The paradox of self‐management: individual and group autonomy in work groups

This study explores how autonomy at the individual and the group levels directly affect group cohesiveness, and how they indirectly influence group effectiveness. Hypotheses suggesting that individual and group autonomy will be oppositely related to cohesiveness are supported in data collected from a large sample of work groups in two separate organizations. Also supported are hypotheses suggesting a group cohesiveness/group performance orientation interaction as a mediator of the relationships between autonomy at both levels and group effectiveness. The findings highlight the importance of considering autonomy at both individual and group levels simultaneously when designing work groups that incorporate autonomy. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Intra‐individual variability in job complexity over time: Examining the effect of job complexity trajectory on employee job strain

Drawing on gestalt characteristics theory, we advance the literature on the effect of job complexity on employee well‐being by considering intra‐individual variability of job complexity over time. Specifically, we examine how the trend, or trajectory, of job complexity over time can explain unique variance of employee job strain. Across two longitudinal data sets, we consistently find that, with the average level of job complexity during a given period held constant, a positive job complexity trajectory (i.e., an increasing trend in complexity) is associated with higher employee job strain. Based on job‐demand‐control theory and the exposure‐reactivity model, we further establish that job autonomy and employee emotional stability jointly moderate the relationship between job complexity trajectory and employee job strain. Specifically, for employees with high emotional stability, job autonomy mitigates the job strain brought by positive job complexity trajectory, whereas for employees with low emotional stability, job autonomy does not help to reduce the adverse effect of the increasing trend. These findings not only contribute to extend the understanding of the job complexity – strain relationship, but also suggest a promising, dynamic avenue to study the effects of work characteristics on employee well‐being as well as other outcomes. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Differentiating work autonomy facets in a non‐Western context

Work autonomy is one important component of job design theory which in recent decades has been elaborated upon by a number of researchers who have argued that it may be disaggregated into separate work method, work schedule and work criterion autonomy facets. Breaugh (1985) developed the Work Autonomy Scales as measures of each of these. This article reports the results of two studies carried out in Egypt that explored the validity of Breaugh's scales in relation to job design theory. In Study 1, in which Breaugh's scales were administered to 534 employees in two large Egyptian organizations, the Work Autonomy Scales' three‐factor structure was verified using exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. In Study 2, using a sample of 120 managers from four organizations, the associations between the three facets of work autonomy and other variables with which they would be expected to correlate, along with their relationships with a number of outcome variables, were explored. Statistically significant correlations were observed between certain of the work autonomy scales and task interdependence, Hackman and Oldham's autonomy scale and job complexity. In terms of outcomes, work schedule autonomy was associated with job commitment, while work criterion autonomy was associated with job satisfaction. The results are discussed in the light of previous findings and some suggestions for future research are offered. Copyright © 2003 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.     

Pre‐training perceived social self‐efficacy accentuates the effects of a cross‐cultural coping orientation program: Evidence from a longitudinal field experiment

Analyzing additional data from a longitudinal field experiment, the present research investigate whether pre‐training perceived social self‐efficacy (PSSE) may moderate cross‐cultural training effectiveness. On the basis of the interactionist perspective, we hypothesized that sojourners with high pre‐training PSSE would benefit more from a cross‐cultural coping orientation program, called “Realistic Orientation Program for Entry Stress” (ROPES), than sojourners with low pre‐training PSSE. As a result, the treatment effects (the ROPES program over the control program—a traditional cross‐cultural orientation program) would be more positive for high‐PSSE sojourners than for low‐PSSE sojourners. Seventy‐two incoming graduate students from East Asia entering a large US public university were randomly assigned to either a ROPES program or a control program, and were assessed pre‐entry and multiple times post‐entry. The results strongly supported our predictions, as the hypothesized PSSE × Treatment interactions were observed on a comprehensive set of training outcomes based on multisource data. Theoretical and practical implications were discussed. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Relationship between organizational justice and employee work outcomes: a cross‐national study

This study examined the influence of organizational justice perceptions on employee work outcome relationships as moderated by individual differences that are influenced by societal culture. Power distance, but not country or individualism, moderated the relationships between perceived justice and satisfaction, performance, and absenteeism. The effects of perceived justice on these outcomes were stronger among individuals scoring lower on power distance index, and most of these study participants were in the U.S. (versus Hong Kong) sample. Limitations of the study and the implications of the findings for managing cross‐culturally are discussed. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Emotional competence and work performance: The mediating effect of proactivity and the moderating effect of job autonomy

This paper proposes and tests a model where emotional competence influences work performance through employees' proactive behaviors toward their supervisors. Results from 196 supervisor‐employee pairs supported that emotional competence was positively associated with proactive behaviors, and proactive behaviors were positively associated with both task effectiveness and social integration. In addition, proactive behaviors significantly mediated the relationships between emotional competence and work performance, although this was mostly true of followers who had a higher degree of autonomy in their work. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Old faces,new places: equity theory in cross‐cultural contexts

