Explaining the relationships between age, job satisfaction, and commitment : an empirical test

A substantial body of research has established that both job satisfaction and organizational commitment are important work attitudes. Yet, while scholars have proposed some possible explanations for the positive relationship between age and job satisfaction, and between age and organizational commitment, these explanations have rarely been investigated directly. In addition, researchers who investigated reasons for demographic differences in job attitudes measured only chronological age, not subjective age (how old a person feels). The present study sought to redress this major shortcoming by testing alternative explanations for age-related differences in job satisfaction and commitment, and doing so by investigating both chronological age and subjective age. The study investigated four proposed mediators of the relationship between age and job satisfaction, and age and commitment. A survey was administered to 888 middle managers in a single large organization, and 458 usable questionnaires were obtained. The first proposed mediator, assessments about the employment relationship , emerged as a full mediator of the relationships between both chronological and subjective age, and affective commitment. In addition, it partially explained the relationship between both age measures and overall job satisfaction, as well as satisfaction with the work in the present job. In contrast, retirement reminders could not explain the relationship between age and continuance commitment because in this sample, tenure captured most of the variance in continuance commitment in the regression model. The next proposed mediator, recognitions from others about one's experience , partially mediated the relationship between subjective age and satisfaction with the work in the present job. Next, self-recognitions about one's work experience partially mediated the link between subjective age and affective commitment. However, recognitions by self and others did not explain the relationship between chronological age and either job satisfaction or affective commitment, emphasizing the importance of measuring subjective age in management studies. The findings also show that compared to chronological age, subjective age was a stronger correlate of overall job satisfaction, satisfaction with the work in the present job, and affective commitment, but a weaker correlate of continuance commitment. Subjective age contributed uniquely to predicting overall job satisfaction, satisfaction with work in the present job, and affective commitment, beyond chronological age

Multi-Stakeholder Partnerships for Community Sustainability Plan Implementation: Understanding Structures and Outcomes at the Partner and Partnership Levels

Worldwide, the prevalence and complexity of sustainable development challenges require coordinated action from actors in the private, public, and civil society sectors. Partnerships that embody inclusivity and heterogeneity are emerging as a way forward. Such partnerships build capacity by developing and leveraging the diverse perspectives and resources of the multiple stakeholders that represent all three sectors. Multi-stakeholder partnerships are designed to address and prioritize social problems and due to the number of partners, do not have the resources to negotiate the strategic interests of individual partners. Thus, it can be problematic to define the value proposition for partners involved in multi-stakeholder partnerships. Moreover, multi-stakeholder partnerships address social problems by building and leveraging the collective capacity of the partnering stakeholders; however, there are significant issues related to accessing the necessary resources at the partnership level. This dissertation uses resource-oriented theories to examine how resources are gained at both the partner and partnership levels of analysis. At the partner level, resource-based view theory is used to, i) identify which partnership resources are valuable, rare, and costly for competitors to imitate, and ii) identify how partners can organize to capture value by creating internal implementation structures. Specifically, this study examines the relationship between individual implementation structure and four types of partner capital: physical/financial, human, organizational, and shared. At the partnership level, relational view theory is used to understand how the processes of knowledge-sharing and collaborative decision making work together as subcomponents of structures to develop partnership capital. Two separate surveys were used to collect data for this dissertation: the partner survey and the partnership survey. The partner survey collected data about partner-level implementation and outcomes. It surveyed 42 partners involved in multi-stakeholder partnerships implementing community sustainability plans across Canada. Findings from the partner survey indicate that partners prefer outcomes related to building relationships and gaining knowledge. The survey also found that partners who implement by creating internal structures for implementation, such as creating new sustainability-related positions or teams, experienced more learning and gained further knowledge, better relationships, and more cost savings than partners who did not implement in this way. The partnership survey collected data about partnership-level implementation and outcomes. It surveyed 94 local authorities leading the implementation of community sustainability plans through partnerships from around the world. Findings from the partnership survey indicate that collaborative decision making has a positive effect on communication and renewal systems, which has a positive influence on a partnership’s capacity in the areas of knowledge and learning, relationships, and adaptability. The findings in this dissertation contribute to the social partnership literature by indicating that plan implementation can occur concurrently at two levels: the partner and the partnership level. Moreover, it finds that based on partner perceptions different approaches to implementation at each level may result in varying outcomes for partners and the partnership. The overarching implication of this research is that while multi-stakeholder partnerships and local sustainable development challenges are embedded in complex social, ecological and economic systems, and are themselves complex, there may be aspects within the control of the partners that can contribute to realizing desirable outcomes

