Samuel Aryee

Antecedents and Outcomes of Work-Family Conflict Among Married Professional Women: Evidence from Singapore

The study reported here examined the impact ol fivc antecedent sets of work and family domain variables on three types of work-lamily conflict (job-spouse, job-parent, and job-homemakcr) and the impact of these types of work-family conflict on well-being and work outcome measures. Data were obtained from 354 married professional women from duil-career families in Singapore. Results indicate that married professional women in this study experienced moderate amounts of each type of work-lamily conflict. Role stressors explained the most variance in job-spouse and job-homemaker conflicts while task characteristics explained the most variance in job-parent conflict. The three types of work-family conflict explained only modest amounts of the variance in the well-being and work outcome measures. The findings are discussed within a feminist framework and an option for combining work and family lives is suggested.

Antecedents and outcomes of career commitment

Abstract Based on Londons (1983) and London and Mones (1987) theory of career motivation and the extrawork literature, a hypothesized model of the antecedents and outcomes of career commitment was proposed and tested. Data obtained using structured questionnaires from a sample of teachers and nurses in Singapore ( N = 510) were analyzed using LISREL. Results of the LISREL analysis indicate that the model did not fit the data although work role salience, organizational commitment, career satisfaction, and organizational opportunity for development emerged as significant antecedents of career commitment. The only extrawork variable, family supportive activity, was not significantly related to career commitment directly. In terms of outcomes of career commitment, career commitment was significantly and positively related to skill development and negatively to career and job withdrawal intentions but was not significantly related to work quality. Implications of the failure of the model to fit the data for Londons and London and Mones theory are discussed and hypotheses for the models revision are suggested.

An Examination of the Antecedents of Subjective Career Success Among a Managerial Sample in Singapore

Data obtained with a questionnaire instrument from managerial employees (N = 200) in Singapore were used to examine some antecedents of subjective career success. The choice of antecedents was informed by recent calls to place research on career issues in the context of an individuals life roles. Confirmatory factor analysis (LISREL VII) was used to examine the one-factor and three-factor models hypothesized to underlie the subjective career success data. The results revealed a three-factor model to have adequate fit statistics - financial and hierarchical success, and career satisfaction. The antecedent sets of human capital, work values, family and structural or work variables accounted for over 40% of the explained variance in each career success dimension. While the career success dimensions were influenced by different variables, individual-organizational value congruity, quality of parental role and internal labor market emerged as consistent antecedents of the career success dimensions. The pattern of significant antecedents of the career success dimensions was interpreted as providing support for the approach that underpinned the study. The limitations of the study, and practical and theoretical implications of the findings are discussed.

Communication Relationship Satisfaction and Organizational Commitment

This exploratory study examines the relationship between communication relationship satisfaction (CRS) and organizational commitment. CRS was measured by organizational communication relationship (OCR) instrument developed by the International Communication Association (ICA). Organizational commitment was measured by Porter, Steers, Mowday and Boulians (1974) scale. Data were obtained from 122 white-collar employees in an engineering company through a paper-and-pencil questionnaire. A factor analysis of the ICA-OCR instrument indicated 4 factors but only 2 (top management and supervisor relationships) were considered appropriate for the study. Our results indicate that top management relationships relate more closely to organizational commitment than either the global CRS or supervisor relationship. The implication of our findings for managers and directions for future research are indicated.

Work Values and Organizational Commitment: A Study in the Asian Context

This paper seeks to investigate the association between work values and organizational commitment in the Asian context. Two major dimensions of work values, that is, intrinsic and extrinsic, were derived from a factor analysis of Wollack et al.s scale. Organizational commitment was defined in terms of an individuals degree of identification and involvement in the work organization. This variable was measured using Porter et al.s scale. The analysis suggested that intrinsic work values relate more closely to organizational commitment than either the global measure of work values or extrinsic work values.

