Robin A. Cheramie

Exploring touch as a positive workplace behavior

Whereas most research has focused on the negative aspects of touch in the workplace (i.e. sexual harassment), this study focuses upon the positive use of touch. In an effort to explain individual differences in the use of workplace touch, three sequential studies are used to introduce the concepts of workplace touch self-efficacy and workplace touch initiation anxiety. In Study 1 we develop scales to assess the constructs. Study 2 provides an initial examination of the construct validity of the measures developed in Study 1. Results of Study 3 indicate that supervisor reports of touch self-efficacy and physiological touch anxiety are related to subordinate reports of supervisor touch. Additionally, results show that supervisor use of touch is related to several indicators of supervisor social effectiveness. Finally, sex of the supervisor appears to play a role in workplace touch as female supervisors report less touch anxiety, greater touch self-efficacy and more use of touch than male supervisors.

Improving Individual Learning for Trainees with Low Conscientiousness

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of situational factors in improving learning for trainees with low conscientiousness.Design/methodology/approach – A sample of 117 employees completed a survey questionnaire in the context of a training intervention. Perceptions of conscientiousness, legitimacy, and accountability were used to predict employee learning in a training context. Moderated multiple regression was used to test the hypotheses.Findings – Results support interactions of conscientiousness and perceived accountability to predict learning such that learners who are low in conscientiousness showed higher levels of learning when perceived accountability was considered strong than when perceived accountability was considered weak. There was no support for the proposed interaction of conscientiousness and perceived legitimacy to predict learning.Practical implications – Results support the view that organizations should implement formal controls to increase perceived accountabili...

An examination of feedback-seeking behaviors, the feedback source and career success

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether individuals seeking feedback from either a supervisor or co-worker relate to intrinsic and extrinsic career success. Design/methodology/approach – Survey data were collected from 168 employees in three different organizations in the southeastern United States. Moderated multiple regression was used to test the hypotheses. Findings – Results support interactions of feedback seeking and feedback source (both supervisor and co-worker) to predict extrinsic career success. There was no support for the proposed interaction of feedback seeking and feedback source to predict intrinsic career success. Practical implications – The results support the need for organizations to focus on developing feedback environments that encourage feedback-seeking behaviors. Individuals that desire more feedback and take initiative within their careers by seeking feedback may have positive outcomes related to extrinsic career success. Originality/value – The study is on...

Predicting public or private feedback-seeking behaviors

Purpose - – The purpose of this paper is to examine whether the presence of an audience inhibits or facilitates feedback-seeking behaviors. Design/methodology/approach - – A sample of 148 employees completed a survey questionnaire regarding feedback-seeking behaviors. Perceived value of public and private feedback, public self-consciousness (PSC), and tolerance for ambiguity were used to predict public or private feedback-seeking behaviors. Hierarchical multiple regression were used to test the hypotheses. Findings - – Statistically significant relationships were found between perceived value of public feedback, PSC, tolerance for ambiguity, and public feedback seeking. Subsequently, statistically significant relationships were only found between perceived value of private feedback, tolerance for ambiguity, and private feedback seeking. Research limitations/implications - – Future research should focus on how individuals respond to less privacy in the workplace in regards to feedback-seeking behaviors. Practical implications - – Many more companies are moving to open office spaces and cubicles which suggest there is less privacy for employees to seek feedback. This study found that employees do make a distinction when seeking feedback in a public or private context. Originality/value - – This is the first field study to identify specific antecedents relating to seeking feedback in a public or private context. With this study, the feedback context becomes another important variable in understanding how an individuals feedback environment may relate to feedback seeking.

How to Compare Apples to Oranges

1 See: J. Choi, R.H. Woods, and S.K. Murrmann, “International Labor Markets and the Migration of Labor Forces as an Alternative Solution for Labor Shortages in the Hospitality Industry,” International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, Vol. 12, No. 1 (2000), pp. 61–66. Choi et al. note that it is easy to find articles that report on the insufficient supply of labor for hospitality jobs, both in the United States and abroad. Much of this may be caused by general perceptions of hospitality jobs’ relatively less-desirable hours and working conditions (see, for example, M. Prewitt, “A Career in Foodservice—Cons: Long Hours,” Nation’s Restaurant News, Vol. 35, No. 21 [May 21, 2001], pp. 102–103), and the perceived low pay typical of the industry (see, for example, M.C. Sturman, “The Compensation Conundrum: Does the Hospitality Industry Shortchange Its Employees—And Itself?,” Cornell Hotel and Restaurant Administration Quarterly, Vol. 42, No. 4 [August 2001], pp. 70–76). 2 D.J. Kennedy and M.D. Fulford, “On the Move: Management Relocation in the Hospitality Industry,” Cornell Hotel and Restaurant Administration Quarterly, Vol. 40, No. 2 (April 1999), pp. 60–68.

FIRM-EXPLICIT HUMAN CAPITAL: UNDERSTANDING THE VALUE OF TRANSFERABLE FIRM KNOWLEDGE IN THE LABOR MARKETPLACE.

An executives firm-specific human capital is argued to be a critical resource to the executives current organization, but because of its lack of transferability, is of little value outside the firm. We argue that there exists a form of firm-based knowledge, which we term firm-explicit human capital, that is, in fact, transferable to competing firms, and that these firms will be willing to pay a premium to obtain it. Using a sample of over 9,000 executives, we show that executives switching to competing firms received increases to base pay greater than non-movers and those moving within or between industries. We suggest these increases are reflective of the differential value associated with various forms of executive-level human capital and we discuss the implications of our findings for future human capital research.