Business Commons^™

The Development Of National Advisory Standards For The Professional Practice Of Hr In Australian Universities, Chris Andrews, Richard Boddington

Dr Chris Andrews

No abstract provided.

Human Resource Performance Auditing: Undertaking A Performance Evaluation Of Human Resources Using Audit Methodology, Chris Andrews, Seema Patel

Dr Chris Andrews

The case study demonstrated that a properly constructed performance audit of human resource department activities can identify areas where future improvements can be made, even to a valued, responsive and award winning HR department.

Measuring Bad Leadership In Organisations, James Shaw, Anthony Erickson

James B Shaw

This study describes the development of a measure of the nature of bad leadership in organisations. We then use scales developed from that measure in cluster analysis to empirically derive a taxonomy of bad leaders. Data were obtained through a web-based survey that generated 717 respondents. Based on follower perceptions, the results identified seven types of bad leaders based on behaviour-focused scales and seven types of bad leaders identified were not "all bad" but rather perceived as extreme on just one or two characteristics.

The Relationship Between Pre-Employment Expectations, Experiences, And The Length Of Stay In Public Accounting, Margaret Y. Padgett, Kathy Paulson Gjerde, Susan B. Hughes, Carolyn J. Born

Margaret Y. Padgett

This study examines the relationship between work-family conflict, employment expectations, and length of stay in public accounting. Length of stay is modeled as a function of demographic factors and job characteristics associated with work-family balance, measured in terms of the extent to which the employees' expectations matched their actual employment experiences. Results indicated that gender, the presence of children in the household, flexible schedules, and the presence of mentors were related to length of stay in public accounting.

A Strange Case: Violations Of Workers’ Freedom Of Association In The United States By European Multinational Corporations, Lance A. Compa

Lance A Compa

[Excerpt] A central conclusion of this report is that firms’ voluntary principles and policies are not enough to safeguard workers’ freedom of association. They can be important initiatives, but only when they contain effective due diligence, oversight, and control mechanisms. Otherwise, as shown here, shortcomings in US labor law create enormous temptation - especially among US managers not sufficiently overseen by European parent company officials - to take advantage of them by acts inconsistent with international norms. The pattern that emerges in the examples presented here suggests inadequate due diligence and internal performance controls to prevent and correct US management …

Employee Voice And Intent To Leave: An Empirical Evidence Of Pakistani Banking Sector, Ahmed Imran Hunjra, Muhammad Asghar Ali, Muhammad Irfanchani, Hashim Khan, Kashif Ur Rehman

Ahmed Imran Hunjra (PhD)

working in an organization, employees come across some problems both inside and outside the organization. This study investigates the relationship between field employees’ voice (effectiveness of voice mechanism) and employees’ intent to leave the organization. Further, this study explores the difference between male and female field employees perception regarding their intention to leave the organization. The sample of the study consisted of 250 field employees working in different banks of Rawalpindi and Islamabad through questionnaire; only 188 were returned and processed. The SPSS technique was used for data analysis and findings. The study concludes that employee voice mechanism has a …

[Review Of The Book We Can’T Eat Prestige: The Women Who Organized Harvard], Richard W. Hurd

Richard W Hurd

[Excerpt] In 1988 the fifteen-year campaign to organize office and laboratory workers at Harvard University ended with an NLRB election win. We Can't Eat Prestige is the most comprehensive examination to date of this compelling story, offering new detail and sufficiently bold assertions to re-ignite a smoldering debate about what this victory means for the future of unions. The author is a highly regarded journalist with thirty years of experience reporting on labor issues. Predictably, the book is extraordinarily well written, weaving a fascinating story of the union's evolution.

Factors Effecting Job Satisfaction Of Employees In Pakistani Banking Sector, Ahmed Imran Hunjra, Muhammad Irfan Chani, Sher Aslam, Muhammad Azam, Kashif Ur Rehman

Ahmed Imran Hunjra (PhD)

The job satisfaction has got tremendous attention in organizational research. The focus of this study is to determine the impact of various human resource management practices like job autonomy, team work environment and leadership behavior on job satisfaction. It also investigates the major determinants of job satisfaction in Pakistani banking sector. This study further evaluates the level of difference in job satisfaction among male and female employees. The sample of the study consisted of 450 employees working in different banks of Rawalpindi, Islamabad and Lahore through the questionnaire, of which 295 were returned and processed. SPSS was used to analyze …

