Partially testing a process model for understanding victim responses to an anticipated worksite closure

This study partially tested a recent process model for understanding victim responses to worksite/function closure (W/FC) proposed by Blau [Blau, G. (2006). A process model for understanding victim responses to worksite/function closure. Human Resource Management Review, 16, 12-28], in a pharmaceutical manufacturing site. Central to the model are the Kubler-Ross [Kubler-Ross, E. (1969). On death and dying. New York: Macmillan] grieving stages, which have not been formally measured and applied to downsizing research. Following Blau (2006), individual grieving stages were successfully measured and clustered into more general grieving categories, i.e., negative (denial, anger, bargaining depression) and positive (exploration, acceptance). Across four waves of data 53 respondents constituted the complete data sample. The Time 1 personal factors had minimal impact on any type of response. However, Time 1 situational factors did have an impact, paced by higher perceived contract violation leading to greater strain, work incivility, organizational deviance, and intent to sue employer, and lower transactional obligations and employer endorsement. Earlier Time 2 grieving stages were used as individual antecedents in regression analyses to explain Time 3 (N = 77) victim responses (general strain, work incivility, interpersonal deviance, organizational deviance, transactional obligations, relational obligations) and also Time 4 (N = 53) prior to closure responses (intent to sue employer, employer endorsement). Within negative grieving, results indicated that greater anger was the most influential grieving stage, since it led to greater strain, work incivility, organizational deviance, and intent to sue, as well as lower transactional obligations and lower endorsement. Within positive grieving acceptance was the most influential, since it led to lower strain, lower work incivility, lower organizational deviance, and lower intent to sue. Study limitations and future research issues are discussed.     

The role of future time perspective in psychological contracts: A study among older workers

Using a sample of post-retirement workers (N = 176), this study investigated the role of future time perspective (FTP) in psychological contracts. The study aimed to test: (i) whether future time perspective is related to employer psychological contract fulfillment and (ii) whether it moderates relations between psychological contract fulfillment and employee obligations. Based on previous work, three types of employer psychological contract fulfillment are examined: economic, socio-emotional, and developmental fulfillment. FTP was expected to relate positively to developmental fulfillment. Moreover, people with limited future time perspective were hypothesized to manifest a stronger relationship between economic and socio-emotional fulfillment and employee obligations. Results showed that future time perspective is indeed significantly related to developmental fulfillment, and also moderated the relations between contract fulfillment and employee obligations. More specifically, economic and socio-emotional fulfillments were significantly stronger related to obligations among older workers with high FTP.     

Teacher–child relationships and behavioral adjustment: Transactional links for preschool boys at risk

In this short-term longitudinal study, transactional links between teacher–child relationships and behavioral adjustment were investigated in a sample of preschool boys (N = 175) at risk for developing externalizing problems. Teachers (N = 175) reported about the quality of the teacher–child relationship (i.e., Closeness, Conflict, and Dependency) and about children's behavioral adjustment (i.e., Externalizing Behavior, Internalizing Behavior, and Prosocial Behavior) at three occasions within one school year. Cross-lagged path-analytic models showed positive bidirectional associations between Conflict and both Externalizing and Internalizing Behavior from Time 1 to Time 2, but not from Time 2 to Time 3. In addition, there was a transactional sequence with more Conflict at Time 1 leading to less Prosocial Behavior at Time 2 which, in turn, predicted more Conflict at Time 3. Closeness was reciprocally and positively related to Prosocial Behavior over time, and was positively and unidirectionally predicted by Internalizing Behavior. Dependency showed positive reciprocal links with Internalizing Behavior over time, and negatively and unidirectionally predicted Prosocial Behavior. These findings suggest that interventions may be most effective if they adjust their focus and strategy depending on children's specific behavioral and relational needs.     

