The role of leader-member exchanges in mediating the relationship between locus of control and work reactions

The relationship between locus of control, the quality of exchanges between subordinates and leaders (LMX), and a variety of work-related reactions (intrinsic/extrinsic job satisfaction, work-related well-being, and organizational commitment) are examined. It was predicted that people with an internal locus of control develop better quality relations with their manager and this, in turn, results in more favourable work-related reactions. Results from two different samples (N=404, and N=51) supported this prediction, and also showed that LMX either fully, or partially, mediated the relationship between locus of control and all the work-related reactions.

"High commitment" strategies:it ain't what you do; it's the way that you do it

Purpose: This paper sets out to contribute to the advancement of knowledge, particularly with regard to the processes of implementation and the role of managers engaged in such high commitment strategies and work practices. Design/methodology/approach: This study is part of a research project investigating the extent to which employee involvement predicts job performance (as well as job satisfaction, wellbeing and organisational commitment) in the NHS, using both quantitative and qualitative methods. The main focus of this paper is to present evidence from four of the 20 case studies to show the barriers to implementing employee involvement as well as highlighting the techniques and practices that have proven to be most successful. Findings: Employee involvement is used successfully by management and has enabled frontline staff to contribute their knowledge to their work. Research limitations/implications: The ethical issues of confidentiality and anonymity permeated the research process throughout. Practical implications: The link between "high commitment" strategies and organisational performance is of great interest to academics and practitioners alike. One of these "high commitment" strategies, namely employee involvement, has been an important HR strategy for the NHS in the UK. Originality/value: Other organisations can learn from the findings by implementing the successful parts. © Emerald Group Publishing Limited.

Predicting general well-being from emotional intelligence and three broad personality traits

This paper examined the joint predictive effects of trait emotional intelligence (trait-EI), Extraversion, Conscientiousness, and Neuroticism on 2 facets of general well-being and job satisfaction. An employed community sample of 123 individuals from the Indian subcontinent participated in the study, and completed measures of the five-factor model of personality, trait-EI, job satisfaction, and general well-being facets worn-out and up-tight. Trait-EI was related but distinct from the 3 personality variables. Trait-EI demonstrated the strongest correlation with job satisfaction, but predicted general well-being no better than Neuroticism. In regression analyses, trait-EI predicted between 6% and 9% additional variance in the well-being criteria, beyond the 3 personality traits. It was concluded that trait-EI may be useful in examining dispositional influences on psychological well-being.

Individual spirit at work and its relationship with employee work attitudes and organisational outcomes:An empirical examination in corporate Thailand

The purpose of this thesis is to conduct empirical research in corporate Thailand in order to (1) validate the Spirit at Work Scale (2) investigate the relationships between individual spirit at work and three employee work attitudinal variables (job satisfaction, organisational identification and psychological well-being) and three organisational outcomes (in-role performance, organisational citizenship behaviours (OCB), and turnover intentions) (3) further examine causal relations among these organisational behaviour variables with a longitudinal design (4) examine three employee work attitudes as mediator variables between individual spirit at work and three organisational outcomes and (5) explore the potential antecedents of organisational conditions that foster employee experienced individual spirit at work. The two pilot studies with 155 UK and 175, 715 Thai samples were conducted for validation testing of the main measure used in this study: Spirit at Work Scale (Kinjerski & Skrypnek, 2006a). The results of the two studies including discriminant validity analyses strongly provided supportive evidence that Spirit at Work Scale (SAWS) is a sound psychometric measure and also a distinct construct from the three work attitude constructs. The final model of SAWS contains a total of twelve items; a three factor structure (meaning in work, sense of community, and spiritual connection) in which the sub-factors loaded on higher order factors and also had very acceptable reliability. In line with these results it was decided to use the second-order of SAWS model for Thai samples in the main study and subsequent analysis. The 715 completed questionnaires were received from the first wave of data collection during July - August 2008 and the second wave was conducted again within the same organisations and 501 completed questionnaires were received during March - April 2009. Data were obtained through 49 organisations which were from three types of organisations within Thailand: public organisations, for-profit organisations, and notfor-profit organisations. Confirmatory factor analysis of all measures used in the study and hypothesised model were tested with structural equation modelling techniques. The results were greatly supportive for the direct structural model and partially supportive for the fully mediated model. Moreover, there were different findings across self report and supervisor rating on performance and OCB models. Additionally, the antecedent conditions that fostered employees experienced individual spirit at work and the implications of these findings for research and practice are discussed.

