Sensemaking during organizational entry: Changes in newcomer information seeking and the relationship with psychological contract fulfilment

In this study, insight is given into the temporal nature of psychological contract‐related information seeking during organizational entry, by examining how the frequency of information seeking changes across the first year of employment for a sample of 280 newcomers. We examined the pattern of changes in the frequency of information seeking from four sources (supervisor, co‐workers, mentors, and other newcomers) and about two content dimensions of the psychological contract (organizational inducements and employee contributions). We also investigated if information‐seeking behaviours were related to the evaluation of the psychological contract and whether these relationships changed over time. The data were analysed using Latent Growth Modelling. The results indicated that information seeking about the psychological contract decreases significantly over the first year of employment, with the exception of information seeking from supervisors, indicating that for different targets of information different information seeking patterns exist. Employees seek more information on organizational inducements than on employee contributions. We found a positive association between information seeking during the initial weeks after entry and evaluations of psychological contract fulfilment after 3 months, but changes in information seeking after this initial period were not associated with changes in psychological contract fulfilment. Finally, we found that younger newcomers engaged more frequently in information seeking from co‐workers and other new hires compared to older newcomers. Implications for theories on psychological contract formation and future research are discussed.     

Time,structure, and teaching as an adjunct

Contingent teaching has become the norm in most institutions. While the use of adjuncts and other non‐tenure track professors shows no sign of slowing down, the nature of contingent teaching is less known. This article examines how contingent teaching directly impacts the professor's teaching. My experience teaching religious studies courses from 2014 to the present has shown how contingent status affects significant issues such as the time and structure of teaching. Time is an essential component in teaching well. How the course is structured is equally important, or perhaps even more so, and has significant ramifications for a course. However, the nature of contingent labor impacts how time and structure is implemented in a course. This influences how I interact with the course material, the students, the department, and my ability to teach. See companion essays published in this issue of the journal by Adam Wirrig, Bradley Burroughs, Kyle Schenkewitz, and Charles Harrell.     

Adult-child discourse: Developmental interaction between information processing and linguistic knowledge

In the present study, the discourse interaction between adult and child was examined in terms of the content of their utterances, and the linguistic and contextual relations between their messages, in order to investigate how children use the information from adults' input sentences to form contingent responses. The analyses described were based on longitudinal data from four children from approximately 21 to 36 months of age. Categories of child discourse, their development and their interactions with aspects of prior adult utterances form the major results of the study. Child utterances were identified as adjacent (immediately preceded by an adult utterance), or as nonadjacent (not immediately preceded by an adult utterance). Adjacent utterances were either contingent (shared the same topic and added new information relative to the topic of the prior utterance), imitative (shared the same topic but did not add new information), or noncontingent (did not share the same topic). From the beginning, the adjacent speech was greater than nonadjacent speech. Contingent speech increased over time; in particular, linguistically contingent speech (speech that expanded the verb relation of the prior adult utterance with added or replaced constituents within a clause) showed the greatest developmental increase. Linguistically contingent speech occurred more often after questions than nonquestions. The results are discussed in terms of how the differential requirements for processing information in antecedent messages is related to language learning.     

Dynamiques représentationnelles et identitaires au cours de la socialisation professionnelle de jeunes recrues LGBT

This article examines the ways in which representational and identity transformations work during the socialization in the workplace of young LGBT hires, linked to discrimination perceived in their workplace environment as well as their impact on professional goals. Working within the theoretical framework of active socialization, the study is based on the IMIS method and proposes a detailed analysis of two cases recently entering the transportation workplace. The results show that, depending on how severe the perceived discrimination is in the workplace, previous experiences of homophobia encountered in other environments and already built self-image are reactivated in different ways, leading to a more or less important reconstruction of professional and identity representations, as well as the future goals of the individual. These elements are discussed from the point of view of interactions between environments and possible interventions by valuing diversity and accompanying the integration of young hires into organizations.     

