Estelle M. Morin

Os sentidos do trabalho

Work represents an important value in contemporary western societies, and exerts a considerable influence on workers’ motivation, as well as on their satisfaction and productivity. Understanding the meanings of workrepresents an important challenge for managers, considering the many and multiple transformations that organizations and the “worlds of work” have been going on. The main objective of this article is to establish, to identify and to comment the main characteristics that work should have in order to be meaningful for those who accomplish it. In these moments of organizational transformations, there are many potential and important opportunities to reorganize the work organization. To improve the quality of life and the organizational effectiveness, it is important that the characteristics related to meaningful work may guide the decisions of those who are responsible for the processes of organizational transformations.

The Motivation at Work Scale: Validation Evidence in Two Languages:

The Motivation at Work Scale (MAWS) was developed in accordance with the multidimensional conceptualization of motivation postulated in self-determination theory. The authors examined the structure of the MAWS in a group of 1,644 workers in two different languages, English and French. Results obtained from these samples suggested that the structure of motivation at work across languages is consistently organized into four different types: intrinsic motivation, identified regulation, introjected regulation, and external regulation. The MAWS subscales were predictably associated with organizational behavior constructs. The importance of this new multidimensional scale to the development of new work motivation research is discussed.

Perceived organizational support and organizational commitment

Purpose – The aim of this article is to deepen the understanding of the relationships between perceived organizational support (POS) and the dimensions of organizational commitment (i.e. affective, normative and continuance commitment), and to test the moderating effect of locus of control and work autonomy.Design/methodology/approach – This study, based on a cross‐sectional research design, was conducted in an organizational setting. The sample includes 249 prison employees. The data were collected through questionnaires.Findings – The results show that POS is positively and significantly correlated with affective and normative commitment. In addition, the results of the hierarchical multiple regression analyses support the moderating effect of locus of control and work autonomy with regard to the relationship between POS and affective commitment.Practical implications – This study highlights the importance of providing support to employees in order to foster their affective and normative commitment to t...

O Trabalho e Seus Sentidos.

Many researches, since the 1950s, seek to comprehend the meaning of work using different methodolo- gical approaches. Results obtained by the Meaning of Work group International Research Team ((MOW)) in 1987, in different countries, showed that work could assume different conditions from neutrality to centrality in relation to the subjects personal and social identity. The objective of this research is to present some qualitative data on the mea- nings of work for young Brazilian managers, using the approach developed by Morin (2002). Preliminary results of this research show that work is essential at the lives of this group, because work is related to survival. Results also indicate that values such as variations on the nature of the tasks, autonomy, recognition and security are also fundamental for a meaningful work.

Distributive justice, procedural justice, and psychological distress: the moderating effect of coworker support and work autonomy.

Recent research has demonstrated that the perception of injustice at work may increase psychological health-related problems. The purpose of this study is to examine the moderating effect of coworker support and work autonomy on the relationships between both distributive and procedural justice and psychological distress. Results, on the basis of responses to questionnaires given to 248 prison employees, show that coworker support moderates the relationships between both forms of justice and psychological distress. Specifically, these relationships are weakened when employees benefit from a high level of coworker support. Furthermore, work autonomy moderates the relationship between procedural justice and psychological distress but not the relationship between distributive justice and psychological distress. Thus, procedural injustice is less likely to increase psychological distress when the level of work autonomy is high.

The Basic Psychological Needs at Work Scale: Measurement Invariance between Canada and France

The purpose of this study is to develop and validate the Basic Psychological Needs at Work Scale (BPNWS) in French, but items are also provided in English in the article. The BPNWS is a work-related self-report instrument designed to measure the degree to which the needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness, as identified by Self-Determination Theory (Deci & Ryan, 2000), are satisfied at work. Using exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, the first study examines the structure of the BPNWS in a group of 271 workers. The second study tests the measurement invariance of the scale in a group of 851 teachers from two different cultures, Canada and France. Results support the three-factor structure and show adequate internal consistency, as well as nomological validity across samples.