Quatre essais sur l'importance de la théorie du contrat social de Macneil dans le champ du marketing relationnel

La théorie du contrat social de Macneil offre un cadre d'analyse intéressant, aussi bien pour la compréhension que pour l'analyse des échanges, réputés pour leur niveau d'abstraction élevé. Cependant, de multiples problématiques se posent quant à l'opérationnalisation des normes contractuelles: (1) le cadre d'analyse est particulièrement complexe du fait des nombreuses ambiguïtés notamment dans les définitions mêmes des normes par Macneil, constamment redéfinies et qui évoluent en fonction de leur contexte d'utilisation; (2) la théorie n'est que rarement ou brièvement représentée dans la littérature, car la plupart du temps citée en tant que référence secondaire; (3) si de plus en plus de recherches contribuent à une meilleure compréhension du cadre théorique, elles ne mettent pas réellement l'accent sur le choix spécifique des normes de leurs études, ni n'en présentent une définition éclairée et surtout, n'offrent pas d'explications suffisamment riches; (4) il est souvent possible de remarquer, premièrement, un écart important entre l'interprétation des normes de Macneil et leur application dans le champ du marketing et deuxièmement, il subsiste des contradictions importantes dans les résultats obtenus par les différentes recherches empiriques; (5) outre les erreurs de construits et l'oubli du contexte dans lequel la norme est étudiée -transactionnel versus relationnel -, la plupart des recherches se sont appuyées sur l'échelle de Kaufmann et Stern (1988) dont la validité vient d'être fortement remise en cause dans les études de Blois et Ivens (2007,2006); (6) il n'existe toujours pas d'échelle de mesure pertinente pour mesurer les normes de Macneil et malgré leurs multiples critiques dans leurs différents travaux, Ivens et Blois n'avancent pas de solutions concrètes. Le postulat de cette thèse est de démontrer que la théorie du contrat social de Macneil pourrait servir de fondation théorique au champ du marketing relationnel. L'approfondissement des travaux sur les normes de Macneil permettrait (a) d'obtenir une base conceptuelle et théorique commune dans le champ du marketing relationnel qui est, pour l'instant, particulièrement fragmenté; (b) de favoriser l'accès du marketing relationnel au statut de nouvelle discipline. L'objectif principal de cette thèse par quatre articles est de proposer une nouvelle procédure méthodologique de conceptualisation et d'opérationnalisation des normes contractuelles de Macneil de manière à développer une théorie de base commune au champ du marketing relationnel. Pour atteindre cet objectif, la thèse s'appuie en grande partie sur un paradigme interprétativiste dans lequel la réalité est appréhendée par l'action du sujet qui l'expérimente, puisqu'elle est essentiellement mentale, perçue, socialement construite, multiple et changeante. Plusieurs outils qualitatifs sont utilisés: méta-analyse descriptive, cartographie cognitive, entrevues en profondeurs, méthode des experts. ______________________________________________________________________________ MOTS-CLÉS DE L’AUTEUR : Marketing relationnel, Normes contractuelles de Macneil, Secteur financier

Factors Influencing Customer Satisfaction towards E-shopping in Malaysia

Online shopping or e-shopping has changed the world of business and quite a few people have decided to work with these features. What their primary concerns precisely and the responses from the globalisation are the competency of incorporation while doing their businesses. E-shopping has also increased substantially in Malaysia in recent years. The rapid increase in the e-commerce industry in Malaysia has created the demand to emphasize on how to increase customer satisfaction while operating in the e-retailing environment. It is very important that customers are satisfied with the website, or else, they would not return. Therefore, a crucial fact to look into is that companies must ensure that their customers are satisfied with their purchases that are really essential from the ecommerce’s point of view. With is in mind, this study aimed at investigating customer satisfaction towards e-shopping in Malaysia. A total of 400 questionnaires were distributed among students randomly selected from various public and private universities located within Klang valley area. Total 369 questionnaires were returned, out of which 341 questionnaires were found usable for further analysis. Finally, SEM was employed to test the hypotheses. This study found that customer satisfaction towards e-shopping in Malaysia is to a great extent influenced by ease of use, trust, design of the website, online security and e-service quality. Finally, recommendations and future study direction is provided. Keywords: E-shopping, Customer satisfaction, Trust, Online security, E-service quality, Malaysia

Away from end product or genre: a protocol as artistic language: evolving a critical framework for contemporary visual art practice in the public (or social) realm, 2000-2003.

