Organizational identifications - Antecedents and consequences of identifications in a shipyard context

Only abstract. Paper copies of master’s theses are listed in the Helka database (http://www.helsinki.fi/helka). Electronic copies of master’s theses are either available as open access or only on thesis terminals in the Helsinki University Library.Vain tiivistelmä. Sidottujen gradujen saatavuuden voit tarkistaa Helka-tietokannasta (http://www.helsinki.fi/helka). Digitaaliset gradut voivat olla luettavissa avoimesti verkossa tai rajoitetusti kirjaston opinnäytekioskeilla.Endast sammandrag. Inbundna avhandlingar kan sökas i Helka-databasen (http://www.helsinki.fi/helka). Elektroniska kopior av avhandlingar finns antingen öppet på nätet eller endast tillgängliga i bibliotekets avhandlingsterminaler.The primary aim of this study was to investigate the antecedents of organizational identifications and the effects of subgroup and superordinate identifications on intergroup differentiation and on extra-role behavior. Based on social identity theory and previous research on organizational commitment several hypotheses were formed and tested in two samples gathered from the same Finnish shipyard in 1996. Sample 1 consisted of shipyard's own workforce and Sample 2 consisted of the employees of 20 different subcontractors working at the same shipyard. From them, measures of subgroup and superordinate identification, intergroup differentiation, intergroup competition, job satisfaction, perceived group prestige, discrimination, subgroup and intergroup contacts, non-instrumental orientation and extra-role behavior were obtained. The results of this study gave support for the idea that identification and different identification profiles could be predicted from some of the variables used here. Identifications are, thus, strongly affected by contextual factors. Among the shipyard's own workers (Sample 1) identification with the shipyard was significantly related to increased levels of ingroup bias toward subcontractors working at the shipyard. The results based on Sample 2 clearly supported the main hypotheses here that the amount of subgroup identification (identification with the subcontractor) increases ingroup bias and superordinate identification (identification with the shipyard) decreases ingroup bias toward other subgroups under the same superordinate category (shipyard). The results also provided general support for the hypotheses here that organizational identification and satisfaction have positive consequences for the organization in the form of non-instrumental orientation and extra-role behavior.ISBN 951-45-9967 (print). ISBN 951-45-9967 (PDF). Electronically available at http://ethesis.helsinki.f

Organisaatioon identifioituminen : Identifioitumisia selittävät tekijät ja identifioitumisten seuraukset telakka-kontektissa

Only abstract. Paper copies of master’s theses are listed in the Helka database (http://www.helsinki.fi/helka). Electronic copies of master’s theses are either available as open access or only on thesis terminals in the Helsinki University Library.Vain tiivistelmä. Sidottujen gradujen saatavuuden voit tarkistaa Helka-tietokannasta (http://www.helsinki.fi/helka). Digitaaliset gradut voivat olla luettavissa avoimesti verkossa tai rajoitetusti kirjaston opinnäytekioskeilla.Endast sammandrag. Inbundna avhandlingar kan sökas i Helka-databasen (http://www.helsinki.fi/helka). Elektroniska kopior av avhandlingar finns antingen öppet på nätet eller endast tillgängliga i bibliotekets avhandlingsterminaler.Tutkimuksen tarkoituksena oli selvittää organisaatioon identifioitumista selittäviä tekijöitä. Samalla tutkittiin alaryhmäidentifikaation ja yläryhmäidentifikaation yhteyksiä sisäryhmän suosintaan ja prososiaaliseen organisaatiokäyttäytymiseen. Sosiaalisen identiteetin teorian ja aikaisemman organisaatiositoutumista käsittelevän tutkimuksen pohjalta muodostettiin useita hypoteeseja, joita testattiin kahden samalta suomalaiselta telakalta kerätyn aineiston avulla. Ensimmäisen aineisto koostui telakan omista työntekijöistä ja toinen aineisto koostui samalla telakalla työskentelevistä 20 eri alihankkijayrityksen palveluksessa olevista työntekijöistä. Kyselylomakkeen avulla kerättiin tietoja vastaajien identifikaatioista, sisäryhmän suosinnasta, ryhmien välisestä kilpailusta, työtyytyväisyydestä, ryhmien statuksesta, syrjinnästä, epäinstrumentaalisesta orientaatiosta ja prososiaalisesta organisaatiokäyttäytymisestä. Tutkimuksen tulokset antoivat tukea ajatukselle, että identifioitumista ja erilaisia identifikaatioprofiileja voidaan ennustaa joidenkin tutkimuksessa käytettyjen muuttujien avulla. Kontekstuaaliset tekijät selittivät hyvin identifikaation voimakkuutta. Telakan omien työntekijöiden keskuudessa identifioituminen telakkaan lisäsi alihankkijayritysten työntekijoihin kohdistuvaa sisäryhmän suosintaa. Alihankkijayritysten työntekijöiden kohdalla alaryhmään (alihankkijayritykseen) identifioituminen lisäsi sisäryhmän suosintaa suhteessa muihin alaryhmiin, ja yläryhmään (telakkaan) identifioituminen vähensi sisäryhmän suosintaa suhteessa muihin telakalla oleviin alaryhmiin. Tutkimuksen tulokset antoivat myös tukea hypoteesille, jonka mukaan identifioituminen ja työtyytyväisyys ovat yhteydessä sellaisiin organisaation kannalta positiivisiin seurauksiin kuten esimerkiksi epäinstrumentaaliseen orientaatioon ja prososiaaliseen organisaatiokäyttäytymiseen.ISBN 951-45-9967-5 (nid.). ISBN 951-45-9968-3 (PDF

