OCCUPATIONAL STRESS AND PERCEIVED ORGANIZATIONAL EFFECTIVENESS IN FORMAL GROUPS: AN EXAMINATION OF STRESS LEVEL AND STRESS TYPE

Several studies have found an inverted U-shaped relationship between stress and performance levels for individuals. The present study determined whether such a relationship exists between stress and the perceived effectiveness of formal organization groups. Analysis of data from four firms provided no support for the existence of such a relationship. Instead, a negative relationship between stress and perceived organizational effectiveness was found. The results suggest that the type of stress moderates the stress and effectiveness relationship. Dysfunctional stress was the dominant type of stress in all four firms. Further, the level of dysfunctional stress provided a better explanation of variations in effectiveness levels than total stress levels.     

EVALUATION OF BUSINESS MEMOS: EFFECTS OF WRITER SEX AND ORGANIZATIONAL POSITION, MEMO QUALITY, AND RATER SEX

This study investigated main and interaction effects of memo quality, attributed author sex and organizational position, and rater sex on evaluation of business memos. Alternative questionnaire versions of four memos to be rated anonymously were mailed to about 500 members of a professional personnel association; 48% were returned. A 2×2×2×2 analysis of variance yielded a large main effect for memo quality; an interaction effect of attributed author sex and position and rater sex for two memos; and other interaction effects for single memos. The results are discussed.     

SOCIAL COMPARISON THEORY AND THE EVALUATION OF PEER EVALUATIONS: A REVIEW AND SOME APPLIED IMPLICATIONS

Some of the more fundamental characteristics of peer evaluations were reviewed and their striking industrial validity was noted. Subsequently, the theories put forth to account for the validity of peer evaluations were examined and found to be wanting. A review of the conditions under which peer evaluations yield strong validity coefficients as well as certain factor analytic and experimental studies indicated that social comparison theory might provide a useful framework for elucidating the nature of peer evaluation process. This theory was then related to the characteristics of peer evaluation and certain applied implications were suggested. It was concluded that further empirical research along these lines might have some value.     

In Pursuit of Sisterhood: Adult as a Resource for Combined Individual and Family Therapy

Therapists traditionally view brothers and sisters as rivalrous and self-seeking. Under carefully arranged conditions, however, siblings can learn to cooperate with each other to resolve important conflicts in family relationships. This case documents a dramatic change in the relationship between a 29-year-old woman and her father, the outcome of a three-step therapeutic intervention in which sibling dynamics were selectively used by the psychotherapist. As part of her individual therapy, the therapist first aroused the woman's discontent with her status as the neglected “baby of the family.” Next, a series of meetings were held with the woman and her three sisters that permitted resolution of their previous anger and misunderstandings, thus helping them to become a more cohesive group of sisters. The third step brought the sisters, now as allies both of the identified patient and of the therapist, into a constructive confrontation with the parents. This resulted in lasting personal change for the identified patient and improved relationships throughout the entire family.     

Researching Ethnic Family Stereotypes

Ethnic stereotypes in the family therapy literature make intuitive sense, but are based on surprisingly little empirical data. In a questionnaire survey of the family experiences of 220 mental health professionals representing eight American ethnic groups, most items differentiated the groups as predicted. A smaller, partial replication study comparing samples from Holland, Ireland, and North America found fewer discriminating items, but the differences that did appear were again as predicted. Implications for therapy and research with ethnic families are discussed.     

INVESTIGATION OF BIAS IN JOB EVALUATION RATINGS OF COMPARABLE WORTH STUDY PARTICIPANTS

An experimental study was conducted to investigate the effects of knowledge of current pay levels and perceived job gender on subsequent job evaluations. The sample consisted of 53 job evaluators in professional and scientific positions at the University of Iowa who had previously received 20 hours of training in job evaluation and participated in over 100 hours of job evaluations during the implementation of a comparable worth pay system. The hypothesis that jobs with high (manipulated) pay levels would receive higher evaluations than jobs with low (manipulated) pay levels was confirmed, although the effects were smaller than those reported in other studies. In addition, evidence of a pro-female bias was found ( p < .08) in the job evaluation ratings. Implications of these findings for job evaluation research and practice are discussed.     

Laughter: an empirical test of some reversal theory hypotheses

Hypotheses derived from reversal theory on state-specific responses to humorous material were tested by recruitment of 10 telic (serious minded) and 10 paratelic (playful) state-dominant individuals from a larger sample of university students completing the Telic Dominance Scale. They were individually exposed to a comedy programme displayed on television in a psychophysiological laboratory. Polygraph record of respiration provided operational measurement of laughter. Subjects ratings were derived for felt and preferred level of arousal and for telidparatelic state in the laboratory situation. Results confirmed (1) that humorous material tends to induce the paratelic state, even in telic state-dominant individuals, and (2) that frequency of laughter in the paratelic state is positively correlated with degree of felt arousal and with arousal preference, thus indicating a linear , rather than ditonic, relation of hedonic tone to felt arousal in this state.