Vickie Coleman Gallagher

When person‐organization (mis)fit and (dis)satisfaction lead to turnover

Purpose – The present study examined the relationships between P‐O fit, job satisfaction, perceived job mobility, and intent to turnover. It was hypothesized that job satisfaction mediated the P‐O fit‐intent to turnover relationship and that perceived job mobility moderated the job satisfaction‐intent to turnover relationship such that the combined effect of high job dissatisfaction and high perceived job mobility predicted intent to turnover.Design/methodology/approach – Data were obtained utilizing a field survey from a sample of 205 full‐time employed adults working in two geographic regions in the USA. Participants completed an HTML‐based web survey that contained measures of the constructs of interest to this study.Findings – Mediated and moderated regression analyses revealed statistical support for the hypothesized relationships, which were interpreted as evidence that P‐O misfit and job dissatisfaction do not necessarily lead to intent to turnover.Research limitations/implications – The potential ...

Nonlinear Politics Perceptions—Work Outcomes Relationships: A Three-Study, Five-Sample Investigation

This research reports the findings of three studies (involving a total of five samples) developed to explore the nonlinear relationships of organizational politics perceptions with practically and theoretically relevant work outcomes. Study 1 hypothesized a nonlinear relationship between organizational politics perceptions and job satisfaction. In Sample 1 of this study, a nonlinear relationship was identified, best depicted as an inverted-U form, and Sample 2 replicated this finding. Study 2 hypothesized a U-shaped relationship between politics perceptions and job tension, which was identified in Sample 3 and corroborated in Sample 4. In a single-sample investigation (i.e., Sample 5), Study 3 extended nonlinear conceptualizations by considering moderation (i.e., in the form of perceived resources) and, thus, the possibility of restricted nonlinearity. Results indicated that politics perceptions demonstrated a nonlinear association with job tension (i.e., U-shaped form) only for those with fewer perceived resources. For those with higher levels of perceived resources, no relationship between politics perceptions and job tension existed. Implications of these findings for scholarship and practice are offered.

Understanding the use of intimidation as a response to job tension

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between job tension (JT) and the use of intimidation in the workplace, as well as positive and negative affectivity as two potential personality trait moderators of this relationship.Design/methodology/approach – The paper hypothesizes that employees would use more intimidation when they perceive higher levels of JT based on a fight response. Furthermore, it hypothesizes that when JT was high, people high in negative affectivity would use more intimidation in the workplace due to trait activation, whereas individuals high in positive affectivity would use less intimidation due to greater resource pools. The hypotheses was tested with a sample of 134 employees from a wide range of occupations and industries who completed an online survey measuring their levels of felt JT, usage of intimidation behaviors, and self‐reported affectivity.Findings – Hierarchical moderated regression analyses revealed that JT was positively related to intimid...

An Exploratory Study of Organizing Structures for Post-Implementation ERP

How to organize for post-implementation support of an ERP system is a key issue for research and practice. Specifically, what happens to subject matter experts (SME), who are invaluable contributors to the success of ERP installations? Their knowledge of business practices and system processes are critical to configuring enterprise systems. Once the system is installed, should they become permanent members of an ERP team, resulting in a more centralized post-implementation support organization? Or, should they be returned to their functional roles, but still assist in enhancements, thereby forming a decentralized or hybrid post-implementation support organization?We frame these issues as a question of organizational structure, i.e. whether to centralize a functional support organization or to employ a distributed model with subject matter experts working on future ERP efforts from their roles in the various functional departments supported by the systems. In accordance with contingency theory, such choices should align with an organizations goals and measures of success. This research reports on the findings from survey research with 65 organizations concerning their post-implementation support decisions and prioritization of their goals and measures of success. The findings and questions for future research are discussed.

Best practice for grooming critical mid-level roles

The motivation for the study is to examine the effects of several trends on the IT workforce. The purpose of the study is to understand several key mid-level roles in IT client organizations, which are gaining importance for organizations as they employ alternative sourcing arrangements. Mid-level positions, such as project manager, senior system analyst, relationship manager and system architect, continue to be in demand in the organizations we study. Organizations use these roles to design solutions and coordinate their delivery. They also use these roles as a way to allow up-and-coming talent to demonstrate their leadership and problem-solving capabilities. Employees view these roles as an important opportunity to extend their knowledge and skills and to use their experience as a stepping stone toward a management career. This study is intent on better understanding the characteristics, traits and motivations of those who successfully fill these positions and identifying best practices for organizations to identify, develop and retain personnel to fill these roles. Justification for our topic and approach, along with preliminary results, are presented for this work-in-progress.

