexempt employees in a large multinational corporation. Comparisons were made on the dimensions of employee flexibility, workgroup relations, superior–subordinate relations, quality of supervision, job satisfaction, absenteeism, and productivity. Results show that employee flexibility, workgroup relations, and superior–subordinate relations improved whereas absenteeism declined. There was no change in quality of supervision, job satisfaction, or productivity. It is suggested that flexitime intervention requires careful management during implementation for positive gains in productivity and job satisfaction. (15 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Different fits satisfy different needs: Linking person-environment fit to employee commitment and performance using self-determination theory.

Integrating and expanding upon the person-environment fit (PE fit) and the self-determination theory literatures, the authors hypothesized and tested a model in which the satisfaction of the psychological needs for autonomy, relatedness, and competence partially mediated the relations between different types of perceived PE fit (i.e., person-organization fit, person-group fit, and job demands-abilities fit) with employee affective organizational commitment and overall job performance. Data from 163 full-time working employees and their supervisors were collected across 3 time periods. Results indicate that different types of PE fit predicted different types of psychological need satisfaction and that psychological need satisfaction predicted affective commitment and performance. Further, person-organization fit and demands-abilities fit also evidenced direct effects on employee affective commitment. These results begin to explicate the processes through which different types of PE fit relate to employee attitudes and behaviors. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

"Conscientiousness and reactions to psychological contract breach: A longitudinal field study": Correction to Orvis, Dudley, & Cortina (2008).

Reports an error in "Conscientiousness and reactions to psychological contract breach: A longitudinal field study" by Karin A. Orvis, Nicole M. Dudley and Jose M. Cortina (Journal of Applied Psychology, 2008[Sep], Vol 93[5], 1183-1193). Six correlations in Table 1 on page 1187 are incorrectly reported. A corrected table is presented in the erratum, with corrected values in bold. (The following abstract of the original article appeared in record 2008-12803-015.) The authors examined the role of employee conscientiousness as a moderator of the relationships between psychological contract breach and employee behavioral and attitudinal reactions to the breach. They collected data from 106 newly hired employees within the 1st month of employment (Time 1), 3 months later (Time 2), and 8 months after Time 1 (Time 3) to observe the progression through contract development, breach, and reaction. Results suggest that conscientiousness is a significant moderator for 4 of the 5 contract breach-employee reaction relationships examined (turnover intentions, organizational loyalty, job satisfaction, and 1 of 2 facets of job performance). Specifically, employees who were lower in conscientiousness had more negative reactions to perceived breach with respect to turnover intentions, organizational loyalty, and job satisfaction. In contrast, employees who were higher in conscientiousness reduced their job performance to a greater degree in response to contract breach. Future research directions are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Drug testing, drug treatment, and marijuana use: A fairness perspective.

The authors conducted a random statewide telephone survey of 1,484 individuals to study the relationship between marijuana use (in terms of participants' history of marijuana use) and reactions to drug testing and to study 2 hypothetical drug-treatment policies. Job safety sensitivity was related to perceived fairness of drug testing for the participant's job, and more recent marijuana use was associated with more negative reactions. Safety sensitivity was related to perceived fairness of drug treatment. Organizations with voluntary treatment were more attractive than ones with monitored treatment. Marijuana use interacted with drug treatment policy type in predicting reactions to drug treatment. Results suggest that organizations should consider job and employee characteristics when developing a drug treatment policy. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Some interactions between personality variables and management styles.

Administered rating scales and Rotter's Internal-External Control scale to 110 hourly employees of a large chemical plant to investigate the interaction between management style and locus of control on workers' satisfaction with supervision and job involvement. Satisfaction with supervision was found to be a function of the interaction between management style and employee internality. Job involvement was directly related to employee internality, with the interaction of management style and employee internality having a negligible effect on this dependent variable. (22 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Getting even for customer mistreatment: The role of moral identity in the relationship between customer interpersonal injustice and employee sabotage.

Research on the "dark side" of organizational behavior has determined that employee sabotage is most often a reaction by disgruntled employees to perceived mistreatment. To date, however, most studies on employee retaliation have focused on intra-organizational sources of (in)justice. Results from this field study of customer service representatives (N = 358) showed that interpersonal injustice from customers relates positively to customer-directed sabotage over and above intra-organizational sources of fairness. Moreover, the association between unjust treatment and sabotage was moderated by 2 dimensions of moral identity (symbolization and internalization) in the form of a 3-way interaction. The relationship between injustice and sabotage was more pronounced for employees high (vs. low) in symbolization, but this moderation effect was weaker among employees who were high (vs. low) in internalization. Last, employee sabotage was negatively related to job performance ratings. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)