Big‐B versus Big‐O: what is organizational about organizational behavior?*

This paper is an empirically grounded essay about the current state of organizational behavior (OB) research and productive future directions. We report the results of a survey of OB scholars about the current importance of various research topics and their importance in an ideal world. We compare the survey responses with an archival analysis of papers published in leading OB journals over a 10‐year period. We suggest that many of the topics that our respondents perceive to be ‘under researched’ can be summarized with one particular definition of OB that emphasizes organizing behavior. Considering all three definitions together, we highlight the limitations of the traditional (Big‐B and Contextualized‐B) definitions and discuss the benefits of a more organizational (Big‐O) approach. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Feeling insulted? Examining end‐of‐work anger as a mediator in the relationship between daily illegitimate tasks and next‐day CWB

In this daily diary study, we investigated the within‐person relationship between daily illegitimate tasks and next‐day counterproductive work behavior (CWB). We explored a moderated mediation model where the link between illegitimate tasks and CWB is mediated by daily end‐of‐work anger, with daily time pressure moderating the relationship between illegitimate tasks and end‐of‐work anger. We collected data from 114 full‐time employees across 10 consecutive working days. Results showed that within individuals, daily illegitimate tasks positively predicted next‐day CWB, and the relationship was mediated by daily end‐of‐work anger. Further, daily time pressure moderated the relationship between daily illegitimate tasks and daily end‐of‐work anger with the relationship being stronger when daily time pressure was high.     

A multi‐rater assessment of organizational commitment: are self‐report measures biased?

Most investigations of organizational commitment have been conducted using self‐report measures, however, the veracity of self‐reports is often questioned. In a sample of 79 public‐sector administrative staff, we assessed two types of organizational commitment (affective and continuance) from the perspective of three different sources of raters (self, peer, and supervisor) to test three explanations of the factors influencing self‐report measures (observational opportunities, simple defensiveness, and moderated defensiveness). The pattern of correlations among the measures, analysed using the composite direct product multitrait–multirater approach, suggested that self‐report commitment measures are affected mainly by observations or experiences of the self‐reporter rather than by systematic bias related to defensive responding. This increases our confidence that scores from self‐report measures of affective and continuance commitment are veridical. Further, self‐ and peer‐based measures of commitment were largely redundant in the prediction of a job‐performance criterion whereas supervisory measures added unique predictive variance. Implications are discussed. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Should we be “challenging” employees?: A critical review and meta‐analysis of the challenge‐hindrance model of stress

The challenge‐hindrance model of stress proposes that stressors can be divided into two distinct groups: those that challenge employees and those that hinder employees. This critical review seeks to explain the history of the model and its basic tenets, while succinctly summarizing the findings of existing studies based on the model. A thorough search of the stress literature uncovered 32 studies that specifically examined the relationship between challenge and hindrance stressors and important personal/organizational variables. Results were reviewed and analyzed, specifically by describing past meta‐analyses on the model, looking at the overall pattern of results from primary studies, and meta‐analyzing the relationships presented in those papers. This synthesis suggests that although there are some differential relationships of challenge and hindrance stressors with organizational variables (e.g., performance and engagement), the relationships to other key variables, such as counterproductive work behaviors, psychological strains, and physical health, are consistently negative for both challenge and hindrance stressors. Thus, we propose that stress research move away from the current challenge‐hindrance model in favor of other established models and/or a more appraisal‐based approach.     

Is being a leader a mixed blessing? A dual‐pathway model linking leadership role occupancy to well‐being

Recent leadership research has drawn greater attention to how the well‐being of leaders influences leadership behaviors, follower performance and well‐being, and overall leadership effectiveness. Yet little attention has been paid to the relationship between occupying leadership positions and job incumbents' well‐being. This research addresses this question by developing and testing a dual‐pathway model. Our model proposes that incumbency in leadership positions is positively related to high levels of both job demands and job control, whereas job demands and job control have offsetting effects on well‐being. Results based on a longitudinal sample revealed that employees who transitioned from nonleadership positions to leadership roles showed trajectories of increasing job demands and job control, whereas such trends were weaker among those who remained in nonleadership positions. Findings from three additional samples generally demonstrated that leadership role occupancy was indirectly related to various indices of psychological and physiological well‐being through job demands and job control. Because the signs of the indirect effects through job demands and job control differed in expected ways, the overall relationship between leadership role occupancy and the well‐being outcomes was generally small and nonsignificant. We discuss research and practical implications of our framework and findings for organizations, employees, and leaders.     