Relocation:a more complete picture

The idea that relocation can cause detriment in the lives of individuals is now relatively accepted in the management community, however much less attention has been devoted to studying the benefits of relocation. We present a more balanced picture by examining both positive and negative consequences of geographical transience in a sample of frequent movers. In total, 29 employees without families, 33 employees with families, 33 spouses, and 15 children participated in interviews for this research (N = 110). The research outlines 160 relocation consequences, including 53 positive outcomes not previously considered. Our findings confirm that relocation can bring about short- and long-term benefits for individuals including task performance, skill development, learning, growth, job satisfaction, continued development, attractive job assignments, career advancement and increased responsibility. In conclusion, findings suggest that, at least in terms of relocation, a more complete picture is actually also a more positive picture. So, whilst organisations should continue to aim to reduce or eliminate the negative consequences of relocation, they should also seek to maintain or enhance the positive outcomes of transience.

Individual differences in work behaviour of blue-collar workers : a study of rubber tappers in Malaysia

This thesis examines individual differences in work behaviour of rubber tappers. The study examined sex, age, experience and race differences and their interactions with terrain on job performance, absenteeism, and job satisfaction of 1053 rubber tappers. Rubber tappers are unskilled blue-collar workers who essentially do the same type of work and are paid the same rates of pay. There are very few studies that have compared male and female blue-collar workers doing similar jobs in organisational settings. This study is one of the few investigations that examine sex differences in job performance of blue-collar workers doing same job using production data. Studies on age differences in work behaviour encounter numerous methodological difficulties such as high turnover, internal transfers and problems associated with age differences in educational levels. The participation of rubber tappers in this study is envisaged to overcome these difficulties because attrition rates of rubber tappers are low, and internal transfers are non existent. Further, the educational levels of rubber tappers are relatively similar across different age cohorts, as most rubber tappers have little or no education. Two measures of both job performance and absenteeism were derived from payroll records. The two job performance measures were total crop production and attendance. The two absenteeism measures were avoidable and unavoidable absence rates. Overall job satisfaction was determined using a 4-item scale. Significant sex, age, experience and race differences were obtained for job performance, absenteeism and job satisfaction. Significant interactive effects were also obtained for sex, age , experience, race and terrain for job performance and absenteeism. The results are discussed in relation to the abilities and motivation of rubber tappers. The implication of these findings for employee selection and human resource management in rubber estates is discussed.

Sales manager problem resolution styles:measure development and an examination of their salesperson-related consequences

Personal selling and sales management play a critical role in the short and long term success of the firm, and have thus received substantial academic interest since the 1970s. Sales research has examined the role of the sales manager in some depth, defining a number of key technical and interpersonal roles which sales managers have in influencing sales force effectiveness. However, one aspect of sales management which appears to remain unexplored is that of their resolution of salesperson-related problems. This study represents the first attempt to address this gap by reporting on the conceptual and empirical development of an instrument designed to measure sales managers' problem resolution styles. A comprehensive literature review and qualitative research study identified three key constructs relating to sales managers' problem resolution styles. The three constructs identified were termed; sales manager willingness to respond, sales manager caring, and sales manager aggressiveness. Building on this, existing literature was used to develop a conceptual model of salesperson-specific consequences of the three problem resolution style constructs. The quantitative phase of the study consisted of a mail survey of UK salespeople, achieving a total sample of 140 fully usable responses. Rigorous statistical assessment of the sales manager problem resolution style measures was undertaken, and construct validity examined. Following this, the conceptual model was tested using latent variable path analysis. The results for the model were encouraging overall, and also with regard to the individual hypotheses. Sales manager problem resolution styles were found individually to have significant impacts on the salesperson-specific variables of role ambiguity, emotional exhaustion, job satisfaction, organisational commitment and organisational citizenship behaviours. The findings, theoretical and managerial implications, limitations and directions for future research are discussed.

Teamwork and well-being:the role of social support

This thesis explores, in a team context, using the Michigan Model, the relationship between social support, stress and well-being outcomes. The studies reported were carried out in Post Office Ltd. Study one examines differences in social support source and type for employees working in teams and quasi teams. Analysis was carried out at the individual level. The results supported previous work on well-being in teams: individuals working in teams report significantly higher levels of well-being, job satisfaction and organisational commitment than those individuals in quasi teams. Members of teams reported greater satisfaction with support from their manager and colleagues, and all types of support compared to members of quasi teams. Manager support and specific types of support mediated the relationship between team working and well-being outcomes. In terms of stressors, satisfaction with manager support and emotional challenge predicted greater influence which was positively related to the well-being outcomes. Study two conducted at the team level builds on relationships established in study one. Stage one explored teamness, the extent to which, along a continuum the team was well-defined. Stage two explored teamness agreement, the extent to which the team agreed on their teamness. The extent to which the Branch Office were a well-defined team had a positive effect on team functioning; participation, innovation and commitment to task excellence. Team functioning was associated with higher levels of satisfaction with manager and team support and all types of support. Working in a well-defined team was associated with job satisfaction, mediated by positive team functioning and social support. Teamness agreement predicted team well-being, clarity of objectives, work demands and satisfaction with reality check. Working in a team was not associated with performance. This thesis advances understanding in the area of team working and processes within teams, advancing understanding of the specifics of social support from different so urces and types of support. The studies reveal the key role of team functional characteri stics in creating the vehicle through which supportive interactions take place. which contribute to positive outcomes associated with working in a well-defined team.

