Group absenteeism and positive affective tone: a longitudinal study

This study investigates temporal variation in group absence behavior, and the relationship between group absenteeism and the group's positive affective tone. Absenteeism data were obtained from 97 work groups, aggregated over each of the four quarters of a year. The group's positive affective tone was measured through two employee opinion surveys. Multi‐level regression analyses were carried out, in which linear, quadratic, and cubic change trends were tested as predictors of change over time in group absenteeism. All three change trends explained unique variance in the group absenteeism data, indicating that the level of group absenteeism changes over time. We also found that there was significant variation between groups in the strength and direction of the linear and quadratic change trends. Positive affective tone was negatively related to the level of group absenteeism, and change in positive affective tone predicted the strength and direction of the linear change trend for group absenteeism. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Effects of an absenteeism feedback intervention on employee absence behavior†

The purpose of this study was to test the effects of an Absenteeism Feedback Intervention (AFI) on employee absenteeism. Three hundred and seventy‐one employees working in 14 experimental and 13 control groups in a medium sized hospital participated in the study. Employees working in the experimental groups received absenteeism feedback at three time periods that provided them with information about their own number of absent days and episodes (sequential days counted as a single absence episode) as well as the average of their work and occupational group. Comparisons of absent days and episodes between the AFI and control groups indicate some support for the effectiveness of the intervention. In particular, there was a reduction in absent days and episodes for employees with higher than average absenteeism during the previous year but who were not extreme offenders. The research and practical implications of the AFI for reducing employee absenteeism are discussed. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Minor illness as a legitimate reason for absence

This study proposes that the perceived legitimacy of minor illness as a reason for absence varies according to the nature of the illness, sex, job grade/socio‐economic status and age. A measure of perceived legitimacy was constructed which incorporated illnesses commonly given as reasons for short‐term absence. Thirteen hundred civil servants provided data on an employee survey. Absence frequency data were collected for 115 of these respondents over a 55‐month period. General support was found for four of the five study hypotheses. Contrary to one hypothesis, it was found that men legitimize minor illnesses as reasons for absence more than women. Clusters of minor illnesses were identified using a factor analysis. The implications for management responses to absence and for further research into the perception of minor illness are considered. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Employee behaviors before and after stress management

A quasi-experiment was used to compare employee behaviors before and after stress management training. Organizational records on employee absenteeism, performance ratings, equipment accidents, and work injuries were obtained for highway maintenance workers who received biofeedback (BIO=21) or muscle relaxation (MR=16) training. Similar data were gathered for a comparison group of employees who did not volunteer for training (n = 80). The pre-training period (time 1) consisted of 2 1/2 years. The post-training period was divided into the year immediately after training (time 2) and the following 1/2 year (time 3). Multiple regression analyses indicated that the MR (but not BIO) group variable explained unique variance in time 2 absenteeism (p < 0.05) but not in performance ratings, equipment accidents, nor work injuries (p > 0.05). Neither group entered predictive models for any measure at time 3 (p > 0.05). The results provide limited support for relaxation training offered as a prevention activity in work settings.     

A closer look at the effects of subordinate–supervisor age differences

Relational demography research has emphasized a similarity–attraction paradigm in explaining employees' reactions to demographic differences from other organizational members. This study examined similarity–attraction (nondirectional age differences) and status incongruence (directional age differences) predictions of age difference effects. The nondirectional and directional differences between the age of a subordinate and the ages of his or her immediate and higher‐level supervisors were used to predict employee absenteeism, citizenship, and work change behaviors. Results revealed that there were more significant and marginally significant directional age difference effects than nondirectional age difference effects on work outcomes. The implications of these results for organizations are discussed. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A meta‐analysis of the interrelationships between employee lateness,absenteeism, and turnover: Implications for models of withdrawal behavior