Equity theory proposes that individuals compare ratios of their own outcomes and inputs to the ratios of outcomes and inputs of others. According to this theory, if the ratios are unequal, individuals are motivated to take actions that will restore equity. Although equity theory has received considerable attention from organizational scholars, relatively few studies have investigated the cross‐cultural applicability of the theory. In this conceptual paper, the value‐orientation model of culture is used to identify the ways in which the cultural context may influence how employees conceptualize inputs and outcomes, their selection of referent others, their equity preferences, and their reactions to inequity. The paper also describes potential avenues for future investigations of equity theory in cross‐cultural settings. Finally, some practical implications of this work are discussed as well. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Pygmalion in work organizations: a meta‐analysis

The Pygmalion effect, a type of self‐fulfilling prophecy, has been demonstrated in educational settings with empirical studies, qualitative reviews and meta‐analyses. It has also been studied in organizational settings. This meta‐analysis provides a review of the Pygmalion literature, an analysis of findings to date, and a deeper look into the nature of the effect. The present analysis of 13 effect sizes revealed an overall d for the Pygmalion effect in work organizations of 0.81. Moderator analyses revealed stronger effects when the initial level of performance was low and when the experiment took place in a military rather than a business setting. Implications of these findings are discussed. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Attitudinal organizational commitment and job performance: a meta‐analysis

A meta‐analysis was conducted to estimate the true correlation between attitudinal organizational commitment and job performance and to identify moderators of this correlation. One‐hundred and eleven samples from 93 published studies were included. The corrected mean correlation was 0.20. The correlation was at least marginally significantly stronger for: (a) extra‐role performance as opposed to in‐role performance; (b) white‐collar workers as opposed to blue‐collar workers; and (c) performance assessed by self ratings as opposed to supervisor ratings or objective indicators. Four other assumed moderators (commitment measure: Affective Commitment Scale versus Organizational Commitment Questionnaire, job level, age, and tenure) did not have at least marginally significant effects. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Erratum: Old faces,new places: equity theory in cross‐cultural contexts

The above article (DOI: 10.1002/job.454) was published online in Early View on 12 April 2007. A printing error was subsequently identified in the article: Page 10, line 27: ‘likelihood that he or she will select particular referent’ should read ‘likelihood that he or she will select a particular referent’     

The cross‐level effects of culture and climate in human service teams

This two‐level study of child welfare and juvenile justice case management teams addresses construct, measurement, and composition issues that plague multilevel research on organizational culture and climate. Very few empirical studies have examined both culture and climate simultaneously, and none have provided evidence that culture and climate are distinct or similar constructs. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), within‐group consistency analysis (r_wg), between‐group differences (ICC and eta‐squared), and hierarchical linear models (HLM) analysis provide evidence that climate and culture are separate constructs that vary by organizational unit, and are related to work attitudes, perceptions, and behavior. Findings link team‐level culture and climate to individual‐level job satisfaction and commitment, perceptions of service quality, and turnover. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Influence tactics and work outcomes: a meta‐analysis

Recent research on influence tactics has focused on the benefits that accrue as a result of using such tactics. The current study utilizes meta‐analytic techniques to estimate the true population correlations between various influence tactics and work‐related outcomes. Results indicate that ingratiation and rationality have positive effects on work outcomes. Additional analyses suggest that these and other influence tactics have significant effects in certain situations and on specific work outcomes. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Locus of control at work: a meta‐analysis

This study meta‐analyzed the relationships between locus of control (LOC) and a wide range of work outcomes. We categorized these outcomes according to three theoretical perspectives: LOC and well‐being, LOC and motivation, and LOC and behavioral orientation. Hypotheses reflecting these three perspectives were proposed and tested. It was found that internal locus was positively associated with favorable work outcomes, such as positive task and social experiences, and greater job motivation. Our findings are discussed in relation to research on core self‐evaluation and the Big Five personality traits. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The effects of job stressors on marital satisfaction in Finnish dual‐earner couples

The focus on the present study was to test a mediational model appropriate for explaining the effects of psychosocial job stressors, i.e., job insecurity, job autonomy, time pressures at work, leadership relations and work–family conflict, on marital satisfaction via job exhaustion and psychosomatic health. The study was carried out among 215 married or cohabiting dual‐earner couples. The proposed model was tested through structural equation analysis (LISREL). The results indicated that the job stressors, except for job autonomy, spilled over into marital satisfaction via job exhaustion and psychosomatic health for both men and women. However, no empirical support was found for the crossover of job stressors between partners, signifying that job stressors experienced by one partner did not influence the marital well‐being of the other. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The relation between emotional intelligence and job performance: A meta‐analysis