Development and validation of a short form aggressive beliefs and attitudes scale

This research outlines six studies (total N = 3867) that develop and validate an Aggressive Beliefs and Attitudes — Short Form scale for use within the normal nonclinical adult population (e.g., organizational psychology). In the first two samples, exploratory factor analysis reduced the original 30 item scale to a shorter, more parsimonious, eight item measure. In the third sample, confirmatory factor analysis found that the proposed model and items fit the data extremely well. Examination of the nomological network underlying the new measure in Samples 3–4 displayed relationships with positive affect, negative affect, agreeableness, conscientiousness, and neuroticism ranging from r = .23 to − .23, while relationships with anger, hostility, physical aggression, and verbal aggression ranged from r = .49 to .30. Finally, in two criterion-related validity studies the relationships between the aggressive beliefs and attitudes scales, both original and short forms, and workplace deviance were examined with independent samples of employed adults. The short form scale was significantly related to workplace deviance in both samples (r = .37 and .43). Furthermore, these relationships were of identical magnitude to the full 30 item measure, suggesting that the short form scale comparably captures aggression-related behaviors with a greatly reduced number of items.     

Facial width-to-height ratio and celebrity endorsements

This study hypothesized that the facial WHR of celebrity endorsers is associated with their endorsement income. Our sample consisted of the top 100 male and female celebrity endorsers (male = 50 and female = 50) in Seoul. The average annual total endorsement income of celebrity endorsers in 2012 was $1,691,924 for male endorsers and $1,684,474 for female endorsers. A statistical analysis demonstrated a significant negative correlation between celebrity endorsers’ facial WHR and their endorsement income in 2012 among male (r = −.390, p = .007, n = 47) but not among female (r = .166, p = . 248, n = 50) endorsers. Our findings imply that males with narrower faces are more popular among the media as well as among advertisers. Our study is the first to explore the relationship between physical features, such as facial WHR and monetary income in the entertainment industry.     

When victims become culprits: The role of subordinates’ neuroticism in the relationship between abusive supervision and workplace deviance

Drawing upon the General Aggression Model, we examined the role of subordinates’ neuroticism in strengthening the relationship between abusive supervision and workplace deviance. Results revealed that Time 1 abusive supervision was positively related to Time 2 personnel records of workplace deviance measured 18 months later. Further, subordinates’ neuroticism moderated this relationship. Specifically, there was a stronger positive relationship between abusive supervision and workplace deviance for employees with high as opposed to low levels of neuroticism. These findings highlight the need to account for the role of individual differences in influencing subordinates’ responses to supervisor hostility. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.     

Athletic-ideal and thin-ideal internalization as prospective predictors of body dissatisfaction,dieting, and compulsive exercise

Although internalization of the thin ideal has been extensively researched and is now regarded as a risk factor for eating disturbance, endorsement of the firm, athletic body ideal has received only minimal attention. This short-term longitudinal study explored whether internalization of two aspects of the current cultural ideal (thinness and athleticism) prospectively predicted three potentially deleterious outcomes: body dissatisfaction, dieting, and compulsive exercise. Undergraduate women (N = 231) completed self-report measures at the beginning of the academic year and again 7 months later (N = 156 at Time 2). Athletic-ideal internalization predicted change in compulsive exercise over the 7-month study period but not body dissatisfaction or dieting; thin-ideal internalization predicted change in all three outcomes. When both internalization measures were tested simultaneously, neither contributed unique variance. Results suggest that athletic-ideal internalization is not as detrimental as thin-ideal internalization.     

Psychological contract breach,affective commitment to organization and supervisor,and newcomer adjustment: A three-wave moderated mediation model

This study examines the relationship of psychological contract breach to newcomer adjustment outcomes using affective commitments to organizations and supervisors as mediators and also looks at the moderating role of affective commitment to supervisors. Drawing from data collected at three points in time among a sample of newcomers (N = 224), we found that Time 2 affective organizational commitment mediated a positive relationship between Time 1 psychological contract breach and Time 3 turnover intention and emotional exhaustion. Moreover, affective commitment to supervisors interacted with organizational commitment such that the latter was more negatively related to Time 3 outcomes at low levels of commitment to supervisors. Similarly, the indirect relationships of psychological contract breach to Time 3 outcomes were stronger and negative at low levels of commitment to supervisors. Affective commitment's role in the psychological contract breach-outcome relationships during the entry period is discussed.     

