Julie Christian

A meta-analytical review of the relationship between emotional intelligence and leaders’ constructive conflict management

In this paper, we report the findings of a meta-analysis investigating the relationship between emotional intelligence (EI) and constructive conflict management, and the moderational role of leadership position and age. A total of 20 studies yielding 280 effect sizes and involving 5,175 participants were examined. The results supported the hypothesis that EI is positively associated with constructive conflict management, and this relationship was stronger for subordinates than leaders. Contrary to our predictions, age was not a significant moderator. The limitations and implications are discussed in terms of psychometric issues, use of EI in leadership development and facilitation of problem solving, and for the further development of a constructive organizational culture.

Workplace Diversity and Group Relations: An Overview

The study of conflict and diversity within groups, ranging from small workgroups to multinational organizations, has become an increasingly important focus for contemporary research. A key question is how the inevitable social diversity within groups can be developed as a productive asset rather than becoming a source of conflict and prejudice. The aim of this Special Issue of the journal is to report cutting edge empirical and theoretical work that addresses the broad issue of diversity and group-based conflict within workgroups. In this introduction, we briefly examine approaches that have been applied, and review what has been learned. We conclude by providing an overview to the Special Issue articles, highlighting central themes and implications for future research.

Attitudes and intentions of homeless people towards service provision in South Wales.

The theory of planned behaviour (TPB: Ajzen, 1988, 1991) was used as a framework to investigate homeless peoples participation in outreach service programmes. In total, 104 homeless people from South Wales were interviewed using a schedule based on the TPB. Congruent with previous research on the TPB, attitude was the dominant predictor of behavioural intentions, and intention and perceived behavioural control were predictive of behaviour. Contrary to predictions, subjective norms also exerted a direct effect on behaviour. The discussion focuses on two issues: first, the utility of social cognition models in explaining the relationship between demographic variables and behaviour in homelessness research; second, the direct effects of norms on behaviour and the extent to which work on social groups might usefully extend research on models such as the TPB to aid understanding of behaviour amongst stigmatized populations.

Protecting Threatened Identity: Sticking with the Group by Emphasizing Ingroup Heterogeneity

In two studies (Ns=163, 164), the authors tested the prediction that perceptions of group variability can steer and guide the way that loyalty is expressed in times of identity threat. In both studies, participants were classified as lower or higher identifiers on the basis of their scores on a group identification measure, and manipulations involved group variability perceptions (homogeneous ingroup vs. heterogeneous ingroup) and threat to the ingroup. Higher identifiers presented with a homogeneous ingroup perceived more ingroup homogeneity under threat than when there was no threat. In contrast, higher identifiers who perceived the ingroup initially as heterogeneous perceived more ingroup heterogeneity under threat than in no threat conditions. Lower identifiers perceived more ingroup heterogeneity under threat (vs. no threat) irrespective of manipulated group variability perceptions. Discussion focuses on different ways that group loyalty can be expressed in times of identity threat.

Comparing Homelessness Research in the US and Britain

Abstract The US and Britain have the most extensive research literatures on homelessness in the English-speaking world, but they take markedly different approaches to scientific investigation of this topic. In this paper, we present a comparative evaluation of these two highly developed homelessness research traditions, drawing out methodological, conceptual and theoretical lessons for researchers in both countries, which we hope will also have a wider resonance for homelessness scholars across Europe and elsewhere in the economically developed world. The paper suggests that divergent explanations of homelessness in the US and Britain may reflect ‘real’ differences in the nature of homelessness in the two countries, rooted in their contrasting social and economic contexts, but argues that the incommensurability of the data currently generated by US and British researchers means that, at present, it is not possible to test this hypothesis. The paper advocates the development of ‘purposeful’ comparative research on homelessness in order to facilitate cross-national learning at both the policy and theoretical levels.