A imagem de executivos na mídia: um estudo com jornais de Québec

Morin, Giroux e Pauchant (2001) researched professional recognition identification practices among Health and Social Services’ executives from Quebec, CA. Interviewees reported a lack of recognition by the population, partially influenced by midia content, which caused demotivation and contributed to their burn out and loss of meaning of work. Upon this, a study was carried on to identify the image built by the 10 most important newspapers in this province between 1993-2003. The qualitative method applied was supported by corpus design and content analysis. Results indicate that newspapers presented executives as victims, resources and claimers. Finally, we proposed brief actions that can be taken in order to transform newspapers in positive meaning co-producers for executives.

Os sentidos do trabalho para profissionais de enfermagem: um estudo multimétodos

The original purpose of this study was to conduct an exploratory analysis of the meaning of work to nursing professionals, comparing meanings by hierarchical level (non-degree and college-degreed levels) and by characteristics of the work environment. We applied a structured questionnaire containing scales for the meaning of work, affective commitment, and work stress. Results were treated with descriptive statistics, exploratory factor analysis, correlation analysis, and mean comparison, and confirmed that hierarchical level and work environment define differences in the perception of work meaning and related constructs. Since our field work demanded long hours of permanence in hospitals, the study was enriched with observations and conversations. This combination of methods allowed expanding the knowledge about the factors that elicit experiencing the meaning of work in nursing. Meaning can emerge from factors such as increase in employability, social distinction, work-family harmonization, and the nature of the relationship with managers and leaders. Loss of meaning can cause a drop in productivity and be associated with resistance behaviors or even retaliatory behaviors in the form of absenteeism and changing jobs.The original purpose of this study was to conduct an exploratory analysis of the meaning of work to nursing professionals, comparing meanings by hierarchical level (non-degree and college-degreed levels) and by characteristics of the work environment. We applied a structured questionnaire containing scales for the meaning of work, affective commitment, and work stress. Results were treated with descriptive statistics, exploratory factor analysis, correlation analysis, and mean comparison, and confirmed that hierarchical level and work environment define differences in the perception of work meaning and related constructs. Since our field work demanded long hours of permanence in hospitals, the study was enriched with observations and conversations. This combination of methods allowed expanding the knowledge about the factors that elicit experiencing the meaning of work in nursing. Meaning can emerge from factors such as increase in employability, social distinction, work-family harmonization, and the nature of the relationship with managers and leaders. Loss of meaning can cause a drop in productivity and be associated with resistance behaviors or even retaliatory behaviors in the form of absenteeism and changing jobs.

DIMENSÕES DA PUBLICIZAÇÃO E DESEMPENHO EM ORGANIZAÇÕES PÚBLICAS

A publicizacao tem sido um tema central na administracao publica. Diferentes visoes sobre o papel do Estado e do mercado na prestacao de servicos para os cidadaos tem estimulado debates duradouros sobre os varios elementos da publicizacao: a de que e a propriedade (publica, privada ou sem fins lucrativos), financiamento (subvencoes governamentais contra pagamentos de consumidores) e controle (por forcas politicas ou de mercado). Para entender os meritos de modelos alternativos de propriedade, controle e financiamento e necessario considerar as suas consequencias. Para o efeito, este estudo procurou desvendar a relacao entre as dimensoes da publicizacao e do desempenho dos servicos publicos, examinando a literatura existente. Debates sobre o merito de provisao publica e privada tem dominado a administracao publica desde a fundacao do Estado moderno. No entanto, o numero de estudos que comparam diretamente efeitos publicos e privados sobre o desempenho do mesmo setor e sobre o mesmo periodo de tempo nao e grande. Alem disso, a maioria dos estudos se concentra apenas na propriedade negligenciando as dimensoes de financiamento e controle da publicizacao e examina os efeitos sobre a eficiencia e eficacia sem prestar muita atencao ao proprio capital. Esta ultima caracteristica dos estudos empiricos e especialmente surpreendente porque uma distribuicao mais justa dos recursos e uma razao fundamental para a intervencao do Estado e a prestacao de servicos publicos.