Perceived organizational climate and employee counterproductivity

In this study, we replicated and extended the research of Hollinger and Clark (1983) on the prevalence and correlates of employee counterproductivity. Two separate employee groups completed an expanded version ofReid Survey III. Roughly one-third of subjects admitted to employee theft. Separate scales measuring perceived attitudes of management, of supervisors, of coworkers, and of employees themselves regarding theft all intercorrelated positively, supporting the concept of a pervasive organizational theft climate. Further, these climate measures were related to subjects' self-reported on-the-job theft. Parallel results were obtained for employee substance abuse. Implications for controlling employee counterproductivity are discussed.     

Overt integrity tests versus personality-based measures of delinquency: An empirical comparison

This study examined the ability of both an overt integrity test and a personality-based measure of delinquency to predict on-the-job theft and counterproductivity. A heterogeneous sample of 105 employees anonymously completed both tests and a criterion checklist that included a 9-item theft subscale and a 12-item counterproductivity subscale. Results indicated that the overt integrity test was a superior predictor of both on-the-job theft and drug abuse compared to the personality-based measure. The overt integrity test was also a slightly better predictor of general counterproductivity. These findings and their implications are discussed.     

The severity and prevalence of deviant employee activity within supermarkets

Expert ratings were used in this study to derive severity indices for a variety of types of counterproductive employee behavior. Deviant behaviors rated as most severe included taking cash, merchandise or equipment from the employer without permission and engaging in drug use on the job. Coming to work hungover from alcohol was rated as the least severe behavior. The prevalence of severe theft and counterproductivity was then explored using the admissions of a supermarket employee sample. A variety of admissions of severe counterproductive behavior were obtained, which were grouped under the five general categories of theft, theft support, time theft, counterproductivity, and other types of deviance. Major findings revealed that 35% of supermarket employees admitted to engaging in severe theft of company cash or property within the previous six months.     

Employee satisfaction and theft: testing climate perceptions as a mediator

Employee theft of both property and time is an expensive and pervasive problem for American organizations. One antecedent of theft behaviors is employee dissatisfaction, but not all dissatisfied employees engage in withdrawal or theft behaviors. The authors tested a model of theft behavior by using an organization's climate for theft as an explanatory mechanism. They found that dissatisfaction influenced employee theft behaviors through the intermediary influence of employees' individual perceptions of the organization's climate for theft. The authors encourage organizations to pay attention to such climate elements and take action to alter employee perceptions if they reflect permissive attitudes toward theft.     

Recruiting Through Employee Referrals: An Examination of Employees’ Motives

As previous research focused on the outcomes of employee referrals, not much is known about its determinants. This study examined employees’ intrinsic, prosocial, and extrinsic motives for encouraging versus discouraging others to apply with their employer. In a sample of 232 employees from two organizations, job satisfaction, the desire to help job seekers find good fitting jobs, the desire to help the organization find good fitting employees, and rewards predicted positive referrals. Negative referrals were motivated by job dissatisfaction and the desire to help job seekers avoid bad fitting jobs. Moreover, in the organization rewarding employees for making referrals, more positive and less negative referrals were made than in the organization without referral program.     

Opinions vs. declared ethical attitudes toward professional work: A cross-national study of Polish and Norwegian youth

The aim of this article is to present cross-cultural research on secondary school students in Poland and Norway concerning their opinions about the ethical norms that every employee should follow, and the declared attitudes of young people towards these norms. The interaction between the awareness of general ethical norms that every employee should follow and the declared attitudes toward this role are discussed. Additionally, the influence of nationality and gender on opinions and attitudes toward ethical norms is analyzed.

Random-quota sampling was chosen to collect data from 844 Norwegian and 1337 Polish students aged 16–18. The analyzed variables concerning attitudes (declared future acts as a worker) and opinions (general expectations regarding employees) towards ethics included: giving and taking bribes, confidentiality, consideration for the employer’s property, consideration for the company’s hardware and software, positive attitudes to clients and co-workers, working in competing organizations, and using psychoactive substances.

Analyses of variance showed that variables such as gender and nationality significantly influenced the opinions and attitudes of young people towards work; however, the effect of nationality in this interaction appears to be stronger. We concluded that youth need to be educated in the area of work ethics before they enter the job market.     

Female workers' acceptance in traditionally male-dominated blue-collar jobs

This study examined possible differential treatment by and negative attitudes of civilian male co-workers and male supervisors toward civilian female workers in traditionally male-dominated blue-collar jobs. Surveys were completed by 53 male supervisors and 327 male co-workers of four departments of a large government agency. Male supervisors indicated they would not treat female employees differently than they have treated male employees. Male co-workers, however, reported they have treated other male co-workers more favorably than they would treat female co-workers. In addition, supervisors, compared with male co-workers, reported more favorable attitudes toward female workers.     