Holding fat stereotypes is associated with lower body dissatisfaction in normal weight Caucasian women who engage in body surveillance

This study examined the moderating effect of body surveillance on the relationship between fat stereotype endorsement and body dissatisfaction in normal weight women. Participants (N = 225) completed online measures of fat stereotyping, body surveillance, body dissatisfaction, and internalized thin ideals. After accounting for thin ideals, body surveillance moderated the relationship between fat stereotypes and body dissatisfaction. Contrary to hypotheses, higher fat stereotype endorsement predicted lower body dissatisfaction in women with higher body surveillance. Conversely, higher fat stereotype endorsement predicted greater body dissatisfaction in women with lower body surveillance. Thus, endorsing fat stereotypes appears protective against body dissatisfaction in normal weight women who extensively engage in body surveillance. For women who hold fat stereotypes and report high body surveillance, we propose that downward appearance comparison may create a contrast between themselves and the people with overweight whom they denigrate, thus improving body dissatisfaction.     

L’impact de la reconnaissance organisationnelle sur la santé psychologique au travail des répartiteurs d’urgence

The purpose of this research is to measure the relationships between organizational recognition and workplace psychological health for emergency dispatchers by a predictif correlational design. Data collected from a secure online questionnaire sent to dispatchers via four emergency call centers (n = 155) measured psychological health at work (Gilbert et al., 2011) and organizational recognition (Brun and Dugas, 2005). The results of multiple linear regression analyses partially confirmed the hypothesized links between the two variables: they attested that organizational and co-worker recognition partially explained psychological well-being at work (R² = .25, p < .001) and psychological distress at work (R² = .30, p < .001) among emergency dispatchers.     

How ‘boundaryless’ are the careers of high potentials,key experts and average performers?

The talent management literature declares talent management a prime concern for HRM professionals while the careers literature calls talent management archaic. Three sets of assumptions identified through comparative review of both streams of the literature were tested in a large-scale survey (n = 941). We found more support for the assumptions advocated in the talent management literature. Those who organizations consider their ‘best’ people are more often found in traditional-organizational careers – both in terms of employer inducements and employee attitudes. Traditional–organizational careers yield more career satisfaction than careers displaying more boundaryless features. Individuals' career types are mostly determined by supervisor-rated performance, much more so than by personal career orientation.     

Stereotype endorsement and perceived ability as mediators of the girls' gender orientation–soccer performance relationship

ObjectiveThis study investigated girls' endorsement of the stereotype that girls are not good soccer performers through three questions: (1) did stereotype endorsement predict soccer performance? (2) Was this relationship mediated by perceived ability? (3) Was stereotype endorsement related to gender role orientation?MethodOne hundred and two junior high school girls from the 6th to the 9th grade (M age = 13.5 years, SD = 1.23) reported their beliefs about girls' and boys' performance in soccer, perceived ability and gender role orientation. Next, their soccer performance was observed during matches in compulsory physical education classes. A path-analytic model tested the relationships among the variables using a product-moment correlation matrix and a maximum likelihood estimation procedure.ResultsStereotype endorsement (i.e., the belief that girls' performance in soccer is poor) negatively predicted performance, this relationship being mediated by perceived ability. Moreover, masculinity positively predicted perceived ability, and this relationship was partially mediated by stereotype endorsement.ConclusionThis study reinforces the idea that girls' sports performance may be related to gender stereotypes. Interpretations of the results in light of Eccles et al.’s expectancy-value model and stereotype threat theory are discussed, along with implications for practice.     

