The Career Advancement Prospects of Managers and Professionals: Are MIS Employees Unique?

The present study examined the career advancement prospects of MIS and non-MIS employees, as well as the relationships of career advancement prospects with job performance evaluations, job satisfaction, career satisfaction, and organizational commitment for MIS and non-MIS professionals and managers. Participants included 134 MIS professionals and managers and 397 non-MIS professionals and managers of a large communications company. The results provided no evidence that MIS employees experience more restricted career advancement prospects than non-MIS employees. In addition, job performance evaluations generally had positive effects on career advancement prospects; career advancement prospects had a number of positive effects on job satisfaction, career satisfaction, and organizational commitment; and job satisfaction and career satisfaction had positive effects on organizational commitment. These findings are related to prior research, suggestions for future research are offered, and implications for the management of MIS employees are identified.     

The impact of frequency of contact on protégé mentoring outcomes: the moderating effects of protégé general self-efficacy and face-to-face interaction

As a Human Resource Development (HRD) intervention, mentoring assists individuals in their career development. However, it is still unknown if mentoring could enhance individuals’ early career decision-making. Moreover, the literature lacks longitudinal research that investigates the role of frequency of contact in mentoring relationships. Therefore, this study examines whether frequency of contact between mentor and protégé influences protégé mentoring outcomes, namely, improvement in career decision self-efficacy (i.e. CDSE development) and satisfaction with mentoring. Data were collected at two times from 86 first-year undergraduate students who participated in a mentoring programme at a Middle Eastern business school, where email communication facilitated the contact between these protégés and their mentors. Based on regression analyses, the associfations were significant between frequency of contact and mentoring outcomes. The findings partially confirmed the effects of two moderating variables in the relationships mentioned above. This study has practical implications for HRD practitioners in higher-education institutions.     

HRM Practices and Employee Commitment: Possibilities, Pitfalls and Paradoxes

Much recent writing on Human Resources Management (HRM) has emphasized the desirability of a committed workforce and the central role of HRM practices in establishing and maintaining such commitment. Little empirical evidence for such effects has been presented however, and the conceptualization of employee commitment has often been confused, failing to recognize its multi–dimensional nature. Researchers have sought to identify the antecedents of commitment, concentrating on personal/demographic, task, role and supervisory style variables taken from job satisfaction research. With regard to organizational and career commitment, it may be more fruitful to examine the impact of HRM policies and practices. Several studies undertaken by the authors demonstrating the impact on employee commitment of such HRM practices as selection, assessment, induction and training are reviewed, indicating the possibilities for research and practice in this area. Such studies also reveal some pitfalls in the over–simple, uncritical models of commitment often presented, and some paradoxical findings from the authors' own work are used to present a more adequate perspective on the commitment process.     

员工导师网络对员工职业生涯成功的影响研究

在梳理了员工导师网络的导师制理论、社会资本理论和职业成功理论后,运用SEM方法对员工导师网络的社会资本,导师网络效益与员工职业成功之间的关系进行了研究.结果表明:员工导师网络的社会资本对导师网络效益有显著影响;导师网络效益水平对员工的薪酬水平、升迁次数和职业满意度有影响,且与职业满意度显著正相关.     

支持资源作用下的工作-家庭促进:情感倾向的调节作用

基于组织支持理论和资源保存理论,构建了支持资源作用下的工作-家庭促进模型,通过对40家制造业企业员工的问卷调查,采用多元调节回归的方法进行统计分析。研究结果表明,支持资源作用下的工作-家庭促进对员工组织情感承诺、工作满意度和离职意向有显著影响;情感倾向对支持资源作用下的工作-家庭促进与结果变量之间的关系有调节作用。当个体的情感倾向处于积极时,由组织支持资源带来的工作-家庭促进会显著提高员工的工作满意度、组织情感承诺,降低离职意向。     

Mediating role of mentoring functions on linking personality and occupational commitment in Indian organizations

ABSTRACT

This study investigated the mediating effect of mentoring on the relationship between the Five Factor Model (FFM) Personality traits and occupational commitment (OC). The study used cross-sectional survey-based research design. Data were collected from 362 managers of public and private sector organizations located in North India. The results indicated that psychosocial mentoring acts as a partial mediator for facilitating the linkage between all the FFM traits and OC. Contrary to this, career mentoring was found to partially mediate the link between only conscientiousness-OC, agreeableness-OC and emotional stability-OC. No mediating effect of career mentoring was found for personality factors of openness and extraversion. HRD practitioners are encouraged to implement train-for-trainers’ sessions for raising awareness among senior managers/mentors about the importance of psychosocial mentoring functions. This study is unique, because it is among the few to appropriately capture the mediating role of mentoring functions vis a vis the personality and OC relationship. Further, it also enriches the existing body of research on workplace mentoring and careers, especially in the South-Asian context.     

