Role conflict and ambiguity of CEOs in international joint ventures: a transaction cost perspective

Insights from transaction cost economics were used to study the boundary conditions underlying the role conflict and ambiguity of 265 CEOs in Chinese-based international joint ventures. Role conflict and ambiguity were lower when the contract between parents was more complete. Contract completeness fully mediated the effects of parent objective gap and parent formalization on role ambiguity but only partially so in the case of role conflict. Role conflict was lower when the foreign parent was dominant in the venture but higher when the local parent was dominant. Role conflict and ambiguity were inversely related to cultural distance. Neither construct had a detrimental effect on international joint venture performance. Implications for role theory are discussed.     

Psychopathology through a life span-genetic prism.

The variation observed in individual differences for normal and psychopathological behaviors has genetic factors as a major contributor at the most distal end of a complex gene-to-behavior pathway. Research into the etiologies of such major mental diseases as schizophrenia is facilitated by adopting the approach used for complex adaptive systems as pursued by those who study coronary artery disease and diabetes. Putative risk factors for developing the liabilities to the major disorders can be inferred from population genetic strategies using twins, families, and adoptees. Weights to indicate the relative importance of such risk factors require a perspective from the use of effect sizes and odds ratios so as to make the most efficient use of scarce resources. The challenge to the field of psychology is to join in with cross-disciplinary ventures and to adapt to rapid changes with innovations in research strategies.     

Innovation and Effectiveness of Co-Founded Ventures: A Process Model

Purpose

We propose a process model relating innovative climates to effectiveness in co-founded ventures. Specifically, we argue that co-founders’ inputs relate to venture effectiveness via processes of team member exchange (TMX), team learning, and collective efficacy.

Design/Methodology/Approach

To study a population that is difficult to access, we use a computerized simulation in which 202 individuals act as new venture co-founders.

Findings

Results of our research support the hypothesized input-process-outcome model such that the intra-team processes of TMX, team learning, and collective efficacy fully mediate the relationship between the input of co-founding team climate for innovation and the outcome of co-founded venture effectiveness.

Implications

This study advances theory regarding processes that link team climates for innovation to collective outcomes. While we focus on this relationship in co-founded ventures, our findings have implications for team-level innovation research by clarifying how innovation relates to effectiveness. Beyond advancing theory, knowledge of this relationship may be of benefit to practice by identifying mediating mechanisms that can be reinforced in training and used as indicators of venture success by potential investors. Further, we contribute to the understanding of an important but understudied population of co-founded ventures and answer calls to utilize simulations to address team-based organizational questions.

Originality/Value

Our study answers calls to both clarify the processes that relate innovative climates to business outcomes and utilize computer simulations in organizational research while also addressing an important population of co-founded ventures that lacks a significant body of research.     

Intercultural Study of Personal Space: A Case Study

The study of intercultural differences in personal space attempts to identify factors that could be helpful in guiding people from different cultures to live and work together in international ventures. The objective of this research was to measure interpersonal distance in a cross-cultural environment. Twenty-three participants classified in 4 cultural groups answered an 11-questions interview where the personal distance and orientation between seated interactants were measured. Results showed that Anglo Saxons used the largest zone of personal space, followed by Asians, then Caucasians, and, as expected, Mediterraneans and Latinos used the shortest distance. Where Latinos adopt a face-to-face position, Caucasians tend to orient themselves to the side of the interviewer, which has an impact on interpersonal communication.     

What Makes Entrepreneurs Happy? Determinants of Satisfaction Among Founders

This study empirically investigates factors influencing satisfaction levels of founders of new ventures, using a representative sample of 1,107 Dutch founders. We relate entrepreneurial satisfaction (with income, psychological burden and leisure time) to firm performance, motivation and human capital. Founders with high levels of specific human capital are more satisfied with income than those with high levels of general human capital. Intrinsic motivation and that of combining responsibilities lowers stress and leads to more satisfaction with leisure time. Women are more satisfied with their income than men, even though they have a lower average monthly turnover.     

Time congruity in the organization: A proposed quality-of-life framework

The present paper examines the importance of matching thetime styles of individuals with thetime styles established by organizations. The authors introduce the notion oftime congruity to represent such a matching process. While time use has been studied in both organizational and individual contexts, lesser attention has been given to such multi-level analysis. When the individual's self time preferences are matched to the time use methods of the organization, a fit is thought to exist, potentially leading to satisfactory performance and enhancement of quality of work and general life. A framework is proposed for identifying and exploring such congruity, leading to several research propositions. Managerial implications are developed for human resource issues and business combinations, such as joint ventures, mergers, and acquisitions.     