Predictors of Employee Deviance: The Relationship Between Bad Attitudes and Bad Behavior

Employee deviance is a serious problem for business owners. To reduce this problem, researchers have attempted to predict which employees are more likely to exhibit deviant behavior based on their attitudes. Although many researchers have successfully predicted various types of employee deviance from attitudes, very little information is available detailing which attitudes are more useful in predicting each type of deviant employee behavior. In the present study, four attitude variables (theft approval, company contempt, intent to quit, and dissatisfaction) were used to predict four types of deviant employee behavior (absenteeism, substance abuse, privilege abuse, and theft). Results show that each attitude has a specific and stable pattern of relationships with the four types of deviance.     

Psychological Contract Breach as a Source of Strain for Employees

The present study investigated the role of psychological contract breach in employees' experience of emotional exhaustion and job dissatisfaction. Employees (N = 161) from a large financial corporation completed questionnaires assessing work-related attitudes and behaviors. Fulfillment of organizational obligations predicted both emotional exhaustion and job satisfaction, and job demands predicted only emotional exhaustion. Supervisory support and control did not predict emotional exhaustion or job satisfaction when controlling for fulfillment of organizational obligations and job demands. The results suggest that psychological contract breach contributes to employee experience of job strain.     

Further Investigation of the Work Autonomy Scales: Two Studies

Although the importance of work autonomy is widely recognized, research on autonomy has been criticized for failing to examine important facets of autonomy. In response to this criticism, Breaugh (1985) developed a new instrument which measures method, scheduling, and criteria autonomy. This paper presents the results of two studies that examined the validity of Breaugh's work autonomy scales and investigated whether employee reports of autonomy were related to autonomy ratings of their jobs made by independent sources. The results of these two studies generally support the validity of the work autonomy scales. For example, as predicted, full-time employees reported having more work autonomy than part-time employees, and the three autonomy scales were found to be related to a number of other variables with which they should be correlated. A moderate degree of correspondence was found between employee self-reports of autonomy and autonomy ratings of their jobs made by job analysts, supervisors, and co-workers.     

Attitudes and Attributions Associated With Female and Male Partner Violence1

In an interview study, we examined attitudes toward intimate partner violence (IPV). We examined whether attitudes toward IPV varied as a function of sample (student, general, and incarcerated), participant gender, and abuse history, or as a function of perpetrator gender. Additionally, participants' conflict‐resolution strategies were examined. Findings revealed that perpetrator gender and participant abuse history were the most influential factors in shaping attitudes. Males and females evaluated violence similarly. Overall, there was greater acceptance for abuse perpetrated by females than by males, and participants who had either perpetrated or received abuse were the most condoning of IPV. A lack of conflict skills was associated with IPV. For males, this lack of skills generalized to situations outside of the relationship.     

EFFECTS OF COMMUNICATION ISOLATION ON JOB SATISFACTION OF BANK TELLERS: A RESEARCH NOTE

A multiple discriminant analysis was used to compare the job satisfaction of inside and outside bank tellers with respect to pay and promotion policies, supervision, nature of work, and co-workers. Significant differences between inside and outside tellers were found on these variables, with inside tellers expressing greater job satisfaction. It was concluded that isolation of employees from routine communication contacts with other personnel may be detrimental to employee morale.     

Counterproductive sustainability behaviors and their relationship to personality traits

This article introduces the concept of ‘counterproductive sustainability behaviors’ (CSB) as a novel expression of counterproductive work behaviors (CWB). It presents a short measure of CSB that applies the construct of counterproductivity to employee behaviors in the environmental sustainability domain. Personality assessments were administered to three independent samples—employed students, experienced employees, and job applicants—to investigate the relationship between personality and CSB (self-reports and other-rated), and to compare results to those obtained in the prediction of traditional CWB.     

Employee Eldercare Responsibilities: Should Organizations Care?

The question "Should organizations be concerned with the eldercare responsibilities of their employees?" was addressed from several perspectives: (1) prevalence of need, (2) the relationships among eldercare responsibilities, satisfaction with eldercare arrangements, and workplace attitudes and outcomes, and (3) support for organizational eldercare programs. Our sample was predominately female and we defined eldercare responsibilities broadly; however, only 5 of 885 employees reported eldercare responsibilities. The majority relied on family arrangements and reported dissatisfaction with these arrangements. Dissatisfaction was related to interruptions at work, leaving early, and intent to quit. Eldercare-givers did not differ from other groups on job satisfaction and organizational commitment, but were absent from work significantly more often. There was strong employee support for employer-sponsored eldercare programs.     

Adaptation to work: An analysis of employee health, withdrawal, and change

J. Rosse and H. Miller (1984, in P. Goodman, R. Atkin et al., Absenteeism: New Approaches to understanding, measuring, and managing employee absence. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass) have proposed a model of employee adaptation that hypothesizes multiple withdrawal behaviors and attempts to change working conditions as alternative forms of adaptation to a dissatisfying work environment. Negative health outcomes are also hypothesized consequences of dissatisfaction with work. In this longitudinal study of 42 new hospital employees, intention to quit, turnover, absence, attempts to change the job, and heatlh disorders were negatively correlated with job satisfaction; lateness and self-report avoidance scale were not. Use of adaptive behaviors was also found to have remedial effects for employee health. Implications for a general model of adaptation are discussed.     

