ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT AND MULTITASKING BEHAVIORS: A MIXED-METHOD STUDY

This paper investigates how individual perceptions and attitudes about an organization influence multitasking behaviors in the workplace. While we know that individuals’ behaviors are influenced by the characteristics of their organizations (e.g., ICTs, physical layout), we still do not know much about how the way individuals interpret their organization influences their multitasking behaviors. We first hypothesize that individual perceptions of organizational preferences for multitasking (i.e. organizational polychronicity) have impacts on actually enacted multitasking behaviors. We also hypothesize that the attachment to the organization (i.e. organizational identification) moderates the above relationship. We conducted a mixed method study in two knowledge intensive organizations and collected data through a survey, diaries, and semi-structured interviews. Our findings support the first hypothesis but not the moderating role of organizational identification. However, this latter seems to be directly related on how much a person is willing to work on different activities, but not on how much she interrupts others or accepts being interrupted. Further, our study suggests that not only the organizational context should be investigated in the study of multitasking behaviors, but also the larger work context, including the individuals’ professional communities

Polytasking and Job Stress across Cultures

The current study explored the relationship between country of origin and personal and organizational polytasking in relation to stressors and strains. The study also investigated how temporal incongruence could be a source of stress. A total of 440 surveys were collected from full-time employees, including Asian Indians in the USA (n= 67), Asian Indians in India (n=253), and non-Asian Indians in the USA (n= 120). Results indicate that non-Asian Indians in the USA perceive significantly greater levels of personal and organizational polytasking than Asian Indians. There were no significant differences in perceptions of personal and organizational polytasking for Asian Indians (in India and the USA). Second, stressor and strain responses to perceptions of organizational polytasking and temporal incongruence were different among the three cultural groups. Implications for time management and future research directions are discussed

The interplay between organizational polychronicity, multitasking behaviors and organizational identification: A mixed-methods study in knowledge intensive organizations

This paper investigates how individual perceptions and attitudes about an organization influence multitasking behaviors in the workplace. While we know that individuals are significantly influenced in their behaviors by the characteristics of their organizations (e.g. ICTs, organizational structure, physical layout), we still do not know much about how the way individuals interpret their organization influences their multitasking behaviors. Thus, we specifically hypothesize that the individual perception of the organizational preferences for multitasking (i.e. organizational polychronicity) engenders the actual multitasking behaviors that an individual enacts in the workplace. We also hypothesize that the attachment to the organization (i.e. organizational identification) moderates the above relationship. We conducted a mixed method study in two knowledge intensive organizations (an R&D unit and a university department) and collected data through a survey, diaries, and semi-structured interviews. Our findings support the first hypothesis but not the moderating role of organizational identification. However, this latter is directly related to how much a person is willing to work on multiple activities on a single day. Further, our study suggests that not only the organizational context should be investigated in the study of multitasking behaviors, but also the larger work context, including the individuals’ professional communities. We conclude with a discussion of theoretical and practical implications as well as methodological reflections on mixing methods in the study of multitasking in organizations

Time and the work/family interface in a Fortune 500 organization : the direct and interactive effects of temporal structures, out-of-office contact, and polychronicity on negative work-to-family spillover

The modern economy is high-paced and demanding, in part due to globalization’s effect on business processes and expanded technological capabilities; as a result, employees can experience greater pressure and stress in the workplace that can lead to increased work/family conflict. In light of these more challenging conditions for employees, some work/family scholars have adjusted the theoretical lens by which they operationalize and explain work/family conflict to incorporate employees’ temporal norms, cultures, and structures. For example, many organizational scholars have explored how hours worked, paid-time-off, and even work pacing, timing, and cycles are related to work/family conflict. In this dissertation, I employ Layered-Task Time (LTT) – a structural temporal construct that is inherently linked to an employee’s work experience – to define workplace conditions that predict negative work-to-family spillover. In addition, I combine this temporal approach with the degree to which employees are contacted outside of the typical workplace and hours (henceforth referred to as “out-of-office contact” or “OOOC”) to explore how the integrated nature of the work and nonwork domains influences the work/family interface. Using data from a large, bureaucratically organized Fortune 500 insurance company, I examine the first-order effects of the LTT components on negative work-to-family spillover, and, in an effort to also extend current work/family theory, the interactive effect of these temporal conditions with out-of-office contact on negative work-to-family spillover. Finally, I also explore the interactive effect of polychronicity, or the degree to which one prefers multi-tasking, on both of these sets of relationships in order to better understand how polychronicity can buffer the negative influence of these temporal conditions and the interactive effect of these temporal conditions with OOOC frequency on negative work-to-family spillover. The results support the majority of the hypotheses presented in this dissertation – specifically, that the temporal conditions operationalized in this dissertation predict negative work-to- family spillover, and that when these temporal conditions are combined with increased work-related contact outside of the traditionally defined work place/time, those effects are stronger. I find support that polychronicity interacts with some of these temporal conditions as well as many of the interactions between these temporal conditions and out- of-office contact to buffer the negative implications of these constructs for negative work-to-family spillover. Finally, I discuss the implications of this research for practice as well as for the theoretical state of current temporality and work/family literature

Mediação dos comportamentos de gestão de tempo na relação da autoeficácia com o desempenho e com a satisfação no trabalho