职业经理人问题的中国式解决——以富大集团为例

因公司管理权交付经理阶层而导致的管理经济的发展,提出了如何使管理层忠于公司利益的问题即“职业经理人问题”。这是西方也是中国公众公司都面临的难题。这问题是否能解决如何解决,也是我国民营企业极为关心的问题。上海富大集团公司在这方面做了令人感兴趣的尝试,他们立足中国国情和公司实践,创始了一种基于“好人文化”之上的选拔和培养经理人的办法,并尝试建立一种“新型的公私合营企业”,来解决管理层的铁心负责和忠诚问题。目前这一探索还在进行中,但它对上述世界性难题的研究和解决,具有值得重视的理论意义和现实意义。     

企业职工的工作价值观特征分析

企业管理者可以借助三种不同的力量来激励和影响职工的工作行为 ,一种是外在的经济力量 ,一种是与工作相关的内在激励 ,还有一种是以人的信念和价值观念为基础的影响力。前两种行为激励是组织行为学研究的传统领域 ,而工作价值观则是近来随着组织文化的兴起而提出的新课题。本研究以企业现场调查为基础 ,分析了企业职工的工作价值观的特点 ,指出工作价值观是由工作行为评价因素、组织集体观念因素和个人要求因素三个方面构成 ,它们与职工的工作动机有着显著的相关。职工的工作价值观还表现出年龄的差异 ,年轻职工 (3 0岁以下 )的工作价值观并不是与年长的职工 (3 0岁及以上 )完全不同 ,他们在工作行为评价因素、组织集体观念因素方面有着共同之处 ,但是他们在考虑问题和判断时 ,思想更复杂 ,更多地考虑个人要求因素。不同所有制企业中的职工 ,其工作价值观也存在着一定的差异 ,其中 ,国有 /集体企业职工的组织集体观念显著地高于外资 /合资企业职工。     

Facilitating Interorganizational Collaboration: The Contributions of Interorganizational Alliances

In an attempt to promote service delivery integration and improve interorganizational collaboration, many recent human service delivery initiatives have included the development of interorganizational alliances such as coalitions and coordinating councils. Despite their popularity, little is known about how these alliances influence interorganizational collaboration, specifically the extent to which they alter the interactions among human service delivery organizations. The present study examined the interorganizational interactions, specifically the exchange relationships, within one county that was implementing two interorganizational alliances—a countywide coordinating council and interagency service delivery teams. Membership on both alliances was associated with broader interorganizational exchange networks. Organizations involved in a coordinating council were more likely to be included in client, information, and resource exchanges, and participate in joint ventures with a broader range of organizations. Providers involved in interagency teams also exchanged clients and information with a broader sector of service delivery organizations than nonparticipating providers. Observational data suggested that both alliances created structures and processes intended to facilitate interorganizational exchanges. Together, these results suggest that the development of opportunities for and encouragement of staff and leader involvement in these types of alliances may be an important part of our attempt to create a more integrated social service delivery system. The implications of these findings for researchers and practitioners are discussed.     

中国背景下员工建言行为结构及中庸思维对其的影响

企业的自主创新离不开员工的自发性和创造性, 员工建言行为研究因此愈加受到重视。本研究拟探索中国背景下企业员工建言行为的结构(研究一), 并检验中国人的典型思维特征－中庸思维与中国背景建言行为的关系(研究二)。研究一通过对长三角地区30名企业员工的访谈提取建言行为关键事件, 编制初始问卷, 再通过对159名被试的探索性因素分析, 抽取出顾全大局式和自我冒进式两个建言行为维度; 另一批159名被试的验证性因素分析结果进一步证实了该结构。研究二以278份配对员工为样本, 层次回归分析结果表明, 中庸思维与顾全大局式建言存在正相关, 与自我冒进式建言存在负相关, 且授权对中庸思维与两类建言行为之间关系存在着调节作用。     

Assessment of successful smoking cessation by psychological factors using the Bayesian network approach

The association between psychological factors and smoking cessation is complicated and inconsistent in published researches, and the joint effect of psychological factors on smoking cessation is unclear. This study explored how psychological factors jointly affect the success of smoking cessation using a Bayesian network approach. A community-based case control study was designed with 642 adult male successful smoking quitters as the cases, and 700 adult male failed smoking quitters as the controls. General self-efficacy (GSE), trait coping style (positive-trait coping style (PTCS) and negative-trait coping style (NTCS)) and self-rating anxiety (SA) were evaluated by GSE Scale, Trait Coping Style Questionnaire and SA Scale, respectively. Bayesian network was applied to evaluate the relationship between psychological factors and successful smoking cessation. The local conditional probability table of smoking cessation indicated that different joint conditions of psychological factors led to different outcomes for smoking cessation. Among smokers with high PTCS, high NTCS and low SA, only 36.40% successfully quitted smoking. However, among smokers with low pack-years of smoking, high GSE, high PTCS and high SA, 63.64% successfully quitted smoking. Our study indicates psychological factors jointly influence smoking cessation outcome. According to different joint situations, different solutions should be developed to control tobacco in practical intervention.     

Innocence abroad: a pocket guide to psychological research on tourism

This article introduces tourism as a neglected topic of study for psychologists and discusses how ventures into this area provide opportunities for pioneering research and innovative applications. A coherent body of theory, drawn from experimental, social, and health psychology and synthesized by cross-cultural psychologists for the study of acculturation, is presented as one foundation for this area of inquiry. This includes stress and coping, culture learning, and social identification theories. The conceptual frameworks are applied to the interpretation of selected studies of tourism and are recommended for designing prospective investigations and guiding future research.     

