Luis M. Arciniega

Dispositional Resistance to Change: Measurement Equivalence and the Link to Personal Values Across 17 Nations

The concept of dispositional resistance to change has been introduced in a series of exploratory and confirmatory analyses through which the validity of the Resistance to Change (RTC) Scale has been established (S. Oreg, 2003). However, the vast majority of participants with whom the scale was validated were from the United States. The purpose of the present work was to examine the meaningfulness of the construct and the validity of the scale across nations. Measurement equivalence analyses of data from 17 countries, representing 13 languages and 4 continents, confirmed the cross-national validity of the scale. Equivalent patterns of relationships between personal values and RTC across samples extend the nomological net of the construct and provide further evidence that dispositional resistance to change holds equivalent meanings across nations.

Examining Work Ethic Across Populations: A Comparison of the Multidimensional Work Ethic Profile Across Three Diverse Cultures

The authors examined the measurement equivalence of the Multidimensional Work Ethic Profile (MWEP) across the diverse cultures of Korea, Mexico, and the United States. Korean- and Spanish-language versions of the MWEP were developed and evaluated relative to the original English version of the measure. Confirmatory factor analytic results indicated measurement invariance across samples drawn from each country. Further analyses indicated potential substantive differences for some of the seven subscales of the MWEP across samples. The implications of these findings and directions for future research are presented.

What is the Influence of Work Values Relative to Other Variables in the Development of Organizational Commitment

Abstract Using the four high-order values proposed by the Theory of values of Schwartz to operationalize the construct of work values, we evaluated the influence of these values on the development of organizational commitment, in comparison with four facets of work satisfaction and four organizational factors: empowerment, knowledge of organizational goals, and training and communication practices. A sample of 982 employees from eight companies of Northeastern Mexico was used in this study. Our findings suggest that work values occupy a less important place on the development of organizational commitment when compared to organizational factors, such as the perceived knowledge of the goals of the organization, or some attitudes such as satisfaction with security and opportunities of development.

Cross-Cultural Validation of the Work Values Scale EVAT Using Multi-Group Confirmatory Factor Analysis and Confirmatory Multidimensional Scaling

The Work Values Scale EVAT (based on its initials in Spanish: Escala de Valores hacia el Trabajo) was created in 2000 to measure values in the work context. The instrument operationalizes the four higher-order-values of the Schwartz Theory (1992) through sixteen items focused on work scenarios. The questionnaire has been used among large samples of Mexican and Spanish individuals reporting adequate psychometric properties. The instrument has recently been translated into Portuguese and Italian, and subsequently used in a large-scale study with nurses in Portugal and in a sample of various occupations in Italy. The purpose of this research was to demonstrate the cross-cultural validity of the Work Values Scale EVAT in Spanish, Portuguese, and Italian. Our results suggest that the original Spanish version of the EVAT scale and the new Portuguese and Italian versions are equivalent.

The power of goal internalization: studying psychological empowerment in a Venezuelan plant

This study, based in a manufacturing plant in Venezuela, examines the relationship between perceived task characteristics, psychological empowerment and commitment, using a questionnaire survey of 313 employees. The objective of the study was to assess the effects of an organizational intervention at the plant aimed at increasing productivity by providing performance feedback on key aspects of its daily operations. It was hypothesized that perceived characteristics of the task environment, such as task meaningfulness and task feedback, will enhance psychological empowerment, which in turn will have a positive impact on employee commitment. Test of a structural model revealed that the relationship of task meaningfulness and task feedback with affective commitment was partially mediated by the empowerment dimensions of perceived control and goal internalization. The results highlight the role of goal internalization as a key mediating mechanism between job characteristics and affective commitment. The study also validates a Spanish-language version of the psychological empowerment scale by Menon (2001).

Explorando los flancos de la lealtad: análisis de la estructura y significado de la dimensión normativa del compromiso organizacional

Resumen A pesar de la extensa validación transcultural del modelo de compromiso organizacional de Meyer y Allen (1991), han surgido ciertas dudas respecto a la independencia de los componentes afectivo y normativo y, también, sobre la unidimensionalidad de este último. Este estudio analiza la estabilidad de la estructura del modelo y examina el comportamiento de la escala normativa, empleando 100 muestras, de 250 sujetos cada una, extraídas aleatoriamente de una base de datos de 4.689 empleados. Los resultados muestran cierta estabilidad del modelo, y apoyan parcialmente a la corriente que propone el desdoblamiento del componente normativo en dos subdimensiones: el deber moral y el sentimiento de deuda moral.

‘Don’t mess with my company’: An exploratory study of commitment profiles before and after dramatic external events

Abstract This panel study, conducted in a large Venezuelan organization, took advantage of a serendipitous opportunity to examine the organizational commitment profiles of employees before and after a series of dramatic, and unexpected, political events directed specifically at the organization. Two waves of organizational commitment data were collected, 6 months apart, from a sample of 152 employees. No evidence was found that employees’ continuance commitment to the organization was altered by the events described here. Interestingly, however, both affective and normative commitment increased significantly during the period of the study. Further, employee’s commitment profiles at Wave 2 were more differentiated than they were at Wave 1.

Examining regional variability in work ethic within Mexico: Individual difference or shared value: WORK ETHIC DIFFERENCES

Despite the acceptance of work ethic as an important individual difference, little research has examined the extent to which work ethic may reflect shared environmental or socio-economic factors. This research addresses this concern by examining the influence of geographic proximity on the work ethic experienced by 254 employees from Mexico, working in 11 different cities in the Northern, Central and Southern regions of the country. Using a sequence of complementary analyses to assess the main source of variance on seven dimensions of work ethic, our results indicate that work ethic is most appropriately considered at the individual level.