Stephen G. Green

Development of Leader-Member Exchange: A Longitudinal Test

This longitudinal study examines the development of leader-member-exchange (LMX) relationships via a model that extends and tests ideas presented but not yet fully tested in past theoretical models. New subordinates (n = 205) and their supervisors (n = 112) provided data that were used to test hypotheses stating that dyadic gender and personality similarity, member performance, and leader delegation would be incrementally and cumulatively related to LMX development. Support was found for relationships between the quality of leader-member exchange and positive affectivity similarity, performance, and delegation, but not for a relationship with gender similarity. In addition, it appears that good member performance may precede leader delegation.

Assessing a multidimensional measure of radical technological innovation

For almost 30 years, innovations have been characterized as radical or incremental. Nevertheless, the construct has not been precisely defined and ad hoc measures have been the norm in the literature. This paper describes the development of measures which address multiple dimensions of the concept of innovation radicalness and treat it as a continuous variable. A rigorous process of item development, reliability analysis, and both exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis was used. The developed measures meet psychometric standards, demonstrate criterion-related validity, and capture four dimensions of radicalness: technological uncertainty, technical inexperience, business inexperience, and technology cost. Findings support the conceptualization of radicalness as a continuum with multiple dimensions, and suggest that those dimensions may be differentially related to project characteristics and outcomes. The utility of these measures and dimensions as diagnostic tools in project management is discussed. Radicalness as a multidimensional concept is also discussed as a valuable tool in project planning, project evaluation, and understanding the strategic implications of pursuing radical innovation. >

The effects of three social decision schemes on decision group process

Abstract An experimental study compared the effects of three group decision-making schemes. A nominal voting scheme produced the highest satisfaction with the group decision-making process, and the lowest amount of expressed negative socio-emotional behaviors, but also produced the lowest feelings of personal participation. A consensus scheme produced nearly the opposite results—with high felt participation, but also a high degree of negative socio-emotional behaviors, and low satisfaction with the group decision-making process. Apparently the more structured nominal voting scheme reduces the interpersonal give-and-take that can lead to negative socio-emotional behavior, but that also gives a feeling of participation.

Product Development Tensions: Exploring Contrasting Styles of Project Management

Successful product development requires managing tensions—coping with fluctuating contingencies to foster innovation and efficiency. To investigate this challenge, we explored the nature, dynamics,...

Training in creative problem solving: Effects on ideation and problem finding and solving in an industrial research organization

Abstract The effects of training in a multistage “complete process of creative problem solving” on attitudes and behaviors of individuals were assessed both immediately after training and return to work. A controlled field “true” experiment was conducted within an engineering department doing applied research in a large industrial organization. Multiple methods and measures were employed on trained ( n = 16), placebo ( n = 16), and nonplacebo ( n = 13) groups. The process trained addressed three critical stages: problem finding, problem solving, and solution implementation, each containing a fundamental diverging—converging two-step process called “ideation—evaluation.” The main findings strongly suggest the training resulted in significant, systematically measurable effects both immediately after training and 2 weeks later at work. The trained participants were significantly higher in preference for ideation in problem solving, practice of ideation in both problem finding and problem solving, and performance in problem finding. The data give rise to speculation that there may exist differing “optimum ideation—evaluation ratios” for each of the problem finding, problem solving, and solution implementation stages. These ratios may also differ by field of endeavor.

Making the Break Count: An Episodic Examination of Recovery Activities, Emotional Experiences, and Positive Affective Displays

Drawing on the emotional labor and work recovery literatures, we examined the relationship between workday break activities and emotional experiences and the role these variables play in the perfor...

Testing the Combined Effects of Newcomer Information Seeking and Manager Behavior on Socialization

Both the newcomer and an important organizational insider, the manager, are predicted to influence the socialization process. Previously, these socialization mechanisms have been discussed or studied in the literature in isolation from one another. Data from 205 newcomers, 364 of their coworkers, and 112 of their managers were used to test the proposed model of newcomer socialization using a longitudinal, 3-wave data collection research design. In general, task-oriented manager behavior predicted task accommodation and relationship-oriented manager behavior predicted relational accommodation. Newcomer proaction, in the form of information seeking, was not a potent predictor of newcomer socialization. Only accommodation variables predicted performance, job satisfaction, and organizational commitment. Thus, it appears that different socialization behaviors tend to serve specialized roles in the socialization process.

Episodic Processes in Emotional Labor: Perceptions of Affective Delivery and Regulation Strategies

This study examined emotional labor processes from a within-person, episodic framework. The authors hypothesized that the influence of negative emotions on affective delivery would be lessened by regulation strategies for supervisor perceptions but not self-perceptions. In addition, difficulty maintaining display rules was hypothesized to mediate the relation between negative emotions and self-perceptions of affective delivery. Finally, the influence of surface acting strategies on these processes as well as correlations with individual differences was investigated. Hypotheses were tested using ecological momentary assessment of a sample of cheerleading instructors. Results suggest that surface actors can regulate emotions effectively on an episode-to-episode basis but find the episode more difficult. In addition, surface actors exhibit more general tendencies to devalue themselves and experience fewer positive emotions.

Destructive Leadership A Theoretical Review, Integration, and Future Research Agenda

In this article, we propose a framework for understanding destructive leadership that summarizes the extant destructive leadership research and extends it in new directions. By reviewing the current literature on destructive leadership and drawing on organizational leadership theory and the more general research on deviant behaviors in organizations, we identify the underlying features and mechanisms that define destructive leadership. Recognizing that each form of destructive leadership currently studied (e.g., abusive supervision, petty tyranny, and pseudo-transformational leadership) addresses aspects of destructive leadership but fails to capture the complete picture of the phenomenon, we clarify the boundaries among the constructs studied within the domain of destructive leadership, address some ambiguities about the nature of destructive leadership, make explicit some characteristics of destructive leadership that set it apart from other forms of leading, and integrate this thinking into a theoretical model that helps us understand the manifestations of destructive leadership, and their antecedents and consequences.

Examining a curvilinear relationship between communication frequency and team performance in cross-functional project teams

The performance of a cross-functional team depends on the skillful and innovative combination of information and expertise from all team members. Communication is the medium through which team members share the information required for successful amalgamation. In this work, we postulate that both high and low levels of team communication can impede team performance, thus leading to a curvilinear relationship between team performance and team communication. To test this hypothesis, the relationships between face-to-face, e-mail, and telephone communication and team performance were examined for 60 cross-functional project teams. E-mail and face-to-face communication were curvilinearly associated with performance, but telephone communication was not. Further analysis of the communication frequency between colocations showed that e-mail is the only medium for which usage increased with distance.