Ranida B. Harris

A Test of Competing Models of the Relationships Among Perceptions of Organizational Politics, Perceived Organizational Support, and Individual Outcomes

The authors aimed to distinguish between perceptions of organizational politics (POPs) and perceived organizational support (POS). Previous research has shown that these two constructs are related, and whereas some researchers have suggested that POS mediates the relationships between POPs and outcomes (e.g., M. C. Andrews & K. M. Kacmar, 2001; R. Cropanzano, J. C. Howes, A. A. Grandey, & P. Toth, 1997), others have claimed that POPs mediate the relationships between POS and outcomes (e.g., G. R. Ferris, G. S. Russ, & P. M. Fandt, 1989). The authors investigated these competing models in an organizational sample of 418 employees from a water-management-district office. Results showed that POPs and POS were related to each other and to 5 outcomes: (a) job satisfaction, (b) pay satisfaction, (c) job strains, (d) role conflicts, and (e) turnover intentions. Results also indicated that POS fully mediated 3 of the 5 relationships between POPs and outcomes and partially mediated the other 2.

Career Success Implications of Political Skill

The authors investigated the individual characteristic of political skill and its relation to 5 different career-related outcomes (total compensation, promotions, career satisfaction, life satisfaction, and perceived external job mobility). They examined data obtained from a sample of 191 employees working a wide range of occupations. The results reveal that political skill is associated with 4 of the 5 outcomes. In addition, they examined the 4 dimensions of political skill and found that the networking ability dimension dominates the relations with the examined outcomes. The authors discuss practical implications, limitations, and directions for future research.

An Investigation of Abusive Supervision, Vicarious Abusive Supervision, and Their Joint Impacts

ABSTRACT Recent work has begun to look at the impact of abusive supervision, a dysfunctional workplace behavior, on employee outcomes. This study extends this line of research by examining vicarious abusive supervision (abuse not directly experienced, but rumors about it or hearing about it, that is “experienced vicariously”). In particular, this research effort investigates whether vicarious abuse has effects above and beyond those accounted for by personally experienced abusive supervision on the outcomes of job frustration, coworker abuse, and perceived organizational support. Our sample is composed of 233 workers from a large variety of organizations. Results reveal that both personally experienced and vicarious abuse have negative impacts and these effects are heightened when both forms of abusive supervision are present. Practical and theoretical implications, as well as directions for future research, are offered.

Resource loss from technology overload and its impact on work-family conflict

We investigated three types of technology overload.We examined the relationship between technology overload and work-family conflict (WFC).Higher levels of technology overload are positively associated with WFC.We found LMX quality moderated the technology overload-WFC associations. With the ever increasing usage of information and communication technology, it is no surprise that technology end-users are experiencing technology overload. Although this technology overload has been shown to have a negative impact on work related outcomes, much less is known about how it is associated with work-family conflict (WFC). This study set out to answer that question by building on Conservation of Resources theory and examining three types of technology overload (information overload, communication overload, and system feature overload) and their relationships with WFC. Additionally, we investigated leader-member exchange quality to see how it impacts the relationships between each type of technology overload and WFC. We examined these relationships in a sample of 219 technology end-users, and our results indicated that all three types of technology overload are associated with WFC. Further, for two types of technology overload, the lower the quality of leader-member exchange relationships, the greater the impact of technology overload on WFC.

An investigation of the impact of abusive supervision on technology end-users

Although they are likely to occur in many organizations, few research efforts have examined the impact of negative supervisor behaviors on technology end-users. In this study we investigate abusive supervision, and the effects it has on perceptions about the work and psychological, attitudinal, and behavioral intention outcomes. Our sample consisted of 225 technology end-users from a large variety of organizations. Results revealed that abusive supervision has a positive impact on perceived pressure to produce, time pressure, and work overload, and a negative impact on liking computer work, and ultimately these variables impact job strain, frustration, turnover intentions, and job satisfaction.

Applying the job demands resources model to understand technology as a predictor of turnover intentions

Abstract Based on the Job Demands Resources model (Bakker & Demerouti, 2007), we empirically investigate how technology-based job autonomy, technology-based job overload, and technology-based job monitoring impact job attitudes and employee intentions to turnover. Using a sample of 326 full time employees, we found that the resource of technology-based job autonomy worked through job engagement, job satisfaction, and organizational commitment to lower employee turnover intentions. Simultaneously, the demands of technology-based job overload and technology-based job monitoring worked through job tension and job satisfaction, but not organizational commitment, to impact intentions to turnover. Implications and opportunities for future research of examining technology-based job characteristics are discussed.

Social Media Use in the Workplace: A Study of Dual Effects

Social media use in the workplace may simultaneously contribute to productive behaviors task-oriented and relationship-building as well as unproductive behaviors deviance at work. Building on channel expansion theory the authors examine the impact of using social media on these organizational behaviors. Using a sample of 220 working individuals they found that intensity of social media use contributed to greater task-oriented social media behaviors, more relationship-building social media behaviors, and more deviant social media behaviors. Further, the authors examined the moderating effect that preoccupation with social media has on these direct relationships and found that preoccupation diminishes the effect of social media use on both productive and un-productive behaviors.

Investigating the impacts of regulatory focus and political skill within a social media context

Abstract Based on Regulatory Focus theory (Higgins, 1997), we extend existing findings to empirically investigate how regulatory focus and political skill are related within a social media context. Though social media is commonly used in the workplace, it has not yet been studied in relation to the competing paths of regulatory focus (prevention and promotion) and political skill. Our sample included 312 full-time employees. We found a negative path from prevention-focus through political skill dis-incentivizes social media use for enhancement of work mood and work network. A positive path from promotion-focus through political skill incentivizes employees to engage in social media use for enhancement of work mood and work network. Implications and opportunities for future research are discussed.