Sex differences in job attribute preferences

This study investigated the job attribute preferences of male and female MBA candidates. Participants were drawn from 27 different MBA programmes in the United States. Factor analysis of the job attributes questionnaire revealed three primary job attribute dimensions: (1) professional growth; (2) work environment; and (3) salary. Contrary to most previous research, females were found to place a greater emphasis on the professional growth dimension than did males. Males, on the other hand, placed greater emphasis on salary considerations. No sex difference was found in participants' ratings of the work environment job attribute dimension. Consistent with earlier research, women were found to place more importance on the calibre of colleagues than did males. In general, both males and females rated job attributes concerning job content as more important than job attributes concerning job context. These results are discussed with respect to earlier research findings. Finally, the generalizability of these findings to other occupational groups is discussed and managerial implications presented.     

Antecedents and outcomes of contingent workers' attitudes toward their temporary help services firm: A unit level longitudinal investigation

This study explored the unit‐level antecedents and outcomes of contingent workers' attitudes toward their temporary help services (THS) firm. It was proposed that (a) client‐orientation levels of the THS firm's full‐time staff would influence the level of support received by contingent workers, (b) staff supportiveness would be reciprocated by these workers in the form of favorable firm‐directed attitudes, and (c) contingent workers' attitudes toward the THS firm would influence two unit‐level outcomes—client reported service failure, and voluntary turnover rates of THS staff. Support was found for all the hypothesized relationships in a longitudinal study utilizing survey data gathered from 1324 full‐time employees, 570 contingent workers, and 1951 clients; and archival data on staff turnover from 46 strategic business units (SBUs) of a THS firm. These results are discussed within the context of employee–organization relationship (EOR), contingent workforce, and service management literatures. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Isms and schisms: A meta‐analysis of the prejudice‐discrimination relationship across racism,sexism, and ageism

Racism, sexism, and ageism persist in modern day organizations and may translate into workplace discrimination, which can undermine organizational effectiveness. We provide the first meta‐analysis comparing the relationships between these three types of prejudice (racism, sexism, and ageism) and three types of workplace discrimination (selection, performance evaluation, and opposition to diversity‐supportive policies). Across outcomes, racism was associated with workplace discrimination, whereas sexism was not. Ageism was associated with discriminatory selection and opposition to organizational policies supporting older workers; however, ageism was not related to discriminatory performance evaluation. Consistent with prior research and theory, Implicit Association Test measures were related to subtle discrimination (opposition to diversity‐supportive policies) but not deliberate discrimination (selection and performance evaluation). Finally, prejudice was more strongly associated with discrimination against real as compared with hypothetical targets. Implications for organizational researchers and practitioners are discussed. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Psychological capital development: toward a micro‐intervention

After first providing the meaning of psychological capital (PsyCap), we present a micro‐intervention to develop it. Drawn from hope, optimism, efficacy, and resiliency development, this PsyCap Intervention (PCI) is shown to have preliminary support for not only increasing participants' PsyCap, but also financial impact and high return on investment. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The influence of work‐family culture and workplace relationships on work interference with family: a multilevel model

This research tested a multilevel model examining the influence of work‐family culture and supportive workplace relationships on work interference with family. Web‐based survey data were provided by 792 information technology employees from 10 organizations. Random coefficient modeling was used to test a path model examining the relationships between work‐family culture, leader‐member exchange (LMX), coworker support, and work interference with family. The direct effects of LMX and coworker support on work interference with family were significant. The indirect effect of work‐family culture on work interference with family was also significant. Results demonstrate the value of work‐family culture in understanding supportive supervisory and coworker relationships and work interference with family and highlight the need to employ multilevel models to understand these relationships. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Self‐efficacy changes in groups: effects of diversity,leadership, and group climate

Self‐efficacy belief is a significant predictor of behavioral choices in terms of goal setting, the amount of effort devoted to a particular task, and actual performance. This study conceives of formation and change of self‐efficacy as a social and context‐dependent process. We hypothesized that different group factors (discretionary and ambient group stimuli) influence changes in members' self‐efficacy through differing routes (individual‐level and cross‐level processes). We tested our hypotheses using data from individuals in 169 training groups who attended a 5‐day workshop designed to increase participants' job‐search skills and efficacy. Specifically, we examined the degree of change in participants' job‐search efficacy before and after the workshop. The results showed that (a) membership diversity in education was positively related to increases in job‐search efficacy, (b) supportive leadership contributed to job‐search efficacy at the individual level of analysis with no cross‐level effects, and (c) open group climate contributed to job‐search efficacy through both individual‐level and cross‐level processes. Limitations and directions for future research are discussed. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Family structure,job characteristics,rewards and strains as related to work-role centrality of employed and self-employed professional women with children

