Leader values as predictors of employee affect and work passion intentions

The purpose of this study was to examine the empirical connection between employee perceptions of their leaders’ values orientation, employee job-specific affect, and the resultant impact these two constructs have on employee work passion intentions. Seven hundred forty-seven respondent surveys were analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM) to assess the study’s proposed theoretical model. The latent constructs tested included cognition (i.e., perceptions of interpersonal work experience), affect, and intentions. Perceived leader self-concern showed a significant direct correlation with negative job-specific affect as well as a negative relationship with intent to stay. Leader other-orientation showed sizeable, direct, significant correlations with employee positive job-specific affect and resultant work passion intentions such as intent to endorse, intent to perform, intent to stay, intention to use discretionary effort, and intention to be an organizational citizen.Published versio

Examining the relationship between leaders' power use, followers' motivational outlooks, and followers' work intentions

From the foundation of self-determination theory and existing literature on forms of power, we empirically explored relationships between followers' perceptions of their leader's use of various forms of power, followers' self-reported motivational outlooks, and followers' favorable work intentions. Using survey data collected from two studies of working professionals, we apply path analysis and hierarchical multiple regression to analyze variance among constructs of interest. We found that followers' perceptions of hard power use by their leaders (i.e., reward, coercive, and legitimate power) was often related to higher levels of sub-optimal motivation in followers (i.e., amotivation, external regulation, and introjected regulation). However, followers who perceived their leaders used soft power (i.e., expert, referent, and informational power) often experienced higher levels of optimal motivation (i.e., identified regulation and intrinsic motivation), but further investigation of soft power use is warranted. The quality of followers' motivational outlooks was also related to intentions to perform favorably for their organizations.Published versio

Effective staff development

Despite previous research, in-service programs often need improvement

Can Pronouns Predict Work Intentions? An Empirical Assessment of The Reich Test

In a 1993 op-ed piece in the Washington Post, then-Secretary of Labor Robert Reich proposed that employees reveal their job attitudes through the pronouns they use to describe their organization, specifically suggesting that employees who describe their organization using the pronoun “we” are more engaged and committed, whereas the opposite is true for those who use the pronoun “they.” This study empirically tested Reich’s assumption by studying the relationship between employees’ pronoun use in describing their work experiences and their work intentions. The study finds qualified evidence of a relationship between pronoun use and work intentions, under specific conditions

The university president and organizational change : case studies.

EducationDoctor of Education (Ed.D.

The role of the university president as a boundary person : a case study.

EducationDoctor of Education (Ed.D.

Examining the Relationship Between Leaders' Power Use, Followers' Motivational Outlooks, and Followers' Work Intentions

From the foundation of self-determination theory and existing literature on forms of power, we empirically explored relationships between followers' perceptions of their leader's use of various forms of power, followers' self-reported motivational outlooks, and followers' favorable work intentions. Using survey data collected from two studies of working professionals, we apply path analysis and hierarchical multiple regression to analyze variance among constructs of interest. We found that followers' perceptions of hard power use by their leaders (i.e., reward, coercive, and legitimate power) was often related to higher levels of sub-optimal motivation in followers (i.e., amotivation, external regulation, and introjected regulation). However, followers who perceived their leaders used soft power (i.e., expert, referent, and informational power) often experienced higher levels of optimal motivation (i.e., identified regulation and intrinsic motivation), but further investigation of soft power use is warranted. The quality of followers' motivational outlooks was also related to intentions to perform favorably for their organizations

Employee perceptions of their work environment, work passion, and work intentions: A replication study using three samples.

This study contributes to the emerging literature on the employee work passion appraisal (EWPA) model, by replicating structural equation modeling across three samples (total n= 4613). We examine passion for work as a mediator of employees’ work environment characteristics and work intentions. Our data fit the structure of the EWPA model in three samples. As expected, work environment characteristics were strongly and positively correlated with harmonious passion, but contrary to our expectations, work environment characteristics were moderately and positively correlated with obsessive passion. Harmonious passion was positively correlated with work intentions, but the connection between obsessive passion and work intentions yielded mixed results. The overall results support harmonious passion, and less so obsessive passion, as partial mediators of employees’ perceptions of their work environment characteristics and favorable work intentions. This study has limitations in that it uses a cross-sectional, single-source, self-report design. Practical implications of the study are also presented.Accepted manuscrip

“It’s Like Hating Puppies!” Employee Disengagement and Corporate Social Responsibility

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) has been linked with numerous organizational advantages, including recruitment, retention, productivity, and morale, which relate specifically to employees. However, despite specific benefits of CSR relating to employees and their importance as a stakeholder group, it is noteworthy that a lack of attention has been paid to the individual level of analysis with CSR primarily being studied at the organizational level. Both research and practice of CSR have largely treated the individual organization as a “black box,” failing to account for individual differences amongst employees and the resulting variations in antecedents to CSR engagement or disengagement. This is further exacerbated by the tendency in stakeholder theory to homogenize priorities within a single stakeholder group. In response, utilizing case study data drawn from three multinational tourism and hospitality organizations, combined with extensive interview data collected from CSR leaders, industry professionals, engaged, and disengaged employees, this exploratory research produces a finer-grained understanding of employees as a stakeholder group, identifying a number of opportunities and barriers for individual employee engagement in CSR interventions. This research proposes that employees are situated along a spectrum of engagement from actively engaged to actively disengaged. While there are some common drivers of engagement across the entire spectrum of employees, differences also exist depending on the degree to which employees, rather than senior management, support corporate responsibility within their organizations. Key antecedents to CSR engagement that vary depending on employees’ existing level of broader engagement include organizational culture, CSR intervention design, employee CSR perceptions, and the observed benefits of participation

Storytelling at Work: A Leadership Offer for Well-being

Storytelling is an under leveraged means to creating and sustaining well-being in organizations. People love a good story. In fact, human brains are hardwired for storytelling and story-listening. It is, quite simply, one of the most effective ways for people to make sense of theirs and others’ experiences. Aside from its ability to help people construct meaning, storytelling also enhances interpersonal connection, acts as a mastery sharing vehicle, and evokes positive emotions. In essence, storytelling and story-listening is a ready offering for well-being. Yet, leaders within our organizations underestimate and under utilize this uniquely human strength. They are not encouraged to tell stories; they routinely attempt to influence employee behavior and organizational vitality through data and facts even though research shows that people learn best through narrative. The inherent vulnerability in storytelling may help us understand why we seldom use this competency. This paper examines the positive potential of unleashing storytelling in organizations to increase individual and collective well-being