Gordon E. O'brien

Comparison of Unemployed and Employed Workers on Work Values, Locus of Control and Health Variables

Abstract A 1/2% sample of metropolitan Adelaide households was selected using multi-stage cluster sampling. Employed and unemployed workers were asked to complete a questionnaire which measured work values, patterns of home and leisure activity, locus of control (Rotter, 1966) and number of frequent health and stress symptoms. A 70% response rate was obtained for employed workers and the response rate for unemployed was 80%. Comparisons between the two groups were made using ‘t’ tests and discriminant function analysis. It was found that unemployed workers when compared to employed workers had significantly more physical health symptoms, lower work values (they desired less influence, interaction and pressure in their work), a higher external control orientation, and made more use of community helping agencies. Differences in reported stress and life satisfaction were not statistically significant. However, reported stress was positively correlated with time spent looking for work. Definite causal inferen...

The Relative Contribution of Perceived Skill-Utilization and Other Perceived Job Attributes to the Prediction of Job Satisfaction: A Cross-Validation Study

With a representative sample of 1383 Adelaide employees it was found, using simple multiple regression, that job satisfaction was significantly predicted by the perceived job attributes of skill-utilization, influence, variety, pressure, and interaction. For the total sample, skill-utilization was the strongest predictor of job satisfaction. In order to measure the degree of over-estimation of R2, a double cross-validation of the data was conducted. The R2 varied from .47 to .51 and the beta coefficient for skill-utilization remained the highest and varied from .48 to .50. The effects of multi-collinearity were measured using principle components analysis and measures of the variance inflation factor for each beta coefficient. It was concluded that multicollinearity was not a significant problem for these data. The degree to which the observed association between job satisfaction and skill-utilization was due to content similarity of the scale was assessed by deleting ability items from the job-satisfaction scale. There was only a slight reduction in the magnitude of the skill-utilization beta coefficient. Skill-utilization remained the strongest predictor of job satisfaction when the JDI (work itself) was used as the criterion with a separate sample. There was a small reduction in R2 and beta coefficients but not sufficient to suggest that the original associations were due to content similarity. Finally, the generality of the regression results was examined by repeating the regression within occupational groupings.

The Effects of Programmed Culture Training upon the Performance of Volunteer Medical Teams in Central America

Abstract : The study compared the performance of volunteer medical teams who received a programmed culture assimilator test with teams who did not receive the assimilator. All team members, all citizens of the United States, worked for three-week periods in Honduras and Guatemala and were rated on their success in conducting clinics and managing community development projects. The effect of culture training upon productivity was accentuated in teams in which the majority of members had worked in Central America before. Assimilator training also had greatest effect for teams working in villages in which teams experienced relatively little difficulty in their relations with the community. (Author)

Age and Job Satisfaction

Previous research has consistently shown a small positive correlation between age and job satisfaction. This correlation could result from influences associated with aging or cohort membership or both. These possible explanations were tested using a representative 1/2% sample of employees in metropolitan Adelaide. From interviews/questionnaires, measures were obtained of variables associated with aging (skill-utilization, influence, variety and income) and of variables associated with cohort membership (desired skill-utilization, desired influence, desired variety and education). Using partial correlations, it was found that neither aging nor cohort variables alone accounted for the expected positive correlation between age and job satisfaction. However, the correlation became unsubstantial when the joint effects of aging and cohort variables were partialled out. This finding was interpreted in terms of decreasing discrepancy between desired and perceived job attributes with increasing age.

Australian Norms and Factor Analysis of Rotter's Internal-External Control Scale

Abstract Rotters internal/external control scale (I/E) was administered to a representative sample of 1473 households in metropolitan Adelaide. Within each household all persons 14 years old and over completed the scale. Means, norms and standard deviations were presented for the total sample as well as sub-samples of employees, students, housewives, unemployed and retirees. Tables showing the variation of I/E scores with age, education, nationality and occupation were also presented. It was found that there were significant variations in mean I/E scores with age, education, occupation and sex. Factor analysis of the scale indicated that the scale is not uni-dimensional, and the factors accounted for only a small proportion of the total variance, i.e., the item variances are largely unique. Using the total sample, two main factors were obtained which appeared similar to the Political Control and General Control factors obtained in some North American studies. The interpretation of the factors obtained is...

