The end is the beginning – the role of residual affective commitment in former interns’ intention to return and word-of-mouth

Interns are ubiquitous in organizations, yet relatively rarely studied, particularly after their temporary organizational membership has ended. Adopting an organizational commitment perspective, we conducted two studies to investigate two important outcomes of former interns’ membership: intention to return to their former employer, and word-of-mouth, that is, promoting the organization as an employer. In Study 1 (N = 436; lagged design), we found that residual affective commitment, that is, the remaining commitment after leaving an organization, related to former interns’ subsequent intention to return and word-of-mouth. In Study 2 (N = 236; cross-sectional design), we replicated our findings, and further found that intention to return was related to (lack of) alternative employment, hiring expectation, and attractiveness of the organization’s location. Location attractiveness also interacted with residual affective commitment on both intention to return and word-of-mouth, albeit in different directions. Overall, our findings suggest that the internship experience relates to future behaviours important for recruiting new (and old) employees. We discuss theoretical and practical implications of our studies.     

Acceptance- and mindfulness-based interventions for the treatment of chronic pain: a meta-analytic review

The number of acceptance- and mindfulness-based interventions for chronic pain, such as acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR), and mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT), increased in recent years. Therefore an update is warranted of our former systematic review and meta-analysis of studies that reported effects on the mental and physical health of chronic pain patients. Pubmed, EMBASE, PsycInfo and Cochrane were searched for eligible studies. Current meta-analysis only included randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Studies were rated for quality. Mean quality did not improve in recent years. Pooled standardized mean differences using the random-effect model were calculated to represent the average intervention effect and, to perform subgroup analyses. Outcome measures were pain intensity, depression, anxiety, pain interference, disability and quality of life. Included were twenty-five RCTs totaling 1285 patients with chronic pain, in which we compared acceptance- and mindfulness-based interventions to the waitlist, (medical) treatment-as-usual, and education or support control groups. Effect sizes ranged from small (on all outcome measures except anxiety and pain interference) to moderate (on anxiety and pain interference) at post-treatment and from small (on pain intensity and disability) to large (on pain interference) at follow-up. ACT showed significantly higher effects on depression and anxiety than MBSR and MBCT. Studies’ quality, attrition rate, type of pain and control group, did not moderate the effects of acceptance- and mindfulness-based interventions. Current acceptance- and mindfulness-based interventions, while not superior to traditional cognitive behavioral treatments, can be good alternatives.     

Fitness of Job Type and Management by Objectives: Mediating Effects of Perception of Effectiveness and Goal Commitment and Moderating Effects of Supervisor's Behavior

Abstract : This study investigated the influence of job type (line or staff) on perceptions of management‐by‐objectives (MBO) effectiveness, goal commitment, and goal‐attainment behavior, as well as mediating effects of perceptions of MBO effectiveness and goal commitment and moderating effects of supervisor behavior. Participants were 152 employees of a factory that manufactures drugs for a Japanese pharmaceutical company. The primary duties of line personnel involved production. The duties of staff personnel who supported production included supplying materials and production planning. Results indicated that line personnel perceived MBO as a more effective system for improving individual performance and showed higher goal commitment and more active behavior related to goals than staff personnel. Although perception of MBO effectiveness was related to goal commitment, it had no mediating effect. Goal commitment mediated between job type and goal‐attainment behavior. Supervisors’ goal‐setting behavior had different positive effects on goal commitment and goal‐attainment behavior for those in line and staff positions. MBO was a better fit for line positions than staff positions. However, supervisor behavior increased goal‐attainment behavior in staff positions. The results indicated that it is important for supervisors in a business organization to operate a management system flexibly.     

