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In the book Verbal Behavior, Skinner provided a comprehensive, behavioral account of language. While the impact of Skinner's analysis on empirical research has been examined broadly, this review of the literature focused on studies relevant to organizational behavior management (OBM). Both empirical and nonempirical journal articles in OBM were analyzed, along with several influential books in the field. The results of this review indicate that the conceptual framework provided in Verbal Behavior has had virtually no impact on empirical research in OBM and very limited impact on conceptual work. Potential reasons for this lack of influence are discussed, and further research on verbal behavior in organizations is encouraged. KEYWORDS verbal behavior, Skinner, organizational behavior management, relational frame theory DOI: 10.1080/01608060903529772

The article analyzes theoretical frameworks and literatures to understand how job satisfactions are formed and its role as a mediator within the nomological network.

The aim of the two studies was to confirm and clarify the relationships between values and components of organizational commitment (OC) in two organizations. Study I extended the work of Finegan (2000) by investigating antecedents of OC in terms of personal and perceived organizational values while controlling for the effects of tenure. Study 2 involved a field experiment to investigate the consequents of OC in terms of turnover intention, how such intention varies as a function of the values of the alternative employer, and how it is related to the different components of OC. The results of Study I provide support for the argument that perceived organizational values are drivers of values-based OC, but that unlike the related components of effective and normative OC, continuance OC may not be values-based. Study 2's results indicated that turnover intention was higher in a company supporting vision values, and that effective OC acted as a buffer against interest in alternative employment. Together these findings imply that companies adopting prosocial values, such as vision, self-direction, and humanity may enhance effective and normative OC, and thus performance., Values have been defined as desirable, trans-situational goals, varying in importance, that serve as guiding principles in people's lives (Schwartz, 1992). They are drivers of behaviour (Rokeach, 1973), including workplace [...]

Job satisfaction is one of the most frequently studied outcomes in the work-family conflict literature. This study extends the previous research examining the unique effects of work interfering with family (WIF) and family interfering with work (FIW) on job satisfaction by (1) controlling for family, personal, and job characteristics of dual-earner couples, (2) employing cross-sectional and longitudinal methods, and (3) predicting job satisfaction with a spousal rating of the targets WIF. Consistent with previous research, WIF was related to job satisfaction cross-sectionally for men and women, and this effect existed beyond negative mood, job autonomy and monotony, and FIW. When predicting a change in job satisfaction a year later, and when using spouse rating of the target's WIF, WIF was predictive of women's job satisfaction but not men's, which is consistent with gender role theory. The fact that WIF predicted job satisfaction for women beyond affective and job characteristic variables, over time, and with non-self reported measures, provides more confidence in this directional relationship than could previously be assumed. Societal and managerial implications are discussed., The issue of work-family conflict (WFC) has been noted as a particular concern for today's businesses (Bond, Galinsky, & Swanberg, 1997). In demonstrating WFC's relationship with work outcomes, job satisfaction [...]

This article comments on an argument in favor of a change in OBM's content and focus to include certain empirical findings and theoretical constructs derived from fields like Cognitive and Social Psychology. Specifically, the argument suggests that personal beliefs such as optimism, self-efficacy, and response-efficacy are influential determinants of behavior that give rise to achievement motivation and a success-seeking typology. By incorporating such constructs into OBM, it is suggested that the field will better align itself with related disciplines sharing the goal of promoting personal success, thereby enhancing its performance-improvement toolkit and fostering greater recognition and acceptance for itself within mainstream Psychology. After summarizing key aspects of this argument, this paper identifies certain of its associated challenges and then presents some specific strategies by which the OBM community can chart a future course for the field. [Article copies available for a fee from The Haworth Document Delivery Service: 1-800-HAWORTH. E-mail address: Website: [c] 2005 by The Haworth Press, Inc. All rights reserved.] KEYWORDS. OBM, I/O psychology, positive psychology, reinforcement, personal beliefs, achievement motivation, success

A comment on rule-governed behavior as a method of control in the organizational culture is presented. The comment enumerates the following: arguments for rule-governed are oversimplified, the idea of performance control by changing contingencies may be bulky and inefficient and self-control is not necessarily explained in the conceptual framework of the theory of rule-governed behavior.

Job-analysis systems provide descriptive data that facilitate the understanding of work behavior and guide personnel interventions. Although this is valuable information, there is a lack of general principles for evaluating descriptive information. A study proposed certain principles for the meaningful assessment of job behavior classification that may be used to identify validation strategies and applied according to ability requirement taxonomy.

An attempt is made to compare differences in organization development (OD) interventions using Hofstede's four dimensions of culture as a framework for studying seven countries' practices. Hofstede's theoretical approach proved to be useful framework for comparing OD practices as the majority of the authors' hypotheses are partly supported.

The Phase I of a larger organization development (OD) initiative, which was jointly sponsored by the Organization Development Institute (ODI), Organization Development Network (ODN), and International Organization Development Association, is described. The survey, which covered 6000 members tried to assess the present weaknesses and potential strengths of the field.

Virtual teams, conflict resolution, work group effectiveness, social network analysis, trust and intractable conflict, which represent the six areas of research that have the potential to create new practices in OD are identified, described and its ease of application is assessed. It is observed that the gap between the two separate worlds of research and practice should be overcome, which would benefit stimulating innovation.

The evolution of organization development (OD) from its initial stages to the current state and the doubts regarding the OD's future viability are examined. The current state of OD indicates that OD is in a weakened condition, which could be attributed to its slow transformation into a variety of applications that may or may not represent OD in its original form.

The doubts regarding the organization development (OD), the present relevance of OD and its continued viability are presented. The reasons for raising the doubts regarding OD could be attributed to the discrepancy between the potential of what OD could offer and the present reality.

A systems dynamic model of alliance evolution is built in which the developmental path of an alliance depends on how the partners manage process and outcome discrepancies that may emerge during the course of an alliance. Activity orientation, mastery over nature and assumptions about human nature are the value orientations that affect alliance functioning.