Search

International students have a substantial presence in western business schools. Yet, research on international students' experiences remains sparse. Following recent calls to understand the international student-educational institution relationship, we examine the content, formation, and fulfilment of their psychological contract. We conduct a qualitative study of international students in two Australian business schools with large international student cohorts. The findings indicate that international students use social and institutional sources to create the contract, which, when fulfilled, leads to positive educational and psychological outcomes. Our research contributes to the business and international education literature by identifying the key content of the contract. We also highlight the interconnected roles of three tiers of the institution -- academic staff, business school and university -- in fulfilling the contract. Knowledge of international students' psychological contract will help business schools better manage the student-institution relationship and create a sustainable international student expansion strategy.

Multiple language use in multinational corporations (MNCs) crossing linguistic boundaries can lead to code-switching and the creation of hybrid languages. Hybrid languages in MNCs can facilitate or impede organizational processes. The source of such ambiguous findings may lie in individuals' attitudes toward hybrid languages. The sociolinguistics literature suggests that language attitudes impact individuals' in- and out-group behavior and may explain mixed findings of hybrid language use. We conduct research in the context of MNC-tone--a hybrid English-Chinese language popular in MNCs in China, which has also spilled into Chinese society among non-MNC workers. We examine the attitudes of Chinese nationals toward MNC-tone, the geo-social antecedents that contribute to attitude formation, and the consequences of such attitudes on perceived organizational attractiveness and interpersonal guanxi (informal and positive relationship between individuals facilitating processes in organizations). With survey data collected from Chinese employees in two interconnected studies (N = 342 and 502), we find that individuals from a multilingual landscape with access to foreign media and a multilingual social network have positive attitudes toward the hybrid language. Individuals with positive attitudes are likely to be attracted to work in MNCs that use the language and exercise interpersonal guanxi with others that use the hybrid language. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite their significant presence in western business schools, the needs and experiences of international students have not been adequately reflected in the business education literature. We draw upon psychological contract theory--used to understand employer-employee relationships--to develop a novel theoretical model on the international student-usiness school relationship. Based on a review of psychological contract and international education literatures, we propose that students perceive a variety of institutional obligations arising from explicit and implicit promises made by business schools. Fulfilment or breach of these obligations will impact upon students' educational performance and satisfaction. We also examine ways in which students' cultural orientation might moderate the psychological contract process.

The current study extends past research by examining leader-member exchange as a mediator of the relationship between employee reports of psychological contract breach and career success. In addition, we tested a competing perspective in which we proposed that performance mediators (i.e., in-role performance and organizational citizenship behaviors) will mediate the breach-career success relationship. Subjective and objective indicators of career success were assessed using supervisor-rated promotability and archival data on actual promotion decisions, respectively. In Sample 1, we found that supervisor-rated leader-member exchange (T1) mediated the relationship between breach (T1) and objective career success after 2 years. In sample 2, we replicated and extended these results using a three wave measurement over three years. Specifically, we found that leader-member exchange (T2) mediated the relationship between relational breach (T1) and subjective (T2) and objective (T3) career success. Performance-based mediators at T2 were no longer significant when regressed together with leader-member exchange and relational breach, ruling out alternative mediator explanations. (Contains 4 tables.)

I-deals are a key method for organizations to retain and motivate employees, yet little research has investigated employee motivations for seeking i-deals and antecedents to request and receipt. We examine these largely invisible antecedents of i-deals in the context of older workers, a cohort of increasing importance in the workplace. Through thematic analysis of 82 in-depth interviews with Australian workers over the age of 50, we develop a model of i-deal emergence that delineates the motivation, request, and receipt stages of i-deals. We identified four motivational influences to seek i-deals: to improve work–life balance, to repair psychological contract breach, and to craft satisfactory retirement pathways; high levels of existing job-role autonomy acted as a demotivator to request i-deals. We also identified three factors associated with an i-deal request being granted: an older worker's value to the organization, positive employee–manager relationships, and emphasis of mutual benefit for employee and employer. We identified a novel antecedent for i-deals: feasibility—an older worker's perception of how likely they are to be successful when requesting a desired i-deal. Feasibility perceptions are informed by organizational practices and policies around i-deals, co-worker i-deal experiences, and job-role constraints. Feasibility can influence an employee's decisions to request an i-deal and also directly affect attitudes toward the employer, regardless of whether an i-deal is present, desired, or otherwise. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed and future directions outlined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rumor discourse has been conceptualized as an attempt to reduce anxiety and uncertainty via a process of social sensemaking. Fourteen rumors transmitted on various Internet discussion groups were observed and content analyzed over the life of each rumor. With this (previously unavailable) more ecologically robust methodology, the intertwined threads of sensemaking and the gaining of interpretive control are clearly evident in the tapestry of rumor discourse. We propose a categorization of statements (the Rumor Interaction Analysis System) and find differences between dread rumors and wish rumors in anxiety-related content categories. Cluster analysis of these statements reveals a typology of voices ("communicative postures") exhibiting sensemaking activities of the rumor discussion group, such as hypothesizing, skeptical critique, directing of activities to gain information, and presentation of evidence. These findings enrich our understanding of the long-implicated sensemaking function of rumor by clarifying the elements of communication that operate in rumor's social context. (Contains 1 figure and 5 tables.)

