Ted H. Shore

Ethics in Family and Non-Family Owned Firms: An Exploratory Study

Limited research on ethics in family business leads to competing arguments regarding whether family firms are more, less or equally as ethical as non-family controlled firms. Comparing structured interview data from 214 respondents in family firms with a proportionally matched sample of 230 respondents in non-family-owned firms, we found few—but important—differences in ethics-related attitudes, behavior and experiences. Fewer family-owned businesses had formal codes of ethics. They were more likely to employ informal methods to promote ethical behavior, with role modeling of expected behaviors regarded as more important than in non-family firms.

Construct Validity of Self- and Peer Evaluations of Performance Dimensions in an Assessment Center

The construct validity of final self- and peer evaluations in an assessment center was examined within a nomological network of conceptually related and unrelated variables. Data included self-, peer, and assessor evaluations, cognitive ability and personality measures, and job advancement. The evidence for construct validity was stronger for peer than for self-evaluations, and for more easily observable dimensions than for dimensions requiring greater inferential judgment. Self- and peer evaluations were associated with assessor ratings of management potential, whereas only peer evaluations predicted job advancement. Implications for the use of self- and peer evaluations in assessment centers and the need for further research are discussed.

Leadership perceptions as a function of race-occupation fit: the case of Asian Americans.

On the basis of the connectionist model of leadership, we examined perceptions of leadership as a function of the contextual factors of race (Asian American, Caucasian American) and occupation (engineering, sales) in 3 experiments (1 student sample and 2 industry samples). Race and occupation exhibited differential effects for within- and between-race comparisons. With regard to within-race comparisons, leadership perceptions of Asian Americans were higher when race-occupation was a good fit (engineer position) than when race-occupation was a poor fit (sales position) for the two industry samples. With regard to between-race comparisons, leadership perceptions of Asian Americans were low relative to those of Caucasian Americans. Additionally, when race-occupation was a good fit for Asian Americans, such individuals were evaluated higher on perceptions of technical competence than were Caucasian Americans, whereas they were evaluated lower when race-occupation was a poor fit. Furthermore, our results demonstrated that race affects leadership perceptions through the activation of prototypic leadership attributes (i.e., implicit leadership theories). Implications for the findings are discussed in terms of the connectionist model of leadership and leadership opportunities for Asian Americans.

Subtle gender bias in the assessment of managerial potential

The effects of gender on evaluations of managerial potential within a corporate assessment center program were investigated. The sample consisted of 375 men and 61 women (94% White, 3% Black, 2.3% Asian, and .7% Hispanic) assessed between 1980 and 1985. Candidates were assessed on their intellectual ability, performance and interpersonal skills, and overall management potential. Women were rated higher than men on the performance-style skills; however, there were no differences in overall management potential ratings or in actual long-term job advancement. The results suggest that subtle gender bias affects evaluations of managerial potential and subsequent promotion decisions.

Development and validation of a Scale measuring Attitudes toward Smoking

Abstract The authors developed the Smoking Attitudes Scale (SAS) and administered it to 2 samples of U.S. students who were smokers or nonsmokers. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis with LISREL (K. G. Jöreskog & D. Sörbom, 1989) methodology revealed that the SAS consists of 4 factors. The overall instrument possesses good internal consistency and adequate construct validity as well.

Accountability Forces in Performance Appraisal: Effects of Self-Appraisal Information, Normative Information, and Task Performance

This study investigated the effects of self-appraisal information, normative information, and task performance on performance appraisal ratings. Participants rated a fictitious “subordinates” performance on a clerical task (which was either very good or moderately poor) subsequent to receiving self-assessment information (high or low) and normative information (present or absent). Self-appraisals affected performance ratings for poor performers but not for good performers, suggesting that judges are more motivated to please ratees than they are merely to adopt the “subordinates” view of their own performance. Furthermore, objective normative information had greater influence than self-appraisals on performance ratings, suggesting that information source credibility has more influence than felt accountability on performance appraisals. Implications of the findings for organizations were discussed.

DISTINCTIVENESS OF THREE WORK ATTITUDES: JOB INVOLVEMENT, ORGANIZATIONAL COMMITMENT, AND CAREER SALIENCE

Research on work commitment has treated organizational commitment, job involvement, and career salience as distinct constructs. The purpose of this study was to provide empirical evidence for the d...

Effects of Self-Appraisal Information, Appraisal Purpose, and Feedback Target on Performance Appraisal Ratings

This experiment investigated the effects of three factors on performance appraisal ratings: self-appraisal information, appraisal purpose, and feedback target. Two hundred and three subjects rated a subordinates performance on a clerical task subsequent to receiving either a high or low self-assessment. They were told they would provide performance feedback either to the experimenter (organizational agent) or their subordinate, and their ratings would be used either for an administrative decision or developmental feedback. Performance ratings were significantly higher when subjects received a favorable subordinate self-assessment than when self-assessments were unfavorable. A significant interaction was found between feedback target and the appraisal purpose. Implications for the use of self-appraisals in organizations were discussed.

Toward a Perceptual Model of Smoking Policy Satisfaction

Abstract Influences on employee satisfaction with company smoking policies were examined with a perceptual model involving smoking policy restrictiveness, smoking status, smoking attitudes, and perceptions of policies (pro- versus antismoking). Although the responses of American students to systematically varied written scenarios supported most predictions based on the model, significant nonlinear relationships between policy perceptions and policy satisfaction suggested the need for a more elaborate theory than originally proposed.