Psychological attachment to the group: Cross-cultural differences in organizational identification and subjective norms as predictors of workers' turnover intentions

Two studies wed the theory of reasoned action, social identity theory, and Ashforth and Mael's work on organizational identification to predict turnover intentions in Japanese and British commercial and academic organizations. In both studies and in both countries, the authors expected and found that identification with the organization substantially and significantly predicted turnover intentions. Attitudes predicted intentions only in Study 2, and subjective norms significantly predicted intentions across both studies. The authors hypothesized that subjective norms would be a significantly stronger predictor of turnover intentions in a collectivist setting. This prediction was supported. Although social identity is strongly associated with turnover intentions across both cultures, the subjective normative aspects of group membership are significantly more strongly associated in the Japanese organizations

Improved Crop Coefficients for Irrigation Scheduling

The use of water for irrigation is receiving more scrutiny as supplies are reduced, competing demands emerge, and application costs increase. Improved water management in irrigation requires an accurate scheduling of irrigations. In areas experiencing limited water supplies, this may involve scheduling irrigations to obtain maximum return per unit of water applied. Other areas may require scheduling to limit deep percolation of water and other valuable nutrients. The adoption of irrigation scheduling programs such as those described by Kincaid and Heermann (1974) has resulted in reduced application of water. These programs provide estimates of when and how much to irrigate by using daily weather data and other data related to the specific crop and soil situation under consideration. With irrigation scheduling, excessive irrigation can be reduced, considerable energy can be saved, and nutrients can be put to more efficient use. A necessary requirement within the irrigation scheduling program is the accurate calculation of daily crop evapotranspiration (ET). The current methodology of estimating crop ET is the use of a potential or reference ET and a crop coefficient. The crop coefficient is an empirical ratio of crop ET to some reference ET, and is generally derived from experimental data. The crop coefficlents currently being used are generally presented as a function of time, usually as a percentage of elapsed time from planting to full cover for the first part of the growing season, and days after full cover for the last part of the growing season. To provide a basis for directly relating the crup coefficient to crop development and to account for changes from normal weather conditions, field experiments to develop improved crop coefficients were conducted at two sites in Nebraska. The independent variables used to describe the crop coefficient were cumulative growing degree days and stage of growth. The crop coefficients presented in this report are daily basal values, representing conditions when soil evaporation is minimal, but the availability of soil water within the root zone does not limit plant growth or transpiratio

Leaving Hong Kong?: The roles of attitude, subjective norm, perceived control, social identity and relative deprivation

This article reports a study of Hong Kong people's intention in 1992 to leave after the 1997 Transition. Seventy-one employees ii? a medium sized organization in Hong Kong responded to measures based on theories of planned behaviour, social identity, and relative deprivation. Identification runs associated with status evaluations of Hong Kong rather than perceived personal benefits from living there. Intention to leave was associated with attitudes and subjective norm but not with other variables. Perceived control moderated the relationship of anticipated deprivation to frustration and identification. Among respondents with low control, but not those with high control, anticipated deprivation was associated with greater frustration and lowered identification. We distinguish between leaving the group physically vs psychologically. The results are interpreted as being consistent with a Social Identity Theory perspective on social change and inter group boundary permeability. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd All rights reserved

The correlates of antinuclear activism: Attitudes, subjective norms, and efficacy

Ajzen's(1988) theory of planned behavior was modified and used to examine antinuclear behavior. Subjects completed a questionnaire measuring their antinuclear attitudes. their perceptions of support for taking antinuclear action, and their perceptions of efficacy in this arena. Then, an antinuclear behavioral intentions questionnaire was presented, as well as several opportunities to engage in various antinuclear actions. Regression analyses indicated that Ajzen's model was supported to the extent that attitude emerged as a significant predictor of antinuclear intentions and behaviors. Subjective norms and efficacy were not significant predictors of either intentions or behaviors. Models incorporating behavior-specific attitude measures accounted for more variance than did models using more general attitude measures toward nuclear war/weapons

The social identity perspective - Intergroup relations, self-conception, and small groups

The historical development, metatheoretical background, and current state of the social identity perspective in social psychology are described. Although originally, an analysis mainly of intergroup relations between large-scale social categories, and more recently an analysis with a strong social cognitive emphasis, this article shows that the social identity perspective is intended to be a general analysis of group membership and group processes. It focuses on the generative relationship between collective self-conception and group phenomena. To demonstrate the relevance of the social identity perspective to small groups, the article describes social identity research in a number of areas: differentiation within groups; leadership; deviance; group decision making; organizations; computer mediated communication; mobilization, collective action, and social loafing; and group culture. These art the areas in which most work has been done and which arc therefore best placed for further developments in the near future

The Social Identity Perspective on Small Groups

(from the chapter) This chapter describes the historical development, metatheoretical background, and current state of the social identity perspective. The theory developed as an analysis of intergroup relations among large-scale social categories and has evolved a strong social cognitive emphasis. In this chapter, we show that the social identity perspective is intended to be a general analysis of group membership and group processes that focuses on the generative relationship between collective self-conception and group phenomena. We describe several applications of the social identity perspective to small groups including: differentiation within groups; leadership; deviance; group decision-making; computer-mediated communication; mobilization, collective action, and social loafing; and group culture. We conclude with a discussion of the strengths and weaknesses of the perspective and of future directions

Fern Cave: A Hotspot of Subterranean Biodiversity in the Interior Low Plateau Karst Region of Alabama in the Southeastern United States

The Fern Cave System, developed in the western escarpment of the Southern Cumberland Plateau of the Interior Low Plateau karst region in Northeastern Alabama, USA, is a global hotspot of cave-limited biodiversity as well as home to the largest winter hibernaculum for the federally endangered Gray Bat (Myotis grisescens). We combined the existing literature, museum accessions, and database occurrences with new observations from bioinventory efforts conducted in 2018–2022 to generate an updated list of troglobiotic and stygobiotic species for the Fern Cave System. Our list of cave-limited fauna totals twenty-seven species, including nineteen troglobionts and eight stygobionts. Two pseudoscorpions are endemic to the Fern Cave System: Tyrannochthonius torodei and Alabamocreagris mortis. The exceptional diversity at Fern Cave is likely associated with several factors, such as the high dispersal potential of cave fauna associated with expansive karst exposures along the Southern Cumberland Plateau, high surface productivity, organic input from a large bat colony, favorable climate throughout the Pleistocene, and location within a larger regional hotspot of subterranean biodiversity. Nine species are of conservation concern, including the recently discovered Alabama cave shrimp Palaemonias alabamae, because of their small range sizes, few occurrences, and several potential threats