Service workers are expected to maintain high‐quality service delivery despite customer mistreatment—the poor‐quality treatment of service workers by customers—which can be demeaning and threatening to self‐esteem. Although service work is increasingly delivered by middle‐aged and older workers, very little is known about how employees across the age range navigate abuse from customers on the job. Does advancing age help or hinder service performance in reaction to customer mistreatment? Drawing on strength and vulnerability integration theory, we proposed that age paradoxically both helps and hinders performance after customer mistreatment, albeit at different stages. We tested our proposed model in a two‐sample field investigation of service workers and their supervisors using a time‐lagged, dyadic design. Results showed that age heightens the experience of self‐esteem threat but, nevertheless, dampens reactions to self‐esteem threat, leading to divergent effects on performance at different stages. Implications for age and service work, as well as aging and the sense of self, are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Investigates types of organizational rumors, their prevalence and effects, effectiveness of rumor management strategies, and associated psychological and situational variables. Finds 3 distinct dimensions of rumor effects: external ramifications (bad press), internal attitudes (lowered morale), and internal behaviors (increased absenteeism). (NH)

Investigates the structure and composition of a naturalistic rumor chain that surfaced on a computer-mediated communication discussion group. Finds that rumormongering is a collective, problem-solving interaction that is sustained by a combination of anxiety, uncertainty, and credulity. (CR)

To authenticate to the full-text of this article, please visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1559-1816.2010.00662.x Byline: Sarbari Bordia (1), Elizabeth V. Hobman ([dagger]), Simon Lloyd D. Restubog ([double dagger]), Prashant Bordia ([double dagger]) Abstract: Fulfillment of students' expectations in the educational context is likely to generate a sense of satisfaction and well-being. The current study examines the association between students' perceptions of psychological contract breach and their psychological well-being and satisfaction in a project collaboration context with a thesis advisor. The moderating role of conscientiousness on these relationships is considered. Students in 48 group thesis projects of the undergraduate management program at a private university in the Philippines were surveyed. Students perceiving higher levels of psychological contract breach in the advisor-student relationship reported lower levels of psychological well-being and project satisfaction. The negative effects of psychological contract breach on psychological well-being were stronger for students high in conscientiousness compared with students low in conscientiousness. Author Affiliation: (*)School of Management, Marketing, and International BusinessThe Australian National UniversityCanberra, Australia ([dagger])School of PsychologyThe University of QueenslandQueensland, Australia ([double dagger])Research School of BusinessThe Australian National UniversityCanberra, Australia

To authenticate to the full-text of this article, please visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8551.2009.00673.x Byline: Simon Lloyd D. Restubog (4), Prashant Bordia (1), Robert L. Tang (2), Scott A. Krebs (3) Abstract: Leader-member exchange (LMX) has been characterized as a form of social support capable of buffering the effects of negative work experiences. However, employees with high-quality relationships with leaders in the organization may have stronger negative reactions when psychological contracts are breached. Thus, while a social support perspective would suggest that LMX minimizes the adverse impact of psychological contract breach on employee performance, a betrayal perspective proposes that high LMX would aggravate the negative effects. Using cross-sectional and longitudinal research designs, results across three samples provided support for the betrayal perspective. That is, breach had a stronger negative relationship with organizational citizenship behaviours and in-role performance under conditions of high LMX. Implications of these results and future research directions are discussed. Author Affiliation: (4)School of Organisation and Management, Australian School of Business, University of New South Wales, Australia (1)School of Management, University of South Australia, Australia (2)School of Management and Information Technology, De La Salle - College of Saint Benilde, Philippines (3)School of Psychology, University of Queensland, Australia Article note: Corresponding author email: simon.restubog@unsw.edu.au

To purchase or authenticate to the full-text of this article, please visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-6486.2008.00792.x Byline: Simon Lloyd D. Restubog (1), Matthew J. Hornsey (2), Prashant Bordia (3), Sarah R. Esposo (2) Abstract: abstract Research on psychological contract breach has referenced social exchange as its dominant theoretical foundation. In this study, we draw insights from the group value model as a theoretical extension to explain employees' negative responses to psychological contract breach. According to the group value model, fair treatment by group members communicates symbolic messages about the relationship between the organization and the employee, and has implications for whether employees can take pride in their organizational membership. When people are treated unfairly, they lose trust in the organization and dis-identify from the group. This in turn results in less willingness on the part of the employees to engage in organizational citizenship behaviours (OCBs). We tested these relationships across three studies. In Study 1, we conducted a longitudinal test of the role of trust as a mediator between breach and organizational identification. In Studies 2 (cross-sectional) and 3 (longitudinal), we tested the complete model in which we examined the role of trust and identification in mediating the link between breach and OCBs. All three studies provided support for the mediated model. Furthermore, as predicted by the group value model, the hypothesized relationships emerged in response to relational but not transactional contract breaches. Theoretical and applied implications are discussed. Author Affiliation: (1)University of New South Wales; (2)University of Queensland; (3)University of South Australia Article note: Simon Lloyd D. Restubog, West Wing, 5th Floor, School of Organisation and Management, Australian School of Business, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia (simon.restubog@unsw.edu.au).

