Work Group Composition Research Articles

Building social support: The impact of workgroup characteristics, the COVID-19 pandemic and informal interactions.

BACKGROUND:Social support from colleagues is a key resource for employees and organizations, with beneficial effects on performance, employee well-being and resilience. Although the importance of social support is well-known, the factors that help to build and maintain social support are not equally well understood.OBJECTIVE:This study analyzes the impact of workgroup characteristics (i.e., workgroup composition regarding national diversity and tenure; workload) and the COVID-19 pandemic on employees’ perceptions of instrumental and emotional support, and examines the mediating role of informal interactions.METHODS:The study is based on responses from 382 seafarers to a cross-sectional online survey. Hypotheses were tested using OLS regression and mediation analysis using PROCESS.RESULTS:Workgroup composition regarding national diversity had indirect effects on social support through informal interactions around social foci (here: joint leisure activities). High workload and pressure from the COVID-19 pandemic reduced interactions around social foci, thus contributing to the erosion of perceived social support.CONCLUSION:The findings provide insights on the development of social support, suggesting that informal interactions provide an important mechanism for the development of social support at work. From a theoretical perspective, this highlights the value of a relational perspective on the development of social support, a perspective that is based on the insight that social support is embedded in social relationships. From a practical point of view, this indicates that organizations can proactively foster the development of social support through practices that shape workgroup characteristics and social foci.

Helping Misfits to Commit: How Justice Climate Attenuates the Effects of Personality Dissimilarity on Organizational Commitment

In the present study, we examined whether greater personality dissimilarity would indirectly lead to lower organizational commitment as a result of heightened emotional exhaustion. We also proposed and tested the notion that the experience of being dissimilar to one’s workgroup members in the traits of (a) agreeableness, (b) conscientiousness, or (c) emotional stability would have the strongest positive effect on emotional exhaustion in workgroups with low justice climates. The data from 8196 members of the U.S. Armed Services confirmed the predicted negative indirect effect for agreeableness dissimilarity, but showed that conscientiousness dissimilarity resulted in a positive indirect effect on commitment. Contrary to expectations, emotional stability dissimilarity did not demonstrate a significant relationship. Multilevel moderated mediation analyses revealed that the presence of a strong workgroup justice climate attenuated the significant mediated relationships. Finally, we report supplementary polynomial regression analyses and discuss their implications for workgroup composition and individual career development.

UPAYA PENINGKATAN PRODUKTIVITAS TENAGA KERJA KONTRAKTOR DI WILAYAH KABUPATEN PASER, KALIMANTAN TIMUR

Produktivitas merupakan hal yang sangat penting bagi setiap tenaga kerja dalam penyelesaian suatu pekerjaan. Produktivitas kerja yang tinggi harus di miliki oleh setiap tenaga kerja di semua sektor konstruksi. Produktivitas tenaga kerja yang tinggi sangat di perlukan untuk keberhasilan proyek konstruksi. Tinggi rendahnya produktivitas kerja para tenaga kerja sangat mempengaruhi waktu pelaksanaan proyek konstruksi tersebut. Besarnya tingkat produktivitas tenaga kerja dipengaruhi oleh banyak faktor diantara adalah umur, pengalaman kerja/masa kerja, keahlian tenaga kerja, tingkat pendidikan, kesesuaian upah, kesehatan pekerja, kondisi lapangan/cuaca, komposisi kelompok kerja dan hubungan antar pekerja. Semua variabel itu mempunyai pengaruh yang besar terhadap produktivitas tenaga kerja pada pekerjaan pasangan dinding. Dari hasil penelitian ini didapatkan tingkat produktivitas pekerjaan pasangan dinding batako pada ketinggian 0 lantai sampai 50 cm sebesar 1,42 m2/jam, pada ketinggian 50 cm sampai 2 meter sebesar 2,20 m2/jam, pada ketinggian 2 meter sampai 3,5 meter sebesar 1,95 m2/jam, dan pada ketinggian 3,5 meter sampai 6 meter sebesar 1,70 m2/jam. Upaya yang harus dilakukan dalam peningkatan produktivitas tenaga kerja adalah dengan lebih memperketat pengawasan terhadap tenaga kerjanya sehingga dapat bekerja secara maksimal serta perlunya pelatihan tenaga kerja untuk mendapatkan sertifikat keahlian sehingga yang dipilih oleh kontraktor adalah pekerja yang sudah memiliki seritifikat keahlian agar pada saat pekerja terjun ke lapangan sesuai dengan apa yang kita inginkan.