Leader Fairness and Employees’ Trust in Coworkers: The Moderating Role of Leader Group Prototypicality

In this article, the association between perceived supervisor fairness and trust in coworkers as a collective entity is studied. Based on identity-related theories on fairness, trust and leader effectiveness it was hypothesized that perceived supervisor distributive, procedural and interactional fairness are positively and more strongly related to employee trust in their coworkers if the supervisor is highly group prototypical rather than less group prototypical. An empirical study, conducted with 176 employees within 30 work groups, supported this hypothesis. Fairness of a less group prototypical supervisor was not associated with trust in coworkers, whereas especially unfairness of the group prototypical supervisor was detrimental for trust in coworkers. The study concludes that leader’s prototypicality might not work as a substitute for fairness, as some recent studies have suggested, when the outcome is not directly related to the assessment of the leader. Thus, leaders should not count on the trust they earn by being group prototypical but they should also aim at fairness. Implications for collective distrust theory (Kramer, 1994; 1998) are also discussed.Peer reviewe

Spiraling work engagement and change appraisals : A three-wave longitudinal study during organizational change

In this longitudinal field study, we examine reciprocal relationships between within-person changes in work engagement and cognitive appraisals of change (threat and challenge) across an organizational merger. Examination of these cyclical relationships provides a more accurate understanding of the complexity of employees' experience of change and a new test of spiraling work engagement and cognitive appraisals. Latent change score modeling is used to analyze 3 waves of longitudinal survey data (N = 623). Our findings showed that engagement mitigated threat appraisals and enhanced challenge appraisals through pre- and postmerger phases. A reciprocal relationship between threat appraisal and engagement was also observed, such that threat fueled decreases in engagement throughout the merger. Challenge appraisal was associated with enhanced work engagement during the first merger phase. This examination advocates managers of change to foster employees' work engagement already prior to change endeavors, along with mitigating threat appraisals throughout organizational change events. Fostering positive challenge appraisals appears to be particularly important for employees' work engagement during times of major changes. Findings suggest that upward spiral of work engagement, as postulated on the basis of the broaden-and-build theory, may be more likely to occur through engagement mitigating negative cognitions (threat) than promoting positive cognitions (challenge).Peer reviewe

The dynamic interplay between merger process justice and cognitive trust in top management : A longitudinal study

Peer reviewe

Merger-specific trust cues in the development of trust in new supervisors during an organizational merger : A naturally occurring quasi-experiment

Organizational mergers and subsequent restructurings often create situations in which employees are assigned a new supervisor and they start to form a new relationship. In this study, we investigated how the development of trust in a new supervisor is affected by trust cues specific to the merger context. We conducted a quasi-experiment using three-wave longitudinal data to follow the development of trust throughout two years. About half of the participants were assigned a new supervisor between pre-merger (Time 1) and first post-merger (Time 2) measurement time points, while the remaining participants continued to work with the same supervisor. Results showed that new supervisor's outgroup membership prior to the merger was negatively related, while favorable outgroup attitudes and perceptions of top management reliability were positively related to the development of trust. These cues were important especially in the early phase of the relationship but their relative importance decreased over time.Organizational mergers and subsequent restructurings often create situations in which employees are assigned a new supervisor and they start to form a new relationship. In this study, we investigated how the development of trust in a new supervisor is affected by trust cues specific to the merger context. We conducted a quasi-experiment using three-wave longitudinal data to follow the development of trust throughout two years. About half of the participants were assigned a new supervisor between pre-merger (Time 1) and first post-merger (Time 2) measurement time points, while the remaining participants continued to work with the same supervisor. Results showed that new supervisor's outgroup membership prior to the merger was negatively related, while favorable outgroup attitudes and perceptions of top management reliability were positively related to the development of trust. These cues were important especially in the early phase of the relationship but their relative importance decreased over time.Peer reviewe

