Steven M. Sommer

The Impact of Downsizing on Workplace Attitudes: Differing Reactions of Managers and Staff in a Health Care Organization

Downsizing has become a popular organization-wide intervention for improving effectiveness. However, much of the existing literature is based on prescriptions and anecdotes. This article presents a longitudinal, quasi-experimental field study of a downsizing intervention in a healthcare organization. Measures of work attitudes (job satisfaction, organizational commitment, supervisor support, and workgroup trust) were taken at annual intervals over a 3-year period. Results partially supported the hypotheses that managers and front-line employees would report different reactions to downsizing programs. Explanations and implications for future research and practice are discussed.

The Measurement of Work to Family Conflict

Although research on work-family conflict has grown, empirical investigations have frequently been a theoretical and lacking in measurement rigor. The objective of this study was to develop a conceptually and methodologically sound measure of work to family conflict (W -* FC). Data were collected from three independent sources, and both exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were conducted, which supported a theoretically grounded measure of W -e FC. Confirmatory factor analysis indicated that a three-factor model, including time-, strain-, and behavior-based dimensions of W -> FC, was superior to both a two-factor and a single-factor (null) model.

An empirical assessment of internal customer service

The quality service movement is often accused of being merely slogans, fads, and “hot topics”. In an effort to counter this assumption and continuously improve organizational performance, empirical research is needed. Examines empirically the popular concept of internal customer service. Although there is considerable descriptive, anecdotal literature on internal service, to date there has been very little empirical assessment of this “hot topic” in total quality. While the concept of viewing fellow coworkers as customers makes intuitive sense, there is still a debate among both academics and practitioners as to the real value of internal customer service on the service quality to external customers. Using a large food and grocery wholesaler, examines empirically the impact that internal customer service has on external customer service. Finds that internal customer service seems to have a mixed, complex relation with external customer service. Discusses practical implications that these findings have for managing service quality.

The Impact of a TQM Intervention on Workplace Attitudes in a Health‐care Organization

Total quality management has gained increasing popularity as a method to introduce transformational change in an organization′s managerial philosophy and operational effectiveness. The principles for implementing total quality management well match principles long stated in philosophies of organizational development and change. Whereas most investigations have identified benefits of TQM in manufacturing‐type settings, seeks to extend this knowledge to health‐care organizations. A pre‐test‐post‐test field study at a large rehabilitation hospital showed significant improvements in work attitudes (job satisfaction, organizational commitment, group climate, competitiveness) for TQM training recipients after the first year of intervention. Unexcused absences and turnover also declined significantly. Discusses the implications of these results for generalizing TQM programmes to health care. Specifically notes the additional evidence to extend TQM applications to the service sector, and the unexpectedly quick ti...

The Ethical Orientation of Russian Entrepreneurs

Ethics has been a significant concern in the management literature and recent efforts have investigated ethical orientations across culture. However, little, if any, work has looked at ethical orientations among entrepreneurs and managers in the transforming Russian economy. This study surveyed the ethical orientations of Russian owner-managers (n=194) involved in entrepreneurial and privatisation activities. A cross-cultural comparison to US normative responses found no difference in Machiavellian orientation in general, though female Russian entrepreneurs perceived themselves as more likely to engage in opportunistic behaviour. Additionally, Russian entrepreneurs in general perceived themselves as more ethically rigid. These respondents also felt Russian organisations fostered more interpersonally collective but structurally opportunistic organisational climates. La litte´rature sur le management s’est beaucoup pre´occupe´e des problemes e´thiques et des investigations re´centes ont porte´ sur les variations interculturelles. Toutefois, tres peu, voire aucune recherche ne s’est inte´resse´e a l’e´thique des patrons et cadres de l’e´conomie russe en pleine transformation. Cette enquete a porte´ sur l’e´thique de 194 entrepreneurs russes implique´s dans les privatisations et la cre´ation d’entreprise. Une comparaison interculturelle avec les re´ponses normatives ame´ricaines ne de´cela aucune diffe´rence dans l’attitude globalement machiave´lique, bien que les femmes chefs d’entreprise russes se perc¸oivent elles-memes comme plus dispose´es a se lancer dans des comportements opportunistes. De plus, les entrepreneurs russes se percevaient en general eux-memes comme e´thiquement plus strictes. Les repondants avaient aussi l’impression que les organisations russes suscitaient plus des climats favorisant les relations que des ambiances structurellement opportunistes.

The structure-climate relationship in Korean organizations

Research using U.S. samples has demonstrated a significant relationship between organizational structure and organizational climate. Given recent developments in Korea, as well as the call to test organization theory and behavior concepts across cultures, this study analyzed the structure-climate relationship in large Korean organizations (N = 1,192 employees in 27 firms). Similar to U.S.-based results, it was found that lower levels of centralization and conflict in the Korean firms were associated with more positive employee perceptions of organizational climate. However, contrary to U.S.-based findings, greater formalization in the Korean firms also led to positive perceptions of climate. Interpretations of these findings are discussed and implications for future management practice offered.