We meta‐analyzed the correlations between voluntary employee lateness, absenteeism, and turnover to (i) provide the most comprehensive estimates to date of the interrelationships between these withdrawal behaviors; (ii) test the viability of a withdrawal construct; and (iii) evaluate the evidence for competing models of the relationships between withdrawal behaviors (i.e., alternate forms, compensatory forms, independent forms, progression of withdrawal, and spillover model). Corrected correlations were .26 between lateness and absenteeism, .25 between absenteeism and turnover, and .01 between lateness and turnover. These correlations were even smaller in recent studies that had been carried out since the previous meta‐analyses of these relationships 15–20 years ago. The small‐to‐moderate intercorrelations are not supportive of a withdrawal construct that includes lateness, absenteeism, and turnover. These intercorrelations also rule out many of the competing models of the relationships between withdrawal behaviors, as many of the models assume all relationships will be positive, null, or negative. On the basis of path analyses using meta‐analytic data, the progression of withdrawal model garnered the most support. This suggests that lateness may moderately predict absenteeism and absenteeism may moderately predict turnover. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The effects of job demands and control on employee attendance and satisfaction

We examined the impact of stressful job demands on employee attitudes and attendance. Using Karasek's (1979) theory of job decision latitude as the conceptual foundation, we hypothesized that mental and physical work demands would interact with employee beliefs of personal control. Survey data from 90 male manufacturing employees regarding their control beliefs were combined with objective job analysis data concerning mental and physical demands and one year's worth of archival data regarding unexcused absences, sick days, and days tardy. There were significant interactions between control and objective psychological demands that indicated that these demands were associated with higher levels of tardiness and sick days only under conditions of low perceived control. In contrast, subjective workload ratings showed no relationship with tardiness and sick days, but, in interaction with control, predicted work satisfaction and voluntary absence. We discussed these results in terms of a stress process that affects health-related attendance independent of employee attitudes.     

Unfairness at work as a predictor of absenteeism

This study among 514 security guards examines the relationship between perceptions of unfairness at work and absenteeism during a one‐year follow‐up. On the basis of previous theoretical work and fragmented empirical evidence, it was hypothesized that distributive unfairness causes absence behavior in a direct or indirect way (through health complaints). Procedural unfairness was hypothesized to cause absence behavior through affective commitment or through health complaints. Results of a series of structural equation modelling analyses offer support for the mediating role of health complaints in the relationship between (distributive and procedural) unfairness at work and absenteeism. Moreover, our findings demonstrate that perceived unfairness contributes to explaining T2‐absenteeism over and above the impact of T1‐absenteeism and traditional work‐related stressors (i.e., work load and low job control). The theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Preferences for forms of supervisory social influence

As part of a study of the predictive utility of employee preferences for forms of supervisory inducements, a sample of 236 administrators and first-line supervisors provided survey data regarding their individual superiors. The respondents' statements of preferred forms of social influence from their superiors were statistically adjusted for the reported level of influence used in order to determine more precisely whether discrepancies between actual and preferred forms of influence could uniquely predict criterion variance. Results indicated that these adjusted discrepancy values were inversely correlated with satisfaction with supervision, ingroup status, and superior's considerate-ness. These supportive results suggest that discrepancies between preferences for inducements and reported forms of influence may be an important ingredient in a fuller explanation of the phenomenon of motivation and leadership.     

Bridging the gap between green behavioral intentions and employee green behavior: The role of green psychological climate

How do employees' perceptions and interpretations of organizational policies, practices, and procedures affect the enactment of their behavioral intentions? In a daily diary study, we examined the between‐persons relationship of corporate environmental strategy and pro‐environmental or “green” psychological climate; and whether green psychological climate moderates the within‐person relationship of employees' daily green behavioral intentions and their green behavior on the following day. To test our hypotheses, we collected survey data from 74 employees across 10 workdays. Results showed that corporate environmental strategy is positively related to green psychological climate that, in turn, moderates the relationship between green behavioral intentions and next‐day employee green behavior. Specifically, we found the relationship to be positive only when employees perceive a positive green psychological climate. We discuss implications of our findings for future research on employee green behavior and for organizations interested in encouraging employee green behavior. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

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.     

