Claudia C. Cogliser

Understanding and Measuring Autonomy: An Entrepreneurial Orientation Perspective

Autonomy is an important component of an entrepreneurial orientation (EO), but most studies that assess the EO construct do not include autonomy measures. This article first addresses the theoretical relevance of autonomy as an element of firm–level entrepreneurial behavior. After a review of existing autonomy measures, it then proposes scale items to test the autonomy dimension of EO. Finally, it reports the results of two studies of the proposed autonomy scale and addresses implications for future EO–related autonomy research.

Construct validation using computer-aided text analysis (CATA): An illustration using entrepreneurial orientation

Construct validity continues to pose challenges in the organizational sciences. To capture difficult-to-measure constructs of interest, researchers have often relied on content analysis. One content analysis technique, computer-aided text analysis (CATA), is particularly attractive because of the ability to process large samples with high speeds and reliabilities. Unfortunately, inconsistent guidance exists to guide researchers through the use of this tool in a manner compatible with accepted methods used to validate constructs in a rigorous manner. The authors review research using content analysis to examine the extent to which such studies integrate methods for assessing content, external, discriminant, and predictive validity. To provide direction for organizational researchers interested in using CATA to measure theoretically based constructs relevant to the management field, they suggest a number of possible procedures to enhance construct validity. They illustrate these procedures using the construct of entrepreneurial orientation.

Big Five Personality Factors and Leader Emergence in Virtual Teams: Relationships With Team Trustworthiness, Member Performance Contributions, and Team Performance

Using a sample of 243 undergraduate business students assigned to 71 virtual teams, this study explored the relationships between the Big Five personality factors, leader emergence, team trustworthiness, peer rated member performance contributions, and team performance. As predicted, agreeableness and conscientiousness were positively related to the task- and social-oriented dimensions of leader emergence, respectively. Contrary to expectations, emotional stability was not related to either dimension of leadership emergence. Evidence of the predicted relationships between emergent leadership and peer ratings of member contributions to team performance was obtained for task- but not social-oriented behaviors. At the team level, aggregated social-oriented leadership behaviors predicted aggregate perceptions of team trustworthiness. Only aggregated task-oriented emergent leadership behaviors predicted virtual team performance.

Matching Personality and Organizational Culture: Effects of Recruitment Strategy and the Five-Factor Model on Subjective Person–Organization Fit

If the “people make the place,” what kinds of people (personalities) fit into what kinds of places (organizations), and how might the recruitment messages of the organization facilitate a better fit? The authors explored the extent to which recruitment strategy (realistic vs. traditional) and the Five-Factor model of personality (FFM) were related to subjective person–organization fit (P-O fit) with the four organizational cultures encompassed by Cameron and Quinn’s Competing Values model (CVM). Contrary to expectations, recruitment strategy did not have an effect on subjective P-O fit. Consistent with our hypotheses, (a) more agreeable and extraverted perceived greater fit with the clan culture, (b) more conscientious and less open persons perceived a better fit with a hierarchy culture, (c) less agreeable persons perceived a better fit with a market culture, and (d) persons who scored higher on openness perceived a better fit with an adhocracy culture.

An Empirical Comparison of Approaches for Quantitatively Assessing the Content Adequacy of Paper-and-Pencil Measurement Instruments

Despite content adequacy being essential for valid measurement, a well-delineated quantitative method for its examination only recently has become available. Using this new approach, an empirical comparison of three methods of collecting and two methods of analyzing content adequacy data is presented. It is shown that these different methods yield results that have not only substantial similarities but also some differences. Several recommendations for future use and future research are presented and discussed.

Attraction to Organizational Culture Profiles: Effects of Realistic Recruitment and Vertical and Horizontal Individualism–Collectivism

Todays organizations are challenged with attracting, developing, and retaining high-quality employees; thus, many firms seek to improve their recruitment and selection processes. One approach involves using realistic job previews (RJPs) to communicate a balanced view of the organization. The authors explored the effects of organizational culture (hierarchy, market, clan, and adhocracy), recruitment strategy (RJP vs. traditional), and personality (horizontal and vertical individualism—collectivism) on attraction to Web-based organizational profiles using a sample of 234 undergraduate students in a mixed two-factor experimental design. Results indicate that the clan culture is viewed as the most attractive. Traditional versus RJP recruitment produced higher levels of organizational attraction. Finally, predicted relationships between the personality framework of horizontal and vertical individualism— collectivism and organizational attraction were supported.