This meta‐analysis builds upon a previous meta‐analysis by (1) including 65 per cent more studies that have over twice the sample size to estimate the relationships between emotional intelligence (EI) and job performance; (2) using more current meta‐analytical studies for estimates of relationships among personality variables and for cognitive ability and job performance; (3) using the three‐stream approach for classifying EI research; (4) performing tests for differences among streams of EI research and their relationships with personality and cognitive intelligence; (5) using latest statistical procedures such as dominance analysis; and (6) testing for publication bias. We classified EI studies into three streams: (1) ability‐based models that use objective test items; (2) self‐report or peer‐report measures based on the four‐branch model of EI; and (3) “mixed models” of emotional competencies. The three streams have corrected correlations ranging from 0.24 to 0.30 with job performance. The three streams correlated differently with cognitive ability and with neuroticism, extraversion, openness, agreeableness, and conscientiousness. Streams 2 and 3 have the largest incremental validity beyond cognitive ability and the Five Factor Model (FFM). Dominance analysis demonstrated that all three streams of EI exhibited substantial relative importance in the presence of FFM and intelligence when predicting job performance. Publication bias had negligible influence on observed effect sizes. The results support the overall validity of EI. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Note: Correction added on 22 July 2010 after first publication online on 29 June 2010. The affiliations for Ronald H. Humphrey and Thomas H. Hawver have been corrected in this version of the article.     

Does job insecurity lead to impaired well‐being or vice versa? Estimation of cross‐lagged effects using latent variable modelling

Although research suggests that job insecurity is associated with impaired employee well‐being, there is insufficient empirical evidence to draw any causal inferences since most studies are cross‐sectional and thus do not control for previous levels of health symptoms. We used longitudinal questionnaire data to investigate the direction of the relationship between job insecurity and health complaints. After controlling for prior levels of mental and physical health complaints and five other variables that could potentially confound the results (gender, age, organizational tenure, family status, and education), the results of latent variable modelling showed that the cross‐lagged effect of job insecurity on mental health complaints, one year later, was significant whereas the reversed effects of mental and physical health complaints on subsequent insecurity were non‐significant. However, there was no significant cross‐lagged effect of job insecurity on physical health complaints. The results provide empirical support for the theoretical notion that job insecurity leads to health complaints, and imply that prior levels of health should be taken into consideration in order to explain the relative effect of perceived job insecurity on the physical and mental health of the workforce. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Accuracy in job analysis: toward an inference‐based model

Although the accuracy of job analysis information is critically important, standards for accuracy are not clear. Researchers have recently begun to address various aspects of job analysis accuracy by investigating such things as potential sources of inaccuracy in job analysis as well as attempting to reconceptualize our notions of job analysis accuracy. This article adds to the debate by first discussing how job analysis accuracy has been conceptualized. This points to difficulties in the prevalent ‘true score’ model upon which many of these discussions have been based. We suggest that discussions of job analysis accuracy would benefit from a consideration of the validity of job analysis inferences, as a complement to the more traditional focus on the validity of job analysis data. Toward this end, we develop a model of the inferences made in the job analysis process, outline some of the ways these inference could be tested, and discuss implications of this perspective. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Long work hours: a social identity perspective on meta‐analysis data

The current study utilizes social identity theory to investigate employees' work hours. Specifically, we use meta‐analysis to examine the relationships between hours worked and indicators of organizational identity (e.g., organizational support and tenure), occupational identity (e.g., human capital investments and work centrality), and family identity (e.g., family responsibilities and family satisfaction). The meta‐analysis also allowed us to explore other important correlates of hours worked (e.g., situational demands, job performance, mental health, and physical health), moderating variables (e.g., age, gender, and job complexity), and curvilinear relationships of work hours to social identity indicators. Overall, we found that occupational factors and situational demands had the strongest relationships with hours worked, hours worked were negatively associated with measures of employee well‐being, gender had several significant moderating effects, and there were curvilinear relationships between hours worked and well‐being and work–family conflict variables. The article concludes with directions for future theoretical and empirical research. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Daily performance at work: feeling recovered in the morning as a predictor of day‐level job performance

This study examined the state of being recovered in the morning (i.e., feeling physically and mentally refreshed) as a predictor of daily job performance and daily compensatory effort at work. Ninety‐nine employees from public service organizations completed a general survey and two daily surveys on pocket computers over the course of one workweek. Hierarchical linear modeling showed that being recovered in the morning was positively related to daily task performance, personal initiative, and organizational citizenship behavior and negatively related to daily compensatory effort at work. Relationships between the state of being recovered and day‐specific job performance were moderated by job control. For persons with a high level of job control, the relationship between being recovered and daily performance was stronger. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.