Lior Oren

Attachment and Autonomy in the Workplace: New Insights

Contemporary researchers suggest that working is a relational act. Accordingly, literature reflects increasing interest in the relevance of attachment theory to vocational and organizational phenomena. In the current study, we focused on associations of avoidant attachment orientation (characterized by obsessive self-reliance), anxious attachment orientation (characterized by overdependence), and a central job characteristic (job autonomy) with work-related attitudes and emotions (work engagement, career commitment, work burnout, and emotional distress). Results from 150 Israeli employees revealed significant associations between avoidant attachment and all work-related outcomes, while anxiety was associated only with work burnout and emotional distress. Job autonomy was associated with all work-related outcomes, and although attachment anxiety and avoidance were not associated with job autonomy, the interactions between avoidance and job autonomy (but not the interactions between anxiety and job autonomy) significantly contributed to explained variance of all work outcomes. Simple slope analyses showed significant associations between avoidance and work-related outcomes in high job autonomy conditions and nonsignificant associations in low job autonomy conditions, surprisingly suggesting that high job autonomy specifically disadvantages highly avoidant employees. Theoretical and practical implications for organizations and for attachment theory at work are discussed.

Is ideology a risk factor for PTSD symptom severity among Israeli political evacuees

To study the role of ideology in situations of extreme stress, a research questionnaire, measuring posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), settlement ideology (the importance of Jewish settlement in Gaza), and type of evacuation was administered to 326 Jewish residents who were evacuated from Gaza settlements by the Israeli government. Forty percent of the participants met the criteria of probable PTSD. Forcibly evicted individuals reported higher levels of settlement ideology and higher levels of PTSD symptom severity compared to voluntarily evacuated individuals. Contrary to previous studies, ideology was found to be positively associated with PTSD symptom severity. The results are explained by the conservation of resources and terror management theories. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

Relations between leader‐subordinate personality similarity and job attitudes

Purpose – This study aims to investigate the associations between organizational citizenship behaviors (OCBs), leader‐member exchange (LMX), perceived organizational justice, and similarity between subordinate and supervisor on the Big Five personality traits.Design/methodology/approach – A research questionnaire was administered to 120 blue‐collar workers in a large industrial company in Israel. A structural equation model was conducted to test the proposed relations and mediating hypotheses.Findings – OCBs were found to be related to LMX and organizational justice. In addition, LMX was found to mediate the relationship between organizational justice and OCBs. Contrary to expectations, a negative correlation was found between personality similarity and LMX.Practical implications – Organizations may facilitate OCBs by improving LMX relationships and organizational justice. Supervisors should be encouraged to form high‐quality LMX relationships with dissimilar subordinates.Originality/value – The study emp...

Downsizing: Human motivation and performance outcomes in the context of downsizing

Downsizing has become a fact of life throughout the world. The term downsizing has come to mean terminating employees when the organization is still viable and has work for employees to do.

Religiosity and Posttraumatic Stress Following Forced Relocation

In order to examine the role of religiosity in situations of extreme stress, such as forced relocation, 326 Israeli settlers who were evicted from the Gaza Strip by the government were tested for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), intrusion and avoidance, and religiosity and religious support. Approximately 40% of the subjects suffered from PTSD. No correlation was found between PTSD and religiosity or religious support. However, among very religious people, high religious support predicted lower PTSD, while among the moderately religious, high religious support predicted higher PTSD. In addition, religiosity measures were positively correlated with intrusion and negatively correlated with avoidance.

Attachment to work, job satisfaction and work centrality

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the associations between attachment styles, work centrality and job satisfaction with turnover intentions. Design/methodology/approach – A self-report questionnaire that included psychometrically sound measures of the key constructs was completed by a sample of 125 employees. A structural equation model was conducted to test the proposed relations and mediating hypotheses. Findings – Attachment styles were found to be linked directly to turnover intentions, and not mediated by job satisfaction and work centrality, as predicted. Avoidant and anxious employees showed higher levels of turnover intentions. A positive relationship was found between work centrality and job satisfaction; job satisfaction was negatively related with turnover intentions. Research limitations/implications – Although the study involved cross-sectional self-report data, it shed light on the associations between attachment theory and the costly organizational phenomena of voluntary...