Testing a bi-factor model to disentangle general and specific factors of motivation in self-determination theory

We examined the utility of the bi-factor model for disentangling general motivation and specific motivations (i.e., amotivation, external, introjected, identified, and intrinsic regulations) in relation to goal progress and physical activity (PA). Participants (N = 186 undergraduate students; M_age = 19.26 years) completed assessments of motivation and PA at Time 1. Four weeks later, PA and goal progress were assessed at Time 2. Results indicated that the exploratory bi-factor model specifying motivational regulations as the specific factors and general motivation as the general factor was a good fit to the data. Results of the structural equation model indicated that identified and intrinsic regulations and general motivation predicted concurrent PA at Time 1. A novel finding was that controlling for concurrent PA at Time 1, general motivation emerged as the only predictor of Time 2 goal progress and PA. Results highlight the importance of examining general motivation in addition to quality of motivation in tandem because general motivation emerged as the sole significant longitudinal predictor of PA outcomes.     

Five-factor model of personality and organizational commitment: The mediating role of positive and negative affective states

Using a one-year longitudinal study of four components of organizational commitment (affective, normative, continuance–sacrifices, and continuance–alternatives) on a sample of employees from multiple organizations (N = 220), we examined the relationships of employee Big-Five personality traits to employee commitment components, and the mediating role of positive and negative affective states. Personality was measured at Time 1 while affective states and commitment components were measured at Time 2, while controlling for Time 1 commitment. Extraversion and agreeableness were positively related to affective, normative, and continuance–sacrifices commitments via enhanced positive affect. Agreeableness was also positively linked to affective commitment and negatively associated with continuance–alternatives commitment through reduced negative affect. Finally, neuroticism was negatively linked to affective commitment, and positively related to continuance–alternatives commitment, through increased negative affect. The implications of these findings for our understanding of personality–commitment linkages are discussed.     

Blame attribution in sexual victimization

The current study explored how victims and third-parties attribute blame and perpetrator motivation for actual sexual victimization experiences. Although we do not assert that victims are responsible for perpetrators’ behavior, we found that some victims do not allocate all blame to their perpetrator. We sought to examine how victims and third-parties allocate blame in instances of actual completed and attempted sexual victimization and how they perceived perpetrator motivations. Victims of completed rape (n = 49) and attempted sexual assault (n = 91), and third-parties who knew a victim of sexual assault (n = 152) allocated blame across multiple targets: perpetrator, self/victim, friends, family, and the situation. Participants also described their perceptions of perpetrator’s motivation for the sexual assault. Victims tended to assign more blame to themselves than third-parties assigned to victims. Furthermore, victims perceived perpetrators as being more sexually-motivated than third-parties did, who viewed perpetrators as more power-motivated. Results suggest that perceptions of rape and sexual assault significantly differ between victims and third-party individuals who have never directly experienced such a trauma.     

Promoting an equitable and supportive school climate in high schools: The role of school organizational health and staff burnout

In response to persistent racial disparities in academic and behavioral outcomes between Black and White students, equitable school climate has drawn attention as a potential target for school reform. This study examined differences in Black and White students' experiences of school climate and explored whether indicators of school organizational health and staff burnout moderated differences in students' school experiences by race. Utilizing hierarchical linear modeling with a sample of 18,397 Black students (n = 6228) and White students (n = 12,169) and 2391 school staff in 53 schools, we found a consistent pattern of racial inequalities, such that Black students reported less positive experiences than White students across three indicators of school climate (caring γ = − 0.08, p < .001; equity γ = − 0.05, p = .007; and engagement γ = − 0.05, p < .001). In addition, we found significant, positive associations between aggregated staff-report of school organizational health and student-reported school climate (e.g., staff affiliation and student-perceived equity, γ = 0.07, p < .001). Surprisingly, a number of school organizational health indicators were more strongly associated with positive perceptions of school climate among White students than Black students, translating into greater racial disparities in perceived school climate at schools with greater organizational health (e.g., supportive leadership by race on student-perceived engagement, γ = − 0.03, p = .042). We also found negative associations between staff-reported burnout and students' experience of equity, such that the racial gap was smaller in schools with high ratings of burnout (γ = 0.04, p = .002). These findings have implications for educators and education researchers interested in promoting school social contexts that equitably support student engagement and success.     

