Ross Donohue

Research into the psychological contract: two Australian perspectives

Abstract Despite their increasing relevance, employees psychological contracts have attracted little research attention in Australia. The present paper presents two studies, which examined the psychological contracts of specific cohorts of professional employees and those in a managerial career track. The first study was an in-depth qualitative investigation of research scientists in an Australian public sector research organisation. They were found to have a strong professional affiliation and had developed psychological contracts that were best understood by reference to the ‘ideological currency’ of the scientific community. The second study was a quantitative examination of 156 MBA students at an Australian university, and how their psychological contracts could be related to perceptions of the contextual variables of organisational justice, perceived organisational support and external employability. Organisational justice and perceived organisational support were found to be related to the nature of the psychological contracts measured, but perceptions of external employability were not.

The construction and initial validation of a measure of expatriate job performance

Based on Campbells (1990, Handbook of Industrial and Organizational Psychology, 2nd ed., Palo Alto, CA: Consulting Psychologists Press, 687–732) multi-factorial model of job performance, the Expatriate Performance Scales were developed to measure components of expatriate performance. Item generation for the scales was informed by job performance theory, content analysis of interviews with expatriates and item sorting by subject matter experts. The scales (48 items) were administered to 106 Australian expatriates in the Special Administrative Regions of China. Data were subjected to exploratory factor analysis, reliability analysis as well as tests for criterion, convergent and discriminant validity. These procedures resulted in 32 items measuring an amended model of expatriate performance with six components: task performance, communication performance, demonstrating effort, maintaining personal discipline, team and leadership performance and management and administration performance. Results provide initial psychometric evidence of criterion, convergent and discriminant validity.

Capacity Building for New Parliamentarians: Survey of Orientation and Induction Programmes

This article reports original research which built on conceptual issues previously identified by the authors. A survey of national parliaments sought information on orientation and induction programmes offered to first term members and on members perceptions of those programmes. An overview of findings is presented and significant issues identified. Most programmes provided passive development through information and a handbook rather than active skill development. Few used training processes and techniques that were based on contemporary adult learning principles. There were sharp divisions over training and development in dealing with ethical issues. The findings suggest considerable potential for the further development of programmes and for sharing information about programmes in order to assist capacity building for parliamentarians and thereby enhance the performance of parliaments and individual members.

Leading and lagging indicators of occupational health and safety: The moderating role of safety leadership.

In response to the call for empirical evidence of a connection between leading and lagging indicators of occupational health and safety (OHS), the first aim of the current research is to consider the association between leading and lagging indicators of OHS. Our second aim is to investigate the moderating effect of safety leadership on the association between leading and lagging indicators. Data were collected from 3578 employees nested within 66 workplaces. Multi-level modelling was used to test the two hypotheses. The results confirm an association between leading and lagging indicators of OHS as well as the moderating impact of middle management safety leadership on the direct association. The association between leading and lagging indicators provides OHS practitioners with useful information to substantiate efforts within organisations to move away from a traditional focus on lagging indicators towards a preventative focus on leading indicators. The research also highlights the important role played by middle managers and the value of OHS leadership development and investment at the middle management level.

Holland's Constructs in Relation to Career Persistence and Career Change: A Study of Australian Managerial and Professional Workers

This study tested Holland’s propositions that career persisters are more congruent, have greater vocational identity, and more differentiated and consistent personalities than career changers. His proposition that people who change career move to more congruent occupations was also tested. The study examined if vocational identity, differentiation, consistency, age or gender moderate the congruence–career persistence/change relation. The sample comprised 285 managers/professionals (241 persisters; 44 changers) first assessed in groups over 5 years and followed up after 18 months to gauge their career persistence/change status. Results showed persisters were more congruent and had stronger vocational identity than changers, but their personalities were not more differentiated or consistent. Changers were found to move to careers more congruent than their previous careers. There was no evidence the proposed moderators interacted with congruence in predicting career persistence/change.

Antecedents of affective and normative commitment of organisational volunteers

Abstract We investigated a number of established and emergent antecedents of affective and normative commitment of volunteers involved with a large Australian non-profit (NP) service delivery organisation. Self-report survey data were gathered from 921 volunteers. Using multiple regression analysis, we found affective commitment was positively predicted by role scope, personal importance, organisational support, esteem-based need satisfaction and value-based need satisfaction and negatively predicted by role ambiguity. We found that normative commitment was positively predicted by socialisation experiences and congruence of organisational mission and values with personal values. Theoretical and practical implications of the findings are further discussed. Of particular note is the value of extending organisational commitment mindsets to the value-laden and idiosyncratic NP sector and its volunteers. This includes the operationalisation of constructs not traditionally included in the examination of paid staff commitment, including perceptions of personal importance and need satisfaction, to inform volunteer management practice.