Modeling employee absenteeism: testing alternative measures and mediated effects based on job satisfaction

Using a sample of hospital employees this study addressed whether job satisfaction mediates the relationship between absenteeism predictors and absenteeism and how well absenteeism predictors explained different measures of absenteeism. The results suggest that job satisfaction is not a mediator and that the independent variables explain more variance in records‐based time lost than in self‐reported time lost or self‐reported absence frequency. Implications are discussed in terms of using job satisfaction as a mediator as well as the viability of alternative measures of absenteeism. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

South Korean managerial reactions to voicing discontent: The effects of employee attitude and employee communication styles

Using a scenario‐based experiment, this study examined how employee attitude and employee communication styles affected managers' reactions to employees' objections to a company policy. In the experiment, employee attitude (cynical versus trusting) and employee communication styles (aggressive versus diplomatic) were manipulated, and managers' reactions to voicing discontent were assessed through a questionnaire. Based on a sample of 185 middle managers working in various organizations in South Korea, the results showed that managers were more likely to engage in social undermining and were less likely to provide social support when cynical (rather than trusting) employees objected to a company policy. Also, attributed motives (i.e., personal attack and health concern) fully mediated the relationship between employee attitude and social support and social undermining. In addition, managers more likely attributed the objection to moral concerns when trusting (rather than cynical) employees communicated in an aggressive manner. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Overtime work as the antecedent of employee satisfaction,firm productivity,and innovation

Overtime work has been blamed for the deterioration of employee satisfaction and productivity. However, the organization‐level implications of overtime work as a normative expectation remain unclear. In this study, such effects were analyzed through human capital theory and a causal attribution approach. Various organizational outcomes and boundary conditions were explored in explaining these implications. The analysis of time lagged data from 273 firms affirmed that a firm's overtime level was related negatively to employee satisfaction. However, it was positively related to the firm's productivity and curvilinearly (inverted U‐shaped) related to innovation. The effects of the firm's overtime level on firm productivity and innovation were also moderated by organizational trust. This study highlights the costs and benefits of overtime work as tools for utilizing human capital and reveals the critical contingency of organizational trust that enables firms to attenuate the costs of the overtime level and accentuate its potential benefits.     

The relationship between employees' perceptions of safety and organizational culture

PROBLEM: With limited resources to help reduce occupational injuries, companies struggle with how to best focus these resources to achieve the greatest reduction in injuries for the optimal cost. Safety culture has been identified as a critical factor that sets the tone for importance of safety within an organization. METHOD: An employee safety perception survey was conducted, and injury data were collected over a 45-month period from a large ready-mix concrete producer located in the southwest region of the United States. RESULTS: The results of this preliminary study suggest that the reductions in injuries experienced at the company locations was strongly impacted by the positive employee perceptions on several key factors. Management's commitment to safety was the factor with the greatest positive perception by employees taking the survey. DISCUSSION: This study was set up as a pilot project and did not unitize an experimental design. That weakness reduces the strength of these findings but adds to the importance of expanding the pilot project with an appropriate experimental design. SUMMARY: Management leadership has been identified, along with several other factors, to influence employee perceptions of the safety management system. Those perceptions, in turn, appear to influence employee decisions that relate to at-risk behaviors and decisions on the job. IMPACT ON INDUSTRY: The results suggest that employee perceptions of the safety system are related to management's commitment to safety, which, in turn, appear to be related to injury rates. Management should focus on how to best leverage these key factors to more positively impact injury rates within their companies.     

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.     