Moving from HRM to knowledge productivity:a study of whether and how organizations become learning organizations

Practitioners and academics are in broad agreement that, above all, organizations need to be able to learn, to innovate and to question existing ways of working. This thesis develops a model to take into account, firstly, what determines whether or not organizations endorse practices designed to facilitate learning. Secondly, the model evaluates the impact of such practices upon organizational outcomes, measured in terms of products and technological innovation. Researchers have noted that organizations that are committed to producing innovation show great resilience in dealing with adverse business conditions (e.g. Pavitt, 1991; Leonard Barton, 1998). In effect, such organizations bear many of the characteristics associated with the achievement of ‘learning organization’ status (Garvin, 1993; Pedler, Burgoyne & Boydell, 1999; Senge, 1990). Seven studies are presented to support this theoretical framework. The first empirical study explores the antecedents to effective learning. The three following studies present data to suggest that people management practices are highly significant in determining whether or not organizations are able to produce sustained innovation. The thesis goes on to explore the relationship between organizational-level job satisfaction, learning and innovation, and provides evidence to suggest that there is a strong, positive relationship between these variables. The final two chapters analyze learning and innovation within two similar manufacturing organizations. One manifests relatively low levels of innovation whilst the other is generally considered to be outstandingly innovative. I present the comparative framework for exploring the different approaches to learning manifested by the two organizations. The thesis concludes by assessing the extent to which the theoretical model presented in the second chapter is borne out by the findings of the study. Whilst this is a relatively new field of inquiry, findings reveal that organizations have a much stronger chance of producing sustained innovation where they manage people proactively where people process themselves to be satisfied at work. Few studies to date have presented empirical evidence to substantiate theoretical endorsements to engage in higher order learning, so this research makes an important contribution to existing literature in this field.

Empowerment effects across cultures

It is evident that empowerment is in widespread use as a management tool in international organisations. A comprehensive literature review identified that empowerment exists as two distinct constructs: relational empowerment and psychological empowerment. Building on this delineation, existing literature was used to develop a conceptual model of the antecedents and consequences of the two empowerment constructs. Furthermore, the impact of national culture was considered, resulting in a set of testable hypotheses concerning the cross-cultural differences in the relationships between empowerment and its antecedents and consequences. A quantitative study was undertaken to test the hypothesised conceptual model. Data were collected from India and the UK, via drop-off self-administered surveys from front-line employees of both an indigenous and multinational bank in the two cultures, achieving a total of 626 fully usable responses across the four samples. Rigorous scale development for all samples was undertaken and measurement invariance examined. Following this, the conceptual model was tested using latent variable path analysis. The results for the model were both encouraging and surprising. Similar results regarding the effects of relational empowerment and psychological empowerment were found across the two cultures. However, an examination of the antecedents to relational empowerment produced significantly different results across the cultures. Relational empowerment was found to have higher practical value as it had a significant positive effect on employee job satisfaction levels across both cultures.

An investigation into the antecedents of prosocial service behaviours : a travel service context

Frontline employee (FLE) attitudes and behaviours during service encounters influence customers’ perceptions of service quality and customer satisfaction. The identification of variables that influence FLEs service behaviours is, therefore, important. Much remains unknown about the factors affecting prosocial service behaviours (PSBs). This thesis answers the following questions: What are the antecedents of PSBs in a travel service setting? It is argued that managerial strategies indirectly influence PSBs via their direct influence on job attitudes. This thesis represents an attempt towards an increased knowledge about the antecedents of PSBs by seeking answers to the question. A conceptual model was developed from the literature. Briefly stated, the hypothesised model proposed that job attitudes mediate the relationship between managerial strategies and the PSBs. In-depth interviews provided initial support for the conceptual model. Structural equation modelling techniques were then used to test these relationships on data from 179 travel service employees. Partial support for the mediational role of job attitudes was found. More specifically, the relationship between professional development and extra-role customer service is mediated by job satisfaction and organisational commitment, but not in-role customer service and cooperation. The managerial strategies influence PSBs directly. Internal communication influences extra- and in-role customer service behaviours positively. The relationship between professional development and the three PSBs constructs is negative. Empowerment influences in-role customer service and cooperative behaviours positively.