For contemporary visual art to be visible and exist as art in peer networks it usually depends upon its transformation into objects. Can we define and test out an alternative visibility more adequate to a production that is 'an act of supplying'? I propose a method to help us understand the artwork, not as a one-off object, but as 'an experience of supply', through the construction of a specific artistic protocol. Process based works "in socius" do not exist beyond the moment of the experience and are currently diffused, shoe-horned into classic representation (exhibition of traces, documentation of the experience). This research proposes to consider the reciprocal engagement, between artist and people, as a two-way creative exchange. Here, the 'code of conduct' proposed is not a checklist for peers but offers new points of learning about process-based works, to understand the ethical relationship enabling discursive artwork to be presented at its moment of presentation. The term 'provision' expresses an attitude and a production. It connects with my own practice Vernacular (1999-2005, site-specific projects in Europe) and those of other selected artists. These reflect my emergent understanding of 'provision' as a 'code of conduct' to make art, in tandem with a literature review, and cross-referenced through questionnaires (involving artists, writers, curators, and key stakeholders in the projects) and an e-mail correspondence with an artists' project 'Building Underwood'. This research strengthens three aspects of the same phenomenon, 'service', 'provision' and 'protocol', enabling other practitioners to explore and sustain critical practice in the social realm. Although saturated in commercial meanings and having no resonance to peers or collaborators, the notion of 'provision' benefits the practice by making visible the discursive action and inhabits a mode of diffusion at the heart of the experience rather than in an object or in postproduction

Un nouveau paradigme pour apprécier l’impact du climat diversité sur la performance des salariés

Cette recherche sur articles a pour objectif de mieux comprendre l’impact du climat diversité, considéré comme un climat organisationnel, sur la performance individuelle des salariés. Nous mobilisons ici le cadre conceptuel de Kopelman et al. (1990).Le concept de climat diversité a cependant été critiqué pour ses défaillances conceptuelles et méthodologiques. Nous réalisons dans un premier article une revue de littérature approfondie (Nombre d’études analysées = 62), et proposons une reconstruction du climat diversité en trois dimensions : l’intentionnalité, la programmation et la pratique. Nous nous appuyons pour ce faire sur le cadre conceptuel de HRM system structure d’Arthur et Boyles (2007) et les diversity management system components de Kulik (2014).Dans un deuxième article, nous opérationnalisons le climat diversité tel que reconceptualisé, en développant et validant une échelle de mesure en 11 items au niveau organisationnel. Nous avons mené pour ce faire trois études (N = 150 ; N = 398 ; Nunité = 11, Nindividuel = 221) qui nous ont permis de valider les propriétés psychométriques de l’échelle en termes de fiabilité et de validité convergente, discriminante, nomologique et prédictive.Enfin, dans un troisième article nous testons nos hypothèses de recherche grâce à une dernière étude (Nunité = 34 ; Nindividuel = 509). Nos résultats montrent que le climat diversité organisationnel influence positivement la performance individuelle, et que la satisfaction au travail et l’engagement organisationnel affectif sont des médiateurs de cette relation. La médiation de l’engagement organisationnel normatif n’est pas concluante.Notre recherche a une contribution significative sur le plan conceptuel et méthodologique, en proposant une approche structurelle innovante et une mesure pour l’étude du climat diversité, par-delà les paradigmes dominants du management de la diversité. Elle offre de plus une forte contribution managériale, en proposant une taxonomie des climats diversité dans les organisations et en ouvrant plusieurs voies aux praticiens pour le développer.aThis research aims to better understand the impact of diversity climate, as an organizational climate, on individual employee performance. We use the conceptual framework of Kopelman et al. (1990).However, the concept of diversity climate has been criticized for its conceptual and methodological shortcomings. In a first article, we produce an in-depth literature review (number of studies analyzed = 62), and we propose a reconstruction of diversity climate in three dimensions: intentionality, programming and praxis. We rely on Arthur and Boyles (2007)’s HRM system structure and on Kulik (2014)'s diversity management system components conceptual frameworks.In a second article, we operationalize diversity climate as reconceptualized, developing and validating an 11-item measurement scale at the organizational level. To proceed, we conducted three studies (N=150; N=398; NUnit =11, Nindividual =221) that allowed us to validate the psychometric properties of the scale in terms of reliability and convergent, discriminant, nomological and predictive validity.Finally, in a third article we test our research hypotheses with a final study (Nunit =34; Nindividual =509). Our results show that organizational diversity climate positively influences individual employee performance, and that job satisfaction and affective organizational commitment mediate this relationship. Mediation of normative organizational commitment is inconclusive.Our research has a significant contribution conceptually and methodologically, since it proposes an innovative structural approach and a measure for the study of diversity climate, beyond the dominant paradigms of diversity management. It also offers a strong managerial contribution, providing a taxonomy for diversity climates in organizations and opening up several avenues for practitioners to develop it

