Gender Differences in the Preferred Methods of Training, Needs and Interests, and Hindrances and Motivators for Sexual Harassment Training

The purpose of this descriptive study was to assess employees’ preferences regarding sexual harassment prevention training (SHPT), compared by gender. A convenience sample of city/county governmental employees from a mid-size metropolitan city in the southeast representing multiple occupational groups consisted of 1387 employees. A response rate of 12% represented 169 respondents. A modified Sexual Experiences Questionnaire - Department of Defense (SEQ- DoD) and the SHPT Preferences Climate Survey were completed. Frequency counts, descriptive statistics, principal component analysis, factor analysis, MANOVA tests, ANOVA tests, and a Cochran-Mantel-Haenszel (CMH) test allowed for hypotheses testing. No statistical differences between genders exist in SHPT interests, design and intent, perceived usefulness of approaches of learning, or training attendance hindrances. Gender differences do exist in SHPT attendance motivators, identification of behaviors as sexual harassment compared between coworkers and supervisors, and factor scores of knowledge level and interest level of topics related to SHPT. Gender is irrelevant in SHPT design. Training should focus on reducing gender- difference of attendance motivators and identification of behaviors as sexual harassment. Areas of future research include: (a) a longitudinal study to investigate the incidence rate to reveal whether reports decreased once more people were familiar with specific behaviors that constitute sexual harassment; (b) differences related to race; and (c) outcomes of training programs focused on needed areas of training, as indicated by employees

The relationship of job stress and job satisfaction in the service work environment

The main purpose in conducting this study was to examine the relationship between certain job characteristics, personal demographics, and job stress among service worker employees. Another purpose was aimed specifically at providing current data concerning the elements of work that could induce job stress through job dissatisfaction, thus updating the body of knowledge on the subject. Lastly, by increasing the body of knowledge concerning the problems associated with service worker work, human resource professionals are better informed of suggested areas in need of improvement. In return, they can better attend to and facilitate employees\u27 health and quality of life issues. The researcher surveyed 300 participants who were service workers in East Tennessee. The respondents were sent a booklet containing demographic questions and two surveys: the Job Satisfaction Survey for assessing overall level of job satisfaction and the Job Stress Survey for assessing total job stress of the total participants. Statistical methods utilized in this study included calculating mean, standard deviations, one-way analysis of variances (.05 level of probability with 95% confidence interval), multiple analyses of variances, and Tukey tests for significance. Finally, the Pearson r test was used to test any relationships between job characteristics, personal demographics, and Job Satisfaction Survey or Job Stress Survey. Major findings of the study showed that (a) employees with a college degree encountered a higher level of total job stress than those with only a high school degree or those no longer pursuing an educational goal; (b) employees with college degrees seemed to experience stress more frequently; ( c) employees with college degrees appeared to be less satisfied with their job than those with a lesser degree or no high school degree; ( d) there appears to be a trend that as overtime increases so does levels of stress; ( e) employees asked to work overtime three or more times each week had significantly higher levels of stress due to the frequency of the requests; and (f) employees who received an award of appreciation for service or performance had a significantly higher level of satisfaction than those who did not receive any form of recognition. Finally, results showed that as any type of stress increased, job satisfaction decreased

Empowerment and occupational stress of International Society for Performance Improvement members

The purpose of this study was to determine whether or not there are correlations between empowerment behaviors, and occupational stress, as measured by occupational role adjustment, psychological strain, and the availability of personal coping resources. In addition, this study sought to determine whether or not there are significant differences in occupational stress, as measured by occupational role adjustment, psychological strain, and the availability of personal coping resources based on demographic variables of age, race, marital status, work schedule, education, seniority, work hours, gender, and job title. Four hundred questionnaire packets were mailed to members of the International Society for Performance Improvement (ISPI). The return response rate was 40% (N = 160). Thirty-three (33) packets also were returned marked unknown at this address. The research packets consisted of two survey instruments: (a) the Occupational Stress Inventory-Revised (OSI-R) developed by Osipow (1998) and (b) the Management Empowerment Assessment Direct Report (MEADR) developed by Briggs (1999). In addition, the packets contained a demographic sheet comprised of eight demographic questions. Also enclosed was a cover letter, which described the study and contained a plea for help, and a small token incentive of one dollar

What lies beneath organisational behaviour : the role of hidden and unconscious processes at work

