International Replication Note Decision Type, Organisational Control, and Acceptance of Change: An Integrative Approach to Participative Decision Making

On a développé un modèle intégrateur de la relation existant entre la participation à la prise de décision à 1'occasion d'un changement dans 1'organisation et les attitudes professionnelles (implication, satisfaction et sentiment d'efficacité). Le modèle présente une variable indépendante, la décision, stratégique ou tactique, concernant le changement et deux variables intermédiaires, la somme des contrôles exercés dans 1'organisation et 1'acceptation du changement. Grâce à un échantillon de 232 fonctionnaires, on a pu montrer que le modèle "Participation à la prise de décision tactique somme des contrôles acceptation du changement attitudes professionnelles" rendait mieux compte des données que les modèles concurrents. Diverses questions théoriques et pratiques sont discutées et les limites de la recherche soulignées.
An integrative model of the relationship between participation in decision making (PDM) during an organisational change and work attitudes (organisational commitment, job satisfaction, and sense of effectiveness) was developed. The model contains one antecedent variable, type of change decision (i. e. strategic or tactical), and two mediators, total organisational control and change acceptance. A sample of 232 government workers provided evidence that the proposed model, PDM in tactical decisions total control → change acceptance → work attitudes, fits the data better than competing models. Theoretical and practical considerations are discussed and limitations for the study outlined.     

Turnover and Aggregate Organisational Performance

Les recherches sur le turnover ont habituellement repris l'idée couramment admise selon laquelle la rotation du personnel constitue la conséquence négative de plusieurs variables antécédentes. On recense peu de recherches concernant l'impact du turnover sur des mesures d'ensemble de la performance de l'organisation. Cette étude fait appel à 302 variables de sortie d'une organisation pour appréhender la relation entre la rotation des salariés de la base, les bénéfices et les ventes. On a en outre pris en considération deux aspects du bénéfice, les coûts salariaux et les pertes. Seule une faible relation avec les coûts salariaux a été mise en évidence. Les résultats suggèrent la complexité de la relation entre le turnover et les mesures de la performance d'une organisation, sans compter que des effets contradictoires de la rotation peuvent disparaître dans des mesures générales de la performance. Il faudrait développer un modéle qui tiendrait compte de certaines des découvertes récentes sur le turnover.     

Decision type,participative decision making (PDM), and organizational behavior: An experimental simulation

The present study tested hypotheses derived from the path‐goal theory of leadership concerning attitudes and behavior in an organizational change situation. Using an experimental simulation, the method of payment for 199 coding workers was changed from hourly to piece‐rate, either by participation or initiating structure (i.e., direction). Results supported the influence of the type of change decision on change acceptance. Initiating structure in the strategic change decision (whether or not to implement a planned change) and participation in tactical decisions (how to implement the change) both increased change acceptance. An interaction effect was also observed with subjects in the directive strategy with participation tactics combination showing the largest change acceptance mean. However, initiating structure or participation in both decision types had minimal effect on performance. Theoretical and practical implications of the results were discussed.     

An Empirical Comparison of Commitment Scales

In a previous review of the literature, Morrow (1983) identified a redundancy or overlap among the various measures of commitment. The present study employed a factor analytic design to examine the intercorrelations among various job, organizational, and value commitment scales. In addition, possible consequences of the various scales were analyzed. Results from 216 police officers identified a general factor as well as unique components. The commitment scales were able to explain between 20% and 40% of the variance of several self-report measures. Explanations and implications of the results were discussed.     

Usage of and Compliance with Power Tactics in Routine Versus Nonroutine Work Settings

This study examines situational determinants of power usage and compliance derived from the Interpersonal Power Interaction Model. Organizations where routine tasks predominate were compared with those where complex tasks prevail. Samples of workers (N = 194) and supervisors (N = 100) from four companies representing routine tasks and complex ones completed three versions of the Interpersonal Power Inventory (Raven, Schwarzwald & Koslowsky, 1998). Results indicated that in settings where routine tasks predominate usage of and compliance with harsh power tactics was greater than in complex ones. Yet, soft tactics were not related to task complexity. It was also found that rank and tactics interacted. Regardless of settings, supervisors as compared to subordinates reported more frequent usage of soft tactics and less frequent usage of harsh ones. The discussion suggests a mechanism for understanding these patterns.     

Captain's leadership type and police officers' compliance to power bases

The study examined subordinates' responsiveness to supervisor requests in conflict situations as it relates to leadership type and subordinate level of performance. Police captains (N = 40) completed the Bass and Avolio (1991) Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire and an evaluation of their subordinates' performance. Independently, subordinates (N = 240) completed the Interpersonal Power Inventory (IPI), derived from Raven's (1992) power interaction model, which measures the extent to which they are willing to comply with their supervisors' requests. Findings indicated that police officers (subordinates) reported greater willingness to comply with soft rather than harsh power bases. Although performance evaluation was not a significant factor here, officers who worked for high transformational captains reported a significantly greater likelihood to comply with both harsh and soft power bases than their cohorts who worked for low transformational captains. The discussion addressed the issue of leadership type as one of the determining factors in gaining compliance.     

The factor structure and criterion validity of the short form of the Eating Attitudes Test.

One of the more frequently used measures of eating disorders is the 40-item Eating Attitudes Test (EAT) developed by Garner and Garfinkel (1979). Although originally designed to diagnose anorexia nervosa, the test has recently been applied to nonclinical populations also. In this study, we examined psychometric and validity data for a short version of the scale, the EAT-26. Using a sample of 809 female soldiers in their late teens, results showed that the EAT-26 is reliable, the factor structure is different from that obtained in clinical groups, and the EAT-26 is significantly correlated with body image, weight, and diet.     

Determinants of employee punctuality

Although researchers have studied employee lateness empirically (e.g., S. Adler & J. Golan, 1981; C. W. Clegg, 1983), few have attempted to describe the punctual employee. In the present study, results of a discriminant analysis on employees in Israel indicated that a personality characteristic, time urgency, a subcomponent of Type A behavioral pattern, distinguished between punctual and late employees. Organizational commitment and age of employee's youngest child also distinguished between the groups.