Incidence de la culture organisationnelle sur l’adoption des comportements pro-sociaux extra-organisationnels : comparaison entre sapeurs-pompiers et population tout-venant

Organizational culture is studied here in a psycho-sociological approach, operationalizing the concept of organizational socialization in order to measure the internalization of organizational culture. We proposed to test its impact on extra-organizational prosocial behaviors by comparing a population of firefighters (n = 515, 34.9% female) to a general population (n = 201, 47.7% female) responding to an online survey. The results show, firstly, that firefighters engage in more extra-organizational prosocial behaviors than general population and, secondly, that the internalization of organizational culture has a significantly greater positive effect on these types of behaviors among firefighters than among general population. The construction of a cultural impact index is proposed. The results are discussed and research perspectives are proposed.     

Bidirectional pathways between relational aggression and temperament from late childhood to adolescence

Relational aggression is linked to numerous adverse consequences. However, we know little about how temperament leads individuals to become perpetrators/victims of relational aggression, or how being a perpetrator/victim influences the development of temperament. We used longitudinal data from 674 Mexican-origin youth to examine relations between relational aggression and mother- and child-reported temperament from 5th grade (M_age = 10.8; SD = 0.60) through 11th grade (M_age = 16.8; SD = 0.50). Results show that: (a) high Negative Emotionality and low Effortful Control predicted increases in victimization; (b) low Effortful Control predicted increases in perpetration; (c) victims increased in Negative Emotionality and decreased in Effortful Control; and (d) perpetrators increased in Negative Emotionality and Surgency. Thus, temperament serves as both an antecedent to and a consequence of relational aggression.     

Sustainability,future orientation and water conservation

Time orientation, as a psychological determinant of sustainable behavior, is addressed in this paper. One hundred and seventy-seven individuals in two Mexican cities responded to a questionnaire investigating future orientation (i.e. the tendency of some people to establish and achieve goals and to plan strategies for meeting long-term obligations) and sustainable behavior, indicated by the self-report of water conservation practices. The relationship between these two factors was estimated within a structural equation model (SEM), which revealed that future orientation significantly and positively affects sustainable behavior. Between-group contrasts have not revealed significant differences in future orientation and water conservation given by economic income, gender and educational level. However, younger individuals (< 18-year-old) were significantly less future-oriented than older people, while persons living in a city experiencing water scarcity tended to engage more frequently in water conservation practices.     

Big Five traits,affect balance and health behaviors: A self-regulation resource perspective

Despite the relatively consistent finding that Conscientiousness, Agreeableness and low Neuroticism are associated with the practice of health-promoting behaviors, the reasons for these linkages are not well understood. This prospective study addressed this gap by taking a self-regulation resource perspective on why these traits relate to health-promoting behaviors by examining the role of higher positive relative to negative state affect. Students completed baseline (N = 330), and two week follow-up (N = 195) surveys. Bootstrapping analyses of the indirect effects of each of the three traits on Time 2 health behaviors were significant in the expected directions, with Kappa squares ranging from .11 to .13. In the full longitudinal analyses controlling for Time 1 health behaviors, the indirect effects of Conscientiousness and Agreeableness through affect balance on Time 2 health behaviors were positive and significant, whereas the indirect effects through Neuroticism were negative and significant after accounting for the Time 1 practice of health behaviors. These findings provide a process-oriented understanding of how Big Five traits are linked to health-promoting behaviors and extend previous research supporting a self-regulation resource perspective on personality and health behaviors.