This study of the work-role centrality (WRC) of 419 professional women with children in Israel was carried out by means of a mailed questionnaire. WRC measures cognitive investments in the work role, relative to the person's other roles. The results show that these women generally are highly work-centred, autonomous and rewarded, and experience little work overload, but some person-role conflict on the job. Employment status, job scope, job autonomy and career anchorage, as well as job rewards, especially intrinsic, are strongly related to work-role centrality. Family characteristics are not related to WRC. Despite their demanding jobs, these women still perform the traditionally feminine tasks in the family, even when husbands are supportive. Employment status is an important intervening variable in the relationship of WRC and other job characteristics.     

“If you treat me right,I reciprocate”: examining the role of exchange in organizational survey response

Survey nonresponse can pose a major threat to the generalizability of organizational survey findings. This paper examines whether organizational members' evaluations of their organizational experiences affect survey response to organizationally sponsored surveys. In particular, we hypothesized that perceived organizational support, social exchange, procedural justice and an individual's inclination to feel exploited in social relationships predicted organizational members' compliance with organizations' requests for survey completion. A longitudinal field experiment conducted in collaboration with the Office of Institutional Research at a large university (sample: n = 622 university students) supported the hypotheses. Organizational members who consciously decided to not participate in organizational surveys perceived their organization as less procedurally just and less supportive. They also reported negative perceptions of their social exchange relationship with their organization, and were more inclined to feel exploited in relationships. Hence, an exchange‐oriented theoretical framework grounded in organizational citizenship behavior theory seems appropriate for the study of survey nonresponse. Implications for survey practice include that survey‐based findings are unlikely to generalize to specific groups of nonrespondents, and that techniques commonly used to increase response rates may not be effective in reaching these groups of nonrespondents. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The impact of race on managers' experiences of developmental relationships (mentoring and sponsorship): An intra-organizational study

This study examines the influence of race on protégés' experiences of forming developmental relationships. Data were collected from 88 black and 107 white managers, who, collectively, accounted for 487 developmental relationships. The results indicate that white protégés have almost no developmental relationships with persons of another race. Black protégés, however, form 63 per cent of their developmental relationships with whites. Blacks are more likely than whites to form relationships outside the formal lines of authority and outside their departments. Furthermore, same-race relationships were found to provide significantly more psychosocial support than cross-race relationships.     

A refutation of Karasek's demand – discretion model of occupational stress with a range of dependent measures

Karasek's (1979) demand–discretion model of occupational stress has been highly influential but has been criticized as confounding social class variables (Payne and Fletcher, 1983), ignoring the curvilinearity of relationships (Warr, 1991), and because it has inconsistently predicted heart disease (Ganster and Fusilier, 1989). The present study examines the ability of the model to predict raised blood pressure (a risk factor in the development of CHD), anxiety, depression, job and life satisfaction, in a large heterogeneous sample of over 3000 people. It examines the predictability of the model for men and women, taking occupational classification (manual and non-manual workers) into account, to allow some control over social class confounding. It also examines nonlinear relationships in the data. The study showed that demands and discretion do separately predict psychological strain, job and life satisfaction, though they account for a very small percentage of the variance. There was no evidence of interactive effects which are central to the model. Where the model was able to predict blood pressure, relationships were consistently in the opposite direction to that hypothesized. There was also little evidence of curvilinear relationships. Interpersonal support was found to add significantly to the predictability of the dependent variables. The findings cast doubt on Karasek's model and suggest that emphasis should be shifted to those models which are more encompassing of support factors.     