How do transformational leaders foster positive employee outcomes? A self‐determination‐based analysis of employees' needs as mediating links

Although followers' needs are a central aspect of transformational leadership theory, little is known about their role as mediating mechanisms for this leadership style. The present research thus seeks to integrate and extend theorizing on transformational leadership and self‐determination. In particular, we propose that the satisfaction of followers' basic needs (autonomy, competence, and relatedness) mediates the relationship between transformational leadership and employee outcomes (job satisfaction, self‐efficacy, and commitment to the leader). We tested this model in two studies involving employees from a broad spectrum of organizations in Germany (N = 410) and in Switzerland (N = 442). Results revealed largely consistent patterns across both studies. The need for competence fulfillment solely mediated the link between transformational leadership and occupational self‐efficacy; the need for relatedness fulfillment solely mediated the link between transformational leadership and commitment to the leader. The mediating pattern for the link between transformational leadership and job satisfaction varied slightly across studies. In Study 1, only the need for autonomy fulfillment was a significant mediator, whereas in Study 2, all three needs mediated this relationship. Taken together, our study integrates theorizing on transformational leadership and self‐determination by corroborating that need fulfillment indeed is a central mechanism behind transformational leadership. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

当死亡遭遇指标时······

前不久,国家安监总局发布的事故“死亡指标”引发了争议,对此国家安监总局有关负责人郑重澄清:下“死亡指标”事实上是为了少死人!这是一个控制性指标,不能超过,越小越好。下指标不是要死亡多少人,而是不能超过和突破这个数。“死亡指标”何以能引起公众的强烈反应,怎样评价它?我们编排了这组文章,有褒有贬,只是希望读者能客观、理智地看待这一“新生事物”,管理者能从中发现问题,避免所述情况的出现,真正地用好这一指标,达到控制的目的。     

Does daily proactivity affect well‐being? The moderating role of punitive supervision

Proactive behavior (self‐initiated and future‐oriented actions to bring about change) has largely positive consequences for organizationally oriented outcomes such as job performance. Yet the outcomes of proactivity from a well‐being perspective have not been clearly considered. Drawing on self‐determination theory and the stressor‐detachment model, we propose two distinct paths by which proactivity affects individuals' daily well‐being. The first path is an energy‐generating pathway in which daily proactive behavior enhances end‐of‐work‐day vitality via perceived competence. The second is a strain pathway in which daily proactive behavior generates anxiety at work, which undermines the process of detachment from work. We argue that these pathways are shaped by the extent to which supervisors are prone to blaming employees for their mistakes (punitive supervision). We tested this model using a sample of 94 employees who completed surveys three times a day for between 5 and 7 days. Our multilevel analyses provide support for the proposed dual‐pathway model and suggest differential well‐being outcomes of daily proactive work behavior. Overall, when an individual behaves proactively at work, they are more likely to experience higher levels of daily perceived competence and vitality. However, these positive effects can exist in parallel with daily negative effects on end‐of‐workday anxiety, and hence bedtime detachment, but only when the supervisor is perceived to be punitive about mistakes.     

"考不倒"更要"做得好"

未婚妻在我所在的县城一中教书育人。他曾经对我说，以前未曾想到过会嫁给一个警察为妻，在和我相识后，她逐渐地晓得“警察”两字的内涵，那就是意味着辛苦劳累，意味着无私奉献，意味着流血流汗，甚至是生命的代价。     

Breaking rules for the right reasons? An investigation of pro‐social rule breaking

Pro‐social rule breaking (PSRB) is a form of constructive deviance characterized by volitional rule breaking in the interest of the organization or its stakeholders. Over the course of three studies, we developed a generalizable measure of PSRB and placed it in a nomological network with personality, workplace perceptions, counterproductive behaviors, and task and contextual performance ratings made by supervisors and coworkers. Results indicate that PSRB is negatively related to task performance ratings across both sources despite its pro‐social motivation intended to help the organization. Potential directions for future research concerning reactions to constructive deviance are discussed. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Are two cynics better than one? Toward understanding effects of leader–follower (in‐)congruence in social cynicism

