Dean B. McFarlin

Perceptions of Mentor Roles in Cross-Gender Mentoring Relationships.

Abstract Survey data from 181 proteges in three organizations were used to compare perceptions of mentor roles in cross- and same-gender mentoring relationships. When controlling for differences in prior experience with mentors, organizational level, and other demographic variables, perceived mentor roles were not influenced by either mentor or protege gender. Significant gender interactions were found, however, for role modeling and social roles. Cross-gender proteges were less likely than same-gender proteges to report engaging in after-work, social activities with their mentors. In addition, compared to other gender combinations, female protegees with female mentors were more likely to agree with the idea that their mentor served a role modeling function. Implications and areas for future research are discussed.

Research Notes. Distributive and Procedural Justice as Predictors of Satisfaction with Personal and Organizational Outcomes

Distributive justice was found to be a more important predictor of two personal outcomes, pay satisfaction and job satisfaction, than procedural justice, whereas the reverse was true for two organi...

Facet importance and job satisfaction

Two hypotheses concerning the moderating effects of facet importance were derived from Lockes (1969,1976) theory of job satisfaction. Questionnaire data concerning 12 job facets were collected from 97 working college students holding diverse jobs in different organizations. Moderated regression analyses of facet satisfaction showed facet importance to be a significant moderator for 9 of the 12 job facets. As hypothesized, the relationship between facet amount and facet satisfaction was generally stronger among respondents placing high importance on the job facet than among respondents placing low importance on it. Moderated regression analyses of overall job satisfaction showed facet importance to be a nonsignificant moderator for 11 job facets. As hypothesized, the relationship between facet satisfaction and overall job satisfaction generally did not change significantly as a function of facet importance. Discussion is focused on the need to recognize when facet importance plays a moderator role and when it does not. Also discussed is the relative usefulness of seven self-report procedures for measuring facet importance.

Multiple discrepancies and pay satisfaction

Le but de letude presentee dans cet article est de tester lhypothese des «multiples desaccords» («multiple discrepancies») dans le domaine de la satisfaction avec son salaire. Cette hypothese postule que cette satisfaction est determinee par un processus evaluatif dans lequel le salaire actuel est compare simultanement a plusieurs normes de comparaison

Research Notes: Using Relative Deprivation Theory to Explain Satisfaction With Income and Pay Level: A Multistudy Examination

This article reports four studies in which we applied relative deprivation theory to the prediction of satisfaction with income and pay level. The proposed model specified both social comparisons a...

Chronic Occupational Stressors, Self-Focused Attention, and Well-Being: Testing a Cybernetic Model of Stress

By using a cybernetic approach to occupational stress, it was hypothesized that the relationship between chronic work stressors and strain would be stronger among individuals high in private self-consciousness than among individuals low in private self-consciousness. Moderated regression analyses, using a sample of 135 blue-collar workers, revealed strong support for this hypothesis. This finding is antithetical to prior research showing that self-focused attention may buffer the effect of acute life events (Mullen & Suls, 1982; Suls & Fletcher, 1985). The results of the present study in conjunction with prior research suggest that the type of stressor (acute vs. chronic) examined may be a boundary condition influencing the direction of Stressor X Self-Focused Attention interactions. Implications for future research and stress management are discussed.

Self-Verification Versus Expectancy Confirmation in Social Interaction The Impact of Self-Focus

The joint role of self-verification and expectancy-confirmation processes in social interaction was examined. Targets (selves) who had previously rated themselves as sociable or unsociable engaged in unstructured conversations with perceivers who were given the opposite expectancy about the targets personality. Situationally manipulated self-awareness and dispositionally measured target self-consciousness were examined as potential moderators. Results indicated that neither side won the battle of beliefs: Perceivers were reluctant to abandon their initial expectancies, and selves were even more resistant to changing their self-conceptions. Negative (unsociable) beliefs, however, were more likely to change than positive beliefs. Self-concept change was most likely to occur among low-sociable targets who were high in public self-consciousness. Behavioral ratings also did not reveal a clear-cut winner, although results were more supportive of expectancy-confirmation predictions.

Using discrepancies to predict the perceived quality of work life

Two job satisfaction surveys tested the hypothesis that discrepancy models provide stronger predictions of satisfaction than do more parsimonious models relying solely on a single component of discrepancy scores. Questionnaire data from samples of 180 working college students and 125 human service workers focused on specific facets of the job, such as: pay, promotion opportunity, and hours of work. Wanted amount of specific job facets was the standard of comparison considered in both surveys. The questionnaires provided measures of facet satisfaction, facet amount, wanted amount, the perceived discrepancy between facet amount and wanted amount as well as the calculated discrepancy between facet amount and wanted amount. Results from 60 tests of differences between correlations provided mixed support. Discrepancy scores were consistently stronger predictors of satisfaction than were wanted amount scores; 24 of 30 tests provided significant support and only 2 of 30 tests provided significant differences in the direction opposite to the hypothesis. Discrepancy scores were not, however, consistently stronger predictors of satisfaction than were facet amount scores; only 8 of 30 tests provided significant support and 8 of 30 test provided significant differences in the direction opposite to the hypothesis. Discussion focused on the importance of addressing these findings in efforts to improve discrepancy theories of satisfaction.