Debra J. Mesch

The Impact of Flexible Scheduling on Employee Attendance and Turnover

We gratefully acknowledge the assistance and the contribution to this manuscript provided by three anonymous ASQ reviewers and the associate editor. The implementation of an experimental flexible-scheduling program was the basis for a naturally occurring field experiment. A six-year assessment tests the effects of a flexible-scheduling program on absenteeism and turnover for the division implementing the program as well as a comparable control group. Results indicate gross reductions in employee absenteeism after the flexible-scheduling intervention for the experimental group, while no such changes were evident in the control group. The twoyear period after the program ended indicates that absenteeism immediately returned to base-rate levels. The rate of employee turnover, however, was unaffected by the intervention. The concluding section discusses the problems encountered in trying to apply flexible scheduling to a large-scale organization.s

Unexpected Consequences of Improving Workplace Justice: A Six-Year Time Series Assessment

Reported here are the effects of a naturally occurring field experiment in which an intervention to improve a grievance process was introduced and then removed. The experimental design was an interrupted time series with treatment removal and a no-treatment, nonequivalent control group. Its results-more compromise resolutions and a dramatic increase in the number of grievances filed-may be instructive for those who might consider changing workplace justice processes. A recent cooperative effort between the management and union of a western public utility company provided the basis for a naturally occurring field experiment. The cooperative effort the two parties initiated was a factfinding procedure designed to complement and improve the utilitys grievance process. The intervention provided an unusual opportunity for research observation of the dynamics of such a program and selected outcomes because the program was discontinued after 24 months. We obtained grievance data from an experimental group and a matched, nonequivalent control group to study the effects of the intervention and its removal on the rate at which grievances arose, their outcomes, compromises, and the process level at which they were resolved. This article presents an ex post facto report of the consequences of this naturally occurring experiment.

The “Iron Law of Paternalism” in Employee Grievances and Arbitration? A Comparison of Disciplinary and Nondisciplinary Cases

In the criminology literature, the “iron law of paternalism” suggests that women receive less serious sanctions in the judicial system. This examination of three years of grievance outcomes (n= 1216) and arbitration outcomes (n= 1146) tests this “iron law” in the context of organizational disciplinary and dispute resolutions. These data, across several levels of outcomes (win, lose, compromise), controlling for the severity of grievances (disciplinary/nondisciplinary) and arbitrations (termination/nontermination) provide no support for the paternalistic thesis. Moreover, we find no support for the paternalistic thesis with regard to either the incidence or length of suspensions as a function of gender.

Giving to Women and Girls: An Emerging Area of Philanthropy:

Philanthropy for women’s and girls’ causes is a growing area of interest among donors and fundraisers. However, beyond foundation giving, limited research has been conducted to understand who gives to women’s and girls’ issues and donors’ motivations for such support. Using the frameworks of collective identity and the social identification theory of care, we conducted a sequential mixed-methods study in the United States to investigate donors’ characteristics and experiences. Through a national survey, we find that women are more likely to give to women’s and girls’ causes and that age and income are the most significant determinants of this giving. In focus groups, donors report giving to women’s and girls’ causes based on three motivational themes: personal experiences of gender inequality, a belief that supporting women’s rights is beneficial for society, and the perceived effectiveness of nonprofit organizations, largely supporting the social identification theory of giving.

A Union/Management Cooperative Program Gone Wrong: Some Unintended Consequences of a Fact-Finding Program

A large public utility company and a labor union recently agreed on a cooperative program to introduce fact-finding into the dispute resolution process. After 2 years, despite a number of positive outcomes, it was mutually agreed that the program would be discontinued. This article is an ex post facto case analysis of and report on this fact-finding program. Issues regarding the nature of the fact-finding program, the organizational consequences of the program, and the theoretical and practical implications of fact-finding are discussed.