Employees’ voice behavior in response to corporate social irresponsibility (CSI): The role of organizational identification,issue perceptions,and power distance culture

While extensive literature has examined the role of employees in corporate social responsibility (CSR), little is known about employees’ role in corporate social irresponsibility (CSI). The current study aims to examine the voice behaviors of employees generated around the issue of CSI. Two online surveys were administered to full-time employees by using two different scenarios involving CSI situations: environmental and diversity issues. The results of the study identified employees’ pre-established organizational identification as a critical cross-situational factor that influenced their CSI perceptions. In addition, employees’ situational perceptions of CSI – how they perceive CSI as a serious problem, their sense of connection to the situation, and their perceived constraints in solving the situation – played critical roles in motivating them to engage in voice behavior. Furthermore, the level of power distance culture within an organization significantly moderated the relationship between employees’ CSI perceptions and voice behavior. By incorporating organizational identification literature and public relations theory in the context of CSI communication and management, this study provides theoretical and practical implications.     

Crisis perceptions,relationship, and communicative behaviors of employees: Internal public segmentation approach

This study examines when and why employees engage in external communicative behaviors during the periods of a corporate crisis. Combining a cross-situational factor (i.e., pre-crisis relationship quality) and a situational factor (i.e., crisis-specific perceptions), this study segments internal publics to understand employees’ motivations of becoming advocates for or adversaries of their organization. The results of an online survey demonstrated that employees’ pre-crisis relationship to their organization plays a critical role in encouraging them to advocate for their company; meanwhile, their crisis-perception—whether they feel fewer constraints in solving a crisis—is more likely to make them share negative information externally. Segmented groups of employees with high levels of both relationship and activeness are most likely to engage in both positive and negative external communication behaviors. Theoretical and practical implications for public relations and internal crisis communication are suggested.     

The efficacy of the Rio Hondo DUI court: a 2-year field experiment

This study reports results from an evaluation of the experimental Rio Hondo driving under the influence (DUI) court of Los Angeles County, California. Interviews and official record checks with 284 research participants who were randomly assigned to a DUI court or a traditional criminal court were assessed at baseline and at 24-month follow-up. The interviews assessed the impact of the DUI court on self-reported drunk driving behavior, the completion of treatment, time spent in jail, alcohol use, and stressful life events. Official record checks assessed the impact of the DUI court on subsequent arrests for driving under the influence and other drinking-related behaviors. Few differences on any outcomes were observed between participants in the experimental DUI court and those assigned to the traditional court. The results suggest that the DUI court model had little additional therapeutic or public safety benefit over the traditional court process. The implication of these findings for the popularity of specialized courts for treating social problems is discussed.     

Safety implications of infotainment system use in naturalistic driving

The use of a radio while driving has long been considered a "threshold" of distraction that is socially acceptable although it may be a factor in some crashes and near crashes. This "social acceptance" has prompted the use of radio tasks, specifically radio tuning, as "references" that should not be exceeded by other secondary and tertiary tasks that make their way into the vehicle. As new functions make their way into vehicle radios (or more advanced infotainment systems), however, it is possible that radio tasks may become distracting to a level that surpasses current driver expectations. This investigation examines the naturalistic usage of several advanced infotainment systems and examines whether usage is associated first with changes in near crash occurrence and second with changes in driving behavior. Little association was found with near crashes: 5 of 46 near crash events observed in the dataset exhibited infotainment system use. Drivers involved in infotainment system use during near crashes, however, did exhibit distinct glance behaviors, generally suggesting lower levels of awareness about their driving environment. Initial analyses of a larger dataset appear to confirm these findings.     

DISINFLATION,INEQUALITY, AND WELFARE IN A TANK MODEL

We investigate the redistributive and welfare effects of disinflation in a two-agent New Keynesian model characterized by limited asset market participation and wealth inequality. We highlight two key mechanisms driving our long-run results: (1) the cash in advance constraint on firms working capital; (2) dividends endogeneity. These two channels point in opposite directions. Lower inflation softens the cash in advance constraint and, by raising labor demand, lowers inequality. But disinflation also raises dividends and this increases inequality. The disinflation is always welfare-improving for asset holders. We obtain ambiguous results for non-asset holders, who suffer substantial consumption losses during the transition. (JEL E31, E5, D3, D6)     