Does gender matter?

PurposeThis study aims to explore how gender influences the impact of interpersonal trust among subordinates on spontaneous work behaviors such as sharing responsibility and knowledge and engaging in organizational citizenship behavior (OCB). The goal is to understand factors that contribute to the effectiveness of women as supervisors and subordinates in the manufacturing sector.Design/methodology/approachData were gathered from 308 subordinates and 71 supervisors working in the manufacturing sector in mainland China using a survey methodology. Descriptive statistics, correlation, confirmatory factor analysis and hierarchical moderated regression were the statistical techniques used.FindingsResults indicate that both affect- and cognition-based trust among subordinates positively impact responsibility- and knowledge-sharing behaviors, OCB-individual (OCB-I) and OCB-organization (OCB-O). For female subordinates, the gender of the supervisor alters the relationship between both forms of trust and responsibility-sharing behavior and OCB-O, but not knowledge-sharing behavior and OCB-I. Cognition-based trust plays a dominant role for male subordinates, while affect-based trust is more relevant to female subordinates. Finally, while the gender of the supervisor moderates the impact of both affect- and cognition-based trust, it is significant for female subordinates only.Research limitations/implicationsThis study is not without limitations. First, the authors had access to a limited sample of female supervisors and female subordinates, which is not uncommon in the manufacturing sector that is mostly composed of male employees. Second, the cross-sectional nature of the study does not allow the capture of the impact of change in trust over time. However, it is believed that the multi-source design, the novelty of the study’s findings and their implications to interpersonal trust theory and supervisory practice compensate for the limitations. For starters, this study endorses the crucial role of interpersonal trust among employees in predicting important organizational behaviors. It corroborates the conceptual distinction between affect- and cognition-based trust and empirically validates the concepts of affect- and cognition-based trust, RSB, KSB and OCB in China. It uses multi-source data and measures behavioral outcomes of workers as observed by their immediate supervisors. These contributions speak to the empirical viability of our theoretical framework that may be useful to those contemplating cross-cultural research.Practical implicationsThe study started with the question, does gender matter. The answer is that it does and that it has implications for human resource management. The gender of both supervisors and subordinates affect the way interpersonal trust among workers elicit desirable organizational behaviors such as sharing responsibilities, sharing knowledge and other forms of citizenship behavior. Female supervisors need to build trust among their female employees before they can expect effective organizational behavior. The story is different for male supervisors and male employees. This has implications in the way male and female supervisors are trained. It also has implications for work group formation and composition. What the study does not know is whether these findings are limited to the manufacturing sector or unique to China. It is recommended that a cross-cultural comparative research be undertaken to address those questions.Social implicationsIn light of the study’s findings, it is proposed that supervisory training and development programs should take into consideration that female supervisors encounter more challenges in eliciting favorable behaviors on the part of female subordinates in a work environment that is male-dominated.Originality/valueThe unique value contribution of the study pertains to the role of gender – the gender of the supervisor and the gender of the subordinate in shaping organizational behavior. Specifically, the authors show that the supervisor’s gender influences the relationship between affect-based trust and RSB, KSB and OCB-O and the relationship between cognition-based trust and OCB-O. Their point is that these relationships are significant only for female supervisors. In addition, they show that gender similarity between the supervisor and the supervised matters, only when both are female. These findings limit the role of interpersonal trust in eliciting favorable organizational behavior across the board and question the portability of interpersonal trust theory across industries and cultures.

Diversity management research in hospitality and tourism: past, present and future

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to present a review of diversity management research published in hospitality and tourism-specific and business discipline-based journals. The study objectives include attempting to assess the progress of diversity management research in hospitality and tourism, identifying gaps between the general business diversity management literature and the hospitality and tourism literature and providing hospitality and tourism scholars with suggestions to advance knowledge in diversity management.Design/methodology/approachThe study is a critical review of the existing diversity management literature in the general business and hospitality and tourism disciplines in an attempt to identify gaps and make suggestions for expanding this knowledge in the hospitality and tourism fields.FindingsThere are significant gaps between the diversity management scholarship conducted in hospitality and tourism disciplines and the general business field. Diversity management research in general business is far more in-depth and uses sociological and social psychological theoretical frameworks.Research limitations/implicationsThere are lessons to be learned from the general business literature that uses strong theoretical foundations deeply grounded in sociological, psychological, social-psychological and management theories. The general management literature also explores the conditions under which diversity management adds value or creates challenges for organizations.Practical implicationsThe hospitality and tourism industry has employed large numbers of ethnic minorities, women and members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community for decades. As such, it is critical that scholars explore the implications of such a diverse workforce not only on organizational outcomes, but also on individual and group performance. The general business diversity management research suggests that workgroup composition can influence individual and group performance, as well as the quality of co-worker relationships. Given the team-oriented, interdependent nature of work in the hospitality and tourism industry, it is imperative that researchers conduct studies that help practitioners understand the most effective perspectives and approaches to diversity management.Social implicationsThe critical literature review demonstrated that there is extremely scarce research on diversity management focusing on employees with disabilities. It is imperative to shed more light on best diversity management practices, workplace etiquette of this under-represented group of employees and their interaction with their co-workers.Originality/valueThis study’s results provide insight into areas of exploration that can significantly enhance the scholarship on diversity management in the hospitality and tourism literature.

