The impact of role modeling on protégés' personal learning and work-to-family enrichment

The present study investigates the impact of role modeling as perceived by protégés on their personal learning (i.e., relational job learning and personal skill development) and work-to-family enrichment (WFE). Results from a two-wave field survey of 173 protégés in the People's Republic of China indicate that role modeling positively affects relational job learning and personal skill development. However, personal skill development rather than relational job learning was found to be positively related to WFE and to mediate the relationship between role modeling and WFE. The theoretical and managerial implications of these findings are discussed.     

家庭支持型主管行为对员工工作态度的影响:有调节的中介效应分析

采用问卷法调查了358名企业员工,探讨家庭支持型主管行为(FSSB)对工作满意感和离职意愿等工作态度的作用机制。结果表明:(1)FSSB对工作满意感有显著正向影响,对离职意愿有显著负向影响。(2)工作-家庭增益在FSSB与工作满意感之间起着中介作用,而工作-家庭冲突的中介作用不显著;工作-家庭增益与冲突在FSSB与离职意愿之间的中介作用均不显著。(3)边界控制感调节了FSSB—工作-家庭增益—工作满意感这一中介过程。本研究提示可通过干预FSSB来提升员工的工作态度。     

工作设计对知识型员工和体力工作者的差异化影响：一个现场准实验研究

虽然泰勒主义似乎已被工作设计所替代, 但是近来有些学者们注意到工作设计并未起到预期的效果。该研究旨在探讨工作类型作为一个重要的调节变量, 影响着这两种观点的适用性。通过一个纵向现场准实验设计研究, 结果证实了工作类型的调节作用, 即工作丰富化对知识型员工和体力工作者工作产出的影响存在显著差异。这一结果表明, 泰勒主义和工作设计思想并无优劣之分。该文的研究结果对人力资源管理实践的发展, 具有一定的现实指导意义。     

Strain‐specific aggressive behavior of male mice submitted to different husbandry procedures

Severe aggression within groups of male laboratory mice can cause serious welfare problems. Previous experiments have shown that the transfer of specific olfactory cues during cage cleaning and the provision of nesting material decrease aggression and stress in group‐housed male mice. In this study, the combined effect of these husbandry procedures was tested for their long‐term effect on aggression in two strains of male mice (BALB/c and CD‐1). We used postcleaning aggressive behavior, wound counts, and testosterone levels as indicators of aggressiveness. Physiological responses to social challenge were investigated through urinary corticosterone and adrenal tyrosine‐hydroxylase measurements. Furthermore, the aggression‐modulating effects of two enrichment items (ShepherdShack/DesRes and PVC tube) were explored. Marked differences were found between the two strains. CD‐1 mice were more aggressive, had higher testosterone levels but lower corticosterone levels, and had fewer wounds than BALB/c mice. However, in neither of the two strains was long‐term enrichment with nesting material and its transfer after cage cleaning effective in lasting reduction of intermale aggression. This may be explained by the fact that aggression levels were generally low. It seems that housing mice in small, socially stable groups or keeping social disturbances to a minimum considerably modulates aggression in group‐housed male mice. Mice of both strains housed in cages enriched with nesting material had lower urinary corticosterone levels than standard‐housed mice. We therefore conclude that the long‐term provision of nesting material, including the transfer of nesting material during cage cleaning, may enhance the welfare of laboratory mice. Aggr. Behav. 29:69–80, 2003. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

A review of environmental enrichment as treatment for problem behavior maintained by automatic reinforcement

We reviewed studies that used environmental enrichment as treatment for problem behavior maintained by automatic reinforcement. A search of behavior analytic journals produced 71 publications with a total of 265 applications of environmental enrichment used alone or in conjunction with alternative behavior manipulations (e.g., prompting, reinforcement) and problem behavior manipulations (e.g., blocking, restraint). Environmental enrichment, as a sole intervention, was efficacious in 41% of the sample. Alternative behavior manipulations, problem behavior manipulations, and a combination of both improved the overall efficacy of environmental enrichment. We discuss factors that may influence the efficacy of environmental enrichment, current trends in research on this topic, and implications for both practitioners and researchers.     

A majority world perspective on human development: Commemorating the achievements of Çiğdem Kağıtçıbaşı

This obituary draws attention to the contributions by Çi?dem Ka??tç?ba?? in the fields of developmental psychology and cross-cultural psychology. Three themes are mentioned: research on the value of children, early childhood enrichment programs, and conceptualization of the autonomous related self.     

Commitment to nonwork roles and job performance: Enrichment and conflict perspectives

An extensive commitment to nonwork roles was negatively associated with the job performance of 182 women legal secretaries. In addition to its direct negative effect on job performance, nonwork role commitment had both a negative indirect effect (through emotional energy expended on nonwork roles) and a positive indirect effect (through resources acquired from nonwork roles) on job performance. Consistent with a family-to-work conflict perspective, the negative effect was stronger than the positive effect. We suggest that the level and type of job occupied by the respondents in the study may have been responsible for the dominance of the negative effect and encourage researchers to examine the contextual influences that might explain the conditions under which commitment to life outside of work dampens or promotes performance in the work domain.     

The role of identity and work-family support in work-family enrichment and its work-related consequences

Despite growing research on the positive connections between work and family, antecedents and consequences of work-family enrichment are understudied. Using a sample of employees from a major insurance company, we assessed the relationship of (i) individual (i.e., work and family identities), (ii) family (emotional and instrumental support), and (iii) organizational (benefit use and work-family culture) antecedents to work-family and family-work enrichment. We also examined whether enrichment predicted important work outcomes including organizational commitment and turnover intentions. The strength of an individual’s identity and informal or emotional support within a domain, rather than formal or instrumental support, were associated with greater enrichment. Work-family enrichment positively predicted affective organizational commitment, and family-work enrichment negatively predicted turnover intentions. Implications for individuals and organizations wanting to foster enrichment are discussed.     

Reducing work-family conflict through different sources of social support

The present study examines the relationship between four sources of social support (i.e., spouse, relatives and friends, supervisor, and colleagues) and time and strain-based work-to-family and family-to-work conflict among 444 dual-earners. Gender differences with respect to the relationship between social support and work-family conflict were examined as well. The relationship between the sources of support and work-family conflict was tested using multiple regression analyses. Results showed that women reported more strain-based work-to-family conflict than men. Social support from spouse and from colleagues were related to family-to-work conflict, while none of the sources of social support were related to work-to-family conflict. Social support from supervisor and from colleagues were related differently to work-to-family conflict (time-based) and family-to-work conflict (strain-based) for men than for women. We conclude that social support is especially important in reducing family-to-work conflict.