Structural contingency theory and individual differences: examination of external and internal person-team fit

This article develops and tests a structurally based, integrated theory of person-team fit. The theory developed is an extension of structural contingency theory and considers issues of external fit simultaneously with its examination of internal fit at the team level. Results from 80 teams working on an interdependent team task indicate that divisional structures demand high levels of cognitive ability on the part of teammembers. However, the advantages of high cognitive ability in divisional structures are neutralized when there is poor external fit between the structure and the environment. Instead, emotional stability becomes a critical factor among teammembers when a divisional structure is out of alignment with its environment. Individual differences seem to play little or no role in functional structures, regardless of the degree of external fit.     

“I Am Moral,But You Are Deterred”: Differential Attributions About Why People Obey the Law1

This research examined the different attributions that individuals make for law‐abiding behavior by different people. Experiment 1 reveals that individuals believe that they and other highly moral people are motivated to obey laws because of internal reasons (e.g., laws reflect valued rules and moral behavior), whereas they believe that criminals are motivated by external reasons (e.g., fear of punishment). However, Experiment 2 shows that even some criminals are seen as motivated to obey laws regarding particular types of crimes because of internal factors. Experiment 3 replicates these general findings using a between‐subjects design. Finally, Experiment 4 shows that individuals believe that they are motivated to obey laws regarding minor transgressions (e.g., speed limits) for both internal and external reasons. Discussion focuses on the implications of these findings for both psychological theory and social policy.     

Work Motivation and Performance: A Social Identity Perspective

Work motivation and performance were analysed from the perspective of social identity theory and self-categorisation theory. Central in this analysis is the relation of organisational identification with the motivation to exert effort on behalf of the collective. A theoretical analysis as well as a review of empirical studies of the relationship of organisational identification with motivation and performance leads to the conclusion that identification is positively related to work motivation, task performance, and contextual performance to the extent that (a) social identity is salient, and (b) high performance is perceived to be in the group's or organisation's interest.     

When ethics create misfit: Combined effects of despotic leadership and Islamic work ethic on job performance,job satisfaction,and psychological well-being

This study applies social exchange and person–environment fit theories to predict that despotic leaders tend to hinder employee job performance, job satisfaction, and psychological well-being, whereas employees' own Islamic work ethic (IWE) enhances these outcomes. Also, IWE moderates the relationship of despotic leadership with the three outcomes, such that it heightens the negative impacts, because employees with a strong IWE find despotic leadership particularly troubling. A multi-source, two-wave, time-lagged study design, with a sample (303 paired responses) of employees working in various organisations, largely supports these predictions. Despotic leadership and IWE relate significantly to job performance, job satisfaction and psychological well-being in the predicted directions, except that there is no significant relationship between IWE and job satisfaction. A test of moderation shows that the negative relationships of despotic leadership with job outcomes are stronger when IWE is high. These findings have pertinent implications for theory, as well as for organisational practice.     

Development of a Multidimensional Instrument of Person–Environment Fit: The Perceived Person–Environment Fit Scale (PPEFS)

This research identifies four challenges in the field of person–environment fit (PE fit): the multidimensionality of PE fit, the integration of fit theories, the simultaneous effects of the multiple dimensions, and the function of the dimensions. To address those challenges, we develop a theory‐driven and systematically validated multidimensional instrument, the Perceived Person–Environment Fit Scale (PPEFS), consisting of four measures: the Person–Job Fit Scale (PJFS), the Person–Organisation Fit Scale (POFS), the Person–Group Fit Scale (PGFS), and the Person–Supervisor Fit Scale (PSFS). Data are collected from 532 employees and 122 managers for two independent studies with multiple rater sources and multiple time points. A series of validation analyses and hypothesis tests reveals that the PPEFS measures have good psychometric properties (i.e. reliability, convergent validity, discriminant validity, and criterion‐related validity) and exhibit incremental validity above and beyond Cable and DeRue's (2002) fit measures. Furthermore, the measures are reflected by a superordinate (vs. aggregate) construct of PE fit. Overall, the four different types of fit significantly predict in‐role behavior, job satisfaction, intent to quit, and organisational citizenship behavior (OCB), each explaining the greatest amount of variance in different outcomes. The PPEFS should prove useful in future research regarding PE fit.     