Does equity sensitivity moderate the relationship between effort–reward imbalance and burnout

The model of effort–reward imbalance (ERI) received considerable research attention in the job stress literature. However, very scarce research investigated individual differences as moderators between ERI and stress. The present study is aimed at examining the combined effects of ERI, overcommitment (OVC), and the interaction between ERI and overcommitment on burnout (i.e., emotional exhaustion, cynicism, and inefficacy) and the moderating role of equity sensitivity. A questionnaire measuring ERI, burnout, and equity sensitivity was administered to 159 employees. Regression analyses were conducted to test the proposed relations and moderating hypotheses. ERI was negatively related to inefficacy and overcommitment was positively related to emotional exhaustion and cynicism. In addition, equity sensitivity was found to moderate the effect of overcommitment on emotional exhaustion and inefficacy. The findings emphasize the detrimental effect overcommitment may have on employees mental health and suggest that the ERI model components may be closely related to perceptions of organizational justice.

Predicting Occupational Congruence Self-Regulation, Self-Efficacy, and Parental Support

This study compared the congruence between chosen occupation and vocational personality with the congruence between chosen occupation and parent’s occupation, investigating the effects of regulatory focus, career self-efficacy, and parental support. Gender differences were also explored. A sample of 260 undergraduate students completed questionnaires measuring their own and their parent’s vocational personality type, the quality of the parent–child relationship, and their own career self-efficacy and regulatory focus. Vocational congruence was calculated by C-index. The results show that regulatory focus of promotion and both low and high self-efficacy were related to a significantly higher level of congruence between chosen occupation and vocational personality than between chosen occupation and parent’s occupation. However, none of the variables was found to explain the level of congruence between vocational personality and chosen occupation, and no relationship was found between vocational congruence and satisfaction with the chosen profession. The findings indicate the importance of vocational inclinations over parental influence and personality traits in occupational choice. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

HR Strength as a Mediator or a Moderator in the Relationship between HR Practices and Organizational Innovation? The Romanian Study

The literature points to the positive role of Human Resource Management (HRM) best practices affecting organizational innovation. However, it is still insufficiently clear which mechanisms produce this outcome. In this study, we focus on Human Resource Strength (HRS) as a major variable in that process. More precisely, we examine whether Human Resource Strength (HRS) is a mediator or a moderator in the relationship between four high commitment HR practices and organizational innovation. We investigated a sample of 323 Romanian managers. Our findings indicate that HR strength has a double role as a moderator (training only) and full mediator (training and education and performance appraisal only) in the relationship between HR practices and organizational innovation. The discussion elaborates on the theoretical implications and indicates ideas for future research.

Work-family conflict/enrichment: the role of personal resources

Purpose The conservation of resources (COR) theory provides a theoretical foundation for work-family research. The purpose of this paper is to investigate thoroughly the associations between threat of or actual loss of resources as well as gain of resources and work-family interaction, employing COR assumptions and measures. Design/methodology/approach A sample of 216 working mothers filled out a questionnaire that included conservation of resources evaluation and scales measuring work-family conflict (WFC) and enrichment. Analyses of variance were performed to test the hypothesized associations. Findings WFC and family-work conflict (FWC) were positively correlated with the threat of and actual loss of resources; family-work enrichment (FWE) was positively correlated with the gain of resources. Participants who reported higher threat of loss of resources compared to gain of resources reported high levels of WFC and FWC; those who reported higher loss of resources compared to gain of resources reported high levels of FWC. In addition, participants who reported gains that outweighed losses (whether actual loss or simply threat of loss) reported higher levels of FWE. Originality/value The findings support using the COR theory as a theoretical basis for work-family research and emphasize the detrimental role of threat of loss of resources. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.