Confirmatory factor analysis of the Sport Organizational Effectiveness Scale

The purpose of this study was to examine the factorial validity of the 5-factor model of sport organizational effectiveness developed by Papadimitriou and Taylor. This questionnaire has 33 items which assess five composite effectiveness dimensions pertinent to the operation of sport organizations: calibre of the board and external liaisons, interest in athletes, internal procedures, long term planning, and sport science support. The multiple constituency approach was used as a theoretical framework for developing this scale. Data were obtained from respondents affiliated with 20 Greek national sport organizations with a questionnaire. Analysis indicated that the 5-factor model of effectiveness is workable in assessing the organizational performance of nonprofit sport organizations. The application of the multiple constituency approach in studying sport organizational effectiveness was also suggested.     

Applying a longitudinal tracer methodology to evaluate complex interventions in complex settings

Long-running multi-faceted intervention studies are particularly problematic in large complex organizations where traditional methods prove too resource intensive and can yield inaccurate and incomplete findings. This paper describes the first use of, longitudinal tracer methodology (LTM), a realist approach to evaluation, to examine the links between multiple complex intervention activities (processes) and their outcomes on a construction megaproject. LTM is especially useful when the researcher has little control over intervention delivery but has evidence drawn from multiple sources to evaluate the intervention activities effects over time. This methodology has rarely been deployed in complex organizational settings and not on a construction megaproject. This paper presents a case study of its use over a period of three years, on 24 construction sites forming London’s Thames Tideway Tunnel (Tideway) megaproject. The study examines the “transformational” power of occupational safety and health (OSH) interventions across the multiple organizations and supply chains in the megaproject. The study shows how the method can be adapted in-flight to accommodate shifting lines of inquiry as the intervention activities progress and change. This feature along with its resource-efficient operation, make it an attractive option where interventions are likely to have differential effects across multiple sites of enactment.     

Environments as reinforcer systems in the study of job satisfaction

This paper examined differences in the degree to which fifteen specific sources of job satisfaction were related to and predictive of the overall satisfaction of department chairmen in the six model environments proposed by Holland (1973). The fifteen specific sources of job satisfaction were regressed on overall satisfaction, separately for chairmen in each environment, through the use of incremental stepwise multiple regression procedures. The results indicated that the overall satisfaction of chairmen in these six environments was differentially related to unique weightings and combinations of the fifteen predictor variables. It was concluded that environments, composed of essentially similar groups of people in different organizations, serve as job satisfaction reinforcer systems in a manner similar to organizations as illustrated by Dawis.     

AN EXPLORATORY EXAMINATION OF PERSON-ORGANIZATION FIT: ORGANIZATIONAL GOAL CONGRUENCE

Relationships between organization members'agreement on organizational goats and their attitudes and intentions regarding the organization were investigated in this study. A constituency approach was used to operationalize the organization into meaningful units as the basis for comparison between organizational members. Specifically, the congruence between hierarchical levels (supervisor-subordinate) and within a level (member-constituency) was examined. Both types of congruence were hypothesized to relate positively to job satisfaction and organizational commitment and negatively to intention to quit. The hypotheses were tested using data from 356 principals and 14,721 teachers, each rating the importance of goals for their school. The results confirmed the hypotheses regarding goal congruence among members of a constituency (teachers) and between hierarchical levels (principals and teachers), with member-constituency congruence having the greater impact on teachers'attitudes and intention to quit.     

Do Women Accommodate More Than Men? Gender Differences in Perceived Social Support and Negotiation Behavior by Spanish and Dutch Worker Representatives

Historically, the role of worker representatives (WRs) is traditionally perceived as masculine. With an increasing participation of women in the workforce, the number of female WRs grows all over Europe. WRs’ main task is to negotiate on behalf of the constituency. We explore how male and female WRs perceive support from their constituency and how this perceived support is related to their negotiation behavior. We test hypotheses about the impact of gender and societal culture on perceived support and accommodating behavior in negotiations. The hypotheses are tested using a quantitative approach among 219 female and 495 male WRs in Spain and 166 female and 398 male WRs in the Netherlands. Following the research question there was no evidence indicating gender differences in accommodating behavior. Results show that a) WRs accommodate less to management in Spain than in the Netherlands; b) female WRs perceive less social support than their male counterparts in Spain, but not in the Netherlands; c) social support is negatively related to accommodating behavior only for female WRs in Spain, but not in the Netherlands. We discuss theoretical and practical implications.     

