Employee Job Attitudes Research Articles

Redesigning computer call center work: a longitudinal field experiment

AbstractComputer technology call centers provide technical assistance to customers via the telephone to solve computer hardware and software problems. The simultaneous demands for technical and customer service skills often place strain on call center employees, frequently producing poor job attitudes. We utilized a field experiment (N = 149) with a randomly assigned pretest–posttest and control group design to compare three interventions' effectiveness on employee job attitudes in a computer technology call center: Intervention 1 focused on aligning organizational structures; Intervention 2 focused on increasing employee involvement in work processes (high‐involvement); and Intervention 3 implemented autonomous work teams.We found that high‐involvement work processes produced the most potent effects on job satisfaction and organizational commitment attitudes, as well as on performance (i.e., improved customer satisfaction scores, increased closed problems, reduced problems escalated, and fewer repeat calls). Further, we found that group work preference moderated the results between the group‐oriented interventions and employees' job satisfaction. Under high involvement and in autonomous work teams, high preferences for group work resulted in greater job satisfaction than when employees had lower preferences for group work. However, preferences for group work were not associated with increased organizational commitment in either intervention. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Relation between employees' religiosity and job involvement.

While it has been argued that religion influences the meaning of work, few studies have empirically examined how employees' religiosity and job attitudes relate to one another. Specifically, this study investigated the relations among three religious orientations (intrinsic, extrinsic-personal, and extrinsic-social) and job involvement for 100 employees of a rehabilitation hospital in the southern United States. The respondents completed the 1989 Intrinsic/Extrinsic-Revised Scale and the 6-item version of the 1965 Job Involvement Scale. Correlation indicated a negative association between Intrinsic Religiosity and Job Involvement (r=-.26, p<.05) and a positive one between Extrinsic-personal and Job Involvement (r=.23, p<.05) for the total sample. When separated by religious affiliation, regression analyses indicated a significant positive relationship between scores on Extrinsic-personal Religiosity and in Job Involvement for Protestants (B=.32, p<.01), but Intrinsic Religiosity was signifiantly negatively related to Job Involvement for non-Protestants (B=-.35, p<.05). No relation was found between scores on Extrinsic-social Religiosity and Job involvement for either group. These results suggest that employees' religiosity may influence work values in different ways for Protestant and non-Protestant workers.

A Comparison of Job Attitudes of Japanese Employees Working in Japanese Firms and Gaishikei (Foreign-Affiliated) Firms

The sanctity of life-long employment and senior-based compensation and advancement is being challenged due to current economic conditions in Japan. The resulting change in employee job attitudes brings up the question of whether the current Japanese management system still motivates employees, or whether they are/would be more motivated working under Western management. Through a questionnaire survey extended to five Japanese firms and five foreign-affiliated firms (gaishikei), this research collected data concerning work-related values, perceived work conditions, and satisfaction for twelve work factors. The conclusions suggest that Japanese employees in gaishikei value instrinsic factors more than employees at Japanese firms; gaishikei offer intrinsic work content to a greater extent than Japanese firms; Japanese employees at gaishikei are more satisfied than employees at Japanese firms; and, incongruence of workers' values with corporate culture results in dissatisfaction.

Job attitudes and organizational justice in joint venture hotels in China: the role of expatriate managers

In a survey of local employees in joint venture hotels in China, perceived interactional justice was found to be predictive of job attitudes, and perceived salary fairness in comparison with expatriate managers explained additional variance in job attitudes. Compared to previous results, local employees now perceived their pay as much more unfair when compared with that of expatriate managers. In addition to perceived justice, perceived managerial practices of expatriate managers and incentives received were also predictive of job attitudes of local employees. Consistent with previous results, employees working with overseas Chinese and Japanese managers reported less positive job attitudes than those working with Western and other Asian managers. These differences were related to neither perceived differences in managerial practices or managerial experiences of the expatriate managers nor perceived differences in incentives received. The justice framework provides the best explanation for these results.

The Impact of Cultural Values on Job Satisfaction and Organizational Commitment in Self-Managing Work Teams: The Mediating Role of Employee Resistance

Using a field survey of 461 self-managing work team members in four countries, we examined: (1) whether employee resistance to such teams mediated the relationships between employee cultural values and job attitudes and (2) whether the value-resistance relationships were stronger in some countries than in others. Results show that resistance mediated the cultural value-job attitude relationships, sometimes fully and sometimes partially, depending on which type of resistance (to teams or to self-management) and which type of cultural value was being examined. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

THE IMPACT OF CULTURAL VALUES ON JOB SATISFACTION AND ORGANIZATIONAL COMMITMENT IN SELF-MANAGING WORK TEAMS: THE MEDIATING ROLE OF EMPLOYEE RESISTANCE.