Not All Group Exchange Structures Are Created Equal: Effects of Forms and Levels of Exchange on Work Outcomes in Virtual Teams

Electronic communications collected from 233 undergraduate business students in 50 virtual teams were coded to identify group exchange structures. Results revealed four types of structures: unified generalized (characterized by high-quality exchange relationships among group members and high information sharing and cooperation; n = 10), unified generalized with isolates (high-quality exchange among most members, with negative exchange among some isolated members; n = 16), unified balanced (characterized by low-quality exchange relationships among members and low trust and concern for others; n = 8), and unified balanced with isolates (low-quality exchange among most members and negative exchange with some isolated members; n = 16). Contrary to expectations, virtual teams with unified generalized as opposed to unified balanced exchange structures did not experience higher levels of performance and member satisfaction. However, when isolates were present, adverse effects on performance and satisfaction were observed, but only for teams with balanced as opposed to generalized structures, as expected. The findings reveal the importance of promoting generalized exchange structures to avoid the potentially detrimental effects of group isolates on virtual team performance and member satisfaction. The implication for organizations planning to adopt virtual teams is that concerted efforts to foster positive social exchanges characterized by high levels of trust, cooperation, information sharing and coordination, and thereby avoid the creation of group isolates, may produce dividends in member satisfaction and team productivity.

A Review of Cognitive Dissonance Theory in Management Research Opportunities for Further Development

Since its introduction to the social psychology literature 60 years ago, Festinger’s cognitive dissonance theory (CDT) has been frequently applied to the management literature to explain and predict the motivational nature of dissonance in producing attitude and behavior change in managerial decision making and the broader organizational context. Yet many of the popular constructs that stem from CDT have since lost touch with more recent developments in the field of origin. In this paper, we provide a review of the key constructs and predictions associated with CDT from Festinger’s early work to the latest developments. We then review key management research that has incorporated CDT. Drawing from the latest refinements to CDT, we describe how future management studies could benefit by integrating these refinements into their theoretical frameworks, rather than simply relying on Festinger’s seminal work on the 60th anniversary of its publication (1957).

Diversity in leadership: race in leader-member exchanges

Purpose – The workforce is becoming increasingly diverse and yet leadership research has lagged behind this trend. In particular, theory links leader-member exchange (LMX) to the development of racially diverse leaders (e.g. Scandura and Lankau, 1996). Yet, there remains a need for empirical evaluation of this premise. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach – In this paper, results of two studies of the effects of leader-member diversity on the LMX dimensions of professional respect, affect, loyalty, and contributions were examined. In the first study, supervisor-subordinate dyads in an applied work setting were examined, while in the second study a laboratory study was used. Findings – Results in Study 1 indicated that cross-race and minority dyads reported different LMX attributes of professional respect, affect, loyalty and contributions compared with dyads where both members were of the racial majority. In Study 2, racial compositions of dyads was not associated with reported differences in LMX relationships, but was associated with differences in task performance. Originality/value – This research provides the first systematic examination of the influence of racial diversity on LMX in a leader-follower dyad. As such, this work provides an important reference point in which future research on LMX and diversity can build. Such efforts will help future organizational leaders better navigate the increasingly diverse workplace.

Ambassadorial Leader Behavior and Its Relationship with Virtual Team Performance

We proposed a series of leader behaviors, termed Ambassadorial Leader Behaviors, to facilitate team performance and tested them against 42 virtual teams (VT) that included 266 individuals. The results show organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) mediated the collective set and two individual behaviors, shared leadership and advocacy thus contributing significantly to the explained variance of team performance. The results provide an indication of important behaviors when leading VTs and underscore the importance of considering situational context in future VT studies.