Alan G. Walker

Are the Characteristics of Narrative Comments Related to Improvement in Multirater Feedback Ratings Over Time

Researchers have paid almost no attention to the narrative comments that typically accompany multirater feedback reports despite the fact that both anecdotal and empirical evidence suggest that feedback recipients devote considerable attention to such comments. The authors examined improvement in upward feedback ratings over a 1-year period for 176 managers as a function of (a) the number of narrative comments each manager received, (b) whether those comments were favorable (vs. unfavorable), and (c) whether the comments were behavior/task focused (vs. trait focused). The authors found that managers who received a small number of unfavorable, behavior/task-focused comments improved more than did other managers, whereas managers who received a large number of unfavorable, behavior/task-focused comments declined more than did other managers.

Euthanasia-related strain and coping strategies in animal shelter employees

OBJECTIVE To identify and evaluate coping strategies advocated by experienced animal shelter workers who directly engaged in euthanizing animals. DESIGN Cross-sectional study. SAMPLE POPULATION Animal shelters across the United States in which euthanasia was conducted (5 to 100 employees/shelter). PROCEDURES With the assistance of experts associated with the Humane Society of the United States, the authors identified 88 animal shelters throughout the United States in which animal euthanasia was actively conducted and for which contact information regarding the shelter director was available. Staff at 62 animal shelters agreed to participate in the survey. Survey packets were mailed to the 62 shelter directors, who then distributed them to employees. The survey included questions regarding respondent age, level of education, and role and asked those directly involved in the euthanasia of animals to provide advice on strategies for new euthanasia technicians to deal with the related stress. Employees completed the survey and returned it by mail. Content analysis techniques were used to summarize survey responses. RESULTS Coping strategies suggested by 242 euthanasia technicians were summarized into 26 distinct coping recommendations in 8 categories: competence or skills strategies, euthanasia behavioral strategies, cognitive or self-talk strategies, emotional regulation strategies, separation strategies, get-help strategies, seek long-term solution strategies, and withdrawal strategies. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Euthanizing animals is a major stressor for many animal shelter workers. Information regarding the coping strategies identified in this study may be useful for training new euthanasia technicians.

Sanctifying Work: Effects on Satisfaction, Commitment, and Intent to Leave

Sanctification involves perceiving objects or events: (a) theistically by viewing them as having spiritual significance, or (b) nontheistically by viewing them as extraordinary and worthy of veneration and respect without any reference to a higher being. Previous research has found positive outcomes associated with sanctification, including increased satisfaction with marriage (Mahoney et al., 1999), body image (Mahoney, Carels, et al., 2005) and sexual intercourse (Murray-Swank, Pargament, & Mahoney, 2002) to name a few. This study extends these findings into the world of work by demonstrating that those who sanctify their jobs are more satisfied, more committed to their organization, and at the same time less likely to intend to leave.

Religiosity and spirituality in entrepreneurship: a review and research agenda

The purpose of this article is to review the influences of spirituality and religiosity within the field of entrepreneurship. We review nearly 30 articles, exploring the dominant empirical contributions that exist within this emergent research area. Several main focus areas from the prevailing research are organized into a comprehensive framework that provides the foundation for further discussion and synthesis. Shortcomings and limitations to the field and an agenda for future research that contributes to our understanding of religion and spirituality within the realm of entrepreneurship are presented.

An Examination of the Equivalence of Web-Based Versus Paper-and-Pencil Upward Feedback Ratings: Rater- and Ratee-Level Analyses

In this study, 5,257employees provided upward feedback ratings for 759 target managers who had the option of having their subordinates rate them using a traditional paper-and-pencil (opscan) response mode or using the company’s intranet. Preliminary analyses showed mean online ratings were more favorable than were mean paper-and-pencil ratings (d = .38). The authors then conducted rater- and ratee-level hierarchical regression analyses in which they controlled for rater and ratee characteristics. Results showed that (a) the association between response mode and upward feedback ratings was largely artifactual, with response mode accounting for 1% or less of the variance in upward feedback ratings after controlling for rater and ratee characteristics; (b) ratee characteristics accounted for much more of the variance in upward feedback ratings than did rater characteristics; and (c) response mode was unrelated to the number of missing responses.

