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Performance management (PM) is a major administrative mechanism for assessing efficiency and effectiveness, and for exacting accountability from organizations and individuals. Many have argued, however, that using PM in such ways creates perverse incentives and may lead to undesirable behaviours, such as the obstruction of accurate performance measurement in an effort to avoid public mortification. By examining the introduction of standardized testing in the Ontario public school system, this article adds to the debate on whether PM leads to undesirable behaviours and distorts the representation of actual performance by public sector employees. It argues that, while PM in the public sector may be well intentioned, it may generate a system that produces undesired results. La gestion du rendement est un important mecanisme administratif pour evaluer l'efficience et l'efficacite, et pour exiger l'imputabilite des organismes et des particuliers. Pourtant, nombreux sont ceux qui affirment que le recours a la gestion du rendement cree des mesures incitatives pernicieuses pour les membres d'organisations et peut entrainer des comportements indesirables, comine l'obstruction d'une mesure du rendement exacte pour tenter d'eviter l'humiliation publique. En examinant l'adoption de tests standardises au sein du systeme scolaire public de l'Ontario, cet article elargit le debat a la question de savoir si la gestion du rendement entraine des comportements indesirables et altere la representation du rendement reel par les employes du secteur public. Il fait valoir que, meme si la gestion du rendement dans le secteur public peut avoir de bonnes intentions, elle peut engendrer un systeme qui produit des resultats indesirables., Whether performance management systems improve performance in delivering services or instead limit focus to measured activities and create incentives for gaming is a matter of continuing debate. What lessons can [...]

Online communities (OCs) are a virtual organizational form in which knowledge collaboration can occur in unparalleled scale and scope, in ways not heretofore theorized. For example, collaboration can occur among [...]

Stewardship theory has been used to explain the culture and relationships within family businesses. Researchers have also demonstrated that stewardship leads to superior family business performance. To date, few empirical [...]

Public administrators invest a wide array of institutional and economic resources in seeking to implement new practices among actors in public and other sectors. New practices often face organizational and [...]

Ample research suggests that street-level practice in public organizations tends to be routinized, inflexible, and difficult to change (Lipsky 1980; Maynard-Moody and Musheno 2003; Meyers, Glaser, and Mac Donald 1998; [...]

Few ideas these days seem as retrograde as the quaint notion that stability can be helpful in the worm of public administration. (O 'Toole and Meier 2003, 43) INTRODUCTION The [...]

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

In this article, two studies using both quantitative and qualitative techniques were used to examine how organizations can use policies and practices to help reduce the likelihood of employees coming [...]

The role of a person's generalized feelings towards someone, known as personal affect, in task-related networks in organizations is examined. Findings support the belief that negative interpersonal affect renders competence as an irrelevant factor in choosing task partners. The implications of the study on organizational life are discussed.

The study attempts to test a firm-level behavioral explanation for differences in firm's propensities to engage in acquisitions. The results indicate that firm-level behavioral characteristics played a significant role in explaining which firms engaged in acquisition activity.

The article describes a four-stage interactive model of organizational actions that can increase the speed and possibility of an organization achieving reintegration with stake-holders after a transgression.

The article offers a theoretical framework that offers better insight into the similarities, differences and reciprocities among corruption control types. In addition, it conceptualizes an interconnected set of corruption control types, based on their essential dimensions and functions.

The authors explore two essential aspects of organizational corruption, utilizing them to define a new concept, namely, the organization of corrupt individuals. This notion is compared with the existing idea of corruption in organizations and suggestions that emphasize the dissimilarities are developed.

The author investigates real options reasoning from an attention-based view, using several propositions on the effects of a firm's specific concrete and contextual attention structures on managerial decisions.

Abstract: Innovativeness can help companies differentiate themselves, with the ultimate goal of securing survival and improving performance. Modern theories in organizational behavior look at innovation as something that starts with [...]

CASE DESCRIPTION This case has a difficulty level of two (appropriate for sophomore-level students) and is designed to be taught in approximately 1-1/2 hours. It would be most appropriate for [...]

CASE DESCRIPTION This is an entrepreneurship case in the real estate industry (in a New York neighborhood called DUMBO). DUMBO is one of the most chic neighborhoods of New York [...]

CASE DESCRIPTION Pearl Beer is purposefully written in an easy-going style intended to appeal to students, and is designed to stimulate classroom discussion. The case can be used in and [...]