Person–Organisation Fit Across Cultures: An Empirical Investigation of Individualism and Collectivism

The present study extended person–organisation fit research by concentrating exclusively on one national culture dimension affecting organisational values: individualism–collectivism (I–C). Volunteers ( N =581) from two matched organisations (hospitals and management consultancies) in Australia and in South‐East Asia completed questionnaires measuring individuals' orientations on I–C and other organisational variables. Two types of fit were analysed: interactions between (1) individual I–C and national culture, and (2) individual I–C and organisational culture. These interactions were tested in relation to three outcome variables: organisational commitment, job satisfaction, and tenure. Both national and organisational differences were found with respect to I–C. Asian organisations were more collectivistic than Australian organisations, and hospitals were more collectivistic than management consultancies. In support of person–nation fit hypotheses, collectivists were more committed to their organisations and had longer tenure than individualists in Asian, as compared to Australian organisations. Interaction terms were significant even in the presence of direct effects of collectivism on organisational commitment and tenure. The same results were not found for job satisfaction. Predicted effects of person–organisation fit were not found at the organisational level within cultures.     

Fits About Fit

The paper argues that two traditions have dominated research on person–environment fit, the individual differences tradition and the organisational psychology tradition. I briefly review these traditions using the present set of papers as exemplars of these traditions. Then the inclusion of national cultural issues in person–environment fit research, stimulated by two papers in this issue, is introduced and I suggest that this should be the start of a new tradition. Finally, I note that there has been little conceptualisation of, and research on, the environment in person–environment research. This is especially true with regard to the role of people in making environments, and environmental effectiveness outcomes for person–environment fit. I conclude with the thought that fits over fit are healthy because fit is usefully conceptualised and operationalised from so many different interesting perspectives.     

Chameleonic obsessive job passion: demystifying the relationships between obsessive job passion and in-role and extra-role performance

In seeking to address the theoretical ambiguity regarding how and when obsessive job passion (OJP) leads to work performance, we integrate both self-verification and person–environment (P-E) fit perspectives to propose and test a moderated mediation model linking OJP to performance. We argue that OJP is indirectly related to co-worker-rated in-role and extra-role performance through self-verification, and these indirect links are conditioned by perceived demands–abilities (D-A) fit and needs–supplies (N-S) fit. Results from 190 healthcare professionals and their co-workers collected at three different time periods revealed the contrasting roles played by these two moderators. Individuals with higher OJP self-verify more when they perceive low D-A fit, but self-verify less when they perceive high N-S fit, whereas the opposite holds true for high D-A fit and low N-S fit. Contrary to predictions, negative relationships were found between self-verification and both types of performance. Specifically, OJP is associated with greater in- and extra-role performance (because of reduced self-verification) under high perceived D-A but low N-S fit, whereas the opposite results are observed under low perceived D-A and high N-S fit. The findings underscore the contingent nature of OJP and contribute to job passion, self-concept, and person–environment fit research.     

Narrative process modes as a bridging concept for the theory, research and clinical practice of systemic therapy

This article is concerned with the relationships which hold between the clinical practice and the theory of family therapy; and between these and academic research. These relationships are seen as tenuous and thin because, in the first place, there is a lack of rigorous theoretical underpinning; and second, the research methods employed do not fit in with current family therapy practice, and with the theory that underlies this practice. The role of the concept of narrative process modes is proposed as a bridging and mediating one. The external, internal and reflective narrative process modes are seen as relevant from the point of view of family therapy process research, and the clinical practice of marital and family therapy.     

The factor structure of the Beck Depression Inventory-II: an evaluation

The Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) is a frequently used scale for measuring depressive severity. BDI-II data (404 clinical; 695 nonclinical adults) were analyzed by means of confirmatory factor analysis to test whether the factor structure model with a somatic-affective and cognitive component of depression, formulated by Beck and colleagues, has a good fit. We also evaluated 10 alternative models. The fit of Beck's model was not good for all criteria. Three of the alternative models had a better fit in both samples, but none of these met all criteria for good fit. Of the alternatives with a better fit, we selected the only model with unidimensional subscales, which assesses a somatic, affective, and cognitive dimension. For this model, which we recommend, as well as for Beck' original model, a good fitting structure containing 15 and 16 items was developed with an item-deletion algorithm.     