Factors Effecting Job Satisfaction Of Employees In Pakistani Banking Sector, Ahmed Imran Hunjra, Muhammad Irfan Chani, Sher Aslam, Muhammad Azam, Kashif -Ur- Rehman

Muhammad Irfan Chani

The Moderating Influence Of Nationalism On The Relationship Between National Diversity And Conflict, Naliah Ayub, Karen Jehn

Karen A. Jehn

To understand the relationship between national diversity and conflict types (relationship and task conflict) in nationally diverse workgroups, we examined group members’ nationalistic attitudes regarding outgroup derogation (nationalistic derogation) and ingroup preference (national ingroup preference). A sample of 131 employees in nationally diverse workgroups was used to examine our hypotheses. A moderating effect of nationalistic derogation was found on the relationship between national diversity and both task and relationship conflict, such that national diversity was more likely to lead to both task conflict and relationship conflict when members had negative attitudes based on nationality toward the outgroup members. National ingroup …

Selection For Service And Sales Jobs, John P. Hausknecht, Angela M. Langevin

John Hausknecht

[Excerpt] This chapter provides a review of selection research for service and sales occupations and is organized into three major sections. First, we describe the nature of service and sales work and define the competencies that underlie success in these jobs. Second, we summarize past research concerning the methods that have been used to select service and sales employees with attention to issues of validity, applicant reactions, and adverse impact. Finally, we discuss the implications of this body of work for practice and future research, highlighting several important but often overlooked issues concerning selection system design for this critical segment …

Why High And Low Performers Leave And What They Find Elsewhere: Job Performance Effects On Employment Transitions, Charlie Trevor , John Hausknecht , Michael Howard

John Hausknecht

Little is known about how high and low performers differ in terms of why they leave their jobs, and no work examines whether pre-quit job performance matters for post-quit new-job outcomes. Working with a sample of approximately 2,500 former employees of an organization in the leisure and hospitality industry, we find that the reported importance of a variety of quit reasons differs both across and within performance levels. Additionally, we use an ease-of-movement perspective to predict how pre-quit performance relates to post-quit employment, new-job pay, and new-job advancement opportunity. Job type, tenure, and race interacted with performance in predicting new-job …

Ilr Impact Brief - Deconstructing Absenteeism: Satisfaction, Commitment, And Unemployment, John Hausknecht, Nathan J. Hiller, Robert J. Vance

John Hausknecht

[Excerpt] Group attitudes about satisfaction and commitment are negatively associated with absenteeism and interact in predicting absenteeism at the unit level. The effects are particularly strong in areas where jobs are plentiful but fade away where jobs are scarce. In other words, higher levels of absenteeism in a work group are associated with lower levels of job satisfaction and organizational commitment in labor markets with low unemployment, and vice versa. Organizational commitment is the crucial factor: absenteeism is higher in work units with low levels of commitment regardless of the level of satisfaction. Group norms about absenteeism and other contextual …

Retesting In Selection: A Meta-Analysis Of Practice Effects For Tests Of Cognitive Ability, John P. Hausknecht, Jane A. Halpert, Nicole T. Di Paolo, Meghan O. Moriarty Gerrard

John Hausknecht

Previous studies indicate that as many as 25-50% of applicants in organizational and educational settings are retested with measures of cognitive ability. Researchers have shown that practice effects are found across measurement occasions such that scores improve when these applicants retest. This study uses meta-analysis to summarize the results of 50 studies of practice effects for tests of cognitive ability. Results from 107 samples and 134,436 participants revealed an adjusted overall effect size of .26. Moderator analyses indicated that effects were larger when practice was accompanied by test coaching, and when identical forms were used. Additional research is needed to …

Measuring Bad Leadership In Organisations, James Shaw, Anthony Erickson

Anthony Erickson

This study describes the development of a measure of the nature of bad leadership in organisations. We then use scales developed from that measure in cluster analysis to empirically derive a taxonomy of bad leaders. Data were obtained through a web-based survey that generated 717 respondents. Based on follower perceptions, the results identified seven types of bad leaders based on behaviour-focused scales and seven types of bad leaders identified were not "all bad" but rather perceived as extreme on just one or two characteristics.