Joint factor analysis of the K-ABC and WISC-R with normal children

This study investigated the factor structure of the WISC-R and K-ABC for a group of 212 normal children who were tested on both instruments in counterbalanced fashion. Separate factor analyses and a joint analysis consistently produced three factors. The various analyses led to the conclusion that there is a clear-cut correspondence between the WISC-R and K-ABC factors. WISC-R Verbal Comprehension corresponded closely to K-ABC Achievement; WISC-R Perceptual Organization resembled K-ABC Simultaneous Processing; and WISC-R Freedom From Distractibility was similar to K-ABC Sequential Processing. The g factors from both instruments also correlated substantially.     

Owning evaluation: Revaluing clinical work in a university context

This paper draws on the experience of a year-long evaluation project in a university counselling service. The author considers some reasons for practitioners' reluctance to undertake formal evaluation, but suggests their confidence in clinical work may be enhanced if ambivalence can be explored. The paper discusses the impact of organizational culture on such ventures and considers what conditions might promote their success.     

Individual and relational contributions to parallel and joint attention in infancy

Objective

This study examined the contributions of maternal bids for joint attention, relationship quality, and infant characteristics, to individual differences in infants’ parallel and joint attention.

Method

Fifty-two 10-month-olds and their mothers were assessed in order to investigate concurrent predictors of infant parallel attention, responding to joint attention, and initiating joint attention.

Results

Parallel attention was predicted by infants’ higher mental development, low expression of negative emotionality, and maternal entertaining behaviors. Responding to joint attention was marginally predicted by total maternal bids for joint attention. Initiating joint attention was predicted by the infants’ low expression of negative emotionality, as well as marginally predicted by fewer maternal teaching behaviors.

Conclusion

These results further the understanding of the factors influencing infant parallel as well as joint attention.     

The relationship between intelligence,working memory,academic self-esteem,and academic achievement

Academic achievement is crucial for life and long-term outcomes. The aim of the present study is to examine the joint role of cognitive (intelligence and working memory) and non-cognitive (academic self-esteem) factors in predicting academic achievement (mathematics and reading literacy) in a sample of Italian sixth and eighth graders. The results showed that within the cognitive factors considered, intelligence was the best predictor of achievement. As regards to non-cognitive factors, academic self-esteem was effective at predicting achievement after controlling for cognitive measures. Academic self-esteem was also found to have an indirect effect, mediated by intelligence, on academic achievement. Both theoretical and practical implications of the present results are discussed.     

Joint factors in self-reports and ratings: Neuroticism,extraversion and openness to experience

Although most dimensional theories of personality assume that the same traits can be assessed in either ratings or self-reports, joint factor analyses of data from these two methods have seldom provided clear evidence in support of this position. Previous analyses have found a preponderance of within-method factors, or have had to transform variables or use unorthodox rotational procedures in order to control the effects of method variance. The present study argues that recent conceptual and technical advances should now make it possible to show joint factors at the second-order level using standard factor techniques. The NEO Inventory and NEO Rating Form, which measure 18 traits in the domains of Neuroticism, Extraversion and Openness to Experience, were administered to a sample of 281 men and women. Varimax rotation of three principal components clearly showed the hypothesized structure within and across self-reports and spouse ratings. Convergent and discriminant validity of the joint factors with the EPI scales was also shown. The results suggest that the effects of method variance can be minimized if well-qualified raters use psychometrically adequate instruments to provide ratings of clearly conceptualized traits. In addition, they provide strong evidence for the validity of the proposed three-domain model of personality.     

How does it feel to act together?

This paper on the phenomenology of joint agency proposes a foray into a little explored territory at the intersection of two very active domains of research: joint action and sense of agency. I explore two ways in which our experience of joint agency may differ from our experience of individual agency. First, the mechanisms of action specification and control involved in joint action are typically more complex than those present in individual actions, since it is crucial for joint action that people coordinate their plans and actions. I discuss the implications that these coordination requirements might have for the strength of the sense of agency an agent may experience for a joint action. Second, engagement in joint action may involve a transformation of agentive identity and a partial or complete shift from a sense of self-agency to a sense of we-agency. I discuss several factors that may contribute to shaping our sense of agentive identity in joint action.     

Social stimulation and joint attention in young autistic children

The present study was designed to examine the effects of social stimulation on the joint attention behavior of 20 autistic children under 6 years of age, 20 receptive language-matched Down syndrome children, and 20 receptive language matched-normally-developing infants. Children's social and non-social engagement states were measured during two experimental play sessions and during free play with parent. For all groups, joint attention was increased when adult play behavior closely followed and was contingent on the behavior of the children; however, the autistic children were significantly less responsive to the experimental manipulation than control subjects. In contrast, the autistic children were no less responsive in terms of other forms of social engagement. Results are interpreted as supporting a model of joint attention deficits in autism that involves factors inherent to the disorder in transaction with social context.