Relative Age, Supervisor Support and Perceived Work Group Inclusion: The Role of Core Self-Evaluations

ABSTRACTUsing data from a 2007 survey of employees, we investigated the effects of perceived supervisor age and work-group age composition on supervisor support and work-group inclusion, respectively. We found that employees with lower core self-evaluations reported higher supervisor support if they believed their supervisors were older than they were, but for employees with moderate or high levels of core self-evaluations, the perception of having an older supervisor was negatively associated with supervisor support. If the majority of the work group was older than the employee, the employee reported lower levels of inclusion.

Antecedents and Consequences of Perceived Gender Discrimination in the Audit Profession

SUMMARY:This paper tests a model of perceived gender discrimination in the audit profession. Using a sample of 234 female auditors employed in public accounting firms, we examine the effects of workgroup composition factors and organizational climate factors on perceived gender discrimination, along with the impact of perceived gender discrimination on several critical organizational outcomes. We find that female auditors report lower levels of gender discrimination when employed (1) in firms with more female partners, (2) in firms with stronger ethical climates, (3) in firms that are more supportive of alternative work arrangements, and (4) in firms that provide higher levels of top management support for the personal well-being of their employees. Further, we find that perceived gender discrimination is associated with lower organizational citizenship behavior and higher turnover intentions. Implications for research and public policy are discussed.

Effect of Work Group Processes on Work Place Satisfaction and Performances - Evidence from University Class Groups Studies

This study investigates the impact of work group composition on work place satisfaction and performances using results from experimental study of students from three groups in University of Gothenburg Sweden management class working groups. Work group composition is measured here by considering factors such language, nationality and culture among group members. Language had a positive and significant effect on workplace performance; this was also probably true since effective communication skill was likely to make working groups work in a hitch free manner. While culture on the other hand has a negative and statistical significant effect on workplace satisfaction, this was likely to be true since punctuality, individual comportment, and work ethics were likely factors that member of working groups take seriously when working as a team in groups. The horizontal flow of information (knowledge transfer) was also found to depend on work group output performances. This was reasonable, since how efficient work groups and sub groups within the groups efficiently carried out their tasks will depend on the horizontal flow of information in groups. The evidence presented in this study shows that issues of nationality was not relevant to individual group members overall satisfaction in participating in groups nor was it vital to overall group performances. The results could be beneficial to organization management particularly those that wish to improve overall output productivity since class work groups experimental studies are a miniature study of organizations, the implications of this study is that language and culture could improve organizational output productivity substantially since language could contributes significantly to organizational performances and work ethics is also likely to create workplace satisfaction which can contribute in a significant way to organizational output.

Antecedents and Consequences of Perceived Gender Discrimination in the Audit and Accounting Profession

This paper tests a model of perceived gender discrimination in the audit profession. Using a sample of 234 female auditors employed in public accounting firms, we examine the effects of workgroup composition factors and organizational climate factors on perceived gender discrimination along with the impact of perceived gender discrimination on several critical organizational outcomes. We find that female auditors report lower levels of gender discrimination when employed (1) in firms with more female partners; (2) in firms with stronger ethical climates; (3) in firms that are more supportive of alternative work arrangements; and (4) in firms that provide higher levels of top management support for the personal well-being of their employees. Further, we find that perceived gender discrimination is associated with lower organizational citizenship behavior and higher turnover intentions. Implications for research and public policy are discussed.