There is much controversy about the value that psychoanalytic theory can add to the study of organisational behaviour, which goes beyond the rational and technological explanations offered by orthodox management perspectives. A key tenet of psychoanalytic theory is that mental processes that are "hidden" and operate at an "unconscious" level can impact employee behaviour, outside of their awareness (Kets de Vries, 2009). (In this thesis such processes are referred to as "below-the-surface" motivation.) Given the value of this knowledge to organisational leaders, it is surprising that so little is known about the potential impact of "below-the-surface" motivation on employee attitude, engagement and performance. This four-study thesis investigates the role of "below-the-surface" motivation in employees' "propensity to resist change", "avoid conflict" and "show less commitment to the organisation", which are implicit processes referred to in this thesis as "below-the-surface" motivation. It does so firstly by describing the researcher’s positioning and philosophical approach, and the theoretical and practical objectives of the thesis. The researcher was guided by the belief that organisations exist as concrete entities, which prompt employees to react to them in psychological ways (Durkheim, 1895). Having adopted a combination of positivist and post-positivist approaches, the process of "operationalising" was used in an attempt to measure "below-the-surface" motivation in a standardised way (Arnaud, 2012). Opportunity sampling was used to select participants from three public-sector organisations in the UK and the Middle East region. Study 1 reviewed two psychoanalytic-informed coaching methods and found evidence of their usefulness for improving self-awareness of implicit processes, and for working/consulting at a "below-the-surface" level. Study 2 examined the relationships between employees' use of "immature psychological defence mechanisms" and their propensity to resist organisational change, finding evidence that employees' level of "core self-evaluation" played a mediating role in this. Study 3 found evidence to suggest that adopting a systems-psychodynamic coaching approach was useful for helping leaders from the Middle East region to develop awareness of their conflict avoidance behaviour. Study 4 applied Winnicott's (1952) "good-enough" care theory and found evidence to suggest that it could further understanding of the relationship between employees' perception of organisational support (POS) and affective commitment (AC) in the context of organisational change. The thesis concludes with a reflective account of the overall findings, which suggest that "below-the-surface" motivation can impact employee behaviour in the workplace. The implications of these findings for the occupational psychology community are that psychoanalysis can offer an alternative and critical perspective of organisational behaviour, which has wide explanatory power. Reflective and reflexive statements are offered throughout to highlight some of the challenges that the researcher encountered during this doctoral journey. For example, despite the philosophical choices made, due to the researcher’s involvement in the process, at first it was a struggle to "step back" from defending the theory, attending to the limitations, partialities and flaws in the evidence base. The underlying reasons for the researcher’s appeal for positivist and post-positivist approaches are also reflected on. Recommendations are made for the design and delivery of development interventions to raise awareness of "below-the-surface" motivation within organisations, and suggestions made around possible areas of future investigations. The thesis adds nuance to our understanding of organisational behaviour, and it evaluates the value and contribution of psychoanalytic thinking to the practice of occupational psychology

Three Studies of B2B Salespeople as Collectors of Competitive Intelligence

PhD thesis in Social SciencesB2B salespeople’s ability to collect competitive intelligence from the marketplace affects organizational and individual competitive advantage and, in turn, firm and salesperson performance. The collection, sharing and use of this information are of potential strategic interest, and individual information collection is an important part of market orientation. The complexity and rate of change of industrial markets are increasing due to factors such as rapid technological development, and firms need to adapt to shifting market conditions faster than ever before, heightening the need for CI collection. Boundary spanners like salespeople spend a large part of their time outside their organizations meeting customers and competitors and thus are in a unique position to collect information from the market. The overall objective of this thesis is to increase the understanding of different aspects of salesperson information collection. This is addressed through three subobjectives: one, investigating what motivates salespeople to collect information beyond factors with a direct effect; two, determining how information collection leads to salesperson learning in a digital setting; and three, identifying the types of information collected by salespeople and strategies for motivating salespeople to collect information needed by the organization. The main contribution of subobjective one is the finding that the effects of known drivers of motivation for collecting information may vary with the salesperson’s personality characteristics, which are represented here by the personality trait locus of control. This variation might explain, at least in part, why only a few salespeople consistently collect information, despite attempts to include all salespeople. The main contribution of subobjective two is the development of a theoretical framework for listening in a digital setting before meeting customers physically. A model of how social media affects salesperson learning and knowledge building is presented, thus adding to the growing effort to understand how salespeople can use social media to increase their knowledge from the information they collect. The main contribution of subobjective three is the finding that the information salespeople collect is tactical, for their own interest, and of little value to customers and the sales organization. To increase the value of the type of information salespeople collect, this thesis argues for a stronger focus on the relationship between sales managers and their salespeople. The use of sales managers as a motivational factor for collecting more specific information through the sales force has received scarce treatment in the literature on the motivation of salespeople to collect information