The effects of task type and cooperation upon group products and performance

Abstract Twenty-four three-person groups each performed three types of intellective tasks—production, discussion, and problem solving—while employing one of four work organizations. Organizations differed in amount of two forms of cooperation—coordination and collaboration. Group products were rated on six descriptive dimensions (action orientation, optimism, length, issue involvement, originality, and quality of presentation) and on three performance dimensions (adequacy, quality, and creativity). Task type had the largest effect on the descriptive dimensions, accounting for up to 50% of the variance, but had little effect on the evaluative dimensions. Group structure accounted for 22–36% of the variance in both descriptive and evaluative measures. The major effect of the structural variables was on product length, but a MANOVA analysis showed that group structure affected the group performance measures even when product length was controlled for. There were a number of significant interactions between group structure and task type, though these accounted for little of the variance in group performance. Collaborative structures resulted in the lowest productivity, with discussion tasks the worst performed under collaborative structures. Coordinated and coacting groups were not signficantly different in productivity levels. The results were discussed in relation to the task typology employed and implications for research dealing with small group performance.

Stress and the Leisure Needs and Activities of Different Occupations

This study examined the association between stress and the leisure needs and activities of four occupational groups: professional, managerial, clerical, and trades. It was found that stress was associated with passive/recuperative leisure needs and activities among managerial employees. Professionals also showed evidence of a correlation between stress and leisure needs and activities which revealed a partly recuperative, partly active-compensatory leisure pattern. Among clerical and trades employees there was little association between stress and leisure. Occupational differences in the sources and effects of stress, and differences in coping patterns need to be explained.

The Effect of Leadership Style Upon the Performance and Adjustment of Volunteer Teams Operating in Stressful Foreign Environment

Abstract : This study considered the joint effects of leadership style and environmental stress upon group performance and individual adjustment in small volunteer groups. These groups performed public health and community development work in small isolated villages in Central America. Fiedlers Least Preferred Coworker scale (LPC) was used as a measure of leadership style while performance and adjustment measures were obtained from a number of questionnaires and rating scales. Results showed that the task-oriented, low LPC leaders were more effective in the favorable and very unfavorable situations, whereas the person-oriented high LPC leaders were more effective in situations of intermediate favorableness. In villages where the external stress was minimal, the task-oriented (low LPC) leaders had groups which were relatively better adjusted than groups having relationship-oriented (high LPC) leaders. However, in villages where external stress was high, this relationship between leadership style and group adjustment was reversed. Under conditions of high stress, relationship-oriented leaders had groups which were relatively better adjusted.

Locus of control, previous occupation and satisfaction with retirement

Abstract A representative sample of 301 Adelaide retirees was interviewed using a structured questionnaire which requested information about locus of control, health symptoms and satisfaction with reitrement (activities, finance, health, people and life in general). Previous research (Reid, Haas, & Hawkings, 1977) had shown that life satisfaction and adjustment of internally controlled retirees was greater than that reported by externally controlled retirees. As it was possible that this relationship was moderated by health of retirees and rated aspect of life satisfaction, it was considered necessary to establish the association between locus of control and aspects of retirement satisfaction when health was statistically controlled. Using partial correlations it was found that Rotters locus of control scale was a significant predictor of most aspects of retirement satisfaction for males when age and self-reported health was controlled. For females, only life satisfaction was significantly predicted. Usi...

Evaluation of the job characteristics theory of work attitudes and performance

Abstract The evidence for the job characteristics theory of work attitudes and performance (Hackman & Oldham, 1975, 1980) was reviewed. This theory states that employee job satisfaction, intrinsic work motivation, and productivity are a function of the characteristics of a job. The central characteristics are skill-variety, task identity, task significance, autonomy, and feedback. The theory also states that employee attitudes and performance are moderated by the employees need for psychological growth. Employees with low growth need strength are less responsive to job characteristics than employees with high growth need strength. Results obtained from studies designed to test the theory showed that the propositions related to job satisfaction and intrinsic motivation were weakly supported. Propositions relating to productivity were not supported. Furthermore, the moderating effects of growth need strength on the relationships between job characteristics and outcome measures were overstated. It was found...