Une approche de l’évolution des relations entre conseil (en orientation,en insertion, à l’emploi) et sélection professionnelle

An approach to the evolution of the relations between school and career counselling activities and those of personnel selection during the 20th century in France leads to distinguish between three periods. During the first one, these activities (organised around the notion of aptitudes) were close. The second period was marked by the birth of procedures for selecting and distributing the students within the school organisation: vocational counselling activities grew apart from those in the domains of employment counselling and selection. In the last period (characterized by a high unemployment rate and a growth of very flexible forms of work and employment) these different activities – organised around the notion of competence – came closer. In short, these activities appear to find their meaning only through their reciprocal links, in connection with the kind of work and school organizations where they take place.     

Community Gender Norms Change as a Part of a Multilevel Approach to Sexual Health Among Married Women in Mumbai,India

Inequitable gender norms in societies and communities negatively contribute to women’s sexual and reproductive health. While the need for change in gender norms is well recognized, the task is highly challenging in terms of intervention design, implementation and assessment of impact. This paper describes a methodology for identification of gender norms, the design of community level intervention, community participation and the assessment of intervention impact in a low income, predominately Muslim community of 600,000 people in Mumbai, India. Formative research focused on in‐depth interviews with women, men and couples yielding gender normative statements and assessment of community resources to facilitate change. A Gender Equity Scale (GES) based on this formative research was developed and administered annually for a three‐year period to random, cross‐sectional samples in the intervention and control communities, and to community based, non‐governmental organizations (NGO) staff and Imams (religious leaders) in the intervention community. NGO staff disseminated gender oriented messages to their female constituency through their regular outreach activities and through special events and festivals in the community. Imams disseminated gender messages through lectures on social issues for men attending Friday prayers. The results showed that the NGO staff and Imams, assumed more gender equitable attitudes across time. The intervention was associated with a significant improvement in attitudes towards gender equity in the intervention relative to the control community. Men showed a dramatic change in more positive gender attitudes, while women lagged behind in their GES scores. The meaning of these results are explored and the implications assessed for the generalizability of the methodology for other countries, cultures and communities.     

WORK ENVIRONMENT EFFECTS ON PUBLIC SECTOR GRIEVANCES

This study examines employee grievances filed in two unionized public sector organizations that differ markedly in their respective work environments. A total of 353 grievances were filed under seven articles of the labor contract. Statistically significant differences were found between the two organizations in terms of the issues of the labor contract that were grieved. Similarly, statistically significant differences in grieved issues were found among employees working at three sub-divisions of the same organization. The results are discussed in the context of work environment effects on grievances, and the replicability of the findings to previous research on grievances in private sector industrial organizations.     

Capturing system level activities and impacts of mental health consumer-run organizations

Since the 1970s mental health consumer-run organizations have come to offer not only mutual support, but they have also adopted agendas for broader social change. Despite an awareness of the need for system level efforts that create supportive environments for their members, there has been limited research demonstrating how their system level activities can be documented or their impacts evaluated. The purpose of this paper is to feature a method of evaluating systems change activities and impacts. The paper is based on a longitudinal study evaluating four mental health consumer-run organizations in Ontario, Canada. The study tracked system level activities and impacts using both qualitative and quantitative methodologies. The article begins by describing the development and implementation of these methods. Next it offers a critical analysis of the methods used. It concludes by reflecting on three lessons learned about capturing system level activities and impacts of mental health consumer-run organizations.     

A multiple-level examination of job activities and employee outcomes

Prior research has investigated relationships between job activities and employee outcomes, but multiple levels of analysis considerations often have been overlooked. In a study of a police organization, three theoretical perspectives were examined, and multiple levels of analysis were considered conceptually and empirically, to better specify and test associations between activities and outcomes. Results from Within and Between Analysis (WABA) suggested that relationships between law enforcement and resource control job activitiesand employee outcomes of attention, latitude, and involvement operated at multiple levels of analysis. The associations were based on differences between individuals, work groups, and job-based collectives (job families). Implications for future research and practice are discussed.     

A MULTIPLE LEVEL INVESTIGATION OF PERSONNEL RATINGS

A multiple levels of analysis approach was used to assess whether job performance and skill importance ratings were based on individual differences, incumbent/supervisor dyadic agreement, group membership, or functional department. Data were collected as part of a managerial training needs analysis conducted at a large gold and silver mining organization. Participants included 140 incumbent managers and their immediate supervisors, who were embedded in 140 incumbent/supervisor dyads, 39 managerial work groups, and eight departments of the organization. Results from Within and Between Analysis (WABA) suggested that (a) incumbent ratings of both performance and skill importance were characterized by individual differences, (b) supervisory ratings of both performance and skill importance were primarily characterized by between-groups (supervisors) differences, (c) matched incumbent-supervisory performance ratings displayed individual differences, and (d) matched incumbent-supervisory importance ratings displayed dyadic agreement (i.e., between-dyads differences). Practical implications of these results for interpreting these and other types of personnel-related data are discussed.     