In this article, psychological contract breach, revenge, and workplace deviance are brought together to identify the cognitive, affective, and motivational underpinnings of workplace deviance. On the basis of S. L. Robinson and R. J. Bennett's (1997) model of workplace deviance, the authors proposed that breach (a cognitive appraisal) and violation (an affective response) initiate revenge seeking. Motivated by revenge, employees then engage in workplace deviance. Three studies tested these ideas. All of the studies supported the hypothesized relationships. In addition, self-control was found to be a moderator of the relationship between revenge cognitions and deviant acts; the relationship was weaker for people high in self-control. Keywords: feelings of violation, psychological contract breach, revenge, self-control, workplace deviance

To purchase or authenticate to the full-text of this article, please visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8551.2007.00531.x Byline: Simon Lloyd D. Restubog (**), Prashant Bordia ([dagger]), Robert L. Tang ([double dagger]) Abstract: This study tests the effects of psychological contract breach on several employee outcomes: workplace deviant behaviours directed at the organization (WD-O) and its organizational members (WD-I), in-role performance, and organizational citizenship behaviours directed at the organization (OCB-O) and its co-workers (OCB-I). It also examines the moderating effects of equity sensitivity in the relationship between breach and these outcomes. Data were collected from 162 sales executives and their direct supervisors. We found that breach was related to all behavioural outcomes. Equity sensitivity and breach also interacted in predicting OCB-I, OCB-O and WD-I. The negative relationships between breach and OCB-O and OCB-I were stronger for employees with an outcome-focused approach to organizational relationships than for those with an input-focused approach. In addition, breach had stronger positive effects on WD-I especially for those individuals who are output-oriented compared to those who are input-focused. Author Affiliation: (**)School of Psychology, University of Queensland, St Lucia, 4072 Queensland, Australia ([dagger])School of Management, University of South Australia, Australia ([double dagger])School of Management and Information Technology, De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde, Philippines Article note: Corresponding author email: simonr@psy.uq.edu.au

The difference between rumor and gossip is not always appreciated and as such a clarification is presented of the concept of rumor and its distinctness from gossip and urban legend. The importance of attention to the context and function and not just the content of these modes of informal communication is emphasized.

In this study, we investigated the relationships between psychological contract breach, affective commitment, and two types of employee performance (i.e. civic virtue behaviour and in-role performance). It was predicted that an experience of contract breach can severely hurt the affective commitment of the employees and this, in turn, results in poor in-role performance and less civic virtue behaviours. Results revealed that affective commitment had differential mediating effects on the two types of employee performance. That is, affective commitment mediated the relationship between breach and self-reported and supervisor-rated civic virtue, but not the relationship between breach and in-role performance., Psychological contract breach occurs when an employee feels that the organization has failed to deliver satisfactorily on its promises (Rousseau, 1995). For example, an employee may have the expectation that [...]

To link to full-text access for this article, visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2005.03.002 Byline: Kelly S. Fielding (a), Deborah J. Terry (b), Barbara M. Masser (b), Prashant Bordia (b), Michael A. Hogg (b) Abstract: Water quality is a key concern in the current global environment, with the need to promote practices that help to protect water quality, such as riparian zone management, being paramount. The present study used the theory of planned behaviour as a framework for understanding how beliefs influence decisions about riparian zone management. Respondents completed a survey that assessed their behavioural, normative, and control beliefs in relation to intentions to manage riparian zones on their property. The results of the study showed that, overall, landholders with strong intentions to manage their riparian zones differed significantly in terms of their beliefs compared to landholders who had weak intentions to manage their riparian zones. Strong intentions to manage riparian zones were associated with a favourable cost-benefit analysis, greater perceptions of normative support for the practice and lower perceptions of the extent to which barriers would impede management of riparian zones. It was also evident that willingness to comply with the recommendations of salient referents, beliefs about the benefits of riparian zone management and perceptions of the extent to which barriers would impede riparian zone management were most important for determining intentions to manage riparian zones. Implications for policy and extension practice are discussed. Author Affiliation: (a) School of Social Work and Applied Human Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Qld 4072, Australia (b) School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Qld 4072, Australia Article History: Received 28 January 2004; Revised 11 February 2005; Accepted 2 March 2005