Alison Cook

Mediation Testing in Management Research A Review and Proposals

The authors review and critique the conduct and reporting of mediation analyses in 409 studies published in five leading organization studies journals over the past 25 years. The aim of the study is to learn from past practice and to use that knowledge to signal to researchers the importance of correctly applying mediation tests as well as to facilitate the valid testing of mediation models and the reporting of mediation results in future studies. The authors content code their sample for a wide range of characteristics and find that the majority of inferences of full and partial mediation are based on testing procedures that deviate significantly from procedures recommended by statisticians. In addition, the reporting of results is often incomplete and inefficient. The authors discuss and evaluate the findings of the study and make recommendations for future testing and reporting of results for mediation models.

Taking Stock of Work-Family Initiatives: How Announcements of "Family-Friendly" Human Resource Decisions Affect Shareholder Value

This study examines share price reactions to 231 work-family human resource policies adopted by Fortune 500 companies and announced in the Wall Street Journal between 1971 and 1996. Consistent with past research, the results suggest that firm announcements of work-family initiatives positively affected shareholder return. The authors also empirically test three hypotheses concerning how the timing of work-family initiatives influences shareholder reaction. They find that a pioneering company announcing the first-ever implementation of a work-family initiative was likely to realize a larger announcement-day share price increase than did later adopters of the same initiative; the first work-family announcement released by a firm influenced announcement-day share price more than did successive work-family announcements by the same firm; and share price reactions to work-family human resource decisions were not importantly affected by whether those decisions followed a gender discrimination suit.

Connecting Work—Family Policies to Supportive Work Environments

This research provides a theory-driven approach to study the relationship between the availability of work—family policies and family-supportive organization perceptions (FSOPs) and supervisory support perceptions (SSPs). At-risk family characteristics, which are characteristics that potentially affect work—family conflict such as a young child in the home, are investigated as a moderator of the proposed relationships. Findings substantiate positive relationships between the availability of work—family policies and FSOPs and SSPs; in addition, at-risk family characteristics are found to strengthen the relationship between work—family policies and SSPs. FSOPs and SSPs are also examined as mediators of the relationship between work—family policies and employee outcomes of intention to turnover, job satisfaction, and job burnout. Findings partially support FSOPs and SSPs as having mediating influences in the work—family policies and work attitudes relationship.

The Relationship Between Work-Family Human Resource Practices and Firm Profitability: A Multi-Theoretical Perspective

Few studies have investigated the relationship between work-family human resource practices and firm-level outcomes. Several organizational studies have addressed the antecedents to firm adoption of work-family initiatives; however, the majority of work-family research investigates the relationship between work-family practices and individual-level outcomes. The current paper begins by providing a critical analysis and synthesis of the extant work-family literature. In addition, we integrate the organizational learning research on firm commitment to work-family policies and the human resource model. We suggest that the level of firm commitment moderates the relationship between work-family policies, the human resource model, and firm performance. Several propositions for future work-family research are presented.

The Power of One or Power in Numbers? Analyzing the Effect of Minority Leaders on Diversity Policy and Practice

This study analyzes the impact of racial/ethnic minority leaders on equity and diversity policies. Previous research finds that minority leaders are associated with reduced inequality, yet the ways in which these leaders impact organizational policies are understudied. Our analysis relies on a unique dataset of corporate practices, CEO race/ethnicity, and board member race/ethnicity in Fortune 500 firms from 2001 to 2010. The authors find that while minority CEOs have minimal impact on equity policies, diverse boards are significantly associated with equitable practices. They conclude that board diversity is critical for shaping corporate practice related to equity and diversity.

Occupation and Industry Sex Segregation, Gender, and Workplace Support: The Use of Flexible Scheduling Policies

This study examines how industry and occupation sex segregation are related to the use of flexible scheduling policies and perceptions of the career repercussions of using such policies. The analysis is performed on data from the 2002 National Study of the Changing Workforce (N = 2,810). Findings suggest that the percentage of women per industry and occupation increase the likelihood of using flexible scheduling; however, the effect is not cumulative. The results show that organization family support interacts with gender and the sex composition of the industry in predicting use of flexible scheduling. Furthermore, the findings indicate that the relationship between the extent of sex segregation and perceptions of the career repercussions of using policies is complicated with a three-way interaction of percentage women per industry, percentage women per occupation, and gender. These patterns are discussed in further detail along with implications of the study.

Diversity begets diversity? The effects of board composition on the appointment and success of women CEOs

Previous research on the effects of leadership diversity on firm outcomes has produced inconsistent and inconclusive findings. While some scholars argue that diversity increases organizational equity and enhances performance, others argue that diversity increases conflict, reduces cooperation and harms performance. This study tests the impact of a variety of compositional factors on firm outcomes. Specifically, we analyze whether and how board composition affects the advancement and mobility of women CEOs and firm performance. Our analysis relies on a unique data set of all Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) and Board of Directors (BODs) in Fortune 500 companies over a ten-year period. We find a marginally significant positive relationship between board diversity and the likelihood of a woman being appointed CEO. We further find that board diversity significantly and positively influences the post-promotion success of women CEOs. Our findings suggest that board composition is critical for the appointment and success of women CEOs, and increasing board diversity should be central to any organizational diversity efforts.

Do minority leaders affect corporate practice? Analyzing the effect of leadership composition on governance and product development

This study examines the effect of racial/ethnic minority CEOs and diverse corporate boards on corporate governance and product development. We test an author-constructed dataset of corporate practices, CEO race/ethnicity, and board racial/ethnic composition in Fortune 500 firms from 2001 to 2010. Findings suggest that diverse boards are positively associated with effective corporate governance practices and product development. Moreover, an interactive effect occurs between a diverse board and the race/ethnicity of the CEO in that corporate governance strengths and product innovation for the firm are increased when a White CEO operates with a diverse board. Thus, while promoting individual minority leaders is important, board diversity is paramount for achieving corporate benefits.

Shareholder Returns for a Catalyst Award

Using an event study methodology, the authors examine firm share price reactions to the designation of a Catalyst Award. They find a positive relationship between the human resource award and share price reactions. In addition, they find varying degrees of support that timing, firm size, and labor force composition moderate share price reactions. Specifically, the authors find that earlier award announcements generate larger share price reactions than more recent award announcements. They also find support that larger firms reap greater share price reactions than do smaller firms. And last, they find limited support that the proportion of women in an industry moderates the award and share price relationship.

Do women advance equity? The effect of gender leadership composition on LGBT-friendly policies in American firms

We advance the literature on the demographic factors that shape organizational outcomes by analyzing the impact of the gender composition of firm leadership on the likelihood that a firm will adopt lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT)-friendly policies. Drawing on social role and token theory, we test the relative impact of CEO gender and the gender composition of the board of directors separately and together in order to identify the effects of gender diversity at the top of the organization. We rely on a unique data set that includes corporate policies (gender identity and sexual orientation non-discrimination policies, domestic-partner benefits, and overall corporate equality index scores) as well as the gender of the CEO and board of directors among Fortune 500 firms over a 10-year period. Our findings suggest that firms with gender-diverse boards are more likely than other firms to offer LGBT-friendly policies, whereas findings for firms with women CEOs offer mixed results.