领导者性别身份的评价差异：基于内隐领导理论的实证分析

本研究基于内隐领导理论,运用配对问卷法,探究领导者性别身份的三种评价差异：自我评价与下属评价的差异,男性领导与女性领导的下属评价差异,男性下属与女性下属的评价差异。结果显示,与领导者自评的性别身份相比,下属易高估领导者的男性化;且下属评价男性领导的男性化显著高于女性化,而评价女性领导时两者并不存在显著差异。此外,男性下属对领导男性化的评价高于女性下属的评价。     

Intervening factors in the utilization of social research

In Swedish welfare agencies, it was found that the importance of characteristics of social research for utilization was related to three intervening factors: the context of origin of the research, the functions for the user and the utilization context. These factors seem to explain the difference between competing notions on the importance of scientific sophistication for research utilization. Sune Sunesson is professor and head of the Ph.D. program and the research department of the School of Social Work at Lund University. His main research interests are the sociology of human service organizations and the impact of science on these organizations. Kjell Nilsson, Birgitta Ericson, and Britt-Marie Johansson are Ph.D. candidates in the Department of Sociology of the Lund University.     

Reactions to Appraisal Discrepancies: Performance Ratings and Attributions

The traditional top-down approach to performance appraisal has been criticized as not keeping pace with the move toward more participative organizations of the last decade. This has led many organizations to adopt newer performance appraisal systems that use multiple feedback sources (e.g., 360-degree feedback systems). However, research indicates that multiple feedback sources often disagree on performance ratings and attributions. The current paper reports the results of one laboratory and one field study that show the importance of performance and attributional rating discrepancies on the appraisal process.     

Innovation in HIV prevention: organizational and intervention characteristics affecting program adoption

A multiple case study design was used to explore the organizational characteristics of community-based organizations that provide HIV prevention programs and the criteria these organizations employ when judging the merits of externally-developed HIV prevention programs. In-depth interviews were conducted with organizational representatives of 38 randomly-selected HIV prevention providers throughout Illinois. Results indicated that there were three main types of adopting organizations: adopters of entire programs, adopters of program components and practices, and adopters of common ideas. These three types of organizations were distinguished by their level of organizational commitment to HIV prevention, organizational resources, and level of organizational maturity. Narrative data from the interviews are used to describe the dimensions that underlie the organizations' program adoption criteria. The criteria of merit used by these organizations to evaluate prevention programs provide partial empirical support for existing theories of technology transfer. Implications for designing and disseminating HIV prevention programs are discussed.     

Sales Manager Behavior Control Strategy and its Consequences: The Impact of Manager Gender Differences

Salesperson gender studies have consistently reported no differences. In contrast, a single-company study found several differences based on sales manager gender concerning salesperson attitudes, behavior, and outcome (Piercy, Cravens, and Lane 2001). The present research examines the sales manager gender issue across multiple companies from the perspective of sales managers. Sales units led by female managers display higher effectiveness. Female sales managers perform significantly higher levels of behavior-based control activities and display higher competence in this management approach, compared to male counterparts. There are few differences in managers’ assessments of salespersons’ behavior performance based on gender. Female sales managers do not show higher levels of organizational citizenship behavior as part of their management approach. Interestingly, no differences based on gender were found concerning several salesperson and organizational characteristics. These findings suggest that different selling environments are not affecting the study gender results. Several promising future research directions are discussed.     

Interest (mis)alignments in representative negotiations: Do pro-social agents fuel or reduce inter-group conflict?

In representative negotiations, interests of the representative and the represented constituency are not always aligned. We investigated how interest (mis)alignment and representative’s social value orientation influence representative negotiations. Past theory and research on the principal–agent problem, social value orientation, and cooperation in social dilemmas offer different perspectives, which we examined in two experiments. Experiment 1 revealed that both representatives with a pro-social and a pro-self value orientation were reluctant to accommodate the negotiation adversary at a cost to themselves and their constituency, while pro-social representatives were more willing to sacrifice self-interest to benefit constituency and adversary combined. Experiment 2 replicated this finding, and clarified that pro-social representatives were more willing to self-sacrifice when this served their constituency only than when it indirectly served the adversary too. Such parochial altruism demonstrates the discriminatory nature of pro-socials’ cooperation and reveals the potential dark side of a pro-social orientation in constructive intergroup negotiations.     

组织文化的参与性与员工满意感的相关研究

通过对各类企业188名员工和管理者的测试,探讨了组织文化的参与性及其各个因素与员工满意感之间的关系。同时,探讨了性别、职位等因素在员工满意感上的差异。结果发现:组织文化的参与性及其各个因素与员工满意感相关显著,其中,能力发展与团队导向因素对员工满意感有很好的预测作用。性别、职位等因素在员工满意感上差异显著。