The acculturation process: Antecedents, strategies, and outcomes

With an increasingly integrated global economy, the need to understand how national work contexts impact newcomers is critical. In particular, it is important to understand individuals' possible responses to interaction within multicultural work contexts. Blending theoretical perspectives on social identity, cross‐cultural diversity, and identity formation/change, this paper explores the complex role played by dispositional and situational factors on acculturation strategies and, in turn, labour market outcomes. To guide this exploration, a theoretical model depicting the acculturation process is developed and presented. We posit that the relationship between cultural identity salience and acculturation strategy will be moderated by two key factors: desire for economic rewards and relational pressures. We further propose that acculturation strategy will influence the social networks and organizations that newcomers join, while these latter choices can help predict their income, employability, and advancement. We advance a number of testable propositions to stimulate future research and conclude with a discussion of the theoretical and practical contributions.Practitioner Points Recruitment processes should attract job applications from individuals with varying levels of cultural identity salience through wide‐reaching job marketing campaigns. Workgroup composition should reflect a diverse range of complementary skills. Performance management and reward systems should reward employees for idea‐sharing and achieving team goals. HRM strategy should seek to gain a competitive advantage through fostering diverse skills.

Teaching Methodology for Virtual Reality Practical Course in Engineering Education

Virtual reality is widely used in the industry and is becoming more and more affordable for end users. At the same time higher education students want to be well-prepared for their professional life and expect more courses with practical application of theoretical knowledge acquired during their studies. Moreover, they benefit greatly when having the possibility to improve their soft skills.This paper presents the teaching methodology for a practical course in virtual reality for graduate and undergraduate students. The course design focuses on learning about virtual reality by simulating interdisciplinary industrial projects and it aims at developing skills such as methodical approach to practical engineering problems, teamwork, working in interdisciplinary groups and time management. In addition the paper discusses the importance of the course design, task specification and work group composition for a successful realization of the course and refers to some project examples from the past three years.

Helping Hand or Competition? The Moderating Influence of Perceived Upward Mobility on the Relationship Between Blended Workgroups and Employee Attitudes and Behaviors

This study attempts to reconcile previous findings that show both positive and negative outcomes associated with blended workgroups (i.e., workgroups consisting of both temporary and standard workers). Specifically, we conceptualize temporary and standard work as part of a naturally occurring status hierarchy in organizations and propose that blended workgroups have opposing effects on employees depending on employees' perceptions of their potential for upward mobility in that organization. We combine research on the blended workforce with theorizing from social identity and self-categorization theories to propose that when employees perceive the potential for upward mobility to be high, the proportion of temporary workers in the group will be negatively related to employee attitudes and behaviors, and the relationship will be positive when perceived mobility is low. Furthermore, we hypothesize that this relationship will be mediated by the valence of employees' perceptions of their workgroup's prototype. We test our hypotheses on a sample of 124 temporary and standard research scientists in an Australian organization. The results show that workgroup composition and perceived mobility jointly influence workgroup identification and organization-based self-esteem, mediated by the valence of workgroup prototype; however, workgroup composition and perceived mobility directly influence organizational citizenship behavior unmediated by prototype valence.

The formation of effective work groups within an FE classroom

Fascinated by the diversity of composition in effective work groups in Further Education (FE) classrooms, I studied group formation and composition in level 3 Biology classes over an academic year. Using information from the class teacher, observers and students, the importance of effective work groups (defining effectiveness in terms of ‘workability’) in the life of the class became clear. As suggested in the literature, group composition was impatient of formulae, trial and error and an informed subjectivity was recommended. Relational issues were seen as key features in group composition by teachers and students alike. Students themselves, though seldom consulted, held distinct and often considered and mature views on effective work groups. The need to give work group composition a higher profile in classroom management, and for staff and students to acquire the skills needed to form and maintain effective work groups, should be reflected in both policy and practice.

Group composition and employee creative behaviour in a Korean electronics company: Distinct effects of relational demography and group diversity

Work group composition is one of the key variables that influence individual behaviour in a group setting. This study investigates the effect of individual‐level dissimilarities (relational demography) as well as group‐level membership heterogeneity (group diversity) on creative behaviour of individual employees. Multi‐level analyses of data from 188 work units of a Korean electronics company showed that relational demography in terms of gender and hierarchical status and group diversity in hierarchical status and performance level were negatively related to employee creative behaviour. In contrast, relational demography in terms of age and performance level and group diversity in functional background increased creative behaviour. The results indicate that demographic composition variables have different individual‐ and cross‐level effects on individual employees' creative behaviour. This study demonstrates the need for a multi‐level approach to the study of organizational demography.