An investigation of career development programs,job satisfaction,professional development and productivity: the case of Taiwan

This study attempts to develop career development programs capable of responding to career needs at different career stages. The current implementation status of these career development programs in Taiwanese businesses is then examined, along with the level of satisfaction of R&D personnel with available career development programs. The relationship between the career development programs and job satisfaction, professional development and productivity is then examined, revealing an association between high satisfaction of R&D personnel with career development programs and high job satisfaction, professional development and productivity.     

Exploring work- and organization-based resources as moderators between work–family conflict,well-being,and job attitudes

Abstract

In modern Western life it is difficult to avoid work–family conflict. Therefore the resources that might reduce its negative outcomes on well-being and job attitudes come into focus. Our study contributes to the work–family conflict literature by exploring the indirect (moderator) and direct role of three work- and organization-related resources, i.e., job control, family supportive climate, organization-based self-esteem (OBSE), in the work-to-family conflict and well-being/job attitude relationship. Theoretically, the study tested the recently developed Job Demands–Resources (JD-R) model in the Scandinavian context. Data for the study were gathered from three differing Finnish organizations (health care district, ICT company, Cardboard mill; n=1252). In line with the predictions of the JD-R model, job demands (time- and strain-based work-to-family conflict) were more robustly associated with strain-based outcomes (physical symptoms), whereas job resources (job control, family supportive climate, OBSE) were more strongly linked to motivational-based outcomes (job satisfaction, organizational commitment). Both job control and family supportive climate moderated the relationships studied; high job control and family supportive climate buffered against the aversive effects of work-to-family conflict on well-being and job attitudes. These indirect effects also varied in relation to the independent, moderator, and dependent variables. However, OBSE did not operate as a buffering factor, although it showed significant direct effects. From a practical viewpoint, our findings suggest that job control and family supportive climate are resources that help employees to reduce the negative effects related to work–family conflict.     

Effects of role variables on job satisfaction

This study examines the effects of role variables on job satisfaction among physician and non-physician executives in hospital settings. Positive relationships were found for both groups between role variables and job satisfaction. The results indicate that role variables have a significant effect on stress, job satisfaction, and organizational commitment in the physician executive and the non-physician health care executive. On a theoretical level, this research allowed for an extended test of role theory, specifically as it applies to the management of health care. The implications of these findings for role theory and the physician executive are discussed. Since this study is of an exploratory nature, it offers new insights into the field of health care management, and the physician's role as the executive.     

Effects of Changing Economic Conditions on Managerial Job Changes and Careers

Career theories and popular beliefs support the view that careers are series of job changes which are normatively linked to common themes, are continuous, are hierarchically progressive, and are under the control of the career-making person. This study reports an age-controlled analysis of the job changes, from 1980 to 1992, of a sample of 832 UK managers, randomly sampled from the membership of the Institute of Management. Following the methodology developed by Alban-Metcalfe and Nicholson (1984), sample members completed a questionnaire in which they provided details of every job change they had experienced in the relevant period, including nature of change and reasons for change. The results suggested that during the recession of 1989–92 British managers moved from a situation of predominantly proactive, career-oriented upward moves, to one of predominantly reactive, organizationally induced sideways and downward moves, including redundancies. Implications for career theory and for the career development and orientations of managers and others are discussed. The continuing usefulness of the concept ‘career’ is questioned. This paper was first presented at the Academy of Management Annual Convention in Atlanta, Georgia, August 1993.     

Antecedents of Job Satisfaction,Organizational Commitment and Stress in a Public Hospital: a P-E Fit Perspective

This article tests different P-E (person-environment) fit dimensions in order to assess their impact on three work outcomes: job satisfaction; organizational commitment; and stress perception. Findings shows that P-E fit dimensions have differentiated effects on its dependent variables. This study contributes to several important academic discussions. The first concerns the model tested, which contains several P-E fit dimensions. The second scientific contribution is to consider P-E fit dimensions as antecedents of three job outcomes. The third contribution concerns the development and testing of a new P-E fit dimension called “person-reforms” fit.     

