Brenda Scott-Ladd

Casual inferences between participation in decision making, task attributes, work effort, rewards, job satisfaction and commitment

Purpose – Regulatory frameworks in Australia encourage employee participation in decision making (PDM) on the basis that participation benefits work effort, job satisfaction and commitment. Although the literature supports this premise, there is little evidence that patterns of causal inference in the relationship are clearly understood. This study aims to examine for structural and causal inference between PDM and the work environment over time.Design/methodology/approach – Structural equation modeling was used to examine longitudinal, matched sample data for causal inferences.Findings – The paper finds that participation in decision making appears to promote job satisfaction and commitment, whereas task variety and work effort foster participation.Research limitations/implications – The use of quantitative, self report data, small samples and cross industry data as well as possible overlap between commitment foci may limit the transferability of the findings. It is also important to note causality is me...

Participation in decision making: a matter of context?

This paper reports findings on employee participation in decision making from a cross‐section of employees in the public, private and local government sectors in Western Australia. A contextual model of participation relevant to the prevailing industrial climate was developed, then tested using a structural equations modelling approach. Results suggest that participative decision making (PDM) directly contributed to task variety and autonomy, and through autonomy, task identity. Employees perceived that PDM contributed to performance effectiveness and led to greater gains in the workplace. An unexpected result was that these benefits did not contribute to increased job satisfaction or commitment despite PDM having a direct positive influence on job satisfaction, which in turn increases commitment. These findings support arguments that employees believe participation in decision making offers them substantial benefits, but suggests they are more ambivalent about increasing task demands and the gains they receive for this extra effort.

Using action research to teach students to manage team learning and improve teamwork satisfaction

This article reports on a study investigating strategies that students can use to develop skills in managing team learning. Two groups of second-year management students participated in a semester-long action research project over two semesters. The students were educated on team development, team processes and conflict management and how to review and enhance team development. Teaching staff supported the approach and students were regularly encouraged to reflect on and learn about how their behaviour contributed to team effectiveness. This approach encouraged student participation and ownership as well as early intervention if problems arose. Findings suggest that when students are taught to manage the processes of teamwork and take greater ownership of managing conflict and team relations they report less conflict and less social loafing and are more satisfied with their learning outcomes.

Organisational learning: Some considerations for human resource practitioners

In a business environment of rapid change, many organisations seek to embrace organisational learning strategies to harness the abilities of all members. This paper addresses some of the pitfalls organisations confront in implementing learning strategies, and discusses practical issues and strategies HR practitioners need to take into account. The importance of empowered and involved employees is commonly recognised, but not so the need to have boundaries, which shape a culture of learning and encourage experimentation, while protecting the individual and organisation from undue risk. Leadership behaviour, communication and rewards also need to be congruent if organisations want to foster a culture of sharing knowledge and experimentation that is sustainable.

The Judas Within: A Look at the Sexual Abuse Crisis in the Catholic Church

Drawing from normal accident theory, high reliability theory, and systems theory, we analyze the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People that is promulgated by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops in response to the sexual abuses of minors by clergy members. Although the Charter is a step in the right direction, there remain some areas that require immediate attention. In spite of the goodwill processes, the safety of minors must remain the concerted efforts and responsibilities of individuals at all the various levels if the Catholic Church is to prevent further cases of abuse from happening.