Identity salience: a moderator of the relationship between group gender composition and work group conflict

AbstractThis study proposes and tests models in which the salience of gender serves as a moderator of the relationship between group gender composition and work group conflict. The numerical distinctiveness of gender group composition was found to trigger the salience of group members' gender identities for men in the group. Identity salience was found to affect work group conflict beyond what one would predict on the basis of gender diversity alone. Support was found for gender identity salience as a moderator variable with respect to the linkage between numerical distinctiveness in gender work group composition and relationship conflict in work groups for men. This study offers an explanation for the differing effects found across studies regarding the effect of group composition on work group conflict: the extent to which gender is relied upon by group members in describing those in their group. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Demography or respect?: work group demography versus organizational dynamics as determinants of meaning and satisfaction at work.

This article tests two competing models of meaning and satisfaction at work. First, meaning and satisfaction at work can be influenced by the demographic composition of work groups, especially their racial and gender compositions. Second, meaning and satisfaction can be influenced by management behaviour, especially by leadership in maintaining a productive environment and by respect for workers' rights. We evaluate these determinants, along with more traditional determinants that focus on socio-technical characteristics, using a unique data set derived from content analysing the reports provided by book-length organizational ethnographies (N = 108). Work group composition is found to have only a minor and selective influence on meaning at work. In contrast, management leadership and respect for workers' rights are found to have much stronger and more widespread effects. The well established role of socio-technical factors such as job autonomy as foundations for meaning and satisfaction in work is also replicated in the analysis. When contrasted with both work group demography and traditional job and organizational characteristics, a well run organization is found to be the single most important underpinning for a meaningful and satisfying work life. In the concluding section we develop the implication of these findings for organizational analysis.

“Outsider Within” the Firehouse: African American and White Women Firefighters

Prior findings regarding (a) the subordination of African American women firefighters through imposed exclusion, (b) expanded definitions of tokenism and workgroup composition, and (c) the omnirelevance of race/ethnicity in Black women's perceptions of work experiences are extended to White women firefighters. A nationwide sample of 24 White women firefighters completed a 20-page survey and 1 hr interview developed from these previous findings. Both groups experienced insufficient instruction, hostility, silence, hyper-supervision, lack of support, and stereotyping and supportive as well as strained relationships with coworkers. Specific enactments of these global commonalties often varied along racial/ethnic lines. The present data, which start with the experiences of Black women then examine the experiences of White women, model an important methodological approach for understanding difference.

Pink triangles: antecedents and consequences of perceived workplace discrimination against gay and lesbian employees.

A model of perceived sexual orientation discrimination was tested in a national sample of 534 gay and lesbian employees. The effects of legislation, organizational policies and practices, and work group composition on perceived sexual orientation discrimination were examined, as well as the attitudinal and organizational outcomes associated with discrimination. Gay employees were more likely to report discrimination when employed in groups that were primarily heterosexual and in organizations that lacked supportive policies and were not covered by protective legislation. Disclosure of sexual orientation at work was related to discrimination and antecedent variables. Perceived discrimination was associated with negative work attitudes and fewer promotions. Organizational policies and practices had the strongest impact on perceived discrimination and were directly related to outcomes.

Job Segregation and Gender Differences in Work-Family Spillover Among White-Collar Workers

We test two propositions in this paper: (1) work-family conflict varies with gender composition and hours on the job; and (2) women will experience more tension between work and family responsibilities than will men. Using a sample of white-collar workers, we measured work-family conflict with a composite scale tapping negative job-to-home spillover. Workgroup composition had no effect on men's reported work-family conflict, while work hours was positively associated with work-family conflict. For women, longer work hours and tokenism in the immediate workgroup increased perceptions of work-family conflict, but unexpectedly, the interaction of work hours and tokenism was negatively related to work-family conflict. We explored several possible arguments for this contrary finding.

BEYOND DIRECT AND SYMMETRICAL EFFECTS: THE INFLUENCE OF DEMOGRAPHIC DISSIMILARITY ON ORGANIZATIONAL CITIZENSHIP BEHAVIOR.

It is argued that employees' attraction to and trust in their peers, and their organization-based self-esteem mediate the effect of demographic dissimilarity on organizational citizenship behavior (OCB). Data from a held study support a model in which the relationship between demographic dissimilarity and OCB is contingent on demographic characteristics and work group composition and mediated to an extent by the proposed mediators. The influence of race dissimilarity varied in strength for white and minority employees, but the influence of age dissimilarity varied in direction for older and younger employees.