The purpose of this study is to discover if occupational preferences have any bearing on whether, or not, individuals decide to pursue entrepreneurial careers. Specifically, this paper seeks to determine if cognitive occupational expectancies (concerning perceived intrinsic and extrinsic occupational rewards) significantly influence plans to undertake entrepreneurship as a primary vocation. Past theory has determined relevant entrepreneurial rewards to be (a) the intrinsic reward of independence, (b) the intrinsic reward of a satisfying way of life, and (c) the extrinsic reward of profit. Preference for each of these rewards is examined by utilizing the Valence Model of the Expectancy Theory. The Valence Model consists of two variables, Instrumentality and Valence. Instrumentality (I) concerns the belief that the attainment of work-related goals will lead to rewards; and, Valence (V) refers to the value of those rewards to the individual. The affinity for each entrepreneurial reward is posited to significantly and positively influence the formation of strong entrepreneurial intentions. Findings indicate that individuals who perceive entrepreneurship as advantageous based on their attraction for independence and profits form stronger intentions to pursue entrepreneurial careers than others. However, those who are attracted to entrepreneurship solely based on their perceived notions of a satisfying entrepreneurial lifestyle did not form stronger intentions to start a business than others. The results did, however, affirm the moderating effect of the reward of profit, which indicates that individuals who seek challenge and excitement in their occupational endeavors (a satisfying way of life) form robust entrepreneurial intentions only when they perceive that they can earn potentially limitless, financial rewards (profits). Results, limitations, and future implications are discussed., INTRODUCTION A controversial issue in the research of entrepreneurs is what cognitive factor(s) significantly impact the decision to pursue the vocation of entrepreneurship over safer, more traditional, employment alternatives. The [...]

Entrepreneurial behaviour to exploit the resources within an organization is a means to maintain competitive advantage and improve financial performance. This papers aims to identify the determinants of such entrepreneurial behaviour that exist in Indian firms. Through the data from a survey based questionnaire, a conceptual model is proposed. Using factor analysis, six factors that determine entrepreneurial orientation are deduced. It is verified that firms with entrepreneurial behaviour have a distinct improved financial performance. It is concluded that entrepreneurial behaviour and the corporate strategies there from, significantly orients the firms to more dynamic capabilities. Keywords: entrepreneurial orientation--determinants--firm performance, INTRODUCTION Human behaviour in organizations is a function of both the 'person' and the working environment. Entrepreneurial behaviour then relates to the actions taken by its members to discover, evaluate [...]

The impact of organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) on individuals career as well as the ways to overcome it are highlighted.

Managers have long been challenged by an abundance of internal and external demands and uncertainties in their operating environments. Anecdotal evidence and a growing number of research studies have advocated [...]

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

This study examined the convergent validity and concurrent validity of the Organizational Readiness for Change (ORC; Lehman WEK, Greener JM, Simpson DD, 2002. Assessing organizational readiness for change. Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment. 22 197-210) scale among practitioners who treat adolescents. Within the context of a larger study, we administered the ORC scale and measures of practitioner attitudes toward evidence-based practices as well as treatment manuals to a heterogeneous sample of 543 community-based therapists in the state mental health and substance abuse treatment sectors. Using a contextual random-effects regression model, the association between ORC scale domains and measures of practitioner characteristics and attitudes were examined at both therapist and agency levels. The results support the convergent validity and concurrent validity of several domains. Namely, the domains focusing on motivational readiness and training needs were associated with higher appeal and openness to innovations. Those on program resources and climate were less related, however. Our discussion focuses on the utility of the ORC scale in helping evaluate the needs of programs considering the adoption of evidence-based practices. Keywords: Organizational readiness; Validation; Contextual modeling; Evidence-based practice

Organizational functioning within substance abuse treatment organizations is important to the transfer of research innovations into practice. Programs should be performing well for new interventions to be implemented successfully. This study examined the characteristics of treatment programs that participated in an assessment and training workshop designed to improve organizational functioning. The workshop was attended by directors and clinical supervisors from 53 community-based treatment units in a single state in the Southwest. Logistic regression analysis was used to examine attributes related to program-level decisions to engage in a structured process for making organizational changes. Findings showed that programs with higher needs and pressures, more limited institutional resources, and poorer ratings on staff attributes and organizational climate were the most likely to engage in a change strategy. Furthermore, organizations with greater staff consensus (i.e., smaller standard deviations) on ratings of organizational climate were also more likely to engage in change. Kevwords: Organizational assessment; Organizational functioning; Organizational change; Change process

