James F. Gavin

Stress and Strain in Blue-Collar and White-Collar Management Staff.

Abstract Previous research has demonstrated the relationship of work stress to indices of job strain, as well as underscoring the importance of moderating variables. In the present study of a mining organization it was hypothesized that personnel associated with actual mining operations would demonstrate stress-strain relationships different from those associated with administrative and staff work. Measures of stress and strain were obtained from management staff of blue-collar and white-collar groups to assess the moderating influence of collar color. Results strongly support collar color as a moderator variable. In particular, the two groups differ significantly with respect to how role conflict, job security, quantitative work load, variation in work load, and utilization of skills impact various strains. The effect of job function on stress and strain and possible practical implications of these results are discussed.

Managerial Stress and Strain in a Mining Organization.

Abstract Measures of job stress and strain were obtained from 95 management level employees in an underground mine. In addition, 13 potential moderators of stress-strain relations were assessed. Findings indicated that such stresses as under-utilization of skills, job insecurity, role conflict and ambiguity, variation in work load, and lack of participation had moderate to high relationships with the psychological strains of anxiety-irritation-depression, psychosomatic symptoms, and job dissatisfaction. However, none of the moderators, which included measures of Type A personality, flexibility, need for social approval, social support, age, and tenure, had an appreciable effect on the stress-strain linkage. Possible explanations for the failure of the moderator approach, along with comparisons to other investigations, were offered in conclusion.

Effects of Organizational Diagnosis and Intervention on Blue-Collar "Blues"

A small Midwestern manufacturing company suffered excessive turnover among its blue-collar workers in 1972. An organizational diagnosis involving interviews and survey questionnaire assessment of all employees revealed some possible reasons. Several interventions of feedback, supervisory skills training, and process observation were conducted by a team of organizational psychologists; the effects of the interventions are discussed in terms of changes in turnover, reduced absenteeism, and more positive attitudes toward work, the company, and supervision.

Organizational Tenure, Work Environment Perceptions, and Employee Mental Health.

Abstract The mediating effect of organizational “time investments” on the relationship between work environment perceptions and mental health was explored in two work settings. Participants were 257 managerial-level employees in a line organization and 214 in a staff setting. Results support the hypothesis of greater “responsivity” to perceived organizational stimuli for longer tenured employees, but only in the line setting. The mixed findings in the staff organization suggest that other characteristics of the environment (e.g., systems function) and of its members (e.g., organizational versus occupational identification) need to be considered. Implications for the social responsibilities of organizations to their members are offered in conclusion.

Employee Perceptions of the Work Environment and Mental Health: A Suggestive Study.

Abstract The purpose of this study was to examine a model for investigating employee mental health in industrial environments and, more particularly, to determine the extent to which a workers perceptions of the environment covaried with mental health criteria. The managerial segments of two divisions of a 35,000 employee company were represented in this study. In general, it was found that employees who perceived the environment as having clarity in the organizational structures, little administrative interference in work processes, equitable reward systems, and trust and consideration for employees tended to have more favorable scores on mental health indices. Also, some differences between the two work environments, as well as between male and female employees, were noted and discussed.

Some Suggestions for Modifying the Incremental Influence of Organizational Members.

Abstract The purpose of this series of three studies was to examine ways of modifying incremental influence. The first was an experimental laboratory study involving manipulation of interpersonal attraction via perceptions of similarity. Results from Study I strongly supported the hypothesis that referent power can be changed as a function of interpersonal attraction. Study II reports on an organizational simulation and provides further evidence for the linkage between interpersonal attraction and referent power. This study also tested the hypothesis that satisfaction covaries with self-perceived referent power. The data, while supporting the hypothesis, expanded the association of satisfaction to the other power bases, i.e., expert, reward, coercive, and legitimate. The final study examined power changes as a function of organization development interventions in a field setting. The findings show that not only was referent power enhanced, as hypothesized, but that other power bases also changed. In addition, hypotheses previously tested in Studies I and II received further confirmation in Study III. The overall pattern of results suggests that referent power can be altered by affecting the interpersonal attraction of group members. Implications for organizational intervention and practice are discussed, and some possible modifications to the theoretical framework of power are advanced.