THE PERCEIVED VALUE OF FRINGE BENEFITS

One hundred eighty-two University of Arizona employees each participated in one of two field studies of the valuation of fringe benefits. Findings included: (a) a lack of employee knowledge regarding employer cost and market value of the studied benefit, and (b) significant undervaluation of the benefit by employees. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that employee benefit valuations anchor on employee contributions. Implications for practitioners and suggestions for further research are discussed.     

Personality Correlates of Depressive Style in Autobiographies of Creative Achievers

This study compared neurotic and depressive personality characteristics in creative achievers versus eminent but non-creative achievers. Forty-eight subjects' (25 men, 23 women) autobiographies were assessed by trained raters on personality using the California Q-Set. Creative achievers included literary and visual artists whereas the control group consisted of political, military and social leaders. The Q-Set ratings were used to assess the five factors of personality (neuroticism, extroversion, openness to experience, agreeableness and conscientiousness). Neuroticism was further divided into subscales that assessed depressive style, impulsivity and anxiety. Results showed that creative achievers were rated significantly higher than controls on general neuroticism, as well as on depressive style and impulsivity. Creative achievers did not differ from controls in anxiety. It was also found that creative achievers were rated significantly higher than controls on openness to experience and agreeableness, but lower on conscientiousness. None of the effects for creativity was affected by subjects' sex.     

The Excitation-Adaptation Model of Pediatric Chronic Illness

This article examines the value of the psychosomatic family model for the study of chronically ill children. Four conceptual problems arise in the discussion of this model: the unidirectional causality of the model; the function of the sick child for the family system; the pathology of the family characteristics; and the disease type. In the present study, we propose (a) that a distinction be made between uncontrolled and controlled forms of disease, and (b) that the family characteristics of "cohesion" and "adaptation" be examined in relation to the parental capacity for problem solving and the acceptance or rejection of the child by the parents. This is shown by means of empirical research. In this empirical study, 20 families with a child suffering from controlled asthma are compared with 20 families with a child suffering from uncontrolled asthma. Contrary to the assumptions derived from the psychosomatic family model, the results show significantly more cohesion and structure in the group with a child suffering from controlled asthma. The findings from this study are integrated in a new model for the study of chronic childhood illness —"the excitation-adaptation model." In this model, two circular processes are emphasized involving (a) the progress of the illness and the way in which parents and child deal with medication and medical advice (therapy compliance), and (b) the factors influencing the therapy compliance on the part of the parents, the family, and the child. By studying these factors in connection with the management of the illness, it should become clear whether family characteristics are adaptive or pathological.     

HYPOTHESIZING DIFFERENTIAL ITEM FUNCTIONING IN GLOBAL EMPLOYEE OPINION SURVEYS

Cross-cultural researchers have not used cultural dimensions to predict when differential item functioning (DIF) in attitude survey items is likely to occur. Predictive hypotheses for items related to supervision on a global corporate survey were developed based on 3 of Hofstede's (1991a) dimensions. In some cases, greater DIF was found on hypothesized items between countries differing on cultural dimensions. Implications for the use of this framework and DIF in examining multinational employee opinion surveys are discussed.     

UNEQUAL ATTENDANCE: THE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN RACE, ORGANIZATIONAL DIVERSITY CUES, AND ABSENTEEISM

Although prior evidence has demonstrated racial differences in employee absenteeism, no existing research explains this phenomenon. The present study examined the roles of 2 diversity cues related to workplace support—perceived organizational value of diversity and supervisor–subordinate racial/ethnic similarity—in explicating this demographic difference among 659 Black, White, and Hispanic employees of U.S. companies. Blacks reported significantly more absences than their White counterparts, but this difference was significantly more pronounced when employees believed their organizations placed little value on diversity. Moreover, in a form of expectancy violation, the Black–White difference was significant only when employees had racially similar supervisors (and thus would expect their companies to value diversity) and perceived that the organization placed little value on diversity.