Multidisciplinary Handbook of Social Exclusion Research

About the Editors. Contributors. Preface and Overview. Chapter 1. Social Exclusion and Social Policy Research: Defining Exclusion (Jane Millar). Chapter 2. Womens Social Exclusion (Diane Houston). Chapter 3. The Social Psychology of Exclusion (Paul Hutchison,Julie Christian and Dominic Abrams). Chapter 4. Stigma and Exclusion in Healthcare Settings (Elizabeth Mason- Whitehead and Tom Mason). Chapter 5. Homelessness and Social Exclusion (David Clapham). Chapter 6. Education and Social Exclusion (Peter Hick, John Visser and Natasha MacNab). Chapter 7. Care Leavers, Exclusion and Access to Higher Education (Sonia Jackson). Chapter 8. Social Exclusion and Crime (Chris Hale and Marian Fitzgerald). Chapter 9. Social Inclusion: Race and Ethnicity: Policies in New Clothes (Greville Percival). Chapter 10. Business and Social Inclusion (Ken Peattie). Chapter 11. History and Development of Social Exclusion and Policy (David Gordon). Chapter 12. A Relational Analysis of Social Exclusion (Dominic Abrams and Julie Christian). Author Index. Subject Index.

Evidence That Theory of Planned Behaviour Variables Mediate the Effects of Socio-demographic Variables on Homeless People's Participation in Service Programmes

This article reports findings from two studies (N = 88, N = 100) using Ajzens theory of planned behaviour (TPB) to predict homeless peoples uptake of service programmes. Study 1 was conducted with an opportunity sample whereas Study 2 employed a representative sample. Both studies provide support for the application of the TPB, and demonstrate that the effects of demographic characteristics on behaviour were mediated by TPB variables. The discussion focuses on the role of attitudinal and normative components in actual behaviour, and on the potential role of social normative processes and stigmatization in homeless peoples uptake of services.

A tale of two cities: Predicting homeless people's uptake of outreach programs in London and New York

Two studies involved structured interviews with 203 homeless people to examine the impact of sociodemographic variables, prior behavior, and the theory of planned behavior (TPB) variables, attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and intention, on uptake of outreach services. Study 1 was conducted in London, and Study 2 involved a comparable sample in New York. In line with previous research, the psychological variables accounted for more variance than the sociodemographic variables, and there was no evidence that the effects of TPB variables were moderated by sociodemographics. In London intentions and behavior were most affected by perceived control and subjective norms. In New York they were most affected by perceived control and attitude. These differences may be attributable to different institutional structures and opportunities for service uptake in the two cities. Sensitivity of the TPB to social context and implications for intervention strategies are discussed in light of these differences.

The personalization model revisited: An experimental investigation of the role of five personalization-based strategies on prejudice reduction

In this paper, we report findings from a series of experimental studies investigating the role of five personalization-based strategies (individuation, self-disclosure, decategorization, self–other comparison, and empathy) on prejudice reduction. As anticipated, participants who were in the self-disclosure or individuation conditions developed more favorable attitudes towards other out-group members (Study 1). In Study 2, decategorization or self–other comparison allowed group members to discover similarities between the self and members of the out-group, thereby reducing negative out-group memory. Interestingly, when we explored the processes underlying the generalization of prejudice reduction to the out-group (Study 3), we found that the affective component of personalization (i.e., empathy) emerged as a more robust predictor of prejudice reduction than self–other comparison and decategorization. In conclusion, these studies provide the first empirical evidence of the effects of the five components of personalization in reducing prejudice across different contexts and different experimental paradigms.

Exploring homeless people’s use of outreach services: applying a social psychological perspective

A number of critiques have been published drawing attention to the gaps in research methods applied to issues surrounding homelessness and service utilisation in Britain. This paper discusses the use of social identity, a theory drawn from the field of applied social psychology, and synthesises it with the pathways model, thereby providing a framework to further explore service utilisation. The synthesised framework was used to predict the uptake of outreach services in a prospective study of 121 homeless people in a major UK city. In general, homeless peoples use of intervention services was affected by the extent to which they identified with the support services themselves. The study demonstrates the central role of social identity in understanding service utilisation patterns, and shows the importance of applying fresh techniques to fine-tune our understanding of uptake in the long term.