Anders Sjöberg

The interactive effect of job involvement and organizational commitment on job turnover revisited: A note on the mediating role of turnover intention.

This study extends previous theoretical and empirical research on Blau and Boals (1987) model of the interactive effect of job involvement and organizational commitment on employee withdrawal. Using longitudinal data from a survey among the nursing staff of a Swedish emergency hospital (N = 535) and register information on actual turnover, the results showed, in contrast to the statement of the original theoretical model, that turnover intention mediates the additive and multiplicative effects of job involvement and organizational commitment on actual turnover. The study suggests that the proposed involvement by commitment interaction is theoretically justified, and underscores the pertinence of investigating intermediate linkages in turnover research.

Dual Commitment to Company and Union in Sweden: An Examination of Predictors and Taxonomic Split Methods

Using data from 257 members of a Swedish public sector whitecollar local union, a first purpose of this study was to examine whether North American results concerning predictors of company and union commitment generalize to the Swedish industrial relations setting. Results of multiple regression analyses support the application of divergent models in predicting company and union commitment. A second purpose was to compare different methods of scale bifurcation that have been applied under a taxonomic approach to dual commitment. Similarities and differences in results produced by three sample-dependent (mean, median and cluster analysis) and one sample-independent (scale midpoint) split methods are examined. Implications of the findings are discussed.

Discriminant validation of measures of organizations commitment, job involvement, and job satisfaction among Swedish army officers

The discriminant validity of measures of job involvement, job satisfaction and organizational commitment was tested with data from 467 army officers in Sweden. Confirmatory-factor analysis showed a close fit between the proposed three-factor model and the data. Further, six of eleven job and health correlates related differently to the three attitude vairables. The results indicate that job involvement, job satisfaction and organizational commitment represent three empirically distinct constructs. Implications for future research discussed.

How are employees at different levels affected by privatization? : A longitudinal study of two Swedish hospitals

Despite the amount of privatizations around the world in recent decades, only limited research attention has been paid to how privatization affects the employees. The effects are likely to vary dep ...

Bounded kolmogorov complexity based on cognitive models

Computable versions of Kolmogorov complexity have been used in the context of pattern discovery [1]. However, these complexity measures do not take the psychological dimension of pattern discovery into account. We propose a method for pattern discovery based on a version of Kolmogorov complexity where computations are restricted to a cognitive model with limited computational resources. The potential of this method is illustrated by implementing it in a system used to solve number sequence problems. The system was tested on the number sequence problems of the IST IQ test [2], and it scored 28 out of 38 problems, above average human performance, whereas the mathematical software packages Maple, Mathematica, and WolframAlpha scored 9, 9, and 12, respectively. The results obtained and the generalizability of the method suggest that this version of Kolmogorov complexity is a useful tool for pattern discovery in the context of AGI.

Do Union Mergers Affect the Members? Short- and Long-term Effects on Attitudes and Behaviour

Although union mergers have occurred since the earliest stages of unionization, few attempts have been made to uncover the psychological effects of merger on member attitudes and behaviour. The literature suggests that the intended results of a merger (e.g. economies of scale, reduced jurisdictional disputes) can be accompanied by unintended consequences, such as lowered degrees of union commitment and membership participation. This study examined the effects of a union merger on members’ attitudes and participation in union activity using questionnaires. Baseline data from two merging unions and a comparison union were collected a year prior to the merger, and longitudinal follow-up surveys were administered twice. The results suggest that membership commitment, satisfaction and participation do not necessarily have to be sacrificed for the bene.t of building larger, more stable and powerful unions through mergers.

Using individual differences to predict job performance: correcting for direct and indirect restriction of range.

The present study investigates the relationship between individual differences, indicated by personality (FFM) and general mental ability (GMA), and job performance applying two different methods of correction for range restriction. The results, derived by analyzing meta-analytic correlations, show that the more accurate method of correcting for indirect range restriction increased the operational validity of individual differences in predicting job performance and that this increase primarily was due to general mental ability being a stronger predictor than any of the personality traits. The estimates for single traits can be applied in practice to maximize prediction of job performance. Further, differences in the relative importance of general mental ability in relation to overall personality assessment methods was substantive and the estimates provided enables practitioners to perform a correct utility analysis of their overall selection procedure.

Instrumental and Ideological Union Commitment: Longitudinal Assessment of Construct Validity

Summary: Previous research has identified instrumentality and ideology as important aspects of member attachment to labor unions. The present study evaluated the construct validity of a scale designed to reflect the two dimensions of instrumental and ideological union commitment using a sample of 1170 Swedish blue-collar union members. Longitudinal data were used to test seven propositions referring to the dimensionality, internal consistency reliability, and temporal stability of the scale as well as postulated group differences in union participation to which the scale should be sensitive. Support for the hypothesized factor structure of the scale and for adequate reliabilities of the dimensions was obtained and was also replicated 18 months later. Tests for equality of measurement model parameters and test-retest correlations indicated support for the temporal stability of the scale. In addition, the results were consistent with most of the predicted differences between groups characterized by differen...

Leaned teamwork fattens workplace innovation: the relationship between task complexity, team learning and team proactivity

Our aim is to contribute to research on workplace innovation by identifying tasks within industrial Lean Production Systems (LPS) that can trigger the involvement of teams in workplace innovation. Previous research has shown negative effects of LPS for employees’ motivation, learning, and innovation processes. The principles of job design of production tasks, e.g., standardization and routinization, are seemingly opposed to a job design that supports team’s engagement in workplace innovation. In this study, we explored relations between task complexity, team learning, and proactivity. Work task analysis was conducted at baseline among 41 teams to capture the complexity of different work tasks. Eight months later, employees completed a questionnaire about team-learning processes, and managers rated each team’s proactivity. Three kinds of tasks were identified. The results showed that the main work task and supplementary tasks gave no input to the team’s learning process. Mediation analysis showed that additional work tasks, taking little time, have an impact on team proactivity through team learning. A conclusion is that teams within LPS can be engaged in workplace innovation depending on how they take on additional tasks, as these impact team learning. The implications for future research and practice are discussed.

Measuring Gambling Reinforcers, Over Consumption and Fallacies: The Psychometric Properties and Predictive Validity of the Jonsson-Abbott Scale

Traditionally, gambling and problem gambling research relies on cross-sectional and retrospective designs. This has compromised identification of temporal relationships and causal inference. To overcome these problems a new questionnaire, the Jonsson-Abbott Scale (JAS), was developed and used in a large, prospective, general population study, The Swedish Longitudinal Gambling Study (Swelogs). The JAS has 11 items and seeks to identify early indicators, examine relationships between indicators and assess their capacity to predict future problem progression. The aims of the study were to examine psychometric properties of the JAS (internal consistency and dimensionality) and predictive validity with respect to increased gambling risk and problem gambling onset. The results are based on repeated interviews with 3818 participants. The response rate from the initial baseline wave was 74%. The original sample consisted of a random, stratified selection from the Swedish population register aged between 16 and 84. The results indicate an acceptable fit of a three-factor solution in a confirmatory factor analysis with ‘Over consumption,’ ‘Gambling fallacies,’ and ‘Reinforcers’ as factors. Reinforcers, Over consumption and Gambling fallacies were significant predictors of gambling risk potential and Gambling fallacies and Over consumption were significant predictors of problem gambling onset (incident cases) at 12 month follow up. When controlled for risk potential measured at baseline, the predictor Over consumption was not significant for gambling risk potential at follow up. For incident cases, Gambling fallacies and Over consumption remained significant when controlled for risk potential. Implications of the results for the development of problem gambling, early detection, prevention, and future research are discussed.