Ana Lisbona

Evolution of Gender Stereotypes in Spain: Traits and Roles

The aim of this study is twofold: to determine whether (and how) gender stereotypes have changed over time through a comparison of two different sets of data collected in 1993 (N=1255) and 2001 (N=1255) from a representative sample of the Spanish population, and to examine the relation between gender traits and roles and its stability over time. In addition, special attention is paid to the psychometric properties of the measures of gender traits and roles used in the study. The content of gender stereotypes was found to remain stable over the target period of time, confirming the classical typology (a higher assignment of expressive-communal traits to women and of instrumental-agentic traits to men). The structure of the gender-role questionnaire allows us to distinguish between family-role and work-role stereotyping. Gender-role stereotyping shows a marked decline between 1993 and 2001, a result that contrasts with the stability of trait-role stereotyping. The fact that a very low correlation is observed at the two time points between these two components of gender stereotyping strongly suggests their independence.

Descriptive and prescriptive features of gender stereotyping. Relationships among its components

Abstract This paper explores the relation between gender stereotyping in traits and roles and sociodemographic variables, as well as the relation between the descriptive and prescriptive characteristics of such traits and roles. In Study 1, a representative national sample of 1255 participants was used. The results showed that trait stereotyping did not vary among participants, whereas role stereotyping did vary as a function of gender (women stereotyped less) age (young people stereotyped less) and educational level (people with a high level stereotyped less). The relation between trait stereotyping (descriptive) and role stereotyping (prescriptive) is very low. Study 2 was carried out to verify mainly the relation between the prescriptive and descriptive aspects of a single component: traits. The participants were 96 professional women. In this study, a weak relation was found between the descriptive and the prescriptive aspects of trait stereotyping, and a strong relation between the prescriptive aspects of traits and roles. These results are coherent with the assumption that the descriptive and prescriptive aspects of gender stereotyping are independent. In both studies, correlations were observed indicating that people who tend to stereotype in instrumental traits also maintain more stereotyped beliefs about the prescriptive trait and role aspects.

Introducción: Teoría de la identidad social y algunas aplicaciones actuales

Resumen Esta introducción se inicia con un breve recorrido histórico por los orígenes de la teoría de la identidad social, junto con la descripción del contexto en que surge y se desarrolla. Tras una sucinta explicación del concepto se da paso a la presentación de los artículos que componen este monográfico, cuyo objetivo principal es mostrar algunos de los trabajos que se están desarrollando en la actualidad bajo el marco teórico de la Identidad Social, aplicados a diversos ámbitos de la psicología social como, por ejemplo, el organizational o el político.

Social identity, passion and well-being in university students, the mediating effect of passion.

Research on positive emotions associated with the performance of an activity, such as work or study, has increased exponentially in recent years. Passion is understood as an attitude and intense emotion in the performance of an activity, and it has shown both positive and negative consequences for well-being. A link between social identity and positive emotions through social category membership has been described. The aim of this work is to study the relationship between social identity, the dimensions of passion and the positive impact on university responses. A quasi-experimental design was used on a sample of 266 university students from different Spanish universities (Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia, Universidad Miguel Hernández and Universidad de Alicante). Descriptive analyzes were performed on the studys variables using SPSS 18. Structural equation modeling was carried out with AMOS 18 and the mediational analysis with MODMED macro developed by Preacher, Rucker, and Hayes (2007). The results show that the identity of the studies had an indirect effect on positive responses mediated by passion for the studies (RMSEA = .07; CFI = .97; NFI = .96; TLI = .92). It is observed that the harmonious and obsessive dimensions of passion differ in the mediating effect on happiness and satisfaction with studies. Practical and theoretical implications for well-being are discussed.