Behavioral Stability Across Time and Situations: Nonverbal Versus Verbal Consistency

Behavioral consistency has been at the center of debates regarding the stability of personality. We argue that people are consistent but that such consistency is best observed in nonverbal behavior. In Study 1, participants’ verbal and nonverbal behaviors were observed in a mock interview and then in an informal interaction. In Study 2, medical students’ verbal and nonverbal behaviors were observed during first- and third-year clinical skills evaluation. Nonverbal behavior exhibited consistency across context and time (a duration of 2 years) whereas verbal behavior did not. Discussion focuses on implications for theories of personality and nonverbal behavior.     

The Driving Vengeance Questionnaire (DVQ): the development of a scale to measure deviant drivers' attitudes

The Driving Vengeance Questionnaire (DVQ) was developed and administered to assess drivers' use of vengeance when faced with common driving situations. Subjects in the development of the scale were 266 male and female university students. The scale was then administered to 271 university students (both male and female) and 74 male inmates who were classified as either violent or nonviolent offenders on the basis of the amount of force used in committing the offence. A Cronbach alpha of .83 (M = 40.76, n = 310) indicated a high level of internal consistency for the DVQ. Younger drivers (18-23 years old) indicated higher levels of vengeance while driving than did older drivers (24-66 years old, M = 44.35 and 37.81, respectively). Those with less driving experience (0-6 years) expressed higher levels of vengeance while driving than more experienced drivers (6+ years, M = 42.95 and 38.81, respectively). Male drivers responded with greater vengeance to the questionnaire items than females (M = 42.07 and 39.62, respectively). The level of force used in commission of crime failed to correlate with the DVQ. A factor analysis was performed with a different sample of subjects using a slightly modified version of the DVQ to deal with the issue of whether horn honking constituted an appropriate measure of aggression. When the two relevant DVQ items were changed to read "leaning on horn" rather than mere honking, a strong, single factor of vengeance was found to characterize the scale. Suggestions were made for the use of DVQ in the screening of driving license applicants and in the study of problem drivers.     

User acceptance of cooperative maneuver-based driving--a summary of three studies

Modern cars offer drivers support with the help of a number of driver assistance systems. Those systems aim to relieve drivers through assumption of sub parts of the driving task (e.g. in case of an Adaptive Cruise Control by regulation of vehicle speed and time gap to preceding vehicle). Today, systems are controlled and monitored separately which leads to efforts to combine the functionality of all systems in an overlying assistance for drivers. The approach of the University of Technology Darmstadt is called Conduct-by-Wire and can be seen as a cooperative maneuver-based driving paradigm, where the driver gives maneuver command to the systems which are automatically executed. This paper summarizes the results of three studies which investigated the user acceptance of this driving paradigm. Overall, it can be said that the acceptance of the system depends on personal traits of the driver and on the driving situation. Almost all participants are willing to use Conduct-by- Wire for routine tasks such as commuting, which makes the systems interesting for company cars. Still, there remain a number of drivers who are not willing to use such a highly automated system at all.     

“THE WAR FOR THE FARE”: HOW DRIVER COMPENSATION AFFECTS BUS SYSTEM PERFORMANCE

Prior to 2007, two systems of bus driver compensation coexisted in Santiago, Chile: one paid drivers per passenger transported, while the other paid a fixed wage. Per‐passenger drivers engaged in “The War for the Fare,” altering their driving patterns to compete for passengers. Examining these systems on similar routes in Santiago, we observed two key findings. Compared with the fixed‐wage system, the per‐passenger system leads to (1) 13% shorter passenger wait times, via reduced bunching of buses and (2) 67% more accidents per kilometer driven, via more aggressive driving. We discuss implications for the design of incentives in public transit. (JEL L92, M52, R41)     

THE EFFECTS OF PERCEIVED AND ACTUAL FINANCIAL LITERACY ON FINANCIAL BEHAVIORS

A combined measure of financial literacy that includes both a test score of actual financial literacy and a self‐rating of overall financial literacy is used in this study. We find that the combined measure appears to provide greater understanding about how financial literacy affects financial behaviors. A large national survey of U.S. adults and households (n = 28,146) was used to investigate how this overall financial literacy is likely to change financial behaviors across five financial topics: credit cards, investments, loans, insurance, and financial advice. For each topic, we include 4–5 financial behaviors (22 in total) to demonstrate the consistency of the findings within and across topics. Although we are unable to identify a causal relationship, the results from the probit analysis show that both actual and perceived financial literacy appear to influence financial behaviors and that perceived financial literacy may be as important as actual financial literacy. (JEL D14, G00)     