An exploratory investigation into employer branding and voluntary employee turnover: a case study at a SME, in the health and life sciences sector

Atualmente, o mercado de trabalho está a enfrentar uma Guerra por Talento, uma vez que a retenção dos colaboradores e atração de talento está-se a tornar cada vez mais difícil para a maior parte das empresas. A abordagem do "Employer Branding" tem vindo a emergir substancialmente, como uma ferramenta efetiva para ganhar esta Guerra por Talento. O objetivo desta dissertação é identificar os antecedentes organizacionais que contribuem para o aumento do "turnover" voluntário dos colaboradores e de que forma estes estão a influenciar o enfraquecimento da "Employer Brand" da empresa em análise. Através de um estudo qualitativo, aplicado numa PME no setor da Saúde e Ciências de Vida, o investigador recolheu informação através de entrevistas, onde os participantes foram convidados a partilhar as suas experiências de trabalho e as suas perceções sobre a empresa. Recorrendo também a arquivos organizacionais, o investigador desenvolveu um quadro conceptual, organizado em 4 dimensões (Interesse, Social, Económica e Desenvolvimento), salientando os principais responsáveis pelo "turnover" voluntário dos colaboradores, bem como as suas consequentes implicações no enfraquecimento da "Employer Brand"

The Effects of the Manager\u27s Behavior on the Retention of High Potential Employees for Different Generations

The purpose of this study was to identify the behavior of the manager that affects the retention of high potential individuals within an organization. Research suggests that the reason why employees leave organizations is their manager. A high potential is defined as an individual who exhibits the capabilities of developing into a future leader of the organization. The study also investigated high potentials\u27 perception as to how effectively their expectations of those managerial behaviors are being met. Managerial behavior is defined as the manner or conduct displayed toward employees by the manager. High potential individuals who participated in the study were identified as belonging to one of the two generational categories: Baby Boomers (born between 1943 and 1960) and Generation X (born between 1961 and 1989) to determine if there were any generational differences within the high potentials regarding these managerial behaviors. The survey consisted of 36 managerial behaviors that the high potential participant rated as important to their staying with the organization. The participant also rated how well their manager was doing in each of the 36 managerial behaviors. Results of the study indicated that high potentials of the two generational categories are more alike than different. The results also indicate that there are four managerial behaviors that affect the intention of high potential individuals to remain with the organization. They are: utilizing their talents and strengths, providing challenging job assignments, providing opportunities to contribute and make a difference, and allocating appropriate salary increases based on their job performance. The managerial behavior that most affected the high potential\u27s job satisfaction was for the manager to utilize their talents and strengths. When managers develop and utilize these key behaviors with high potential individuals, they increase the overall likelihood for the high potential to remain with the organization

Managing Generation Z

Generation Z (Gen Z) is the young generation born between the mid-1990s and 2010s. They are now entering the market and starting their first jobs. Therefore, managers must shape the company workplace environment to encourage young employees to work efficiently and connect their future with the company. Only then will both managers and employees share mutual satisfaction from collaboration and aim at the common target, which should be the prosperity of the company. This book presents research results and techniques for analysing the working expectations and needs of Gen Z. The analyses were made in various countries in Europe: The Czech Republic, Latvia, Poland, and Portugal. The book contains chapters that present the analysis results and technical chapters that outline modern methods of analysis of management data, including tutorial chapters on machine learning, which currently makes a strong appearance in research in various disciplines. This volume will be of interest to researchers, academics, practitioners, and students in the fields of management studies, research methods, and human resource management

AN EXAMINATION OF GENDER EFFECTS ON THE CAREER SUCCESS OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS EMPLOYEES

In this paper we examined the differences and similarities in the human capital variables of male and female information system (IS) workers and the affect these differences had on job outcomes. The human capital variables studied included: age, education, organization and job tenure, and number of years in the IS occupation. We found that, even when controlling for the differences in human capital, women in IS still tended to be employed at lower levels of the organization, made less money, and had greater intentions to leave the organization.Information Systems Working Papers Serie