Diferentes focos de identificación en el trabajo: identificación organizacional, grupal y profesional

Resumen La investigación en torno a la teoría de la identidad social en el ámbito organizational ha evolucionado considerablemente desde el trabajo pionero de Ashforth y Mael a finales de la década de los 80. Tradicionalmente se han analizado aspectos como las fusiones o adquisiciones, el liderazgo o la gestión de la diversidad, entre otros. La identificación organizacional se entiende como una forma de identificación social, originada por la percepción de pertenencia a una organización determinada, siendo la base para un amplio rango de conductas organizacionales, críticas para el éxito organizacional. Entre ellas destacamos una relación más novedosa, la relación entre la identificación organizacional y la iniciativa personal. Se describen, asimismo, aspectos como las identidades múltiples o los diferentes focos de identificación en la organización. Entre ellos destacamos los ocasionados por la diversidad demográfica, el grupo o equipo de trabajo, la profesión u ocupación y la organización o empresa en la que desempeñamos nuestro trabajo. Por último como futuras líneas de investigación se sugiere la pluralidad metodológica y se introduce la novedosa línea de la complejidad frente a la investigación con modelos lineales.

Initiative in work teams: adaptation and validation of the Personal Initiative at Group Level Scale / Iniciativa en los equipos de trabajo: adaptación y validación de la Escala de Iniciativa Personal a nivel Grupal

Abstract In this study, we conceptualize personal initiative as a collective construct and adapt and validate a scale to evaluate it with a sample of 308 Spanish participants belonging to 91 work teams. Personal initiative at group level is a behavioural syndrome in which the team shows an approach to work that is self-initiated, proactive, persistent, capable of modifying the atmosphere and pro organization. As a predictive variable, we analysed the climate for initiative as well as personal initiative at group level. The resulting variables that were analysed referred to organization and team performance, with the team productivity and innovation as the criteria, analysing radical innovation. The scale has suitable psychometric properties. The results show that there is a relationship between the two predictive variables. Furthermore, personal initiative at group level is related to team productivity, while the climate for initiative is related to innovation.

The effects of work engagement and self-effi cacy on personal initiative and performance

Background: Two popular concepts, work engagement and personal initiative, are different but related constructs. This study is based on and extends the Frese and Fay (2001) model of personal initiative (PI) by including work engagement (WE) and self‐efficacy as antecedents of PI, and performance as a consequence. Method: Two studies (study 1, with a cross‐sectional design using N = 396 participants from 22 organizations, and study 2, with a longitudinal design conducted in two waves with N = 118 participants from 15 organizations) test the hypotheses. Results: Structural equation modeling and the PROCESS SPSS Macro were used to test the hypothesized mediating role of personal initiative in work engagement and performance, and the results show the indirect effect of WE on performance through PI. Conclusions: The results of these two studies confirmed our hypotheses: WE and self‐efficacy lead to higher PI, which, in turn, leads to higher performance. In addition to considering WE as an antecedent of PI, the results lead to considering PI as an antecedent of performance. &NA; Los efectos del work engagement y la auto‐eficacia en la iniciativa personal y el desempeño. Antecedentes: los conceptos work engagement e iniciativa personal están relacionados pero son conceptos diferentes. Este trabajo se basa en el modelo de la iniciativa personal de Frese y Fay (2001) y lo amplía incluyendo el work engagement como antecedente de la iniciativa personal, junto con la autoeficacia y el desempeño como resultado. Método: se realizaron dos estudios (estudio 1 con un diseño transversal N = 396 participantes de 22 organizaciones y estudio 2 con un diseño longitudinal con dos tiempos y N = 118 participantes de 15 organizaciones) para contrastar las hipótesis. Resultados: se utilizaron modelos de ecuaciones estructurales y el Macro de SPSS Process para contrastar el rol mediador de la iniciativa perosnal entre el work engagement y el desempeño, mostrando los resultados los efectos indirectos del work engagement sobre el desempeño a través de la iniciativa personal. Conclusión: los resultados de los dos estudios confirman nuestras hipótesis. Work engagment y autoeficacia llevan a una mayor iniciativa personal, que implica una mejora del desempeño. Junto a considerar el work engagment un antecedente de la iniciativa personal, los resultados permiten considerar a la iniciativa un antecedente del desempeño.