Developmental Changes in Children''s Ethnic Preferences and Social Cognitions

An experiment was carried out to examine developmental changes in children's ethnic preferences and social cognitions to assess predictions drawn from sociocognitive theory and social identity theory. Two hundred and seventy Anglo-Australian children participated, with equal numbers of 8-, 10-, and 12-year-old children being drawn from one of three types of school that differed in its level of ethnic mix. The children listened to a story about an in-group Anglo-Australian boy and an out-group Vietnamese boy, each of whom displayed equal numbers of ethnic stereotype-consistent and stereotype-inconsistent traits. Each story character also displayed a positive and a negative behaviour. The results revealed that, as they increased in age, the children remembered more of the in-group versus out-group story character's stereotype-inconsistent versus stereotype-consistent traits and that they increasingly disliked the in-group story character, whereas they liked the out-group story character. In addition, the in-group and out-group story characters' negative behaviours were attributed to internal and external causes, respectively, whereas their positive behaviours were attributed to external and internal causes, respectively. The greater support for social identity versus sociocognitive theory revealed by these findings is discussed.     

Decision participation in public and private organizations

In recent years, there has been a convergence of democratic theory and management theory regarding the importance of participation in strategic decision making. In both the public and private sectors, the goal of increasing participation has been sought as a means to: (1) enhance the wisdom and effectiveness of decision-makers in crafting policy, and (2) secure the support of key actors in an organizations environment. Reform efforts, such as reinventing government and re-engineering the corporation, often have a goal of increasing participation by changing the structure of the organization. Despite the apparent enthusiasm for participation, it is not as easy to achieve as it might seem. Studies of the strategic decision-making process suggest that structural adaptations are not a particularly effective route to increase participation. In this study I examine participation in the strategic decisions of public and private organizations. A survey of 368 senior managers in public and private organizations is used to examine a model that relates participation to the decision type, the structure of the organization and the environment in which the decision is made. In doing so, I also examine the influence of internal (employees) and external (elected officials) participation in the decision processes of public and private organizations. The degree to which a decision falls under public and legal scrutiny, and the amount of “red tape” found in the organization prove to be critical factors influencing the amount of participation.     

Generalized locus of control: An analysis of factor analytic data

Despite discouraging empirical evidence concerning a general expectancy of internal or external (I-E) locus of control, researchers appear reluctant to abandon Rotter's original hypothesis. A possible methodological flaw in most I-E research involves the failure to test the measured tendency against multiple act criteria. Data which address this concern may be found in factor analytic studies of I-E scales. This evidence is reviewed with respect to three predictions derived from a generalized expectancy hypothesis. First the expectancy should be measured by a single dimension. Second, this dimension should have breadth of application across situations. Third, the dimension should generalize to a variety of populations. Factor analytic data provide little support for these predictions. It is suggested that goal-specific multidimensional locus of control scales hold greater promise for predicting behaviour.     

MMCS的心理测量学性能及中国大学生心理控制源的特点

以某民族大学的2006级学生为被试探讨了MMCS量表的心理测量学性能。结果表明MMCS的信度与国外基本相同,验证性因素分析发现在分解出正向和反向陈述效应后MMCS呈现出较好的模型拟合度。对MMCS的8个分量表总分所做的因素分析发现了清晰的因素结构,与理论假设非常符合。这些结果说明中国人也存在内外控的心理结构。但不同的是中国被试中内控和外控并不是相互独立的,也不是对立的两极,而是相关的,且表现出内控强于外控的倾向。通过与症状自评量表SCL-90的相关分析发现外控是不利于心理健康的,过强的内控也不好,而既不过分外控也不过分内控的适度控制方式可能是中国文化背景下最理想的心理控制方式。     

Placing hope in self and others: Exploring the relationships among self-construals,locus of hope,and adjustment