Job satisfaction and mental health of temporary agency workers in Europe: a systematic review and research agenda

ABSTRACT

The current systematic literature review aimed to analyse the associations between temporary agency work (TAW), job satisfaction, and mental health in Europe, as well as to outline a future research agenda. Twenty-eight scientific articles were identified by searching different data bases (i.e. PSYNDEX, PsycINFO, PubMed, and Web of Science) for the time span from January 2000 to December 2016. Our review reveals first that TAW is not consistently negatively related to job satisfaction. However, job insecurity and working conditions are important mediators in the relation of TAW and lowered job satisfaction. Second, TAW is not consistently related to all investigated types of mental health impairments. However, when focusing on specific outcomes and comparing temporary agency workers to permanent employees, we still find consistent evidence regarding higher levels of depression and fatigue among temporary agency workers. Inconsistent associations between TAW, job satisfaction and mental health can partly be attributed to unfavourable methodological aspects of the included primary studies. To address these aspects, future research should consider applying a standard measurement of TAW, including a minimum of meaningful confounding variables, improving the operationalisation of outcome variables and the study design.     

核心自我评价、组织支持对主客观职业成功的影响:人-情境互动的视角

以212名企业员工为研究对象,考察了核心自我评价、组织支持以及二者的交互作用对主客观职业成功的影响。研究结果表明:主观职业成功(工作、职业和生活满意度)和客观职业成功(收入、晋升次数和速度)是2种相关但不同的职业成功类型;核心自我评价和组织支持对主客观职业成功均有一定的影响,但它们对客观职业成功的影响效果弱于社会-人口和人力资本特征;与特质激发理论相一致,核心自我评价和组织支持在对职业成功的影响上存在一定的交互效应,表现为组织支持会强化核心自我评价对职业成功的正向影响,且高核心自我评价的员工在得到高组织支持时有最高的职业成功水平。     

Helping people to sort it out: The role of social support in the Job Strain Model

This paper reports three studies of occupational stress investigating the role of social support as an intervening variable in the Job Strain Model (Karasek, 1979). A computer simulated mail-sorting work environment was used to assess the effect of demands, control and social support on measures of strain, satisfaction, and perceived and actual task performance. The first experiment ( N =60) tests the basic Job Strain Model by manipulating levels of task demand and control. The second experiment ( N =120) compares high and low levels of two types of social support (informational support and emotional support) to determine whether and how they interact with extreme conditions of the Job Strain Model (high strain and low strain). The final experiment ( N =90) investigates positive and negative forms of social support (praise and criticism) in relation to extreme job strain conditions. Results show that the job strain model is consistent with the stress and performance data, although stress showed no Demand ×Control interaction. Social supports increased arousal, satisfaction and perceived performance, but did not affect stress or task performance. Moreover, contrary to buffer theories, social supports did not interact with the job strain variables. Congruence between preferred and experienced emotional support levels also predicted performance.     

Helping people to sort it out: The role of social support in the Job Strain Model

This paper reports three studies of occupational stress investigating the role of social support as an intervening variable in the Job Strain Model (Karasek, 1979). A computer simulated mail-sorting work environment was used to assess the effect of demands, control and social support on measures of strain, satisfaction, and perceived and actual task performance. The first experiment ( N =60) tests the basic Job Strain Model by manipulating levels of task demand and control. The second experiment ( N =120) compares high and low levels of two types of social support (informational support and emotional support) to determine whether and how they interact with extreme conditions of the Job Strain Model (high strain and low strain). The final experiment ( N =90) investigates positive and negative forms of social support (praise and criticism) in relation to extreme job strain conditions. Results show that the job strain model is consistent with the stress and performance data, although stress showed no Demand 2 Control interaction. Social supports increased arousal, satisfaction and perceived performance, but did not affect stress or task performance. Moreover, contrary to buffer theories, social supports did not interact with the job strain variables. Congruence between preferred and experienced emotional support levels also predicted performance.     

Job characteristics as predictors of ill-health and sickness absenteeism in different occupational types--a multigroup structural equation modelling approach

The objective of the present study was to test for multigroup invariance in measurement models and structural models between job characteristics, psychosocial intervening variables, health outcomes and sickness absenteeism. Four types of occupation were represented in the study: blue-collar workers ( n = 241), white-collar workers ( n = 209), elderly-care workers ( n = 338) and child-care workers ( n = 336). A first-order, six-factor multigroup confirmatory factor analysis model (i.e. measurement model) composed of two perceived job characteristics ( job autonomy and skill discretion), appraised workload, job satisfaction, stress-related ill-health and sickness absenteeism provided a good model fit. Invariance tests showed that the six-factor model fits well for all occupations. A partially recursive mediated multigroup structural model showed both similarities and differences across occupations as regards the relationships between independent latent variables ( job autonomy, skill discretion), intervening latent variables (appraised workload, job satisfaction) and dependent latent variables (stressrelated ill-health, sickness absenteeism). By comparing a generic model with occupation-specific models across occupations, this study showed that occupation-specific models were more plausible. The results indicate that it is important to examine different occupational contexts in detail to better understand how certain psychosocial factors at work influence strain in different occupations. Since job characteristics can potentially be amended, the findings have important implications for the differentiation of prevention and intervention in different occupations.     