Using a field survey of 461 self-managing work team members in four countries, we examined: (1) whether employee resistance to such teams mediated the relationships between employee cultural values and job attitudes and (2) whether the value-resistance relationships were stronger in some countries than in others. Results show that resistance mediated the cultural value-job attitude relationships, sometimes fully and sometimes partially, depending on which type of resistance (to teams or to self-management) and which type of cultural value was being examined. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

Job attitudes and organizational justice in joint venture hotels in China: the role of expatriate managers

In a survey of local employees in joint venture hotels in China, perceived interactional justice was found to be predictive of job attitudes, and perceived salary fairness in comparison with expatriate managers explained additional variance in job attitudes. Compared to previous results, local employees now perceived their pay as much more unfair when compared with that of expatriate managers. In addition to perceived justice, perceived managerial practices of expatriate managers and incentives received were also predictive of job attitudes of local employees. Consistent with previous results, employees working with overseas Chinese and Japanese managers reported less positive job attitudes than those working with Western and other Asian managers. These differences were related to neither perceived differences in managerial practices or managerial experiences of the expatriate managers nor perceived differences in incentives received. The justice framework provides the best explanation for these results.

Change and employee behaviour

In this study the relationship between perceived change implementation in an organization is related to employee self‐rated behaviour. The change implementation processes measured were communication, support and participation. The relationship between these processes and employee behaviour was examined by testing a theoretical model, in which two mediating concepts are used: the psychological contract and employee job attitudes. The research was carried out in two main divisions of a large telecommunications firm on a sample of 220 employees. The theoretical model (perceived change implementation influencing the psychological contract, influencing employee attitudes, influencing employee behaviour) had a better fit with the data, compared to alternative models.

Generalizability of a theory of job attitudes: a cross–cultuural view: research note

This study reports the result of a test of applicability of the two-factor theory of job attitudes. The theory assumes two independent sets of variables (motivator and hygiene) important to job satisfaction and dissatisfaction. It is also claimed that the two- factor theory is appropriate for all working populations of differing nationalities. Most of the previous attempts to test the applicability of this theory in different cultures were criticised for examining job attitudes in other cultures from an American point of view as they translate and administer questionnaires either developed in the United States or based on the findings of the original study. The applicability of the assumption of two-factor theory to the job attitudes of Turkish-Cypriot employees (N=62) was determined through content analysis of critical incident stories. Factors associated with the job attitudes of Turkish-Cypriot employees could be separated into two relatively independent sets of' variables comparable to motivator-hygiene dichotomy. It was also found that both sets of variables were found to be associated with job satisfaction, Thus, the results of the present study only partially support the assumption of the two-factor theory and imply that blanket application of American administrative theories, without considerable tailoring by cultural group, is hazardous.

Differential perceptions of employers' inducements: implications for psychological contracts

This paper reports findings from an exploratory study that addresses the question of whether or not measures of perceptual ‘gaps’ in organizational inducements contribute unique explanatory power above and beyond such familiar measures as employee job attitudes. Perceptions of inducements were obtained from both employees and representatives of their organizations. An average of 12 executives responded for each of four organizations to provide the organizations' view of the inducements offered to their employees, and a total of 339 employees across the four organizations reported their views of the inducements in the respective organizations. It was found that the larger the gap between what the employees viewed as the inducements offered them and what their employers reported offering them the lower was the employees' satisfaction with their organization, even after controlling for employee job satisfaction and employee performance. This finding, as well as the finding that in a substantial number of cases the employees report greater amounts of inducements than do their organizations' representatives, was explored for its implications for research on psychological contracts. Copyright © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Meta-analysis of the relationships between Kerr and Jermier's substitutes for leadership and employee job attitudes, role perceptions, and performance.

A meta-analysis was conducted to estimate more accurately the bivariate relationships between leadership behaviors, substitutes for leadership, and subordinate attitudes, and role perceptions and performance, and to examine the relative strengths of the relationships between these variables. Estimates of 435 relationships were obtained from 22 studies containing 36 independent samples. The findings showed that the combination of the substitutes variables and leader behaviors account for a majority of the variance in employee attitudes and role perceptions and a substantial proportion of the variance in in-role and extra-role performance; on average, the substitutes for leadership uniquely accounted for more of the variance in the criterion variables than did leader behaviors.