Believing Shapes Seeing: The Impact Of Diversity Beliefs On The Construal Of Group Composition, Astrid Homan, Lindred Greer, Karen Jehn, Lukas Koning

Karen A. Jehn

Previous research has suggested that diversity effects depend on how group members perceive their group’s composition. However, what determines how diversity is perceived is unclear. We argue that the way in which group members construe their group’s diversity is shaped by group members’ beliefs about the value in diversity. Focusing on groups with objective subgroups, we show in two studies that the more group members value diversity, the more likely they are to construe their diversity in terms of individual differences and the less likely they are to construe their diversity in terms of subgroups. We also show that diversity …

The 'New Responsibility Paradigm': Implications For Strategic Competitiveness, Art Stewart

Art Stewart

No abstract provided.

The Effects Of Conflict Asymmetry On Work Group And Individual Outcomes, Karen Jehn, Sonja Rispens, Sherry Thatcher

Karen A. Jehn

We examine the consequences of an often ignored aspect of work group conflict—asymmetric conflict perceptions—for the effectiveness of individuals and groups. Tests of our multilevel hypotheses using data on 51 work groups showed that group conflict asymmetry (the degree to which members differ in perceptions of the level of conflict in their group) decreased performance and creativity in groups. In addition, individual conflict asymmetry (a member perceiving more or less conflict than other group members) explained reported performance and satisfaction with a group. Social processes and a positive group atmosphere mediated this effect.

The Faultline Activation Process And The Effects Of Activated Faultlines On Coalition Formation, Conflict, And Group Outcomes, Karen Jehn, Katerina Bezrukova

Karen A. Jehn

This research examines the effects of group faultline activation on coalition formation, conflict, and group outcomes. We distinguish between dormant faultlines (potential faultlines based on demographic characteristics) and activated group faultlines (members actually perceive subgroups based on the demographic characteristics) and hypothesize that while dormant faultlines do not automatically turn into active group divisions, a group’s entitlement configuration can activate divisions among group members. Study 1 was a construct validity study to verify the psychometric properties of the activated group faultline measure and explain its connection to other process variables. In Studies 2 and 3, we tested our hypotheses and …

Where All The Children Are Above Average: A Meta Analysis Of The Performance Appraisal Purpose Affect, J. Jawahar, Chuck R. Williams

Chuck R Williams

More than 40 years ago, Taylor and Wherry (1951) hypothesized that performance appraisal ratings obtained for administrative purposes, such as pay raises or promotions, would be more lenient than ratings obtained for research, feedback, or employee development purposes. However, research on appraisal purpose has yielded inconsistent results, with roughly half of such studies supporting this hypothesis and the other half refuting it. To account for those differences, a meta-analysis of performance appraisal purpose research was conducted with 22 studies and a total sample size of 57,775. Our results support Taylor and Wherry's hypothesis as performance evaluations obtained for administrative purposes …

The Availability Of Personal And External Coping Resources: Their Impact On Job Stress And Employee Attitudes During Organizational Restructuring. [2nd Rev. Ed.], James B. Shaw, Mitchell W. Fields, James W. Thacker, Cynthia D. Fisher

James B Shaw

This study examined the relationships among personal coping resources, social support, external coping resources, job stressors and job strains in a sample of 110 American Telephone & Telegraph employees undergoing a major organizational restructuring. The study expanded on a model suggested by Ashford (1988) by defining another category of coping resources that employees may draw upon to deal with the stressors and strains which occur during major organizational changes. External coping resources were defined as those which provided employees with a sense of "vicarious control" in stressful situations. Results indicated that personal coping resources, social support, and external coping resources …

Human Resource Practices In Hong Kong And Singapore: A Comparative Analysis, James B. Shaw, Paul S. Kirkbride, Cynthia D. Fisher, Sara F. Y. Tang

James B Shaw

Extract:Due to the explosive growth of the Asian economies over the past two decades, considerable attention has been focused on the human resource management (HRM) practices of Asian businesses. In the 1980's, numerous authors described Japanese HRM practices and debated their applicability and transferability to firms in other Asian and Western nations. Although interest in Japanese HRM practices continues, increasing attention is being drawn to management practices of firms in the "little dragons" of East Asia --- Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan and South Korea. These "little dragons" have had phenomenal economic success in the last 20 years, with many authors …

Organisational And Environmental Factors Related To Hrm Practices In Hong Kong: A Cross-Cultural Expanded Replication, James B. Shaw, Paul S. Kirkbride, Sara F. Y. Tang, Cynthia D. Fisher

James B Shaw

Data were collected from 151 Hong Kong organisations to determine the effect of culture, firm size, level ofunionsation and several indices related to the presence of an HRM department within the firm on Human Resource Management (HR) practices. Culture was a relatively weak predictor of HR practices. Existence of an HRM department and level of unionisation were moderate predictors while firm size and the existence of specialised training departments within the HRM department were the strongest preditors of HR practices.