Effectiveness of the Chest Strap Electrocardiogram to Detect Atrial Fibrillation

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a significant cause of cardioembolic strokes. AF is often symptomless and intermittent, making its detection challenging. The aim of this study was to assess the possibility to use a chest strap (Suunto Movesense) to detect AF both by cardiologists and automated algorithms. A single channel electrocardiogram (ECG) from a chest strap of 220 patients (107 AF and 111 sinus rhythm SR with 2 inconclusive rhythms) were analyzed by 2 cardiologists (Doc1 and Doc2) and 2 different algorithms (COSEn and AFE-vidence). A 3-lead Holter served as the gold standard ECG for rhythm analysis. Both cardiologists evaluated the quality of the chest strap ECG to be superior to the quality of the Holter ECG; pPeer reviewe

Recovery from sauna bathing favorably modulates cardiac autonomic nervous system

Objective Sauna bathing is becoming a common activity in many countries and it has been linked to favorable health outcomes. However, there is limited data on the heart rate (HR) and heart rate variability (HRV) responses to an acute sauna exposure. Design We conducted a single-group, longitudinal study utilizing a pre-post design to examine acute effects of sauna bathing on the autonomic nervous system as reflected by HRV. A total of 93 participants (mean [SD] age: 52.0 [8.8] years, 53.8% males) with cardiovascular risk factors were exposed to a single sauna session (duration: 30 min; temperature: 73 °C; humidity: 10–20%) and data on HRV variables were collected before, during and after sauna. Results Time and frequency-domain HRV variables were significantly modified (p < 0.001) by the single sauna session, with most of HRV variables tending to return near to baseline values after 30 min recovery. Resting HR was lower at the end of recovery (68/min) compared to pre-sauna (77/min). A sauna session transiently diminished the vagal component, whereas the cooling down period after sauna decreased low frequency power (p < 0.001) and increased high frequency power in HRV (p < 0.001), favorably modulating the autonomic nervous system balance. Conclusions This study demonstrates that a session of sauna bathing induces an increase in HR. During the cooling down period from sauna bathing, HRV increased which indicates the dominant role of parasympathetic activity and decreased sympathetic activity of cardiac autonomic nervous system. Future randomized controlled studies are needed to show if HR and HRV changes underpins the long-term cardiovascular effects induced by regular sauna bathing.peerReviewe

Inter-sleep stage variations in corrected QT interval differ between obstructive sleep apnea patients with and without stroke history

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is related to the progression of cardiovascular diseases (CVD); it is an independent risk factor for stroke and is also prevalent post-stroke. Furthermore, heart rate corrected QT (QTc) is an important predictor of the risk of arrhythmia and CVD. Thus, we aimed to investigate QTc interval variations in different sleep stages in OSA patients and whether nocturnal QTc intervals differ between OSA patients with and without stroke history. 18 OSA patients (apnea-hypopnea index (AHI)≥15) with previously diagnosed stroke and 18 OSA patients (AHI≥15) without stroke history were studied. Subjects underwent full polysomnography including an electrocardiogram measured by modified lead II configuration. RR, QT, and QTc intervals were calculated in all sleep stages. Regression analysis was utilized to investigate possible confounding effects of sleep stages and stroke history on QTc intervals. Compared to patients without previous stroke history, QTc intervals were significantly higher (β = 34, p<0.01) in patients with stroke history independent of age, sex, body mass index, and OSA severity. N3 sleep (β = 5.8, p<0.01) and REM sleep (β = 2.8, p<0.01) increased QTc intervals in both patient groups. In addition, QTc intervals increased progressively (p<0.05) towards deeper sleep in both groups; however, the magnitude of changes compared to the wake stage was significantly higher (p<0.05) in patients with stroke history. The findings of this study indicate that especially in deeper sleep, OSA patients with a previous stroke have an elevated risk for QTc prolongation further increasing the risk for ventricular arrhythmogenicity and sudden cardiac death.publishedVersionPeer reviewe