A longitudinal study of mentor and protégé outcomes in formal mentoring relationships

This study examined relationships between mentoring functions offered and transformational leadership as a mentor outcome and affective well‐being and organizational commitment as mutual outcomes for both mentors and protégés. For this examination, we conducted a longitudinal field study by using 111 matched reports from both mentors and protégés collected at three different points in time over seven months in nine Korean companies that administered a standardized formal mentoring program. Study results showed that mentoring functions assessed at Time 2 were positively associated with mentors' and protégés' post‐mentoring outcomes at Time 3 after controlling for pre‐mentoring initial levels of those outcomes at Time 1. Study findings also revealed that relative effects of mentoring on the mentor and protégé outcomes differed by the types of mentoring functions. We discuss the theoretical, practical, and methodological implications from these results. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Picture this: A field experiment of the influence of subtle affective stimuli on employee well‐being and performance

Prior literature examining the antecedents of employee affect has largely ignored subtle affective influences in the workplace and their impact on employees' affective experiences and behaviors. A substantial body of evidence from basic psychology research suggests that individuals' affect can be influenced by minimal stimulus input. The primary objective of this research is to take an initial step towards understanding the “real‐world” impact of subtle affective stimuli in the workplace. Specifically, in a field experiment with a within‐subjects design, we collected data from 68 sales representatives and examined the effect of a subtle affective stimulus (i.e., a black‐and‐white picture of a woman smiling printed on the backdrop of paper–pencil surveys) on employees' affect, well‐being, and performance. Results showed that the smiling picture significantly enhanced participants' positive affect, which in turn influenced employees' extra‐role performance and emotional exhaustion. The smiling picture also indirectly influenced employees' in‐role performance and emotional exhaustion via negative affect. Theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed at the end of the paper. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Getting even with one's supervisor and one's organization: relationships among types of injustice,desires for revenge,and counterproductive work behaviors

I tested hypotheses derived from the agent–system model of justice specifying that, among the different types of justice, interpersonal and informational justice explain the most unique variance in counterproductive work behavior (CWB) directed toward one's supervisor, and procedural justice explains the most unique variance in CWB directed toward one's organization. I also tested whether individuals' desires for revenge against one's supervisor and one's organization mediate certain justice–CWB relationships. Results (N = 424) provided considerable support for the study hypotheses, showing that employees tend to direct their CWB toward the source of perceived mistreatment, and that desires for revenge explain part, but not all, of the relationships between some types of injustice and CWB. Implications for theory, research, and practice are discussed. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The relationship between job experiences and psychological distress: A structural equation approach

Using structural equations, we estimated the relationship between employees' experiences of seven job conditions, that have been identified as potential job stressors, and psychological distress in a random sample of 504 full-time employed men and women in dual-earner couples. The seven job conditions were: skill discretion, decision authority, schedule control, job demands, pay adequacy, job security, and relations with supervisor. We found that two job conditions — skill discretion and job demands — were related to psychological distress, whereas five other conditions were not. These findings lend partial support to Karasek's job demand — job control model. In our analysis, skill discretion, one of the two components of job control (referred to jointly as decision latitude) was related to distress, however, decision authority, the second component, was not. A third aspect of control, schedule control, was also unrelated to distress. For full-time employed women and men in dual-earner couples, the additive effects of feeling concerned about having to do dull, monotonous work and having to work under pressure of time and conflicting demands were associated with psychological distress. Finally, the magnitude of the relationships between these job experiences and psychological distress did not differ between men and women.     

CEO values,organizational culture and firm outcomes

Few empirical works have examined the process through which CEO dispositions relate to organizational outcomes. In this study we examined the relationships between CEO values and organizational culture, and between organizational culture and firm performance. Data were collected from different sources (26 CEOs, 71 Senior Vice Presidents and 185 other organizational members), and include organizational financial performance data collected at two points in time. In support of our hypotheses, CEO self‐directive values were associated with innovation‐oriented cultures, security values were associated with bureaucratic cultures and benevolence values were related to supportive cultures. In turn, cultural dimensions showed differential associations with subsequent company sales growth, an index of organizational efficiency and assessments of employee satisfaction. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Flexible work bundles and organizational competitiveness: a cross‐national study of the European work context

The present study explores the categorization of flexible work arrangements (FWAs) into bundles and their connection to organizational competitiveness in the European Union. The measures of competitiveness were performance, turnover, and absenteeism. Four moderators were used in the study, organization sector, industry sector, organization size, and organizational women‐supportiveness. The analyses revealed four FWA Bundles, namely Non‐Standard Work Patterns, Work Away from the Office, Non‐Standard Work Hours and Work Outsourced. Non‐Standard Work Patterns were found to be related to decreased turnover (in the private sector), while Work Away from the Office was related to improved performance and reduced absenteeism. Non‐Standard Work Hours and Work Outsourced (within the public sector) were positively related to turnover, suggesting that these types are possibly not being used as true flexibility arrangements. Finally, post‐hoc analysis revealed that Non‐Standard Work Hours was related to increased performance only among Swedish organizations. Implications for management and future research are discussed. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

