How mass layoffs are related to lower job performance and OCB among surviving employees in Chile: an investigation of the essential role of psychological contract

This study aimed to investigate how mass layoffs impact surviving employees in organizations. More specifically, this study ascertained the relationships between mass layoffs and employee work behaviors. It was theorized that mass layoffs will be negatively related to employee performance and OCB through its relationships with job insecurity and psychological contract breach. Moreover, it was expected that perceived manager support would buffer against the negative relations of contract breach with employee performance and OCB. A study among 615 employees in multiple Chilean organizations showed support for the hypotheses: job insecurity and psychological contract breach mediated the relationships between mass layoffs and employee performance and OCB. We also found moderating relationships of manager support, but the relations of breach with performance and OCB were particularly negative when manager support was high, indicating feelings of betrayal among high support employees in response to contract breach. Moreover, the relation of contract breach with performance was positive for low-support employees, and non-significant for high-support employees. Our study advances understanding of the processes underlying how mass layoffs influence employee behavior in the workplace, through introducing the psychological contract as a way of understanding the relationships

International Perspectives on the Legal Environment for Selection

Perspectives from 22 countries on aspects of the legal environment for selection are presented in this article. Issues addressed include (a) whether there are racial/ethnic/religious subgroups viewed as "disadvantaged,” (b) whether research documents mean differences between groups on individual difference measures relevant to job performance, (c) whether there are laws prohibiting discrimination against specific groups, (d) the evidence required to make and refute a claim of discrimination, (e) the consequences of violation of the laws, (f) whether particular selection methods are limited or banned, (g) whether preferential treatment of members of disadvantaged groups is permitted, and (h) whether the practice of industrial and organizational psychology has been affected by the legal environmen

Ambivalencia y el estudio de las actitudes

Este trabajo es una revisión del concepto de ambivalencia actitudinal. Esta revisión busca definir el concepto de ambivalencia y sus consecuencias. Esta revisión explora el origen de la ambivalencia, los diversos intentos en la literatura por operacionalizar el concepto, las fuentes de la ambivalencia y los efectos de ésta sobre la conducta, las creencias emociones y la actitud en si. Se describen y critican las investigaciones que respaldan estas ideas. Se evalúa el estado actual de la investigación en la ambivalencia actitudinal

Estereotipos y Roles de Género en la Evaluación Laboral y Personal de Hombres y Mujeres en Cargos de Dirección Gender Stereotypes and Roles in the Labor and Personal Evaluation of Men and Women in Management Positions

En base a la teoría de la congruencia de roles (Eagly, 1987), este estudio analizó cómo estereotipos y roles de género afectaban la evaluación que recibía un hombre y una mujer gerente. El estudio fue cuasi experimental, transversal e inter sujeto. Participaron 242 ejecutivos, quienes debían leer la descripción de un gerente hombre o mujer y evaluarle en varios dominios laborales y personales. Se realizaron análisis univariados, multivariados y de mediciones repetidas de la varianza, considerando sexo del evaluado y del participante y ámbito (laboral y personal). No se encontraron diferencias en las evaluaciones con respecto al sexo de los participantes o de los evaluados. Sí se encontró un efecto principal del ámbito, recibiendo gerentes hombres y mujeres una evaluación mayor en el entorno laboral que en el personal.<br>Based on the congruence role theory (Eagly, 1987), this study analyzed how gender stereotypes and gender role expectations influenced the evaluations of either a female or a male executive officer. The study was quasi-experimental and transversal, with a mixed design. Two hundred and forty two managers were asked to read the description of an executive officer and evaluate the target on various domains in both work and personal settings. One-way, factorial, and repeated measures analysis of variance were performed, considering target's and participant's sex and setting (work or intimate setting). The results showed that neither the participant's nor the target's sex influenced evaluations. However, a main effect was found for setting, such that both men and women were better evaluated in the working setting than in the personal setting