Antecedents of organizational commitment and turnover intentions among professional accountants in different employment settings in Singapore

Abstract Although the employment of professionals in organizational settings is a global phenomenon, most of the country-specific and cross-cultural studies on professionals role orientations and behavior have been done in the industrialized Western hemisphere. Data obtained from professional accountants (N = 245) in Singapore were used to replicate the work of Aranya and his associates on the determinants of organizational commitment and turnover intentions among professional accountants. Multiple regression analyses were performed for the entire sample and then for professional and nonprofessional employment settings. In general, the findings here provide support for the congruity thesis and for Tuma and Grimes (1981) psychological and organizational mechanisms of professional role orientations; they also support the withdrawal model of turnover intentions.

Public and Private Sector Professionals A Comparative Study of their Perceived Work Experience

Despite the emergence of the public and private sectors as the main employers of professionals, few empirical studies have compared the work experience of professionals in the two sectors. Data obtained from public and private sector professionals in Singapore (N = 262) were used to compare the quality of their perceived work experience in terms of realization of professional work expectations, job characteristics, job satisfaction, internal work motivation, turnover intentions, and career facilitation. All three hypotheses predicting differences in perceived experience of these variables were supported. On the whole, private sector professionals perceived a better quality of work experience than their public sector counterparts. The findings were interpreted in terms of the defining characteristics of the public-private dichotomy and the resulting internal structure and management practices. Implications of the findings for enhancing the perceived quality of work experience and thereby attracting and retaining professionals in the public sector and directions for future studies are discussed.

A Note on the Applicability of an Organizational Commitment Model

The applicability of Porters commitment model was tested among two employee levels in a manufacturing and service company. Data were obtained from supervisory and shopfloor employees using a structured questionnaire. The findings indicate that the model is moderately adequate in predicting commitment among both levels of respondents in the two organizations, but the antecedents differ among respondents within and between organizations. Second, the commitment-outcome component of the model is only applicable to the service company in predicting performance, turnover intentions, and extra-role behaviors but not to the manufacturing company (except extra-role behaviors of shopfloor respondents). It is suggested that managers who wish to enhance the behavioral outcomes of commitment should first test the applicability of the model to their specific organizations.

Career Orientations and Work Outcomes Among Industrial R&D Professionals:

The competitive global marketplace and the need for technological leadership in achieving competitive advantage have made it necessary to understand the factors that influence the performance and work attitudes of research and development (R&D) professionals. Data obtained from 165 industrial R&D professionals in Singapore were used to examine the relationship between career orientations and selected work outcomes. Factor analysis revealed two factors that underlie career orientations—professional/scientific and managerial. Both career orientations showed a significant and negative relationship with turnover intentions. Zero-order and partial correlation analyses indicated managerial career orientation to be related to organization-based performance and professional/scientific career orientation to be related to scientific performance. Implications of the findings and directions for future research are discussed.

Career orientations, perceptions of rewarded activity, and career strategies among R&D professionals

Abstract The role of technological innovation, and therefore R&D, in creating and sustaining competitive advantage has focused research attention on the career management of R&D professionals and the strategies used to realize their career aspirations. Data obtained through structured questionnaires from R&D professionals (N = 165) in the electronics industry in Singapore were used to examine career orientation and perception of rewarded activity as determinants of career strategy. It was found that respondents with a managerial career orientation and those with a professional/scientific orientation equally used the general career strategies of network and extensive involvement in work. However, the managerially oriented respondents more actively used the organization-directed strategies of self-nomination/presentation and seeking career guidance than those with a professional/scientific orientation. Furthermore, both orientation groups perceived technical competence and personality characteristics as rewarded activity while the managerially oriented respondents perceived organizational circumtances and visibility and gaining recognition as rewarded activity. The observed similarities and differences in the perception of rewarded activity between the two career orientation groups were found to be related to the similarities and differences in the use of the general and organization-directed career strategies. Implications of the findings along with directions for future research are discussed.