The Social and Policy Predictors of Driving Mobility Among Older Adults

This research was designed to identify the impact of state driver's license renewal requirements on the driving mobility (i.e., the reduction or cessation of driving) of older (70 years or older) drivers in the United States. Nationally representative data from four waves (1993–2000) of the Asset and Health Dynamics of the Oldest Old study were linked to state policies on relicensing and used in a longitudinal logistic regression analysis. The author assessed the driving behaviors of a sample of 9,638 men and women. The findings demonstrate that the driving mobility of older people is influenced by state relicensing policies. The analysis indicates that five policies—accelerated renewal, mental testing, peripheral vision testing, renewal in person at age 70+ (as opposed to renewal by mail or online), and restricted licensing—have a significant effect on an older driver's decision to reduce or cease driving. The driving patterns of older adults are influenced not only by their health and socioeconomic backgrounds, but also by state relicensing policies. In terms of public policy, this result shows that there is a mechanism for extending the years of independent mobility for older people: restricted licensing.     

The social and policy predictors of driving mobility among older adults

This research was designed to identify the impact of state driver's license renewal requirements on the driving mobility (i.e., the reduction or cessation of driving) of older (70 years or older) drivers in the United States. Nationally representative data from four waves (1993-2000) of the Asset and Health Dynamics of the Oldest Old study were linked to state policies on relicensing and used in a longitudinal logistic regression analysis. The author assessed the driving behaviors of a sample of 9,638 men and women. The findings demonstrate that the driving mobility of older people is influenced by state relicensing policies. The analysis indicates that five policies--accelerated renewal, mental testing, peripheral vision testing, renewal in person at age 70+ (as opposed to renewal by mail or online), and restricted licensing--have a significant effect on an older driver's decision to reduce or cease driving. The driving patterns of older adults are influenced not only by their health and socioeconomic backgrounds, but also by state relicensing policies. In terms of public policy, this result shows that there is a mechanism for extending the years of independent mobility for older people: restricted licensing.     

Evaluation of a measure of incidental legal risk behaviors in college students who use alcohol

The purpose of this study was to develop a new measure of incidental behaviors that put college students at increased risk of legal consequences while using alcohol, the Legal Risk Behaviors while using Alcohol (LRBA) scale. Two hundred and twenty one college students who used alcohol were recruited to complete an online study about their use of alcohol, specific behaviors engaged in while using alcohol, and associated consequences. Analyses revealed that the 19-item LRBA consisted of three factors--"Risky Behaviors," "Protective Behaviors," and "Private Settings." Analyses suggested that the LRBA had adequate test-retest reliability and internal consistency. Initial results indicate that the LRBA may be a useful measure to help us better understand what behaviors college student engage in that increase their risk for experiencing a legal encounter.     

COMPARING CITIZEN AND ELITE BELIEF SYSTEMS IN POST-SOVIET RUSSIA AND UKRAINE

No previous research has systematically compared the policypreferences and attitudinal constraint of elites and ordinarycitizens in societies undergoing a fundamental change in theform of the government and the economic system. This articleutilizes directly comparable survey questions asked of a representativesample of citizens and their parliamentary representatives intwo post-Soviet countries, Russia and Ukraine, to determinethe degree of similarity that existed in the attitudinal preferencesand ideological consistency of these two sets of political actors6 months after the collapse of the Soviet Union. The level ofattitude consistency and ideological thinking among ordinarycitizens was found to be unexpectedly high, thereby reflectingthe degree of politicization occurring during the period immediatelypreceding the Soviet disintegration. Relative to other studiesof elites, however, the attitude constraint among the eliteswas unexpectedly low. This unexpected finding is explained bythe absence of various institutions and arrangements that promoteconsistent attitudes among elites in western democracies, suchas functioning political parties, lobby groups, and an investigatorymedia.     