Quel engagement organisationnel pour les salariés précaires ? Les leçons d’une étude empirique auprès de travailleurs intérimaires

The aim of this article is to focus on contingent workers’ organizational commitment. A review of literature on contingent workers’ attitudes leads to think that this type of work arrangement is associated with a high level of job insecurity, which is not favourable to organizational commitment. However, empirical studies present very contrasting results. This absence of consensus leads us to propose a research model, which puts the emphasis on the way the temporary workers interpret their job arrangement. The model was tested on 208 temporary help service workers. The results highlight the mediating role of perceived job insecurity on organizational commitment, as well as importance of perceived organizational support (POS).     

EXPERIENCED HIRING VERSUS COLLEGE RECRUITING: PRACTICES AND EMERGING TRENDS

Although much professional and managerial hiring involves experienced workers, previous recruitment research has focused almost exclusively on new college graduates. To remedy this imbalance, 251 staffing professionals were surveyed concerning experienced-versus-college hiring practices in their organizations. Results suggest that a majority of positions requiring a college degree are filled with experienced workers. Experienced hires are evaluated more highly than new graduates on most characteristics (understanding business, knowledge of competition, realistic expectations, technical skills, interpersonal skills, writing skills, work ethic, likelihood of success, personal ethics), although new graduates are evaluated more highly on open-mindedness and willingness and ability to learn new things. Higher proportions of experienced hiring are associated with organizational growth, short-term staffing strategies, older workforces, and less dynamic business environments. Perceived success of experienced hiring is associated with greater use of effective recruitment sources, older workforces, and more competitive salary offers.     

Adult attention and interaction can increase moderate‐to‐vigorous physical activity in young children

Evidence suggests that physical inactivity is prevalent among young children. To combat this, one recommendation for caregivers is to become actively involved in their child's physical activities. However, this general recommendation does not specify how or when a parent should become involved. The purpose of the current study was to conduct a functional analysis to identify a social consequence that would increase the moderate‐to‐vigorous physical activity (MVPA) exhibited by preschool‐aged children, and then to compare the effects of that social consequence when it was provided contingent on MVPA and when provided independent of MVPA. The results of the functional analyses indicated that 3 of 7 children were most active when attention or interactive play was provided contingent on MVPA. Results of the intervention analysis suggested that caregivers of young children should provide attention or interactive play contingent on MVPA when those consequences are identified as reinforcers in a functional analysis.     

Bringing (Contingent) Loss Aversion Down to Earth — A Comment on Gal & Rucker's Rejection of “Losses Loom Larger Than Gains”

Although we disagree with some of Gal and Rucker's (2018 – this issue) specific evidence and with their overstated conclusion regarding loss aversion, their overarching message makes a worthwhile contribution. In particular, loss aversion is less robust and universal than has been assumed while its most prominent empirical support — the endowment effect and the status quo bias — is susceptible to multiple alternative explanations. Instead of accepting loss aversion as true unless proven otherwise, we should treat it like other decision properties and psychological accounts that are contingent on various moderators and call for an analysis of psychological mechanisms. In this commentary, we suggest that gatekeepers, such as reviewers, tend to favor loss aversion and other widely accepted tendencies, while demanding a much higher support‐threshold for alternative or newer accounts. Although building on prior theories and concepts is of course important, the bias in favor of incumbent assumptions can impede scientific progress, bar new ideas from the literature, and reinforce well‐established but contingent notions that may apply under some conditions but not others.     

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN RECRUITING SOURCE, APPLICANT QUALITY, AND HIRE PERFORMANCE: AN ANALYSIS BY SEX, ETHNICITY, AND AGE

This study investigated both an applicant pool and its resulting class of new hires in an attempt to clarify a number of empirical questions concerning recruiting source effectiveness. A pre-established database of applicants and hires for the job of life insurance agent in a large insurance company was analyzed for recruiting activity. Differences in applicant quality and new hire survival were found in favor of the informal recruiting sources. A second measure of hire success, new business commission credits, failed to show differences across recruiting sources. The informal recruiting sources yielded significantly higher selection ratios than did formal sources for all groups. Examination of recruiting source use showed significant group differences, with females and blacks using the formal recruiting sources more frequently than males, non-minorities, and Hispanics. While the informal recruiting sources yielded higher quality applicants and more successful hires for all groups, this research cautions that the implementation of revised recruiting policies must be carefully monitored for adverse effects on protected groups.     