Un nouveau paradigme pour apprécier l’impact du climat diversité sur la performance des salariés

Cette recherche sur articles a pour objectif de mieux comprendre l’impact du climat diversité, considéré comme un climat organisationnel, sur la performance individuelle des salariés. Nous mobilisons ici le cadre conceptuel de Kopelman et al. (1990).Le concept de climat diversité a cependant été critiqué pour ses défaillances conceptuelles et méthodologiques. Nous réalisons dans un premier article une revue de littérature approfondie (Nombre d’études analysées = 62), et proposons une reconstruction du climat diversité en trois dimensions : l’intentionnalité, la programmation et la pratique. Nous nous appuyons pour ce faire sur le cadre conceptuel de HRM system structure d’Arthur et Boyles (2007) et les diversity management system components de Kulik (2014).Dans un deuxième article, nous opérationnalisons le climat diversité tel que reconceptualisé, en développant et validant une échelle de mesure en 11 items au niveau organisationnel. Nous avons mené pour ce faire trois études (N = 150 ; N = 398 ; Nunité = 11, Nindividuel = 221) qui nous ont permis de valider les propriétés psychométriques de l’échelle en termes de fiabilité et de validité convergente, discriminante, nomologique et prédictive.Enfin, dans un troisième article nous testons nos hypothèses de recherche grâce à une dernière étude (Nunité = 34 ; Nindividuel = 509). Nos résultats montrent que le climat diversité organisationnel influence positivement la performance individuelle, et que la satisfaction au travail et l’engagement organisationnel affectif sont des médiateurs de cette relation. La médiation de l’engagement organisationnel normatif n’est pas concluante.Notre recherche a une contribution significative sur le plan conceptuel et méthodologique, en proposant une approche structurelle innovante et une mesure pour l’étude du climat diversité, par-delà les paradigmes dominants du management de la diversité. Elle offre de plus une forte contribution managériale, en proposant une taxonomie des climats diversité dans les organisations et en ouvrant plusieurs voies aux praticiens pour le développer.aThis research aims to better understand the impact of diversity climate, as an organizational climate, on individual employee performance. We use the conceptual framework of Kopelman et al. (1990).However, the concept of diversity climate has been criticized for its conceptual and methodological shortcomings. In a first article, we produce an in-depth literature review (number of studies analyzed = 62), and we propose a reconstruction of diversity climate in three dimensions: intentionality, programming and praxis. We rely on Arthur and Boyles (2007)’s HRM system structure and on Kulik (2014)'s diversity management system components conceptual frameworks.In a second article, we operationalize diversity climate as reconceptualized, developing and validating an 11-item measurement scale at the organizational level. To proceed, we conducted three studies (N=150; N=398; NUnit =11, Nindividual =221) that allowed us to validate the psychometric properties of the scale in terms of reliability and convergent, discriminant, nomological and predictive validity.Finally, in a third article we test our research hypotheses with a final study (Nunit =34; Nindividual =509). Our results show that organizational diversity climate positively influences individual employee performance, and that job satisfaction and affective organizational commitment mediate this relationship. Mediation of normative organizational commitment is inconclusive.Our research has a significant contribution conceptually and methodologically, since it proposes an innovative structural approach and a measure for the study of diversity climate, beyond the dominant paradigms of diversity management. It also offers a strong managerial contribution, providing a taxonomy for diversity climates in organizations and opening up several avenues for practitioners to develop it