Occupational Violence and Aggression Experienced by Nursing and Caring Professionals

PURPOSEnTo examine the extent and source of occupational violence and aggression (OVA) experienced by nursing and caring professionals. This study also examines the relative contributions of demographic characteristics and workplace and individual safety factors in predicting OVA.nnnDESIGNnA cross-sectional study design with data collected using an online survey of employees in the nursing and caring professions in Victoria, Australia.nnnMETHODSnSurvey data collected from 4,891 members of the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation (Victorian branch) were analyzed using logistic regression.nnnFINDINGSnSixty-seven percent of respondents reported experiencing OVA in the preceding 12 months, with nearly 20% experiencing OVA on a weekly or daily basis. The dominant sources of OVA were patients (79%) or relatives of patients (48%). Logistic regression analysis revealed that respondents working in public hospitals and aged care facilities were more likely to experience OVA, compared to those working in other workplaces. While higher levels of safety compliance reduced the likelihood of experiencing OVA, role overload and workplace safety factors such as prioritization of employee safety and leading indicators of occupational health and safety were stronger predictors.nnnCONCLUSIONSnThe likelihood of healthcare workers experiencing OVA varies across demographic and workplace characteristics. While some demographic characteristics and individual safety factors were significant predictors, our results suggest that a greater reduction in OVA could be achieved by improving workplace safety.nnnCLINICAL RELEVANCEnThe studys outcomes identify workforce segments that are most vulnerable to OVA. The study also highlights workplace safety factors such as the prioritization of employee safety that might assist in the reduction of OVA.

Exploring Skill Ecosystems in the Australian Meat Processing Industry: Unions, Employers and Institutional Change

This article discusses the concept of the skill ecosystem in the context of the network oriented literature on learning and skill acquisition. Three critical features of skill ecosystems are identified and then applied to an analysis of the abattoir sector of the Australian meat processing industry. The analysis highlights the important role of the employee union in the skill ecosystem, including maintaining a flow of new entrants into the sector. The article then examines the impact of major institutional change, through the deregulation of industrial relations, on the ecosystem. It concludes by discussing the applicability of the skill ecosystem concept to a mature, low-skill industry such as meat processing and then draws some conclusions about the limitations of the skill ecosystem concept itself.

Postincident support for healthcare workers experiencing occupational violence and aggression

PURPOSEnTo investigate the relative contributions of workplace type, occupational violence and aggression (OVA) strategies and interventions along with perceptions of the occupational health and safety (OHS) environment on the likelihood of receiving postincident support following the experience of OVA.nnnDESIGNnWe used a cross-sectional study design with an online survey to collect data from employees in nursing and midwifery in Victoria, Australia.nnnMETHODSnSurvey data collected from 3,072 members of the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation (Victorian branch) were analyzed using logistic regression.nnnFINDINGSnOf the 3,072 respondents who had experienced OVA in the preceding 12 months, 1,287 (42%) reported that they had received postincident support. Hierarchical logistic regression revealed that the OHS environment was the dominant factor that predicted the likelihood of workers receiving postincident support. Working in a positive OHS environment characterized by higher levels of leading indicators of OHS, prioritization of OHS, supervisor support for safety, and team psychological safety was the stronger predictor of postincident support. Being employed in a workplace that offered training in the management and prevention of OVA also increased the likelihood of receiving postincident support.nnnCONCLUSIONSnWhile training in the management and prevention of OVA contributed to the likelihood of receiving postincident support, a greater emphasis on the OHS environment was more important in predicting the likelihood that workers received support.nnnCLINICAL RELEVANCEnThis study identifies workplace practices that facilitate the provision of postincident support for healthcare workers. Facilitating effective postincident support could improve outcomes for workers, their patients and workplaces, and society in general.

The Career Development of Parliamentarians

This chapter examines the career experiences of parliamentarians, with particular emphasis on how training and on-the-job learning contributes to their career development. It describes the significant changes in the vocational backgrounds of MPs and notes the rise of MPs transitioning from careers such as political advisers or aides. Such pre-parliamentary careers provide informal learning about the roles and activities of MPs, however, even these parliamentarians are likely to have skill gaps that need to be addressed through training. The chapter also examines the various parliamentary career types and argues that they will have divergent training needs, which extend beyond generic induction programs. The chapter reviews the predictors of career advancement of MPs and post-parliamentary career experiences. Finally, the chapter argues that traditional career theories are not appropriate frameworks through which to examine the career development of MPs. Instead, the recently developed boundaryless career perspective, with its hallmarks of career change and autonomy, provides a more suitable lens through which to interpret parliamentary careers. Applying this perspective, the chapter examines the specific competencies that parliamentarians need to develop to successfully navigate their careers. Specifically, MPs should attempt to acquire know-why competencies (developing identity and personal meaning from their work), know-whom competencies (building and maintaining mentoring relationships and personal networks) and know-how competencies (engaging in training activities to develop a portfolio of easily transportable skills).