Douglas T. Hall

Personal Factors in Organizational Identification.

This is a study of the personal dynamics of the process of organizational identification in the U.S. Forest Service, an organization noted for the high degree of organizational identification of its members. It was hypothesized and found that identification increased as a function of time and commitment to a pivotal organizational goal, public service. Organizational position, with tenure held constant, did not relate to identification. It was further found that several personal characteristics suggestive of a service orientation were related to identification. It was also hypothesized and found that identification is related to the members higherorder need satisfactions. There appears to be a process whereby (1) serviceoriented individuals are attracted to and recruited by the Forest Service, (2) service-oriented members are likely to identify strongly with the Service, and (3) this identification results in intrinsic need satisfactions.

The socialization of managers; the effects of expectations on performance

The relationships among early job challenge, early performance, and later performance and success were studied in two companies of a large industrial organization. The careers of two groups of managers were studied during their first six and seven years with their companies. Theoretical material is presented which indicates that a persons first year in an organization could be a critical period for learning. It is hypothesized that first-year job challenge correlates strongly with later performance and success. The results provide strong support for the hypothesis, although in one company initial performance is a better predictor of later success and performance than is firstyear challenge. A model of organizational socialization is presented for future testing. David E. Berlew is assistant professor of management at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Douglas T. Hall is assistant professor of industrial administration at Yale University.

Career Development in Organizations.

The first volume in the Frontiers of Industrial and Organizational Psychology Series sponsored by the American Psychological Association. Details methods of updating career development techniques for individuals and of using these techniques to improve career management programs within corporations and other organizations.

Handbook of career theory: Generating new directions in career theory: the case for a transdisciplinary approach

The limitation of social organization is found in the inability of individuals to place themselves in the perspectives of others, to take their points of view. George Herbert Mead, 1927 When we pause in our studies to reflect on theory and method, the greatest yield is a restatement of our problems. C. Wright Mills, 1959 The concept of the career has never been more popular. Once viewed mainly as a synonym for initial job choice, it is now widely accepted as a central feature in employment arrangements. Career development and human resource management programs are not only widely accepted but also seen as critical to both individuals and organizations. Such programs cover a wide range of issues, from individual careers and work–family accommodation, to policy and strategic concerns such as the aging of the work force, adaptation to new technology, and organizational productivity (Gutteridge, 1986; Mills, 1985). However, these trends mean that much of the practice of managing careers has come close to catching up with the body of theory that inspired it (Hall and Associates, 1986). Either career theory has served its purpose and should be laid to rest or it needs a good shot in the arm. We believe this state of affairs exists not because we are done explaining careers, but because work on the topic has moved away from its conceptually rich heritage. As a result, career studies are at risk of addressing increasingly narrow and decreasingly innovative questions. Our view is that a good shot in the arm will help rejuvenate career theory and also help us adapt to the dynamic character of modern industrial society.

Organizational and Individual Response to External Stress

Organizational and individual changes resulting from severe environmental stress in three research and development organizations were studied at the beginning and the end of a 20-month period. The changes were examined with both longitudinal and independent sample data. The greatest changes occurred in the way researchers perceived their jobs and their organizations rather than their self-perceptions or attitudes toward their work. Despite the greatly decreased satisfactions experienced by the researchers, their job involvement and aspiration levels did not change greatly, and their intrinsic motivation decreased in one of the two samples studied. It was concluded that this lack of expected individual coping behavior must be associated with high levels of internal strain for the researchers, although some strain was probably reduced by becoming alienated from the organization.

Changing correlates of job involvement in three career stages

Abstract The nature of correlates of job involvement over three career stages (i.e., early, mid, and late career) was explored in order to account for the lack of consistency of past empirical work in the job involvement area. Data relating to perceptions of job involvement, job characteristics, job satisfaction, rewards, and individual differences were collected from 332 Canadian transportation ministry employees. Utilizing correlational analysis, support was found for the hypothesis that career stage moderated the relationship of job involvement and various situational, individual difference, and outcome measures. These results are discussed in light of the current literature.

A Psychological Success Cycle And Goal Setting: Goals, Performance, And Attitudes

Based upon a model of the causes and effects of psychological success, the following series of relationships was predicted for participants in a simulated management exercise: goals → efforts → per...

Job Characteristics and Pressures and the Organizational Integration of Professionals.

Job characteristics and three job pressures were examined in 22 research and development laboratories as possible correlates of organizational effectiveness and the need satisfactions and job involvement of researchers in the laboratories. Job challenge and responsibility for dealing with customers were related to quality pressure and to financial responsibility pressure. Job challenge was also related to need satisfaction. Quality pressure, a professional concern, and financial responsibility pressure, an organizational concern, were both related to organizational performance. Quality pressure was also related to job involvement, so that this pressure was functional for both the individual and the organization. Financial responsibility pressure was seen as the professionals adaptation to organizational values.

An alternative approach and new guidelines for practice

Generally three approaches are used to create competency models. Given future business needs, particularly in industries experiencing turbulent change, still another approach is needed, one that is learning-based. Guidelines for those companies developing executive competencies are given.

Job scope and individual differences as predictors of job involvement: Independent or interactive?

This study examines the relative importance of job scope and individual differences in explaining job involvement. It further examines whether these variables have independent or interactive effect...