What Shelters Can Do About Euthanasia-Related Stress: An Examination of Recommendations From Those on the Front Line

Shelter employees with euthanasia responsibilities are an at-risk population for a variety of psychological and emotional ailments. This study surveyed 305 employees from 62 shelters throughout the United States to gather first-hand perspectives on what should be done to assist shelter workers in dealing with euthanasia-related stress. Researchers conducted a qualitative analysis of 359 improvement suggestions to identify broad common themes and sorted the suggestions into 26 thematic categories. The most common participant suggestion concerned management supportive-ness (13.17% of participants). Some other issues raised involved providing counseling, job rotation, assistance or more help, breaks and time off, support groups and meetings, better communication, skills-based training, stress and coping seminars, and employee appreciation and morale-boosting initiatives.

Assessing Ethical Organizational Culture Refinement of a Scale

An important element in discussions of organizational ethicality is the diagnosis of organizational culture. Kaptein developed the Corporate Ethical Virtues Model Scale (CEVMS) to facilitate this task. We build on this work by developing a short form of Kaptein’s scale, the CEVMS–Short Form (CEVMS-SF). In a series of studies, using three independent samples, we (a) developed the CEVMS-SF (Study 1, n = 274), (b) tested the psychometric properties of the short form (Study 2, n = 417), and (c) found validity evidence (Study 3, n = 204) for the measure. The primary implication of this research is that the CEVMS-SF can be combined with existing scales allowing diagnosticians to conduct more comprehensive diagnoses by including ethical culture. We also explain how the CEVMS-SF is applicable in the action research process when conducting a diagnosis or evaluating change interventions during the transformation of an unethical organizational culture to an ethical one.

The relationship between core self-evaluations, views of god, and intrinsic/extrinsic religious motivation.

Core self-evaluations refer to a higher-order construct that subsumes four well-established traits in the personality literature: self-esteem, generalized self-efficacy, (low) neuroticism, and (internal) locus of control. Studies that have examined the relationship between various measures of religiosity and individual components of core self-evaluations show no clear pattern of relationships. The absence of a clear pattern may be due to the failure of most previous studies in this area to use theory to guide research. Therefore, theories related to core self-evaluations, religious motivation, and views of God were used to develop and test four hypotheses. 220 adults completed measures of four religious attitudes (intrinsic religious motivation, extrinsic religious motivation, viewing God as loving, and viewing God as punitive), general religiosity, and core self-evaluations, separated by 6 weeks (with the order of measures counterbalanced). Multivariate multiple regression, controlling for general religiosity, showed that core self-evaluations were positively related to viewing God as loving, negatively related to viewing God as punitive, and negatively related to extrinsic religious motivation. The hypothesis that core self-evaluations would be positively related to intrinsic religious motivation was not supported.

Maximizing journal impact : Moving from inspections of topics to scans for techniques, populations and actions

The comments offered in this article are intended to maximize the benefits and impact of JOOP content for both practitioners and academicians. Specifically, I argue that because practitioners and academicians alike are ‘time-poor’ when it comes to reading journal articles, we inevitably end up conducting ‘topical scans’ in which we scan the titles of an issue for relevant topics. In order to maximize the impact of JOOP content, in addition to these topical scans, we also need to include scans for: (a) relevant techniques, (b) relevant populations, and (c) relevant actions that may be applicable even if the specific topic is not. I also discuss the importance of practitioners becoming more involved in the publication process and describe a matchmaking mechanism for research-practitioner publication collaborations. Finally, I argue that scientist-practitioners are the true heroes of our profession and should therefore be held in high regard.

Exploring the Relationship Between Leaders’ Core Self-Evaluations and Subordinates’ Perceptions of Servant Leadership A Field Study

Recent developments in servant leadership theory exposed a gap in the research literature regarding traits that are important to servant leaders. Our study partially addresses this gap by examining the trait of core self-evaluations and its relationship to servant leadership and leader effectiveness. The results of our study indicate that leader’s core self-evaluations are positively related to followers’ perceptions of servant leadership and leader effectiveness, and the relationship between leaders’ core self-evaluations and leader effectiveness is fully mediated by servant leadership. The results add support to current servant leadership theory by confirming the role that core self-evaluations play in servant leader emergence, and extend the research on core self-evaluations as it relates to leader performance.