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This paper measured subordinates' perceptions of their leaders' ability to use different leadership styles. Subjects were 124 middle and first level supervisors from accounting and R & D departments in the United Kingdom. The results indicate that subjects did not believe that their supervisors would either use the same style (irrespective of what style) or randomly employ styles to deal with four typical but hypothetical problems. These results persisted when respondents were subdivided on the basis of both organizational level and functional area. Some evidence suggests that perceived patterns of style usage may be associated, at least in the mind of subordinates, with the general task dimension, interpersonal-technical. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper develops the hypothesis that hierarchical structure and external control in organizations are antecedent variables leading to low achievement, low creativity, and high aggression. An intervening variables of belief systems is postulated and a consistency motivational hypothesis is suggested. Data supportive of the hypothesis is reviewed and implications are suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes how the items in G. G. Stern's Organizational Climate Index were reconceptualized according to the concepts appropriate to the business organization—the instrument has been. called the Business Organization Climate Index, or BOCI. The resulting 24 scales were submitted to item analysis and tested for split-half reliability on a sample of 120 junior managers from more than 100 different companies. Factor analysis of the scales revealed two main factors. Organizational Progressiveness and formative Control. The reconceptualization is compared with Stern's conceptualization of the items. The construct validity of BOCI is tested by comparing the "Climate" in three organizations contrasted in terms of their organization structure. The conclusion presents 12 possible types of data that can be collected about persons and their environments and indicates how the BOCI and Stern's measures fit into such a scheme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper deals with a leadership change experiment conducted in a major component part (sub-system) of a manufacturing organization (system). The leaders (foremen) in seven of eight groups comprising an entire department of critical importance in the organization were reassigned on 2 days' notice in accordance with an experimental plan designed by the author. The nature of the experiment and associated data provide an unusual opportunity for an empirical field test on certain central aspects of open systems theory as applied to formal organizations.² [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper argues that organizational researchers should study triads and the process of coalition formation more intensely since triads contain several organizational properties that are not found in smaller groups. A triad task is proposed that offsets many shortcomings of previous tasks used to study three person groups. Procedural variations and psychological properties of the task are discussed as are reformulations of traditional issues in triad theory that seem feasible given the properties of the triad task. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]