Why employers spend money on employee health: Interviews with occupational health and safety professionals from British Industry

ObjectivesTo better understand the information that is used in business cases for employee health activities.MethodsInterviews with 18 occupational health and safety professionals at major organisations in the UK were conducted to explore attitudes, motivations, behaviours and information needs about employee health investment.ResultsThe occupational health and safety professionals interviewed for this study have described how employee health issues are discussed in their organisations. Ethical arguments about it being the ‘right thing to do’ are common and are believed to have impact. Unsurprisingly legal compliance is stated to be the driver of most employee health activity. Higher-level activities and resource do require a business case. It is suggested that currently business cases for employee health are often not overly empirical, with more intuitive arguments appealing to people management issues, notions of corporate reputation and alignment with business objectives. Data on benchmarking and some kind of return-on-investment assessment are normally required. Data on cost of illness (mostly expressed via sickness absence), direct health expenditure per employee and insurance premiums are also used. These data are mostly captured by existing sources and procedural systems, although sickness absence data especially is often thought to be unreliable. Data on staff retention and productivity were considered relevant but not currently used or analysed by this sample. There was support for the notion that more robust empirical business cases may help overcome some of the barriers that were identified, for example where costs are more quantifiable than benefits.ConclusionsThere is scope to make significant improvements to the business case for employee health investments in UK organisations through better measurement of impact on productivity and reputation risk and greater business-aligned communication by health professionals. More empirical business cases that meet the needs of decision-makers are more likely to attract investment into employee health activities.     

Absence behavior as traffic crash predictor in bus drivers

Problem

Various indicators of health have been shown to be associated with traffic crash involvement. As general health is also related to absence from work, the latter variable may be more strongly related to crashes, especially for professional drivers.

Method

Bus driver absence from work was analyzed in association with their crash records. Two British samples and one Swedish sample were used.

Results

One of the British samples yielded fair correlations between crash record and absence, while for the other the effect was restricted to the first three months of driving. The Swedish data had effects in the expected direction but these were not significant.

Discussion

The use of an indirect, overall measurement of health, may be a viable method for predicting the traffic crash involvement for professional drivers, although replications are needed in larger samples and other populations.

Impact on industry

The use of absence records for the identification of at risk drivers would seem to be a simple and useful method for companies with major fleets, and it also shows the importance of promoting employee health and well being at work as a potential method of reducing the cost, not only of absenteeism, but also of crashes in company vehicles.     

A test of reciprocal causality for absenteeism

The aim of the study was to test reciprocal causality hypotheses for absence, investigating self- and supervisor-attitudes and behaviors as consequences, as well as antecedents of absence. Reciprocal relationships were proposed between absence and each of job satisfaction, performance, training achievement, and supervisory style. Questionnaire data on job satisfaction and supervisory style and organizational data on employee performance and absence were collected at time 1 from the 262 apprentices of an electricity authority and a year later at time 2 from the 241 then employed apprentices. The repeated data collection (n = 200) consisted of the time 1 first, second and third year apprentices, who became the second, third and fourth years at time 2. Causal tests indicated that uncertified frequency absence and time lost, but not certified absence, were more likely to lead to lower job satisfaction, training achievement, and supervisor-rated performance and attendance than the reverse. Supervisory style, especially support, led to less uncertified but not certified absence. Absence did not influence supervisory style. The reasons for the direction of the significant causal effects and the alternative explanations for such effects were discussed.     

Good marriage at home,creativity at work: Family–work enrichment effect on workplace creativity

To advance the understanding of socio‐relational sources of employee creativity, we investigate the effect of a good marriage on workplace creativity. Drawing on family–work enrichment theory, we propose and test the idea that a satisfying marriage boosts a spillover of psychological resources from family to work that enhances employees' workplace creativity. Using survey data collected from 548 spouse–employee–supervisor triads, we find an indirect positive relationship between employees' marital satisfaction and workplace creativity through a spillover of psychological resources from family to work. We also find that this spillover is most pronounced when both employees and their spouses are satisfied with their marriage. The results further demonstrate that the indirect effect of marital satisfaction on workplace creativity through the spillover of psychological resources is significant for employees with a low creative personality, but not for those with a high creative personality. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.