| Objective and subjective work characteristics and well-being: Contemporaneous, panel, and replicative tests |
| | Shaw, Jason D. | Drexel U. | shawj@post.drexel.edu | 215-895-2142 |
| | Gupta, Nina | U. of Arkansas, Fayetteville | ngupta@comp.uark.edu | (501)-575-6233 |
| | Relationships between objective and subjective work characteristics (job control, work monotony, and exposure to danger) and employee well-being were examined in a longitudinal study of 651 employees of five midwestern organizations. Cross-sectional path analysis results in two time periods revealed that the effects of objective work characteristics on well-being were completely mediated by perceptions of work characteristics, although little support was found for this model longitudinally. Theoretical and methodological extensions and the implications of the study for future research are addressed. |
| | Keywords: Well-being; Job characteristics |
| Engaging the Human Spirit at Work: Exploring the Psychological Conditions of Meaningfulness, Safety, and Availability |
| | May, Douglas R. | U. of Nebraska | dmay1@unl.edu | 402-472-8885 |
| | Gilson, Richard L. | U. of Nebraska | rgilson@unlgrad1.unl.edu | (402)-472-3077 |
| | Harter, Lynn | U. of Nebraska | lharter@unlgrad1.unl.edu | (402)-472-3348 |
| |
Building on Kahn's (1990) ethnographic study of engagement, a field study
of employees in a large midwestern insurance company explored the
determinants and mediating effects of three psychological conditions on
employees' engagement in their work --- meaningfulness, safety, and
availability. Engagement is first differentiated from conceptualizations
of related constructs and the theoretical grounding for the determinants
of each psychological condition is developed. Results from path analyses
of the theoretical framework revealed that the psychological conditions of
experienced meaningfulness and safety exhibited significant relations with
employees' engagement at work and generally mediated the effects of their
determinants. Specifically, job enrichment, work role fit, and feelings
of competence were related to psychological meaningfulness. Supportive
supervisor relations, self-consciousness, and organizational fit
influenced perceptions of psychological safety. Psychological
availability was related to resources, feelings of competence,
organizational fit, and outside activities, but availability did not
significantly influence engagement. Implications for theory building on
engagement and management practice are discussed.
|
| | Keywords: Engagement; Psychological Conditions; Meaningfulness |
| Be specific! The role of context in core evaluations of the world and the self |
| | Chen, Gilad | George Mason U. | gchen2@gmu.edu | (703)-993-3706 (x3) |
| | Goddard, Thomas G. | American Accreditation HealthCare Comission/URAC | goddardt@erols.com | 202-216-9010 |
| | Casper, Wendy J. | Personnel Decision Research Institutes and George Mason U | wcasper@pdi-corp.com | 703-812-3047 |
| | This study extends core evaluations theory (Judge, Locke, & Durham, 1997) by examining distinctions among various higher-order general and specific core evaluations of the self and the world. Particularly, we distinguish among general self-evaluations (composed of general self-efficacy and global self-esteem), work-specific self-evaluations (composed of job self-efficacy and organization-based self-esteem), and work-related control beliefs (composed of work and organization locus of control). Additionally, we propose a model of relationships among the core evaluations constructs and an expended job attitudes criterion (composed of global job satisfaction, affective organization commitment, and job involvement). LISREL analyses conducted on survey responses from 158 healthcare employees demonstrated the distinctions among the higher-order constructs of general self-evaluations, work-related control beliefs, work-specific self-evaluations, and job attitudes, as well as between their respective first-order components. Furthermore, work-specific self-evaluations partially mediated the relationships of general self-evaluations and work-related control beliefs with job attitudes. Finally, work-related control beliefs moderated the relationship of general self-evaluations with work-specific self-evaluations; specifically, the relationship of general self-evaluations with work-specific self-evaluations became more positive as levels of work-related control beliefs increased. Contributions to core evaluations theory and to organizational practice and suggestions for future research are discussed. |
| | Keywords: Core evaluations; Job attitudes; Motivation |
| Organizational Cynicism: An Examination Using Social Exchange Theory and Contemporary Workplace Outcomes |
| | Brandes, Pamela | Southern Connecticut State University | brandes@scsu.ctstateu.edu | 203-392-6139 |
| | Dharwadkar, Ravi | Syracuse U. | rdharwad@syr.edu | 315-443-3386 |
| | Dean, James W. | U. of North Carolina, Chapel Hill | jamesdean@unc.edu | 919-962-0798 |
| | Recent conceptual work in organizational behavior has highlighted the importance of organizational cynicism in the workplace. However, few studies have empirically examined: (1) the underlying attitudinal nature of organizational cynicism, (2) the importance of social exchange perceptions in influencing the attitudinal components of cynicism, and (3) the resulting impact of organizational cynicism on contemporary work behaviors. In this article, we investigate the underlying attitudinal nature of organizational cynicism and then develop theoretical arguments highlighting the importance of social exchange processes in understanding organizational cynicism and some potential effects of organizational cynicism on work behaviors. We then test this theoretical framework based on data collected from a field study of 264 employees and a sub-sample of 129 supervisor-subordinate dyads in a manufacturing organization. The data suggest that organizational cynicism and personality-based cynicism are two distinct constructs. In addition, trust in an organization’s senior management influences affective, cognitive, and behavioral dimensions of cynicism while perceived organizational support influences cynical beliefs. Finally, the three components of cynicism have differential effects on work outcomes. Based on the above, we argue that cynicism makes a unique contribution to our understanding of workplace attitudes and behaviors and suggest directions for future research within this domain. |
| | Keywords: social exchange; organizational cynicism; organizational behavior |
| Sanctioning Systems, Decision Frames, and Cooperation |
| | Tenbrunsel, Ann E. | U. of Notre Dame | tenbrunsel.1@nd.edu | (219)-631-7402 |
| | Messick, David | Northwestern U. | dwmessick@nwu.edu | 847-491-3470 |
| | This paper examines the influence of surveillance and sanctioning systems on cooperative behavior in dilemma situations. The first study provides evidence that a weak sanctioning system can actually result in less cooperation than no sanctioning system at all and suggests that one reason for this effect is that sanctions affect the type of decision that individuals perceive that they are making, prompting a concentration on the business versus ethical aspects of the decision. Based on this finding, a theoretical model is then presented that postulates that the relationship between sanctions and cooperation is due to both a signaling effect, in which sanctions influence the type of decision that is made, and a processing effect, in which the decision processing that occurs, including whether or not the strength of the sanction is considered, is dependent on the decision frame that has been evoked. A second study provides support for the processing effect hypothesis. Theoretical and managerial impilcations of these findings are discussed. |
| | Keywords: Dilemmas; Sanctions; Decision Frames |