Too Busy to Change: High Job Demands Reduce the Beneficial Effects of Information and Participation on Employee Support

Despite the abundant literature on organizational change management, the success of change initiatives in organizations remains low. In this study, we investigate employee support for change in the context of two change management practices (information and participation). We use the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) to examine why these change management practices foster employee support, and the extent to which the efficacy of these practices depends on current job demands. Participants were 106 employees undergoing a building relocation at their place of employment who responded to an initial questionnaire at time 1 (pre-occupancy) and a follow-up questionnaire 2 months later (post-occupancy). We found that the TPB variables mediated the effects of information and participation on employee support (both intentions at time 1 and self-reported behaviors at time 2). The indirect relationships from information and participation to employee support were significant at low and medium, but not at high levels of job demands. The positive effects of information and participation on employee support can be largely attributed to employee attitudes and subjective norms. Thus, consultants should target employee attitudes and norms when garnering employee support, but also be aware of the limitations of these practices when employees are preoccupied with their work. This study demonstrates that the TPB can account for the beneficial effects of change management practices on employee support. It also reports the novel finding that change management practices are less effective at high levels of job demands.     

Job stress and attitudes toward change: The mediating effect of psychological attachment

The present study explores the indirect effect of job stress on attitudes toward change through individuals’ psychological attachment (organisational commitment mindsets and job embeddedness). The sample comprised N = 350 employees (black African: 67%; males: 69%; 26–40 years: 67%) who were affected by organisational change in the South African fast-moving consumer goods sector. The participants completed self-report measures on their job stress and psychological attachment experiences and their attitudes towards organisational change. The analysis applied structural equation modelling to test for the mediation effect of psychological attachment on the link between job stress and attitudes toward change. The findings suggest job stress to have a direct negative effect on job embeddedness and a positive, direct effect on attitudes toward change. Low levels of job embeddedness had a direct effect on positive attitudes toward change and mediated the link between job stress and attitudes toward change. The study contributes to organisational change theory by suggesting that experiences of job stress lower employees’ job embeddedness and this lowered sense of attachment translates into change-supportive attitudes.     

Assessing Perceptions of Sexual Harassment Behaviors in a Manufacturing Environment

This pilot study, conducted in a manufacturing plant, investigated employee perceptions of the behaviors of supervisors and co-workers that constitute quid pro quo and hostile work environment sexual harassment. Responses indicated that the majority of employees can accurately identify behaviors that are frequently associated with quid pro quo harassment, but cannot identify behaviors that are used to establish evidence of a hostile work environment. Comparisons of employees' scores demonstrated that male workers, relative to female workers, were more frequently accurate in identifying behaviors of both supervisors and co-workers that constitute sexual harassment. Perceptions of harassment varied according to job classification. Women in white-collar jobs were significantly more knowledgeable about what behaviors constitute sexual harassment than women in blue-collar jobs.     

GENERALIZATION OF EMPLOYEE INVOLVEMENT TRAINING TO THE JOB SETTING: INDIVIDUAL AND SITUATIONAL EFFECTS

This study examined whether variables at individual, unit, and suborganization levels influence the extent to which the knowledge and skills learned in employee involvement (EI) training are generalized beyond specific EI activities. Training generalization occurs when the knowledge and skills learned in training for a specific purpose in one context (e.g., EI training for use in quality circles) are applied by trainees in another context (e.g., regular job duties). A multiple-cross-level design using data gathered from 252 employees and supervisors drawn from 88 units across 11 suborganizations provided support for both individual and situational effects. Hierarchical regression results demonstrated that characteristics at individual, unit, and suborganization levels significantly predicted the extent EI knowledge, skills, and attitudes were generalized to the core job activities. As predicted, trainees were more likely to use EI training in performing core job activities the more EI activities they participated in, the greater their commitment to the organization, and the less cynical they were about the likelihood of positive organizational change. Contrary to expectations, more generalization of EI training was found to occur in units and suborganizations with less participative climates.     

When Bureaucrats Get the Blues: Responses to Dissatisfaction Among Federal Employees

Rusbult and Farrell's general model of responses to job dissatisfaction is utilized to assess reactions to declining satisfaction among public sector employees. Four general categories of response-exit, voice, loyalty, and neglect-are described and explored. Data from the "Federal Employee Attitude Survey, 1979" were examined to evaluate the predictive ability of the Rusbult and Farrell model. Consistent with their model, higher levels of employee satisfaction and greater degree of investment size encouraged tendencies toward voice and loyalty while discouraging exit and neglect. Also, higher quality job alternatives promoted exit and voice while inhibiting neglectful tendencies. Contrary to predictions, better alternatives also encouraged loyalist responding. The implications of these findings in light of increasing dissatisfaction in the federal bureaucracy are discussed.