Effects of exposure to occupational violence and the mediating impact of fear

This paper examines the consequences of exposure to work-related violence and in particular, focuses upon the role of fear (of violence) as a mediating variable. The sample comprises UK public house licensees-individuals who manage public houses and hold the licence permitting the sale of alcoholic drinks on the premises. Questionnaires were sent to 479 licensees and a response rate of 51% was achieved. Each questionnaire measured exposure to a range of violent assaults, fear of violence, general well-being, job satisfaction and organizational commitment. Based upon a final sample of 242 pub licensees, regression analyses showed that as the severity of the violence to which licensees were exposed increased, so fear of becoming a victim and symptoms of impaired well-being increased, while job satisfaction and organizational commitment decreased. Hierarchical analyses showed that fear of violence fully mediated the negative impact of exposure upon each of these other variables. It is argued that the management of fear appraisals should be integrated into organizational responses to work-place violence.     

Testing the Vitamin Model of job stress in Dutch health care workers

Three central hypotheses of Warr's Vitamin Model concerning the relationship between job characteristics and well-being and health outcomes were tested: (1) differential effects of job characteristics on the various well-being and health outcomes; (2) predominance of curvilinear associations; and (3) moderate influence of negative and positive affectivity on these relationships. The study participants were 162 employees from a health care organization (aged 19–54 years, 95% women) who completed questionnaires on job demands and job autonomy, as well as on the outcome variables depression, anxiety, job satisfaction, and health complaints. In addition, data on short-term sickness absence were collected. A higher level of job demands was significantly associated with a lower level of well-being and self-reported health. Job autonomy showed weaker relationships with the outcome variables. The effects of job demands were still large after controlling for negative and positive affectivity, while the effects of job autonomy in most cases became non-significant. The predicted curvilinear relationship between job characteristics and outcome variables did not have an additional value over a linear model in predicting the data. It is concluded that the present data from a homogeneous sample of mostly female nurses support Warr's Vitamin Model to a limited extent.     

Testing the Vitamin Model of job stress in Dutch health care workers

Three central hypotheses of Warr's Vitamin Model concerning the relationship between job characteristics and well-being and health outcomes were tested: (1) differential effects of job characteristics on the various well-being and health outcomes; (2) predominance of curvilinear associations; and (3) moderate influence of negative and positive affectivity on these relationships. The study participants were 162 employees from a health care organization (aged 19-54 years, 95% women) who completed questionnaires on job demands and job autonomy, as well as on the outcome variables depression, anxiety, job satisfaction, and health complaints. In addition, data on short-term sickness absence were collected. A higher level of job demands was significantly associated with a lower level of well-being and self-reported health. Job autonomy showed weaker relationships with the outcome variables. The effects of job demands were still large after controlling for negative and positive affectivity, while the effects of job autonomy in most cases became non-significant. The predicted curvilinear relationship between job characteristics and outcome variables did not have an additional value over a linear model in predicting the data. It is concluded that the present data from a homogeneous sample of mostly female nurses support Warr's Vitamin Model to a limited extent.     

Self–other agreement in empowering leadership: Relationships with leader effectiveness and subordinates' job satisfaction and turnover intention

We investigated the effect of self–other agreement in empowering leadership on leader effectiveness, job satisfaction, and turnover intention using a sample of 50 Norwegian municipal leaders (46 for leader effectiveness) and 168 (158) of their subordinates. The findings indicated that considering both self and subordinate ratings of empowering leadership was useful in predicting the outcome variables. In particular, subordinates of over-estimators reported lower job satisfaction and higher turnover intention. Moreover, leaders who underestimated their leadership were perceived as more effective by their superiors. For agreement (i.e., leader's self-ratings were in agreement with subordinates' ratings) the relationship between empowering leadership and leader effectiveness was curvilinear with an inverted U shape. Agreement in ratings of empowering leadership was not found to be related to subordinates' job satisfaction and turnover intention. The implications of these findings are discussed.