THE DETERMINANTS OF DISCIPLINARY DECISIONS: THE CASE OF EMPLOYEE DRUG USE

This study examined the disciplinary decision rules that managers employ when responding to substance abuse violations. We suggested that because of competing perspectives about the role and purpose of disciplinary systems, substantial inconsistency is likely to exist across managers in how they respond to violations. Using policy capturing techniques, we found substantial diversity across the 93 managers studied in how they respond to violations. Further, cluster analysis indicated that we could group the 93 managers into retributive, corrective, individual rights, and mixed clusters. The results also suggest that the type of decision rule that a manager employs is influenced by his/her attitude toward punishment and toward drug use. The implications of these findings for disciplinary programs in general and substance abuse policies in particular are discussed as well.     

Memory for Orientation in the Natural Environment

Previous work has demonstrated that memory for information to which people have been exposed for a prolonged period in everyday life may be very poor. One interpretation of such findings is that we tend to remember only information that is likely to be of future functional relevance. However, it is also noticeable that previous investigations have in general studied memory concerning artefacts of arbitrary design rather than the natural environment. As the product of an evolutionary process, it is possible that memory is in general adapted towards dealing with the natural rather than the artificial. For example, in the case of one frequently encountered artefact it has been shown that people retain little information as to whether the head on a coin faces to left or right. The present study probed a naturally occurring counterpart to this, by examining recall of the orientation of the crescent moon. For a new moon it is the right-hand side of the moon that is illuminated whereas for an old moon it is the left-hand side, in the northern hemisphere. The results of Experiment 1 indicated no retention of this information by participants (though, as the results of Experiment 4 confirmed, participants did remember that the new and old moons have opposite orientations). The results of Experiments 2 and 3 confirmed the absence of retention when recall was cued by reference to the solar cycle rather than the lunar cycle, either singly or in combination. It is concluded that, contrary to expectation, memory for the natural environment is in this case no better than memory for the artificial environment, consistent with the primary role in determining the content of everyday memory being taken by functional relevance. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

MANAGERIAL USE OF DISMISSAL: ORGANIZATIONAL-LEVEL DETERMINANTS

Although much variation exists across organizations in the use of dismissal, little is known about the source of this variation. This study examines organizational-level determinants of the willingness of managers to attempt dismissal. Using survey data from HR managers, we measured organizational-level factors likely to be associated with the expected costs and benefits of dismissal. We then examined how these factors affect the willingness of line managers from corresponding organizations to attempt dismissal. As hypothesized, the results indicate that in most cases where threats to just cause were present, informal norms, disciplinary procedure restrictiveness, and appeal system characteristics all affected dismissal. Also, as was expected, where just cause for dismissal could unquestionably be established, dismissal was significantly influenced by informal norms but not by disciplinary procedure restrictiveness or appeal system characteristics. Finally, little consistent support was found for the hypothesized relationships between dismissal and human capital investment, performance pressures, monitoring costs, and labor market conditions.     

An interdependence analysis of commuting decisions

The current research advances an interdependence analysis of commuting decisions (i.e. commuting by car versus public transportation), delineating the determinants of an individual's outcomes in terms of own decisions, other commuters' decisions, and the combination or interaction of own and others' decisions (Kelley & Thibaut, 1978). Consistent with hypotheses, findings revealed that a concern with comfort led to a higher overall personal preference for the car, and a lower overall preference for others to commute by public transportation, when compared to a concern with travel time. Additionally, consistent with the claim that commuter decisions are also guided by considerations broader than a concern with individual outcomes, findings revealed that individuals with prosocial orientations (i.e. those concerned with maximizing collective outcomes) in combination with high levels of trust (i.e. believing in the honesty and cooperative intentions of others) exhibited a greater overall personal preference for public transportation, and a reduced desire to avoid other commuters, relative to individuals with a prosocial orientation and low levels of trust, or a proself orientation (i.e. those concerned primarily with maximizing own outcomes), regardless of levels of trust. Finally, consistent with the current interdependence analysis, intention to commute by car was positively associated with not only overall personal preference for the car, but also with the desire to avoid other commuters. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

ON THE INTERCHANGEABILITY OF OBJECTIVE AND SUBJECTIVE MEASURES OF EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE: A META-ANALYSIS

A meta-analysis of studies containing both objective and subjective ratings of employee performance resulted in a corrected mean correlation of .389. This value, although significantly greater than zero, indicates that objective and subjective performance measures should not be used interchangeably. Moreover, in no moderator subgroup examined did the correlation suggest convergent validity. After discussing issues related to resolving the previous anomalies of primary and meta-analytic results, a secondary analysis suggested that objective and subjective measures of the same construct at the same level may be used inter-changeably. The secondary analysis, however, was based on a very limited sample. Future research should address the appropriate dimensionality of employee performance.     

The Relationship Between Career Maturity and Congruence,Consistency, and Differentiation Among Individuals With and Without Learning Disabilities

This study investigated the relationship between career maturity and Holland's (1985a) constructs of congruence, consistency, and differentiation among individuals with and without learning disabilities. In addition, it examined whether a relationship exists between Holland's (1985a) Investigative personality type and career maturity in individuals with and without learning disabilities. Results yielded no statistically significant associations between career maturity and any of the 3 constructs for either group of individuals. Similarly, no relationship was found between Investigative personality types and career maturity. Last, the 2 groups studied did not differ on the 3 constructs.     

The Psychospiritual Dynamics of Adult Survivors of Abuse

The authors discuss the challenges of treating adult survivors of physical, emotional, and sexual abuse, and specifically how the relationship with God can psychologically promote healing or maintain an abusive cycle. With this population, it is critical that clinicians understand the dynamic bonding process between abuser and survivor and how this “bonded” relationship is typically transferred to God. The authors detail a theory of psychospiritual bonding between abuser and survivor and survivor and God and provide implications for treatment.