Teaching Hrm And Managerial Skills With The 'Living Case' Exercise: An Evaluation, Cynthia D. Fisher, Carol A. Dickenson, James B. Shaw, Gregory N. Southey

James B Shaw

Extract:The purpose of this paper is to describe and evaluate an innovative approach to teaching human resource management. The approach involves students working in small groups on a semester-long project in the form of an on-going case study (here after called the 'living case'). After setting up a simulated organisation complete with identification of strategies, structure and culture, students are required to make and defend a series of HR decisions in which they apply theory and classroom learning about HRM to their "real" organisation. The approach emphasises the context of HRM decisions and helps to develop a range of both …

Steward Training In The Construction Industry: The United Brotherhood Of Carpenters And Joiners Of America Faces The Challenge, Jeffrey Grabelsky

Jeffrey Grabelsky

[Excerpt] This article examines the development and delivery of the Carpenters union national construction steward training program. It describes the collaboration of the union and Cornell University in the design of the curriculum and the use of a train-the-trainer model in the delivery of the steward program in construction locals throughout the United States and Canada. Finally, it evaluates the effectiveness of the program in relation to the transfer of knowledge to participating stewards.

Standing At A Crossroads: The Building Trades In The Twenty-First Century, Mark Erlich, Jeffrey Grabelsky

Jeffrey Grabelsky

American building trades unions have historically played a critical and stabilizing role in the nation’s construction industry, establishing uniform standards and leveling the competitive playing field. Union members have enjoyed better than average wages and benefits, excellent training opportunities, and decent jobsite conditions. But in the last thirty years the industry has undergone a dramatic transformation. This article describes the decline in union density, the drop in construction wages, the growth of anti-union forces, the changes in labor force demographics, the shift toward construction management, and the emergence of an underground economy. It also analyzes how building trades unions have …

Strategic Segmentation In Frontline Services: Matching Customers, Employees, And Human Resource Systems, Rosemary Batt

Rosemary Batt

This paper examines variation in the use of high involvement work practices in service and sales operations. I argue that the relationship between the customer and frontline service provider is a central feature that distinguishes production-level service activities from manufacturing. In particular, through strategic segmentation, firms are able to segment customers by their demand characteristics and to match the complexity and potential revenue stream of the customer to the skills of employees and the human resource system that shapes the customer-employee interface. Unlike manufacturing, where high involvement systems have emerged in a wide variety of product markets, therefore, service organizations …

Who Benefits From Teams? Comparing Workers, Supervisors, And Managers, Rosemary Batt

Rosemary Batt

This paper offers a political explanation for the diffusion and sustainability of team-based work systems by examining the differential outcomes of team structures for 1200 workers, supervisors, and middle managers in a large unionized telecommunications company. Regression analyses show that participation in self-managed teams is associated with significantly higher levels of perceived discretion, employment security, and satisfaction for workers and the opposite for supervisors. Middle managers who initiate team innovations report higher employment security, but otherwise are not significantly different from their counterparts who are not involved in innovations. By contrast, there are no significant outcomes for employees associated with …

Human Resource Practices As Predictors Of Work-Family Outcomes And Employee Turnover, Rosemary Batt, P. Monique Valcour

Rosemary Batt

Drawing on a non-random sample of 557 dual- earner white collar employees, this paper explores the relationship between human resource practices and three outcomes of interest to firms and employees: work-family conflict, employees’ control over managing work and family demands, and employees’ turnover intentions. We analyze three types of human resource practices: work-family policies, HR incentives designed to induce attachment to the firm, and the design of work. In a series of hierarchical regression equations, we find that work design characteristics explain the most variance in employees’ control over managing work and family demands, while HR incentives explain the most …

Using The Department Of Labor's O*Net Database On Job Requirements To Develop Learning Outcomes, Kenneth Thompson, Daniel Koys

Daniel J. Koys

No abstract provided.