O objetivo da presente investigação foi testar um modelo da influência da gestão de tempo em contexto de trabalho. Para isso, foi criado um modelo exploratório, moderado por uma variável do contexto de trabalho, a qual chamamos de pressão para tempo-extra na mediação dos comportamentos gestão de tempo, de uma relação entre uma variável disposicional, com forte relação no desempenho e duas variáveis de resultado. A variável disposicional é a autoeficácia e as variáveis de resultado são perceções de desempenho e a satisfação no trabalho. O teste do modelo com uma amostra de 212 participantes mostrou uma mediação parcial dos comportamentos de gestão de tempo na relação entre a autoeficácia e o desempenho significativa, sendo que a variável de contexto não exerceu efeitos de moderação.The objective of this study was to test a model of the influence of time management in the workplace. For this, we created an exploratory model, moderated by a variable of the work context, which we call, pressure for overtime, over a mediation of the time management behavior in a relationship between a dispositional variable, with strong relationship whit performance and two outcome variables. The dispositional variable is the self-efficacy and the outcome variables are self-reported performance and job satisfaction. With a sample of 212 participants findings show a partial mediation of time management behavior in the relation between self-efficacy and performance but the context model variable did not moderated the model

A multi-level study of perceived multiple team membership variety and its effects on the outcomes of productivity and innovation

Research in multiple team membership is limited. Even more scarce is empirical work in perceived multiple team membership variety (Perceived MTM variety), which is the perceived diversity in the teams’ members belong to. This thesis sought to address the gap in literature by examining the effects of perceived MTM variety on the individual and team outcomes of productivity and innovation. Through the challenge-hindrance framework I investigated the potential benefits and costs of perceived MTM variety at the individual and team level of enquiry. A valid and reliable scale that measured the perceived MTM variety construct was developed as there was no valid scale that psychometrically measures the perceived MTM variety construct. Through a sample of 216 employees in 50 teams from a public sector organisation in Nigeria, I hypothesised that perceived MTM variety at both levels of enquiry will positively predict challenge stressors (time pressure and cognitive demand) and hindrance stressors (role conflict and role ambiguity). I hypothesised that challenge stressors will elicit positive responses from individuals and teams alike in the form of positive coping responses such as time management and knowledge integration at the individual level and information elaboration at the team level. The moderating effect of polychronicity on both group of stressors at the individual level was examined. The obtained findings supported the prediction of a relationship between perceived MTM variety and challenge and hindrance stressors at both the individual level and teamlevel, however, there was no support for the relationship between challenge stressors and positive coping responses. This research did find support for the negative coping responses of hindrance stressors, as team role ambiguity negatively mediated the relationship between perceived team MTM variety and team productivity, role ambiguity at the individual level negatively mediated the relationship between perceived MTM variety and productivity at the individual level. In addition, team members with higher levels of polychronicity experienced higher levels of time pressure

Examining the Effects of Individual's Polychronicity and Supervisor's Management Style on Creative Self-Efficacy

This research focuses on the area of individuals' creative self-efficacy studies in the workplace. Creative self-efficacy is the self belief of whether one has the capacity to perform the job creatively. In the literature, it has been established as an important factor affecting individual's creative performance. However, studies on the variables which can affect creative self-efficacy are rare. The objectives of this research are to examine whether individual polychronicity can affect creative self-efficacy; whether supervisors' supportive and non-controlling management style can influence creative self-efficacy; and whether organisational environmental factors (organisational structure, interaction with co-workers, risk-taking orientation, and a trusting and caring atmosphere) can impact creative self-efficacy. This research argues that supervisory management style can affect organisational environmental factors. Paper questionnaires and web-based surveys were conducted among 123 post-experienced students from Victoria Management School, School of Government, School of Information Management, and Centre for Continuing Education in Victoria University of Wellington. The research findings suggest that individual polychronicity, supervisory management style, interaction with co-workers and risk-taking orientation are significantly associated with individuals' creative self-efficacy at workplace. As expected, supervisory management style is significantly correlated with organisational structure, interaction with co-workers, risk-taking orientation, and a trusting and caring atmosphere. The results also show that factors like individualistic/collectivistic culture and the appointment of people in the management/non-management position can affect creative self-efficacy. Theoretically, this research has contribution to the creative self-efficacy and creative performance studies, polychronicity studies and "fit" theory between employees and organisational environment. Practically, organisations that want employees to have high creative self-efficacy may recruit polychronic individuals, provide positive creative environment, and encourage supervisors to have supportive and non-controlling management styles

Social power and the pursuit of multiple goals: effects of power on multitasking tendency and ability

Social power, or the ability to control resources and influence others’ outcomes, has been found to facilitate successful attainment of single goals by increasing attentional focus and the ability to inhibit irrelevant information. However, the relationship between power and multiple-goal pursuit has not yet been investigated. The current thesis first examined whether power influences strategies during multiple-goal pursuit. It was hypothesized that powerful individuals are more inclined to single-task (attend to tasks in a sequential manner) and powerless individuals tend to multitask (attend to tasks simultaneously or switch rapidly between them) when faced with multiple demands. Six studies were conducted and showed (in general) a effect of power on multitasking and prioritization tendencies. Specifically, reported tendency for multitasking and number of switches planned between various tasks decreased as a function of power (Chapter 2). This negative relationship between power and multitasking tendency was replicated by measuring how many times participants actually switched between multiple goals during goal striving (Chapter 3). Moreover, power was also found to increase prioritization tendency. Second, the thesis investigated the relationship between power and multitasking ability (Chapter 4). It was predicted that powerless participants will show lower multitasking ability than control and powerful participants. Three experiments found that powerless (compared to control and powerful) participants displayed lower performance in dual-tasking and task-switching paradigms, and reported lower abilities in the management of multiple-goals. However, the effect of power on multitasking ability may depend on the multitasking context. These results were found using experimentally manipulated power, individual differences in power, and real-world power roles. Potential mediating factors of power such as mood, confidence, anxiety, rumination, and motivation were also measured. Overall, the thesis established an ironic effect of power as powerless individuals had a higher multitasking tendency but underperformed during demanding multitasking situations