When mentors feel supported: Relationships with mentoring functions and protégés' perceived organizational support

We surveyed full‐time employees of ongoing mentoring relationships to investigate relationships among mentors' perceived organizational support (POS), the extent of mentoring functions protégés received, and protégés' POS. Moreover, we examined the moderating role of mentors' altruistic personality in the relationship between mentors' POS and mentoring functions received. Results showed that mentors' POS was positively related to the extent of mentoring protégés reported receiving, which was then related positively to protégés' POS. Furthermore, the extent of mentoring received partially mediated the relationship between mentors' POS and protégés' POS. We also found that mentors' altruistic personality moderated the positive relationship between mentors' POS and the extent of mentoring received such that this relationship was stronger for low altruistic mentors. Theoretical and practical implications of the findings are discussed. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Change in job conditions,change in psychological distress,and gender: a longitudinal study of dual-earner couples

Building on the Job-Strain Theory, we estimated three relationships in a random sample of 201 full-time employed men and women in dual-earner couples interviewed three times over a 2-year period. We first estimated the main effects relationships between change over time in employees' experiences of job demands and job control and change over time in psychological distress. Then we estimated the interaction effects relationship of change in job demands on the relationship between change in job control and change in distress. Finally, we estimated the interaction effects of gender on these relationships. Job control was disaggregated into two conceptually distinct job conditions: skill discretion and decision authority. Controlling for other potentially stressful job conditions such as pay adequacy, job security, and relations with supervisor, as well as trait anxiety (an indicator of negative affectivity), change over time in job demands and skill discretion, but not decision authority, was related to change over time in psychological distress. Equally, for full-time employed women and men in dual-earner couples, if concerns about having to do dull, monotonous work increase over time, distress increases; if concerns about having to work under pressure of time and conflicting demands increase over time, distress increases. Finally, neither average skill discretion nor change over time in skill discretion moderated the relationship between job demands and psychological distress. Thus, at every level of skill discretion, high job demands were related to high distress. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Organizational behavior implications of the congruence between preferred polychronicity and experienced work‐unit polychronicity

This research hypothesizes that greater congruence between preferred polychronicity (the extent to which an individual prefers to be involved with several tasks simultaneously) and experienced work‐unit polychronicity (the polychronic behaviors and preferences of the supervisor and co‐workers) will be associated with higher levels of (1) three components of organizational commitment (willingness to exert effort, desire to remain a member of the organization, and belief in and acceptance of organizational goals), (2) the individual's perceived performance evaluation by the supervisor and co‐workers, and (3) the individual's perceived fairness of the performance evaluation. Based on a sample of employed business school graduates, the results indicate that polychronic congruence is significantly related to these variables in the predicted direction. The use of polynomial regression analysis reveals additional characteristics of the relationships that would not have been available from the analysis of squared‐difference scores. The findings support the position that polychronicity and other temporal variables are important factors in organizational research. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

An assessment of attraction toward affirmative action organizations: investigating the role of individual differences

Our study investigated applicant characteristics in response to organizations incorporating an affirmative action policy (AAP) statement in recruitment material. Study participants (N = 217; White upper‐level management students) randomly received recruitment material containing one of three statements (e.g., affirmative action, equal employment opportunity (EEO), or no statement regarding affirmative action or EEO) and were asked to evaluate the attractiveness of the organization publicizing the designated policy. Results indicated that individuals responded negatively to AAPs in recruitment material because of prejudice attitudes, the perceived unfairness of such programs (which we relate to equity sensitivity), or in an attempt to protect their own self‐interest (which we relate to general self‐efficacy). Additionally, individuals' equity sensitivity and general self‐efficacy both moderated the relationship between racial prejudice and organizational attractiveness. Specifically, the negative relationships between participants' prejudice attitudes and the attractiveness of organizations publicizing an affirmative action policy were stronger for benevolents (persons tolerant of situations where they are under‐rewarded) and for persons low in self‐efficacy. Implications of our findings for organizational recruitment practices are discussed. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.