Meta-analysis of the relationships between Kerr and Jermier's substitutes for leadership and employee job attitudes, role perceptions, and performance.

Meta-analysis of the relationships between Kerr and Jermier's substitutes for leadership and employee job attitudes, role perceptions, and performance.

Employee share ownership and job attitudes: The effects of share sale

Although the association between employee share ownership and job attitudes has been documented in the literature, little attention has been paid to the association with share sale. This study uses discriminant analysis, based on selected job attitudes, to generate a function to distinguish between employees who were or were not shareholders in a large financial institution. The discriminant function was then used to classify those employees who had been shareholders but who had subsequently sold their shares. The evidence indicated that those who had sold their shares had similar job attitudes to existing shareholders and dramatically different job attitudes from those who had never purchased shares. Conjectural insights are offered into the original effect of share purchase on job attitudes.

Attitudes and Back Belts in the Workplace

This study, conducted on hospital workers, investigated the influence of wearing back belts on employee job attitudes and the experience of back pain. Serial attitude surveys were administered to workers involved in a preventative program of education, exercise, and back belts. Attitudes were found to be significantly improved as a result of the back belt program. Employees perceived back belts as helping them avoid injury and reported a decreased experience of low back pain.

Unions and Work Attitudes in the United States and Japan

Examining whether Japanese enterprise unions have a negative effect on employee job attitudes or whether they forge a stronger bond between the worker and the firm, our results indicate that union membership has no effect on Japanese employees' job satisfaction, but that there is some negative impact on company commitment. Much of the union effect on U.S. workers' job attitudes stems from lower job complexity, work autonomy, perceived promotion chances, and quality circle membership.

Implications of hiring women police officers: Police administrators’ concerns may not be justified

This article addresses the issue of whether affirmative action programs have an effect on the job attitudes of employees, the particular case being that of the Los Angeles Police Department. It draws on the findings of a larger study of the organizational impact of a legally mandated affirmative action program, and focuses on the ratings for job commitment and job satisfaction given by a sample of officers, stratified by gender and race, following introduction of an affirmative action recruitment program. A ‘cross‐sectional’ survey design is used, which as the authors acknowledge, is not strictly capable of identifying change or causality. However, the authors argue that the findings of generally positive job attitudes, with almost no difference by gender or race, indicate that the introduction of an affirmative action program need not result in a negative reaction in the police organization.

Personal Factors Affecting Worker Satisfaction and Job Attitudes in Industrial Organizations

The effect of skill level, age and sex on worker satisfaction and job attitudes of blue-collar employees was determined in unionized and non-unionized Mexican industrial companies. The higher skilled workers showed significantly greater worker satisfaction and job attitudes than lesser skilled employees. The older employees demonstrated significantly better worker satisfaction and job attitudes than their younger counterparts. The female employees were significantly higher in worker satisfaction and job attitudes than male workers. The non-unionized employees exhibited significantly greater worker satisfaction and job attitudes than unionized workers.

Some Effects of a Job Enrichment Program: A Field Experiment.

This field experiment utilized internal and external control groups to assess effects of a job enrichment program. The results generally supported the Job Diagnostic Model concerning core job dimensions and satisfaction measures but also provided indications of a negative Hawthorne Effect and that positive effects on productivity are short-lived. Job enrichment programs are currently or have been or will be employed by literally scores of organizations and millions of dollars expanded annually for such programs (Hamner & Organ, 1978)--all on the premise that job redesign or enrichment programs will enhance employee job attitudes and performance (cf., Hackman & Oldham, 1976). One prominent approach to understanding job enrichment is the job characteristics model developed by Hackman and his colleagues (c.f., Hackman & Lawler, 1971; Pierce & Dunham, 1978; Hackman & Oldham, 1975). Their approach has led to the identification of five core job dimensions--skill variety, task identity, task significance, autonomy, and feedback from the job--which they consider necessary for enrichment. Their data suggest that people who work in jobs that incorporate the five core job dimensions will experience job enrichment and, as a consequence, express greater satisfaction and also produce more and higher quality work. And, there is considerable evidence, provided by others (e.g., Cummings, Molloy, & Glen, 1977; Pierce & Dunham, 1976) which support Hackman and his colleagues' findings, but largely with respect to the predictions about increased satisfaction. Relationships between job enrichment and performance, on the other hand, have been found to be somewhat less encouraging (Pierce & Dunham, 1976 & 1978).

Job attitudes of part-time and full-time employees.

Job attitudes of part-time and full-time employees.

Job attitudes of part-time and full-time employees.

Job attitudes of part-time and full-time employees.