Prior research suggests that leaders' social cynicism can undermine important follower outcomes such as followers' motivation and performance. However, these studies have exclusively focused on leaders' social cynicism and neglected that followers' views on the social world might also influence the leadership process. On the basis of theories of social beliefs and person–supervisor fit, we offer an integrative perspective and predict that it is the congruence between leaders' and followers' social cynicism that shapes leadership dynamics. Data from 116 leader–follower dyads from a broad range of organizations and industries support our model: Polynomial regression and response surface analyses show significant congruence effects of leaders' and followers' social cynicism on followers' extra‐role behaviors and followers' proactive work behaviors. These positive effects of congruence on follower outcomes are transmitted by leader–member exchange quality. Finally, congruence effects are stronger when leaders' and followers' social cynicism is low rather than high. Overall, our study suggests that it is the correspondence between leaders' and followers' social cynicism that influences followers' leader–member exchange, extra‐role, and proactive behavior. We discuss the theoretical and practical implications of these findings for designing functional leader–follower dyads in organizations.     

What does team–member exchange bring to the party? A meta‐analytic review of team and leader social exchange

Both leader–member exchange (LMX) and team–member exchange (TMX) measure the quality of reciprocal exchange among employees in the workplace. Although LMX focuses on supervisor–subordinate relationships while TMX examines the relationships among team members, both have theory‐based and empirically proven relations with workplace outcomes such as job performance, organizational commitment, job satisfaction, and turnover intentions. However, it is not yet known which has more of an impact on such workplace outcomes—specifically, it is not clear if an employee's time is best spent developing vertical relationships among supervisors and subordinates (LMX) or on the horizontal relationships among team members (TMX). Accordingly, this meta‐analysis explores the incremental validity and relative importance of these two social exchange‐based constructs. The theoretical logic underlying LMX and TMX is clarified, and the parameter estimates between LMX, TMX, and work outcomes are reported. Results demonstrate that TMX shows incremental validity above and beyond LMX for some outcomes (organizational commitment and job satisfaction), but not others (job performance and turnover intentions). Also, LMX shows greater relative importance across all four outcomes. In sum, the clarification of the theoretical and empirical landscape lays a foundation for recommendations for future research. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

父子·兄弟·哥们

如今,汽车在很多方面改变着人们的生活。一句“打酱油都要开车去”的玩笑话说明我们的生活越来越离不开汽车。有车,生活变得多姿多彩,但同样,处理不好人车关系,有车也会让你麻烦缠身。归根究底,遵章守法才是有车族正确的驾车态度。以下3则发生在福建省泉州市泉港区的故事,希望人们能由此得到警示。     

"坐班"带来的隐形"杀手"

1、常常使用大油门对发动机不好，错误。发动机在挡位上转速经常提到4000以上不但无害，还对发动机有一定的好处。常常空挡踩油门或长时间在高转速上才对发动机不好。     

安全的"先进性"与"持久性"

自驾游出发前三天，闽赣两省的分水关由于积雪结冰已经封关了．可以想像那时的雪下得多大。虽然冬季到北方出差的机会不算少，但我们还是抛弃了手头所有的琐事，带看火热的心驱车去挑战寒冷的体验。     

"零度容忍"才能"防微杜渐"

翻阅历史档案,遍观媒体的报道,使我们深深感到安全生产这个话题的沉重.事故之多,损失之大,令人触目惊心.近5年来,我国道路交通事故造成50多万人死亡,260万人受伤,死亡率居世界第一;煤矿瓦斯爆炸频率之高,伤亡人数之多,也列世界之最.     

管理:"人性化"不是"任性化"

[事件]好心帮忙反挨了批、扣了奖 前几天,中石化山东胜利油田下属企业的一基层队的李师傅最近有点烦,因为自己帮忙干活不但没有得到表扬,反而挨了批、扣了奖.事情过了好几天,心头的疙瘩还没有解开.     

用"吃"对抗工作中的"老毒物"

说不准我们单位是那一级编制，所以只配备工作用车。可牟主任进出都要车。     

不做"小事"难成"大事"

笔者常与驾驶员打交道，发现有一种“事前麻痹与事后恐惧”不良的交通心理在驾驶员中普遍存在。有这种心理的人，在行车途中就潜在着不安全的隐患。