Vandra L. Huber

The framing of negotiations: Contextual versus task frames

Abstract The purpose of this paper was to examine sources of the framing bias. While previous research has focused on task-responsive (experimentally manipulated) frames, it was argued that the context of the task may also frame the decision. Citing previous empirical studies which illustrated that buyers systematically outperformed sellers in symmetrical, negotiation simulations, it was suggested that the role of a participant may influence performance, independent of the task-characteristic demands. A study was conducted using an economically symmetrical negotiation simulation. Results indicated that negotiators positively framed by task characteristics completed more transactions, independent of the presence or absence of role-relevant information. When role-relevant information was absent, negotiators negatively framed by task characteristics completed transactions of greater mean value. When role-relevant information was present, buyers completed transactions of greater mean value than sellers, while task characteristics had no effect on mean transaction value. Implications of these results and directions for continued study were discussed.

Effects of cognitive heuristics and goals on negotiator performance and subsequent goal setting

Abstract The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a situational constraint —an externally set goal — and related cognitive variables — outcome expectancies, perceived self-competency, and goal commitment — on the performance and goal setting of 79 novice negotiators. Expectancy judgments affected goal commitment but not performance or goal choice. Subjects assigned difficult goals were more profitable and set harder new goals than subjects assigned easier goals. Machiavellianism had a powerful effect on performance and exerted more causal influence on self-set goals than actual performance or prior goals. Unexpectedly, role assignment proved to be an important determinant of performance. A decision science perspective was utilized to explain the results.

Decision bias and personnel selection strategies

Abstract The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of two decisional biases—framing and cost salience—on personnel selection decisions. One hundred twenty-eight graduate and undergraduate students participated in a personnel selection simulation. Framing was manipulated by inducing participants to use either a “rejecting” strategy (identify those applicants whom you would not interview) or an “accepting” strategy (list those applicants whom you would interview). Cost salience was manipulated by making selection-related costs either implicit or explicit. Results showed that “accepting” strategy subjects selected less applicants to be interviewed than “rejecting” strategy subjects, but only when selection-related costs were made salient. More time was required for subjects to make their selection decisions when selection-related costs were made salient. Framing and cost salience also influenced the success probability thresholds used by subjects to select applicants. Limitations of this research and directions for future study were discussed.

The human factor in cellular manufacturing

Abstract Recently, Group Technology (GT) as a batch manufacturing innovation has commanded much research attention and pragmatic interest. This approach to small lot production is based on identifying and exploiting similarities. By grouping items which share common traits, GT facilitates the rationalization of activities in a wide variety of functional areas including purchasing, design, and manufacturing. When GT is used in manufacturing one potential application involves the creation and operation of production cells. A production or manufacturing cell is a group of functionally dissimilar machines that are placed together and dedicated to the manufacture of a specific range of component parts. The usefulness of cellular manufacturing is demonstrated by the impressive catalog of benefits reported by its users both in the US and abroad. Reductions in work-in-process and finished goods inventories, decreases in production lead time, better delivery performance, improved product quality, and an overall increase in productivity are but a few of the benefits reportedly accruing to the use of cells. While it appears that cellular manufacturing can significantly improve the operation of batch production, an important component of the GT cellular production system has, unfortunately, been overlooked. Little study has been devoted to the human aspects of the use of production cells. The research reported in this paper attempts to fill this void by systematically examining the effect of cellular production on batch manufacturing employees. The research site was a medium size plant in which a portion of the functionally arranged facilities had recently been converted to a cellular layout. Both functional and cellular workers responded to a questionnaire designed to assess employee perceptions of their jobs, their job satisfaction, and their performance. In contrast to the findings of earlier (ethnographic) studies, cellular manufacturing employees did not perceive greater autonomy, significance, identity, or cohesiveness in their jobs than workers in traditional functional jobs. Cell workers also were as satisfied with their jobs, supervision, and advancement opportunities as non-cell workers, but were more satisfied with their pay. Supervisory ratings of performance did not vary between groups. The major contributions of this article are threefold. First, this research represents the first attempt to scientifically evaluate the human impact of cellular manufacturing. Second, in contradicting the findings of earlier descriptive studies, all of which emphasize the very positive human consequences of cellular production, the need for additional research which challenges initial intuitive presumptions is clearly indicated. Third, and perhaps most importantly, the findings of this exploratory study suggest that cellular manufacturing does not have a negative impact on worker performance, attitudes, or satisfaction. A ramification of this is that reductions in work-in-process and finished goods inventories, decreases in production lead time, and improved overall productivity which reportedly accompany the implementation of cellular manufacturing may be achieved without any human fallout.

Cooperating with the Disempowered Using ESOPs to Forge a Stakeholder Relationship by Anchoring Employee Trust in Workplace Participation Programs

Although researchers have begun to examine how firms manage their entire web of stakeholder relationships, the component relationships also require theoretical and empirical examination. Several studies have found that Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs) have a positive impact on firm performance. The authors explain these results by hypothesizing that ESOPs, when combined with employee participation programs, forge a stakeholder relationship between management and employees. The authors offer criteria for identifying stakeholder relationships, provide background on ESOPs, analyze why they contribute to establishing such a relationship, and examine how published empirical research supports this analysis. The authors conclude by suggesting directions for future research.

COMPARISON OF MONETARY REINFORCERS AND GOAL SETTING AS LEARNING INCENTIVES

This 3 × 3 study (with one cell missing) examined the effectiveness of goal setting (participative, assigned, and no goals) and financial incentives (noncontingent, piece rate, and goal contingent) as techniques to stimulate learning 88 inexperienced trainees performed a 10-hr., 5-day proofreading proficiency task in a laboratory setting. The linear trends for all groups except the control group in which noncontingent (

Dispositional and situational moderators of female and male causal attributions

30 for completing the training period) pay was offered were significant. Planned comparisons indicated that learning was greatest when a performance goal was assigned and a financial incentive offered for demonstrating that level of performance. The offer of piece-rate reinforcement also stimulated faster learning than the offer of noncontingent pay. Setting goals, regardless of the method, did not result in significant performance increases beyond that achieved by offering a

Effects of decision strategy and number of openings on employment selection decisions

30 incentive for merely completing the training. Finally, financial incentives affected goal choice. Implications for training programs were discussed.

Job Design: the Airplane Assembly Exercise:

To increase understanding of the relationships between gender and causal attributions, dispositional and situational variables were examined to determine if they affected causal attributions differently if the subjects were females or males. Four dispositional variables—locus of control, neuroticism, achievement motivation, and self-esteem—and five situational variables—expectancy of success, self-reported commitment, perceived productivity, perceived task complexity, and actual performance—were examined for their moderating effects on the gender-causal attributional relationships. The dispositional variables did not moderate any causal relationships. By comparison, four situational variables—performance, commitment, productivity, and complexity—moderated at least one of the gender-attribution relationships. It was concluded that more attention should be directed to the identification of situational moderators.

Managerial Applications of Judgmental Biases and Heuristics

Abstract The purpose of this study was to explore the impact of two factors—decision strategy and the number of openings—on selection decisions. Two hundred graduate and undergraduate students participated in a human resource employment screening simulation. Decision strategy was varied by having candidates evaluate resumes and letters of application for 20 candidates one-at-a-time (sequentially) or all at once (simultaneously). The number of position openings was either one or three. Decision strategy affected the number of candidates accepted, acceptance threshold, and decision time. The number of openings affected selection decisions in the simultaneous but not the sequential context. Implications of these results for selection processes are discussed.