Evaluating a humane alternative to the bark collar: Automated differential reinforcement of not barking in a home‐alone setting

The aim of this study was to develop a humane alternative to the traditional remote devices that deliver punishers contingent on home‐alone dog barking. Specifically, we evaluated the use of remote delivery of food contingent on intervals of not barking during the pet owner's absence. In Experiment 1, 5 dogs with a history of home‐alone nuisance barking were recruited. Using an ABAB reversal design, we demonstrated that contingent remote delivery of food decreased home‐alone barking for 3 of the dogs. In Experiment 2, we demonstrated that it is possible to thin the differential‐reinforcement‐of‐other‐behavior (DRO) schedule gradually, resulting in a potentially more acceptable treatment. Our results benefit the dog training community by providing a humane tool to combat nuisance barking.     

Government E‐Recruiting Web Sites: The influence of e‐recruitment content and usability on recruiting and hiring outcomes in US state governments

This research examines both the content and usability of e‐recruiting web sites on a government's ability to attract individuals to apply for government positions and on government's ability to retain new hires. Building on previous studies evaluating corporate recruiting web pages, this study evaluates the e‐recruiting efforts of state governments in the United States. Our study shows that governments with more usable hiring web site receive significantly more applications per job opening; whereas states with higher quality content on their recruiting web pages have significantly less voluntary turnover of new hires.     

(My) spirituality in medical education

During these times of the situated, contingent text, it is not unusual for an author to disclose her biases and other sources of potential partiality as a researcher or theorist. That is, an author often discloses her race, class origins, or sexual orientation at the onset, announcing particularities that enable readers to adjust their reading to the subjectivities inherent to knowledge production. One glaring omission to these announcements, especially in medicine, has to do with the spiritual domain. This essay, written as a personal narrative, provides one example of how one's spirituality is connected to what and how one chooses to teach, even in the medical academy. Acknowledging those beliefs and considering how our spirituality (along with our other subjectivities that are known to us) may influence our work is an important process in developing a more reflective practice.     

Sales Productivity of Insurance Agents During the First Six Months of Employment: Differences Between Older and Younger New Hires

This study investigated the relationship of information-seeking from managers and coworkers, number of prospecting methods used, and number of joint sales calls the new hire went on with managers and coworkers to sales productivity during the first six months of employment. This study also investigated whether age was directly related to sales productivity, indirectly related through its influence on the other independent variables, or moderated the relationship between the independent variables and sales productivity. Results showed that age and going on joint sales calls with managers and coworkers were positively related to sales productivity. Age also served as a moderator. Older new hires who used a variety of prospecting techniques, and younger new hires who asked their peers for information about job and organizational procedures were better performers. The implications of these results for organizations are discussed.     

Racial Prototypicality,Affirmative Action,and Hiring Decisions in a Multiracial World

This research examined how the racial prototypicality of minority job applicants' faces influenced hiring decisions under different affirmative action (AA) policies: no AA, soft AA (recruitment of minorities with merit‐based hiring), and hard AA (race as a tie‐break factor in hiring). Participants (N=252) evaluated resume/photograph pairs, each containing a Caucasian and a Black applicant, with minority applicants representing three levels of racial prototypicality. The number of jobs awarded to minorities increased as Black racial prototypicality increased. Each level of AA policy strength increased the number of minority hires, but these increases came with a price: AA directives decreased the percentage of minority hires attributed to higher qualifications and increased perceptions that hires were due to AA more than was actually the case.     