Effects of ambivalence on attitudes

This research examined the effects of ambivalence on attitudes in particular, the effects on memory for arguments associated with the attitude, speed of response and polarization of response. In two studies, subjects were presented on a computer screen with a series of 6 arguments about a controversial issue: that of whether or not to inform people about terrorist threats to airline flights. Three of the arguments displayed supported the idea of informing people about terrorist threats, and three arguments were against doing so. After reading the arguments, ambivalence was induced in one condition, and non-ambivalence in the other. Then, subjects were presented several times with the attitude object and asked to evaluate it using unipolar scales. The critical attitude object was embedded in a list of other attitude objects including other social issues. The evaluation and response latencies were recorded. In the second phase of the experiment, subjects were asked to retrieve as many arguments as possible from those presented in the initial message. In addition, the second study also assessed a naturally occurring ambivalence (abortion on demand). One study hypothesis stated that ambivalent subjects would retrieve more arguments associated with the attitude than non-ambivalent subjects. Another hypothesis stated that ambivalence influenced the response latency of an attitude question; specifically, that non-ambivalent subjects would tend to evaluate an attitude faster than ambivalent subjects. It was also stated that ambivalent and non-ambivalent subjects should show shorter response latencies after repeated expression of the attitude. Finally, it was predicted that non-ambivalent subjects would tend to polarize after repeated expression of the attitude, but that ambivalent subjects would not. Findings of this study showed that, consistent with the hypothesis, subjects in the ambivalence condition recalled more arguments and responded faster toward an attitude inquiry than ambivalent subjects. The effect of repeated expression of the attitude over speed of response was also supported. However, contrary to expectations, the polarization effect was found for both ambivalent and non-ambivalent subjects. In addition, it was found that these results applied for the most part to the manipulated ambivalence and not to the naturally occurring ambivalence. The importance of the manipulation of ambivalence and the implications of the obtained results are discussed

Estereotipos Sobre los Mapuches: Su Reciente Evolución Stereotypes About Mapuches: Recent Evolution

Mediante una réplica y ampliación de un estudio realizado en 1988 por Saiz (1991), se examinó la evolución de los estereotipos que estudiantes universitarios no indígenas atribuyen a dos categorías cronológicas de mapuches: pretéritos y contemporáneos. Este examen fue realizado según el contenido, favorabilidad, notoriedad y uniformidad de los estereotipos. Mediante un cuestionario, 407 participantes asignaron atributos a las dos categorías de mapuches. Confirmando lo esperado, los estereotipos replican, en general, aquellos reportados por Saiz (1991) y surgen, además, dos nuevos estereotipos desfavorables sugeridos en la literatura. La preservación de los estereotipos es discutida mediante el enfoque de subtipos y subgrupos (Richards & Hewstone, 2001), en tanto que el surgimiento de nuevos estereotipos es analizado desde la teoría del conflicto realista (Campbell, 1965).Replicating and expanding a study by Saiz (1991), we examined the evolution of the stereotypes that non-indigenous university students ascribe to two distinctive Mapuche chronological categories: past and present.The content, favorability, salience, and uniformity of the stereotypes were analyzed. Using a questionnaire, 407 participants assigned attributes to both Mapuche categories. As expected, almost all the stereotypes replicated those reported by Saiz (1991) and, at the same time, two new unfavorable stereotypes emerged.The persistence of stereotypes is discussed according to the process of subtyping and subgruping (Richards & Hewstone, 2001). The development of new stereotypes is analyzed from the realistic conflict theory perspective (Campbell, 1965)

The effect of procedural fairness and supervisor support in the relationship between job insecurity and organizational citizenship behaviour

<p></p><p>Abstract Purpose: The aim of this paper is to examine whether the perception of job insecurity negatively affects procedural fairness, which may relate to the Organizational Citizenship Behavior (OCB). Finally, we have tested whether perceived supervisor support has a moderating effect in the relationship between procedural fairness and OCB. Design/methodology/approach: Data were collected from a sample of 707 employees in a metal-mechanic company in Chile. Regression analysis was used to analyze the mediating and moderating effects. Findings: It was found that procedural fairness fully mediates the relationship between Job Insecurity and OCB, such that Job Insecurity is negatively related to procedural fairness, which in turn is positively related to OCB. Also, perceived supervisor support moderates the relationship between procedural fairness and OCB. Originality/value: The paper provides new theoretical insights on the effects that perceived job insecurity has on OCB, giving an empirical insight of the mediator and moderator effects that aid in the comprehension of this relationship.</p><p></p