The Family Unpredictability Scale: Reliability and Validity

We developed the Family Unpredictability Scale (FUS) to better understand the factors that underlie the presence and consequences of family dysfunction. Familial unpredictability is defined as a lack of consistency in family behaviors and regulatory systems. Family researchers and therapists generated and evaluated items, which were self‐administered by married parents who had children aged 2 to 18 (N= 314 ). Principal‐components analysis yielded four subscales (discipline, nurturance, meals, and money; 22 items total) that were internally consistent; confirmatory factor analysis based on a separate subsample yielded an adequate preliminary representation of this factor structure. The FUS related significantly to known measures of family and individual functioning but not to social desirability. The present study provides preliminary reliability, construct validity, and concurrent validity for this new multidimensional, self‐report assessment of family unpredictability. Research and clinical implications are discussed.     

Work performance and tax compliance in flat and progressive tax systems

Different tax systems, and their impact on work motivation and tax compliance are significant issues in contemporary political and economic debates. The proportional feature of a flat tax system is assumed to lead to higher performance, while the fairness of the redistributive progressive tax system is assumed to result in higher tax compliance. However, empirical findings on the topic are inconclusive. Both work performance and tax compliance under different tax systems were examined in an experiment, with special attention devoted to the effect of a change in tax systems. A flat tax system was supposed to induce greater work performance, whereas a progressive tax system was expected to increase tax compliance based on fairness perceptions, allowing for the opposite effect due to higher complexity. Furthermore, it was assumed that performance and tax payments would be influenced by motives of self-interest. The design included 20 rounds with a real-effort task in each round, determining participants’ experimental income. Participants (N = 191) made decisions about their tax payments from round-to-round in four different experimental conditions: (1) a flat tax system, (2) a progressive tax system, (3) starting with a flat and changing to a progressive, and (4) starting with a progressive and changing to a flat tax system. Results indicate higher work performance in a progressive system. However, a change from a progressive tax system to a flat system led to increased tax compliance.     

DriveID: safety innovation through individuation

The driving task is highly complex and places considerable perceptual, physical and cognitive demands on the driver. As driving is fundamentally an information processing activity, distracted or impaired drivers have diminished safety margins compared with non- distracted drivers (Hancock and Parasuraman, 1992; TRB 1998 a & b). This competition for sensory and decision making capacities can lead to failures that cost lives. Some groups, teens and elderly drivers for example, have patterns of systematically poor perceptual, physical and cognitive performance while driving. Although there are technologies developed to aid these different drivers, these systems are often misused and underutilized. The DriveID project aims to design and develop a passive, automated face identification system capable of robustly identifying the driver of the vehicle, retrieve a stored profile, and intelligently prescribing specific accident prevention systems and driving environment customizations.     

Evaluation of a Goal Orientation Model of Vocational Identity

The authors tested a model that considered goal orientation (mastery approach, performance approach, and performance avoidance) as an antecedent to vocational identity (career exploration and commitment) and included both career behaviors (career‐related strategies) and affect (career distress) as outcomes of vocational identity. The authors also assessed vocational identity as a mediator for consistency with models of career development. The study was survey based with 281 young adult participants (77% women, mean age = 26 years). Mastery and performance approach were associated with more career exploration, which, in turn, was associated with greater use of career‐related strategies. Performance avoidance was associated with more career commitment, which was then related to greater distress. The study demonstrated that goal orientation is a potentially important antecedent to vocational identity, which has implications for how practitioners work with young adults with different goal orientations.     

The pinney sexual satisfaction inventory

The purpose of the present investigation was to (a) develop a reliable self‐report questionnaire that assesses women's sexual satisfaction and (b) investigate the correlates of sexual satisfaction in women. A total of 275 college‐aged women completed the Pinney Sexual Satisfaction Inventory (PSSI) and were also assessed on a variety of sexual behaviors, experiences, and attitudes. The results supported the internal reliability of the PSSI, and evidence of covergent validity was provided by strong positive correlations between the PSSI and other measures of sexual satisfaction. A factor analysis revealed two underlying dimensions of the PSSI: General Sexual Satisfaction and Satisfaction with Partner. The variables that were most highly correlated with the PSSI were relationship commitment, orgasm consistency, frequency of intercourse, and effectiveness of contraceptive device. These findings have implications for further use of the PSSI in research and clinical practice.