The role of error‐correction procedures in the reinforcement of errors

In Study 1 three different error‐correction procedures and a trial‐and‐error procedure were implemented in a Japanese word/phrase receptive identification task. Training procedures differed in the specific type of error that evoked error‐correction feedback. Outcomes indicated that when the error‐correction consequence was contingent on incorrect responses, incorrect responses predominated initially. When this feedback consequence followed no response, non‐responding initially prevailed. Task mastery was achieved in fewer trials with error‐correction procedures than with the no prompt/trial‐and‐error. However, post‐mastery probes 1 week after mastery indicated retention was greater for participants in the trial‐and‐error training condition. These patterns indicated that the feedback prompt itself could be functioning as a positive reinforcer. Demonstration of this effect would have been more definitive had individual participants been exposed to each experimental condition, and the limited number of participants in the trial‐and‐error group weakened conclusions from Study 1. These outcomes necessitated procedural replication. The initial question remained unanswered: if feedback were delivered contingent on trainee request and not contingent on errors, how would this affect errors and retention? Study 2, with a prompt‐request (‘Show me’) answered this question. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Creating Trust among the Distrustful: A Phenomenological Examination of Supportive Services for Former Sex Workers

A phenomenological exploration was conducted into the lived experiences of 13 voluntary sex workers receiving supportive services in a major city in the southwestern United States. The study explored how participants viewed the services they received after exiting the sex industry, as well as experiences of coercion throughout their lives. Data analysis revealed, unexpectedly, that constructs of trust emerged. Respondents provided insight into how trust is learned throughout their lives and how coercion is often used by those around them to inspire trust before and during life in the sex industry. Participants also articulated how trust can be relearned, replacing coercion, while receiving supportive services after exiting the industry. Results from this study reveal processes by which sex workers learn to trust others by connecting through common experiences shared with other sex workers, modeling staff demonstrations of trust with other staff and clients, and being held accountable by others to their desires. The author offers implications for future research and practice areas.     

Different perceptions of self‐handicapping across college and work contexts

We investigated the effectiveness of self‐handicapping as an impression management strategy in college and work contexts. In contrast to past research in which college students are both targets and perceivers, we tested whether target status and perceiver status moderate perceptions of self‐handicappers. To this end, we manipulated whether the target was a college student or an adult worker, and we recruited as perceivers both college students (Study 1) and adult workers (Study 2). We additionally manipulated the target's behavior (self‐handicapping vs. control) and outcome (success vs. failure). The results revealed that self‐handicapping protected a student target (but not a worker) from negative evaluations (e.g., ability attributions) in the eyes of college students, particularly males. However, adult workers consistently judged self‐handicapping negatively.     

Assessing the Influence of Psychosocial and Career Mentoring on Organizational Attractiveness

Past research on mentoring in organizational settings has focused on psychosocial and career mentoring functions more senior employees provide to new hires. In this study, we examined whether the perceived quality of psychosocial and career functions of pre‐hire mentoring and realistic job previews (RJPs) provided to students through mentoring impact organizational attraction and potential applicants' intentions to pursue or accept jobs at their mentors' organization, and ultimately their acceptance of positions with their mentors' organization. We compared face‐to‐face mentoring with online mentoring. A field study was conducted (n=194 European graduate students). Findings indicate that the quality of psychosocial mentoring plays a larger role in organizational attraction and intentions to pursue jobs than the perceived level/quality of career mentoring functions, with RJPs functioning as a suppressor variable. Obtaining a job with the mentors' organization was related to career, but not to psychosocial mentoring functions or RJPs.     

Uncovering the Nuances of Referral Hiring: How Referrer Characteristics Affect Referral Hires’ Performance and Likelihood of Voluntary Turnover

The literature on employee referral hiring gives little attention to referrers. Synthesizing 2 theories in the literature (the better match and social enrichment accounts), through the lens of social resources theory, I provide a conceptual and empirical breakdown of the effects of referrer quality (referrer performance at hire and referrer tenure at hire) and posthire accessibility (referrer employment and referrer–referral hire job congruence) on referral hire performance and likelihood of voluntary turnover. I tested my hypotheses with longitudinal data from 386 referrer–referral hire pairs at the same job level in a U.S. call center over a 2‐year period. Across analyses of 2 performance criteria (calls/hour and quality) and likelihood of leaving, I found a nuanced mix of benefits and liabilities that illuminate potential boundary conditions of the revised theories. Referral hires from high‐performing referrers performed better but had higher turnover propensities than those from lower performing referrers. Longer‐tenured employees also produced better performing referral hires, up to a point. Referral hires were less likely to leave, provided their referrer remained employed, but they performed less effectively under this condition. Similarly, referral hires performed worse when their job was congruent with their referrer's job. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.