Joanne H. Gavin

Time, Teams, and Task Performance: Changing Effects of Surface- and Deep-Level Diversity on Group Functioning

Time serves as a medium for collaboration in teams, allowing members to exchange personal and task-related information. We propose that stronger team reward contingencies stimulate collaboration. As time passes, increasing collaboration weakens the effects of surface-level (demographic) diversity on team outcomes but strengthens those of deep-level (psychological) diversity. Also, perceived diversity transmits the impact of actual diversity on team social integration, which in turn affects task performance. Results from four waves of data on 144 student project teams support these propositions and the strong relevance of time to research on work team diversity.

Withholding inputs in team contexts: member composition, interaction processes, evaluation structure, and social loafing.

Social loafing was observed as a naturally occurring process in project teams of students working together for 3-4 months. The authors assessed the contributions that member composition (i.e., relational dissimilarity and knowledge, skills, and abilities; KSAs), perceptions of the teams interaction processes (i.e., dispensability and the fairness of the decision-making procedures), and the teams evaluation structure (i.e., identifiability) make toward understanding loafing behavior. Identifiability moderated the impact of dispensability on loafing but not the impact of fairness on loafing. Perceptions of fairness were negatively related to the extent that participants loafed within their team. Specific aspects of relational dissimilarity were positively associated with perceptions of dispensability and negatively associated with perceptions of fairness, whereas KSAs were negatively associated with perceptions of dispensability.

Human Resource Management: Meeting the Ethical Obligations of the Function

Effective human resources management (HRM) is focused on the only dynamic asset of the organization, its people; and, behind every business issue ultimately lies a human issue. Thus, the ethical adequacy of responses to all business issues rests on judgments made by individuals. HRM has a role to play as organizations address ethical challenges and as many strive to become ethical organizations. This article outlines three key responsibilities of HRM with regard to supporting an organizations efforts to become an ethical organization: (1) to establish ethical HR practices; (2) to facilitate the change process as all functions move to ethical business practices; and (3) to create cultures that build individual ethical capability and commitment to the goal of becoming an ethical organization.

Strength of character: Exceptional leadership in a crisis

Ward sisters and charge nurses need managerial and financial support to provide strong leadership and perform their roles to best effect.

Technology adoption and organizational culture in public organizations

Organization culture and technology adoption are two of the most critical issues facing organizations in a global society. Increasingly, organizations operate in uncertain, networked, decentralized environments, where adoption and use of information technology has become central to fulfilling organizational missions. To examine the influence of organization culture on individual willingness to adopt technology, this work began by examining theories of behavioral intent, technology adoption, and organization culture and then proposed a model for examining technology adoption in public organizations. The research was based on the responses from an online survey of government, nonprofit, and social service workers from around the United States. The study found that there is a relationship between individual perception of organization culture and individual willingness to adopt technology. Finally, we addressed the limitations of the study design and propose future research.

EXECUTIVES: ENGINES FOR POSITIVE STRESS

The occupational stress and well-being literature often focuses on specific causes of stress as health risk factors to be managed, on attributes of work environments that are stressful and/or risky, or on prevention and intervention strategies for managing these causes of stress as well as individual stress responses at work (Quick & Tetrick, 2003). The occupational stress literature has not focused on how executives and organizations can cause positive stress for people at work. In this chapter, we explore a principle-based framework for executive action to create positive, constructive stress for people at work. The first major section of the chapter discusses seven contextual factors within which the principle-based framework is nested. The second major section of the chapter develops nine principles for executive action. The third and concluding section of the chapter turns the focus to a set of guidelines for executive action in managing their personal experience of stress.

Maintaining executive health and well-being

Forewords: Peak performing organizations relish change, William F. Weitzel, Designing and nurturing peak performing organizations, Gene Deszca, Preface: Achieving peak performance: Healthy individuals and healthy organizations, Ronald J. Burke, Part I Introduction, 1. The peak performing organization: An overview, Ronald J. Burke and Lisa Fiksenbaum, Part II Organizational Processes, 2. Work motivation and performance management prescriptions, Gary P. Latham, Rebecca L. Greenbaum and Mary Bardes, 3. Building engagement in the workplace, Arnold Bakker, 4. Leaning motivation and transfer of human capital development: Implications from Psychological Capital, Gwendolyn M. Combs, Fred Luthans and Jakari Griffith, 5. Fostering career development in organizations, Yehuda Baruch, 6. Talent proofing the organization, Paul Sparrow and Shashi Balain, 7. How to build expert teams: Best practices, Sallie J. Weaver, Jessica L. Wildman and Eduardo Salas, 8. Maintaining executive health and well-being, Joanne H. Gavin, James Campbell Quick, Cary L. Cooper and Jonathan D. Quick, 9. Leadership development: Training design strategies for growing adaptability in leaders, Katherine Ely, Stephen J. Zaccaro and Elizabeth A.Conjar, Part III Organizational Strategy and Design, 10. Employee selection and retention: The added value of psychological well-being for peak performing organizations, Ivan T. Robertson, 11. Developing and sustaining an ethical and moral tone in organizations, R. Edward Freeman, Dean W .Krehmeyer and Brian Moriarty, 12. Developing managerial and organizational cultural agility, Paula Caligiuri and Ibraiz Tarique, 13. Employer branding and corporate reputation management: A model and some evidence, Graeme Martin, 14. Improving the success of mergers and acquisitions, Mitchell Lee Marks, 15. Development of corporate citizenship: Four trajectories, Philip M. Mirvis, 16. Improving corporate governance practices, Morton Huse, Jonas Gabrielsson and Alesasandro Minichilli

Automate to informate: positive work environments, trust and the strategic management of technology

Organizations implement information technology for a variety of reasons. Most often organizations look to information technology to automate existing processes in search of efficiency. We suggest that strategic management of technology allows for efficiency gains, but also holds the potential to create a healthier work environment. Organizational efficiency and effectiveness need not be mutually exclusive in the strategic management of information technology. Organizations can create a competitive advantage by using information technology to create a positive work environment while also automating existing processes. Our analysis begins with a discussion of positive psychology and strategic management. We discuss strategic uses of technology and present a framework for creating a positive work environment through the strategic use of technology. We conclude by developing areas for future research and present applicable strategies managers can use to increase organizational efficiency as well as empower and enhance the well-being of workers