This study investigated the relationship between Machiavellianism, a predisposition toward manipulative behavior, and organizational citizenship behavior (OCB), defined by being helpful, cooperative, and conscientious. Given past findings that Machiavellians seek opportunities for impression management to obtain personal benefit, we hypothesized that the negative association between Machiavellianism and organizational citizenship behaviors toward the organization (OCBO) is stronger than the negative association between Machiavellianism and organizational citizenship behaviors toward individuals or groups (OCBI). Additionally, we hypothesized that Machiavellianism is associated with the OCB motive of impression management, but negatively associated with the OCB motives of organizational concern and prosocial values. Participants were 606 working adults (as well as their supervisors and co-workers) from various organizations in the U.S. South and West. Results generally confirmed the predicted relationships, which were consistent across supervisor and co-worker perceptions as well. Theoretical and practical implications of the findings are discussed. Keywords: Machiavellianism; Organizational Citizenship Behavior; OCB Motives

This article presents the theoretical foundation of followership. The words follower and followership are increasingly used in discussions of leadership and organizations, and many think that the field of followership [...]

Abstract Care of people who require specialist palliative care demands a range of specialist skills from various people. While there has been a growing awareness of the issue of implementing [...]

The influence of emotional imbalance on leadership styles in business organizations is evaluated.

The importance of justice perceptions in fostering positive job attitudes and value-creating behaviors in organizations is well established in the literature. Despite this, only a handful of studies have addressed [...]

CASE DESCRIPTION The primary focus of this case is on the problem solving processes and tools used by a large retail organization as it attempts to reduce legal expenses and [...]

Common-pool resource dilemmas in organizational behaviors and the influence of communication on these aspects are analyzed.

ABSTRACT Collegiality is becoming the 'fourth' criteria in tenure and other faculty evaluations at institutions of higher learning. The 'three pillars' of teaching, research, and service have their own ambiguities, [...]

Machiavellianism has commonly been defined as the need to develop and defend one's power and success (Machiavelli, 1513/1902). Scholars have adopted the perspective of Machiavelli to examine political dynamics in [...]

While there is a significant amount of research investigating managerial ethical judgments, a limited amount examines consumer judgments of unethical corporate behavior and its impact on the marketplace. This study examines how consumers' commitment to a company impacts not only their ethical judgment of corporate behavior but also the outcomes of that judgment. The authors test hypotheses with data from 334 consumers and find that consumers' level of commitment attenuates the level of perceived fairness. More specifically, highly committed consumers may forgive companies for behaviors when perceived harm is low, but become progressively dissatisfied as the level of perceived harm increases. Results of the study point to the importance of considering ethical behavior from a consumer perspective. If corporate actions are perceived as unethical, the company stands to lose favor with their most committed customers. Considering that more time, effort and investment is required to gain a new customer as to retain an old, this study shows that engaging in behavior perceived as unethical by consumers risks alienating the most committed customers. KEY WORDS: marketing and consumer behavior, unethical behavior, consumer evaluations.

We examined whether the combination of uncertainty (lack of work-time control, and negative changes at work) and organizational justice (i.e., justice of decision-making procedures and interpersonal treatment at work) contributes to sickness absence. A total of 7083 male and 24,317 female Finnish public sector employees completed questionnaires designed to assess organizational justice, workload and other factors. Hierarchical regression showed that after adjustment for age, income, and health behaviors low procedural and interactional justice were related to long sickness absence spells. In accordance with the uncertainty management model, these associations were dependent on experienced work-time control and perceived changes at work. Keywords: Organizational justice; Uncertainty; Psychosocial factors; Health care personnel; Sickness absence; Finland

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 [...]

The relationships of the in-role performance and organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) of the employees in an organization with their trust in their plant managers and top management team is investigated. Trust in these two managerial referents related to employees' ability to focus attention on value-producing activities and that this focus related to OCB.

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 [...]

As voluntary and community organizations in the UK (VCOs) expand their role in the provision of public services, they are under increasing pressure from governmental funders to improve their management and organizational systems--to 'build their capacity.' This paper considers the theoretical and practical challenges posed by the idea of 'capacity building.' It also looks at the challenges for VCOs of meeting the capacity building agenda while simultaneously retaining organizational distinctiveness and independence. Action research is proposed as a means to meet the challenges. Keywords: capacity, capacity-building, third sector, UK voluntary organizations, nonprofit organizations

This commentary elaborates further upon the proposition that 'familiness' can serve as a unique advantage in family firms, contributing to more effective behavioral processes in top management teams of family [...]