Looking Beyond Our Similarities: How Perceived (In)Visible Dissimilarity Relates to Feelings of Inclusion at Work

We investigated how the perception of being dissimilar to others at work relates to employees’ felt inclusion, distinguishing between surface-level and deep-level dissimilarity. In addition, we tested the indirect relationships between surface-level and deep-level dissimilarity and work-related outcomes, through social inclusion. Furthermore, we tested the moderating role of a climate for inclusion in the relationship between perceived dissimilarity and felt inclusion. We analyzed survey data from 887 employees of a public service organization. An ANOVA showed that felt inclusion was lower for individuals who perceived themselves as deep-level dissimilar compared to individuals who perceived themselves as similar, while felt inclusion did not differ among individuals who perceived themselves as surface-level similar or dissimilar. Furthermore, a moderated mediation analysis showed a negative conditional indirect relationship between deep-level dissimilarity and work-related outcomes through felt inclusion. Interestingly, while the moderation showed that a positive climate for inclusion buffered the negative relationship between deep-level dissimilarity and felt inclusion, it also positively related to feelings of inclusion among all employees, regardless of their perceived (dis)similarity. This research significantly improves our understanding of how perceived dissimilarity affects employees by distinguishing between surface-level and deep-level dissimilarity and by demonstrating the importance of a climate for inclusion

Volunteering for charity: pride, respect, and the commitment of volunteers

This study builds upon and extends the social-identity-based model of cooperation with the organization (T. R. Tyler, 1999; T. R. Tyler & S. L. Blader, 2000) to examine commitment and cooperative intent among fundraising volunteers. In Study 1, structural equation modeling indicated that pride and respect related to the intent to remain a volunteer with an organization, and that this relation was mediated primarily by normative organizational commitment. In Study 2, structural equation modeling indicated that the perceived importance of volunteer work was related to pride, that perceived organizational support related to the experience of respect, and that pride and respect mediated the relation between perceived importance and support on the one hand and organizational commitment on the other. Overall, the results suggest that volunteer organizations may do well to implement pride and respect in their volunteer policy, for instance to address the reliability problem (J. L. Pearce, 1993)

Volunteering for charity: pride, respect, and the commitment of volunteers

This study builds upon and extends the social-identity-based model of cooperation with the organization (T. R. Tyler, 1999; T. R. Tyler & S. L. Blader, 2000) to examine commitment and cooperative intent among fundraising volunteers. In Study 1, structural equation modeling indicated that pride and respect related to the intent to remain a volunteer with an organization, and that this relation was mediated primarily by normative organizational commitment. In Study 2, structural equation modeling indicated that the perceived importance of volunteer work was related to pride, that perceived organizational support related to the experience of respect, and that pride and respect mediated the relation between perceived importance and support on the one hand and organizational commitment on the other. Overall, the results suggest that volunteer organizations may do well to implement pride and respect in their volunteer policy, for instance to address the reliability problem (J. L. Pearce, 1993)

An intervention that reduces stress in people who combine work with informal care: Randomized controlled trial results

Background The aim of the research was to examine whether a role-focused self-help course intervention would decrease caregiver stress and distress, and functioning problems, among people who suffer stress because they combine paid work with informal care. Methods A pre-registered (NTR 5528) randomized controlled design was applied (intervention vs. wait list control). Participants (n = 128) were people who had paid work and were suffering stress due to their involvement in informal care activities. Participants allocated to the intervention group (n = 65) received the role-focused self-help course. Control group members (n = 63) received this intervention after all measurements. Prior to the random allocation (pre-test), and 1 month (post-test 1) and 2 months (post-test 2) after allocation, all participants completed a questionnaire that measured their caregiver stress (primary outcome), distress, work functioning, negative care-to-work interference and negative care-to-social and personal life interference. Mixed model ANOVAs were used to test the effectiveness of the intervention. Results Two months after allocation, the intervention group participants had lower levels of caregiver stress and distress compared with the control group participants. The intervention did not directly resolve impaired work functioning or interference of care with work and social/personal life. Conclusion The intervention decreases caregiver stress and distress in people who suffer stress because they combine paid work with informal caring. The intervention (Dutch version) can be downloaded at no cost from www.amc.nl/mantelzorgstress

Measuring Work Functioning: Validity of a Weighted Composite Work Functioning Approach

To examine the construct validity of a weighted composite work functioning measurement approach. Workers (health-impaired/healthy) (n = 117) completed a composite measure survey that recorded four central work functioning aspects with existing scales: capacity to work, quality of work performance, quantity of work, and recovery from work. Previous derived weights reflecting the relative importance of these aspects of work functioning were used to calculate the composite weighted work functioning score of the workers. Work role functioning, productivity, and quality of life were used for validation. Correlations were calculated and norms applied to examine convergent and divergent construct validity. A t test was conducted and a norm applied to examine discriminative construct validity. Overall the weighted composite work functioning measure demonstrated construct validity. As predicted, the weighted composite score correlated (p .60) with work role functioning and productivity (convergent construct validity), and moderately (.30 .80) significantly worse work functioning than healthy workers (discriminative validity). The weighted composite work functioning measurement approach takes into account the relative importance of the different work functioning aspects and demonstrated good convergent, fair divergent, and good discriminative construct validit

Sustaining Volunteer Organizations: Investigating the Internal and External Predictors of Turnover

Volunteering represents an important and beneficial civic activity. United Nations estimates that the global volunteering workforce is equivalent to 109 million full-time workers. Although volunteers represent a sizable global \u27workforce\u27, management research on volunteering is fairly limited. The aim of the current symposium is to showcase how management theories and concepts traditionally developed to study paid workforce can be applied and adapted to study volunteers with the goal of improving volunteering sustainability. Collectively, the five presentations investigate the external (e.g., intergroup relations, leadership) and internal (i.e., cognitions, motivations, identification) factors that predict volunteer turnover. Enhancing and extending our understanding of volunteering \u27work\u27 will assist organizations in better attracting and retaining volunteers. This is an important managerial challenge, considering the enormous contribution made by volunteers to the society

Sustaining volunteer organizations: Investigating the internal and external predictors of turnover

Volunteering represents an important and beneficial civic activity. United Nations estimates that the global volunteering workforce is equivalent to 109 million full-time workers. Although volunteers represent a sizable global ‘workforce’, management research on volunteering is fairly limited. The aim of the current symposium is to showcase how management theories and concepts traditionally developed to study paid workforce can be applied and adapted to study volunteers with the goal of improving volunteering sustainability. Collectively, the five presentations investigate the external (e.g., intergroup relations, leadership) and internal (i.e., cognitions, motivations, identification) factors that predict volunteer turnover. Enhancing and extending our understanding of volunteering ‘work’ will assist organizations in better attracting and retaining volunteers. This is an important managerial challenge, considering the enormous contribution made by volunteers to the society