Traditional hope theory is dominated by an individualistic assumption wherein the self is considered as the focal agent of goal attainment. However, in collectivist cultures more relational dimensions of hope also need to be considered. The locus of hope dimension (internal vs. external locus) was added to the traditional hope theory in order to capture both individualistic and collectivist types of hope. Hope could either be anchored on oneself (internal locus) or on significant others (external locus). External locus could further be divided into family, friends, and spiritual hope. There is still a dearth of research on the external locus of hope, with most of the previous studies focusing on the internal locus. Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine how internal and external loci of hope could predict various indices of psychological adjustment. We also examined how individual differences in self-construals would predict locus of hope. Results among the Chinese university students indicated that independent self-construal was positively associated with the internal locus of hope, while interdependent self-construal was positively associated with the external locus of hope. Internal locus and external locus of hope related to family and friends were positively associated with adjustment, but spiritual hope was not. Implications and directions for future research are discussed.     

Commentary on “Exploring the Sensitivity of Horn's Parallel Analysis to the Distributional Form of Random Data”

Bong (1998) extended the internal/external frame of reference (I/E) model by attempting to operationalize the internal and external comparison processes that are central to the model and expanding the range of academic self-concept domains. Bong concluded that the "I/E model failed to receive clear support" (p. 102) in relation to predictions that she derived from her extension of the original model. Our critical evaluation and reanalysis, however, reveals problems in the operationalization of the internal and external comparisons, the rationale for post hoc confirmatory factor analysis models and, thus, the original conclusions. Our reanalysis, however, provide strong support for the original I/E model, some support for the separation of the internal and external comparison processes, and good support for a new extension to incorporate a wider range of academic domains. In particular, for these largely Hispanic-American students, Spanish achievement and self-concept were very distinct from achievements and self-concepts in all other school subjects. Accomplishments in Spanish provided one basis for evaluating accomplishments in other school subjects. In contrast, achievements and self-concepts in these other school subjects could be explained in terms of higher-order Verbal achievement and self-concept factors and higher-order Math achievement and self-concept factors.     

Applied Social Psychology: A Critical Theoretical Perspective

The purpose of this analysis is to review, through a critical theoretical lens, social psychology applied to work and organisations. In our reading of the applied social psychological literature four key issues emerged. These include the valorisation of a positivist epistemology, an owner/management perspective on workplace issues, a focus on intra‐psychic variables or internal mental states when accounting for organisational problems, and the ignoring of moral and ethical commitments in determining workplace research and practice. Each of these issues is then further analysed in light of insights from the field of Critical Management Studies. This alternative approach to organisational behaviour points to the ways in which applied social psychological theory and practice have the potential to disadvantage workers.     

Nudge: Concept,Effectiveness, and Ethics

Nudges are psychologically informed tools designed to promote behavioral change in order to improve health and well-being. In this review, we focus on three areas of concern: theory, evidence base, ethics. We begin by discussing the problems arising from the theoretical framework that nudges are based on and propose an alternative framework that helps to classify nudges into two types (Type 1 and Type 2). We then evaluate the evidence for nudges in the health domain, drawing attention to critical empirical issues (internal and external reliability) that explain the limited evidence base for their effectiveness. The review ends with an examination of the implications of the theoretical and empirical issues we discussed with respect to current debates regarding the ethics of nudge.     

Negative Threat Appeals and Earthquake Preparedness: A Person-Relative-to-Event (PrE) Model of Coping With Threat1

Individual preparation, or the lack thereof, for the occurrences of external events that threaten the well-being of individuals is an issue of worldwide concern. The present studies were designed to investigate the impact of a particular type of persuasive communication (i.e., fear-arousing or negative threat appeals) on preparedness behavior regarding the possible occurrence of a damaging earthquake. A general model of coping, the person-relative-to-event (PrE) model, emphasizing the relationship between level of appraised threat and person resources, was applied to this issue. It was predicted that negative threat appeals using combinations of levels of factors that cause a person to appraise their resources as sufficient in quantity and quality to obviate or minimize the negative consequences of a threatening earthquake would increase levels of earthquake preparedness to a greater extent than would communications that do not. Results of Study I were partially supportive of these predictions. In Study 2, patterns of changes in preparedness behavior fit predictions generated by the PrE model to a greater extent when felt responsibility for preparing for the occurrence of an earthquake was high than when it was low. Implications of the research and theory underlying this investigation are discussed.