Human resource management, employee attitudes and business performance in Post Office Ltd

Whilst a consistent link between the adoption of human resource management (HRM) practices by organisations and their performance has been confirmed by numerous studies, there is a need for greater understanding of why such effects occur. Recently, the attention of researchers has shifted towards understanding the so-called ‘black box’ linking HRM and business performance. This study focuses on this area of research by testing processes through which HRM may affect performance, in particular the process of HR implementation, mediation mechanisms, and fit with internal and external boundary conditions. This research was based on a sample of 136 Post Office branches in the UK and investigated the role of HR implementation, employee attitudes and competitive environment. The study revealed that HR implementation, a climate for service, job satisfaction and effective organisational commitment predicted independent measures of economic and service performance in branches. Employee attitudes moderated the relationship between implemented HRM and service performance, and both job satisfaction and commitment were found to mediate relationships between a climate for service and service performance. Finally, relative levels of competition faced by branches moderated the relationship between employee attitudes and sales. The findings demonstrate how the process of HR implementation, interactions with employee attitudes and moderation by external competition all influence the impact of HR systems on service and economic performance outcomes. These results illustrate the need for greater attention to processes of internal and external fit within HRM research in order to develop theory relating to why HR systems affect performance.

A systems approach to students' motivation and academic achievement

This research followed earlier work (reported in a thesis presented in 1970) on factors associated with the academic performance of a sample of technical college students, which recommended the further study of students' motivation. The technical college then became part of a polytechnic, but the courses chosen for the continuation of the research were all of a specifically vocational character. The approach was influenced by Angyal (1941) in seeking to relate symbolic processes to broader behaviour patterns within a systems framework. Forms of semantic differential were developed to obtain the students' responses to words representing various activities and various people both within and outside the academic environment. Also, a "!growth motivation questionnaire" was produced using ideas from self-actualisation, job satisfaction and expectancy theory and examination marks were recorded. From pre-coded responses to the growth motivation questionnaire, scores on a 'study satisfaction' factor were calculated, and subsamples of students were taken at the extremes of this scale. Wriitten responses from the same questionnaire and semantic differential factor scores showed contrasting patterns between the two subsamples. Interpretation of these patterns suggested a diversity of approach to academic work among the students which calls for greater flexibility in the educational system serving them.

Air traffic controller reactions to computer assistance

The research was instigated by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to examine the implications for air traffic controllers' (ATCO) job satisfaction of the possible introduction of systems incorporating computer-assisted decision making. Additional research objectives were to assess the possible costs of reductions in ATCO job satisfaction, and to recommend appropriate task allocation between ATCOs and computer for future systems design (Chapter 1). Following a review of the literature (Chapter 2) it is argued that existing approaches to systems and job design do not allow for a sufficiently early consideration of employee needs and satisfactions in the design of complex systems. The present research develops a methodology for assessing affective reactions to an existing system as a basis for making reommendations for future systems design (Chapter 3). The method required analysis of job content using two techniques: (a) task analysis (Chapter 4.1) and (b) the Job Diagnostic Survey (JDS). ATCOs' affective reactions to the several operational positions on which they work were investigated at three levels of detail: (a) Reactions to positions, obtained by ranking techniques (Chapter 4.2); (b) Reactions to job characteristics, obtained by use of JDS (Chapter 4.3); and (c) Reactions to tasks, obtained by use of Repertory Grid technique (Chapter 4.4). The conclusion is drawn that ATCOs' motivation and satisfaction is greatly dependent on the presence of challenge, often through tasks requiring the use of decision making and other cognitive skills. Results suggest that the introduction of systems incorporating computer-assisted decision making might result in financial penalties for the CAA and significant reductions in job satisfaction for ATCOs. General recommendations are made for allocation of tasks in future systems design (Chapter 5).

Kindness is the parent of kindness: reciprocity in the UK call centre workplace

This research developed, proposed and tested an integrated psychological process to performance model. The model utilized the overarching theory of social exchange to incorporate the climate perceptions and affective reactions of 3,012 employees across 88 UK call centres. In the pursuit of parsimony, a review of the applied psychology literature gave rise to a model where the path between global service climate and contextual performance was fully mediated by, first, perceived organizational support, second, job satisfaction and third, affective commitment. The resulting integrated and parsimonious model was tested via SEM and the mediation hypotheses were tested via a series of nested competing models. A moderate fit and partial, rather than full, mediation were reported. Nested Competing Model 4 proved to be the most parsimonious and to have the best fit. It is important to recognise, however, that Nested Competing Model 4 is not intended to be the most comprehensive model (which would include all significant paths), but a more practically useful one (i.e. parsimonious), that focuses on the main relationships.