Une analyse du leadership laissez-faire dans les organisations : le rôle des orientations d’objectifs des employés

Supervisors’ laissez-faire leadership has been scarcely studied in the management literature. Moreover, the role of individual differences in employees’ reactions to laissez-faire leadership remains unknown. In the present study (n = 248), we examine the relationship between supervisors’ laissez-faire leadership and employees’ (affective) commitment to the supervisor and the organization, and their job satisfaction, and consider employees’ goal orientations (learning, performance, and avoidance) as moderating variables of these relationships. The results of multiple regression analyses indicate that laissez-faire leadership is negatively associated with employee commitment to the supervisor and the organization and job satisfaction. In addition, the relationship between laissez-faire leadership and commitment to the supervisor and to the organization was more negative when performance orientation was high. In contrast, the relationship between laissez-faire leadership and commitment to the supervisor and the organization and job satisfaction was less negative when avoidance orientation was high. Learning orientation exerted no moderating effect. These results reveal that the undermining effect of laissez-faire leadership varies across levels of employees’ performance and avoidance orientations. We discuss the implications of these results for future research.     

Conflict Resolution and Peer Mediation in Middle Schools: Extending the Process and Outcome Knowledge Base

Abstract

Many professional educators are implementing school-based prevention focused on conflict resolution (CR) and peer mediation (PM). The authors conducted research on CR-PM in 3 middle schools. Specifically, they surveyed teachers and students, tracked disciplinary incidents across school years, collected mediation data, and compared mediators with a matched sample to determine attitudinal change as a result of PM training and experience. The authors also surveyed peer mediators and disputants about program satisfaction, as well as peer mediators and their parents about the generalization of PM skills. The authors conclude with implications for developing future CR programs, including a focus on mediation-process evaluation as well as schoolwide outcome measures and the use of peer mediation training as an intervention for students at risk.     

Generational Differences as a Determinant of Women's Perspectives on Commitment

Differences between 116 graduate and undergraduate women, representing 4 generations (i.e., Baby Boomers, Transitionals, Generation Xers, and Millennials), were studied to categorize earliest awareness and definitions of commitment in relationships. More than 63% of participants in each generation viewed relationship commitment in terms of constraints rather than attractions.     

The Protective Influence of Relationship Commitment on the Effects of Facebook Addiction on Marital Disaffection

Abstract

Previous research has suggested that Facebook use can lead to adverse romantic relationship outcomes due to interpersonal conflicts, interactions with potential romantic alternatives, and jealousy. However, these associations have been explored mainly with undergraduates, focusing primarily on conflict rather than emotional disengagement. The current study examined the associations between Facebook addiction and marital disaffection (e.g., loss of love, emotional disengagement) amongst 138 (95 females and 43 males) cohabiting married Facebook users residing in the United States. The results revealed that Facebook addiction and marital disaffection were positively related, even after controlling for relationship commitment. Additionally, greater relationship commitment weakened the association between Facebook addiction and marital disaffection. There are likely multiple explanations for the current findings; however, results suggest that higher levels of relationship commitment may protect spouses against the negative relationship outcomes associated with Facebook addiction. Future longitudinal work with couples is needed to clarify the directionality of the relationship between Facebook addiction and marital disaffection.     

Passive leadership,role stressors,and affective organizational commitment: A time-lagged study among health care employees

IntroductionThis study examines the relationships of passive leadership and role stressors to affective organizational commitment among hospital employees.ObjectiveThis study's objective was to understand the mediating effect of role stressors (conflict, overload, and ambiguity) in the relation between passive leadership and affective organizational commitment.MethodWe used a structural equation modeling approach on a sample of 185 hospital employees and a time-lagged design in which predictor and mediators were assessed at Time 1 and affective organizational commitment was obtained 3 years later.ResultsFindings revealed that passive leadership was positively related to all three role stressors and that role ambiguity fully mediated a negative relationship between passive leadership and affective organizational commitment. Moreover, the relationship between passive leadership and role conflict was stronger when role overload was high.ConclusionThis study suggests organizations should strive to limit the emergence of passive leadership behaviors among supervisors due to their detrimental effects on the long-term development of affective commitment via role ambiguity.