The greening of organizational culture: revisited fifteen years later

Purpose - Organizations have viewed sustainability as a societal problem and unrelated to business. To recognize sustainability as an organizational issue requires companies to deal with the challenge of transforming into environmentally sustainable enterprises. This requires institutions to align mission statements with values. The purpose of this paper is to replicate previous research in sustainability and the cultural facets which impact the process. Design/methodology/approach - A qualitative case study method was used to analyze 25 organizations within the US Midwest with various contexts to determine how their respective cultures impacted their change initiatives. Specifically, the authors spoke to sustainability change agents with regard to their leadership and culture, and the factors that are conducive to (or barriers to) implementing sustainability initiatives. Findings - The original study demonstrated the presence of seven contextual conditions which are important in the process of imbedding sustainability within the institution. This research found the same dimensions to be present; however, they manifested differently 15 years later. Practical implications - The original research offered a somewhat dark picture of the sustainability change initiatives within organizations. The current study however; offers a much more positive perspective which demonstrates organizations appear to have progressed with regard to sustainability. Originality/value - This is a replication study whereby we discovered similar themes as to the nature of contextual factors that can hinder or advance sustainability initiatives; however, the findings 15 years later show a marked difference in the current state of affairs and the ability to implement sustainability initiatives.

Mid-Level Information Technology Professionals: Skills and Traits Relevant to Fit, Individual and Organizational Success Factors

A gap exists in understanding organizational career ladders for IT professionals. This gap is especially pronounced in organizations externally sourcing IT related activities to vendors, given that technical positions often feed the pipeline to mid-level roles. Based on prior research and qualitative discussions with key informants, this paper discusses the skills necessary for mid-level roles and proposes individual differences in social skills / traits for several key positions (project manager, senior system analyst, and relationship manager). The authors’ research informs IT professionals as to traits that are most strongly related to success within particular roles. Furthermore, the proposed model and the concept of “fit†will help employers and universities improve coaching and counseling regarding career paths, and contribute to the effectiveness of university curriculum. Finally, this research will inform the types of motivational techniques necessary for organizations to incentivize and achieve results in the form of increased performance, lower turnover, and increased satisfaction.

Development and Validation of a Comprehensive Work-Related Needs Measure

In a work context, employees tend to gravitate toward situations that are most conducive to meeting their needs. The purpose of this research is threefold. First, we define and specify the psychological needs under investigation, briefly highlight extant research, and differentiate needs from other individual difference variables. Second, we demonstrate the limitations of one of the most highly cited psychological needs instruments and introduce a new needs model. Third, we develop and evaluate a multi-dimensional needs inventory using a multi-study design. The strengths and limitations of the proposed and tested model are discussed, as are implications for future research.

Political skill reduces the negative impact of distrust

Purpose A number of studies have explored the benefits (e.g. enhanced job performance and reduced strain), of being politically skilled. Within the framework of uncertainty management theory, the purpose of this paper is to explore the benefits of high political skill to affective commitment, job satisfaction, and perceived job mobility, under conditions of distrust in management. Design/methodology/approach Sales representatives were surveyed and moderated multiple regression analyses were conducted to analyze the data. Findings The authors found that as distrust increased, affective commitment decreased for all persons, but was most pronounced for persons low on political skill. However, distrust in management had no impact on job satisfaction for those high on political skill, allowing persons high on political skill to enjoy their jobs despite high levels of distrust (an intrapsychic benefit of political skill). Finally, as distrust in management increased, persons high on political skill had increased perceived job mobility. Research limitations/implications This study is cross-sectional, limiting conclusions about causality in the relationships studied and leaving open the possibility of reverse causation. Practical implications This research has important implications, such that, under conditions of distrust, persons low on political skill are less committed, more dissatisfied, and feel a sense of job immobility, which could lead to poor work outcomes, such as decreased job performance. Originality/value The study is the first to examine how being politically skilled benefits employee outcomes when the employee distrusts management.

Institutional Drivers of Assimilation of Information Security Policies and Procedures in U.S. Firms: Test of an Empirical Model

Information security-related policies are important for organizations to safeguard against threats and plan for adverse events. However, adoption of policies (devised to insure security, privacy and acceptable use in organization, as well as to outline audit processes, disaster recovery and business continuance planning) are equally important for organizations to insure legitimacy in the eyes of stakeholders. This paper presents findings from a study that examines the degree to which institutional pressures effect the assimilation of security-related policies and procedures, i.e. The level of adoption. We examine the forces that influence assimilation of policies. Consistent with prior research, we measure mimetic, normative, and coercive forces, as perceived by managers in our sample organizations, and the current level of security-related policy assimilation. We find that the strength and significance of all three forces are confirmed.