Marriages of Convenience and Other Trade-offs: Exploring the Ambivalent Nature of Organizational Relationships

Depictions of organizational life have ranged from depictions of extreme alienation (Erikson, 1986) to extreme commitment (Butterfield, 1985; Kunda, 1992). However, the emotional portrait of workers may not be so easily captured by simple shades of positive or negative feelings. Rather, the rapid rate of change, the ever-increasing complexity, and the seeming incompleteness characteristic of social life in the twentieth century suggest that this is an "age of ambivalence" (Weigert & Franks, 1989). In the work place, individuals confront the realities of hyper-competitive market places, technologically mediated relationships, empowerment, and economic insecurity. These and other issues have become embedded in the social structure of organizations and affect the bonds between individuals and between individuals and their organization. The result, we argue, is that individuals often experience ambivalence: "overlapping approach-avoidance tendencies" (Sincoff, 1990) characterized by "mixed feelings" about their work groups and organizations. Despite the fact that ambivalence is inherent in modern life, and is a central concept in many social sciences (cf. Boehm, 1989; Freud, 1950/1920; Bowlby, 1982; Merton, 1976; Smelser, 1998), our understanding of ambivalence in organizations is limited. In this chapter, we examine the topic of emotional ambivalence in the context of work relationships. We have four major goals in this regard: (1) to briefly review the concept of ambivalence, especially emotional ambivalence; (2) to argue for the prevalence of ambivalence in individuals' relationships both with and in organizations; (3) to propose two major sources of ambivalence in these relationships; and (4) to offer a typology of responses that individuals use to cope with emotional ambivalence. To illustrate these goals, we draw upon two different cases, rural doctors whose practices have been recently bought out by a large managed care organization (referred to hereafter as HealthCo), and employees at bank call-centers. These cases reveal two types of ambivalent relationships in organizations. The case of the rural doctors illustrates how individuals can become ambivalent with their employing organization. Thus, it illustrates an individuals' ambivalence with their collective. The call-center, by contrast, primarily illustrates ambivalent relationships between bank call-center employees and co-workers, as well as between employees and customers. Thus, it shows us ambivalent relationships within (rather than with) an organization. We believe that both types of ambivalent relationships (both with and within) are likely to be common in modern organizations.

What Does Transformation Mean to Workers? The Effects of the "New Industrial Relations" on Union Employees' Attitudes

The Chrysler-UAW Modern Operating Agreement (MOA) is a prototype for the "new industrial relations," establishing (through collective bargaining) reduced job classifications, shopfloor work teams, a pay-for-skills compensation plan, extensive training, and decentralization of various production and quality responsibilities to teams -- all under a joint union-management governance structure. We use a 1993 survey of worker attitudes at six MOA plants (two to five years after MOA was implemented) to predict which workers are likely to express approval of the MOA and the team concept. The survey measured individual, group, and organization-level (i.e. establishment) characteristics in order to capture the full context surrounding the implementation of the MOA, including plant-level variation in worker attitudes. Variables at each of these levels of analysis are statistically significant predictors of favorable attitudes towards MOA and towards the team concept, indicating the value of such a cross-level analysis for understanding worker attitudes towards workplace transformation. We also analyze plant-level differences in attitudinal outcomes and find that some of the variation is explained by factors that are not idiosyncratic to individual plants.Chrysler Corporation, M.I.T. and George Washington University (part of the broader research team studying the MOA with funding from the Department of Labor), the International Motor Vehicle Program at M.I.T. and the Jones Center at Wharton

Personality traits, consumer animosity, and foreign product avoidance: The moderating role of individual cultural characteristics

Although personality and cultural traits were found to be important predictors or moderators of consumer attitudes and behavior, their relationship to consumer animosity has not yet been studied. This article reports the findings of a study conducted among 606 Ukrainian consumers, aiming to identify personality drivers and behavioral outcomes of consumer animosity, as well as the moderating role of cultural characteristics. Structural equation modeling revealed that extraversion and conscientiousness have a negative effect on consumer animosity, while neuroticism and openness are positively associated with this feeling. However, no significant relationship was observed between animosity and agreeableness. In turn, consumer animosity was found to influence product avoidance, with this association becoming stronger in the case of consumers with higher levels of power distance, uncertainty avoidance, collectivism, and masculinity. The study also showed that male and educated consumers are more likely to harbor animosity toward a hostility-evoking country, while age and income had no control effect on animosity. Several implications for theory and practice are derived from the study findings, and directions for future research are provided

Responsiveness: Emotion and information dynamics in dyadic service interactions

What is the value of emotional and informational responsiveness in service interactions and what are their antecedents? This dissertation examines variations in emotional and informational responsiveness by service representatives in telephone service interactions in retail banking. Emotional responsiveness is found to be detrimental to organizational and customer outcomes, while informational responsiveness is found to be beneficial for complex calls. Emotional responsiveness is influenced by individual differences, in-group membership and managerial influence. Informational responsiveness is affected by call complexity and service representative gender. The research design is multi-method and field-based. The data include transcribed and coded audio recordings of the service interactions, as well as surveys and standardized tests of individual service representatives. In addition to the recordings, organizational and customer evaluations of the interactions are used to answer the research questions. Participant observation and focus groups are used to get a richer sense of the nature of the work in general, and of the emotional and informational labor performed

Responsiveness: Emotion and information dynamics in dyadic service interactions

What is the value of emotional and informational responsiveness in service interactions and what are their antecedents? This dissertation examines variations in emotional and informational responsiveness by service representatives in telephone service interactions in retail banking. Emotional responsiveness is found to be detrimental to organizational and customer outcomes, while informational responsiveness is found to be beneficial for complex calls. Emotional responsiveness is influenced by individual differences, in-group membership and managerial influence. Informational responsiveness is affected by call complexity and service representative gender. The research design is multi-method and field-based. The data include transcribed and coded audio recordings of the service interactions, as well as surveys and standardized tests of individual service representatives. In addition to the recordings, organizational and customer evaluations of the interactions are used to answer the research questions. Participant observation and focus groups are used to get a richer sense of the nature of the work in general, and of the emotional and informational labor performed

Culture Change at TNT China (B)

As a global transportation and distribution company, TNT N.V. provides mail and express delivery services to its customers in more than 200 countries, and is one of the most admired delivery and express companies throughout the world. However, TNT China had once faced severe challenges. This case series describes how Michael Drake committed to change in TNT China from his appointment as the Managing Director of TNT China International Express, and how over five years he turned TNT China around and enabled its remarkable achievements in the Chinese market. Case (A) introduces the challenges and primary task Drake faced as a new executive; Case (B) elaborates on Drake’s business philosophy, his new management team, interventions he implemented in TNT China, the way through which he managed to win support from the board and the outcomes of all these changes. This case series explores the following questions: how does a global company adapt its operations to overseas markets? How does the company implement effective culture and process changes in foreign subsidiaries