Now showing 1 - 10 of 31
  • Publication
    Job satisfaction of employees with disabilities - The role of perceived structural flexibility
    With this article we contribute to the inclusion of employees with disabilities in the workplace. Based on Stone and Colella's (1996) model of factors affecting the treatment of employees with disabilities in organizations, we concentrate on the investigation of job satisfaction as a focal affective response. Besides examining job satisfaction differences between employees with and without disabilities, we focus on perceived flexibility as an organizational boundary condition, arguing for its influence on the job satisfaction of employees with disabilities. We introduce perceived centralization and formalization, representing different indicators of flexibility, as moderators of the disability-job satisfaction relationship. Regression analysis using data from 110 small and medium-sized companies with 4,141 employees reveals that employees with disabilities are less satisfied than their colleagues without disabilities in highly centralized environments. As predicted, a decentralized organizational context relates to higher job satisfaction levels for all employees, but especially for those having a disability. Contrary to our hypothesis, perceived formalization does not significantly influence the relationship between having a disability and job satisfaction. However, our results clearly indicate the need for companies and especially human resource departments to better adapt to the needs of people with disabilities by creating flexible working environments.
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    Scopus© Citations 56
  • Publication
    The missing link? Investigating organizational identity strength and transformational leadership climate as mechanisms that connect CEO charisma with firm performance
    (Elsevier Science, 2015-04-01) ; ; ;
    Shamir, Boas
    In this paper, we suggest that CEO charisma is related to firm performance via its effect on two important mediators. First, charismatic CEOs are expected to raise the transformational leadership climate within an organization. Second, both CEO charisma and transformational leadership climate are proposed to increase a firm's organizational identity strength, which in turn, relates positively to firm performance. We tested these propositions on a sample of 150 German companies (20,639 employees) with a three-path mediation model at the organizational level of analysis, utilizing four independent data sources. To test the assumed relationships, we used structural equation modeling and applied bootstrapping. Our study helps open the black box of organizational leadership and organizational performance by demonstrating top-level leadership's (CEO charisma) cascading effect on the TFL climate throughout the organization and by showing that OIDS mediates both leadership levels' relationships with firm performance. Further, our study is the first to investigate and demonstrate the relationship between OIDS and performance at the organizational level of analysis.
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    Scopus© Citations 101
  • Publication
    How to Empower Employees: Using Training to Enhance Work Units' Collective Empowerment
    (Emerald, 2015-05-01)
    Voegtlin, Christian
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    Purpose - The purpose of this study was to examine, theoretically and empirically, whether an employee training program can enhance the collective perception of empowerment of work units within an organization. We hypothesized that training participation relates to empowerment by enhancing the potency, meaningfulness, impact, and autonomy of the employees. Design/methodology/approach - We collected data at two time points, before and after the training intervention. Over the two periods, the sample consisted of an average of 2,383 employees nested in 36 work units of a large multinational company. Findings - The results indicated a positive relationship between training participation and increased levels of collective psychological empowerment, with differential effects on the dimensions of empowerment. Practical Implications - This study provides evidence of the positive relationship between training and empowerment, suggesting training effects across levels of analysis. The results indicated dimensions of empowerment that are more and such that are less prone to training. Such knowledge may help to inform organizations in developing training strategies. We provide recommendations for a respective training program. Originality/value - This is one of the first studies to investigate the relationship between training participation of individual employees and shared empowerment perceptions within their work units, adding an important antecedent to the research on empowerment. In addition, we propose ways of how individual employees can affect shared perceptions among work unit members. The study offers insights into the development of empowered work units, the vertical transfer of training across levels-of-analysis and implications for training programs.
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    Scopus© Citations 25
  • Publication
    Spotlight on age diversity climate: The impact of age-inclusive HR-practices on firm level outcomes
    This study investigates the emergence and the performance effects of an age-diversity climate at the organizational level of analysis. Building upon Kopelman and colleagues' (Kopelman, Brief, & Guzzo, 1990) climate model of firm productivity as well as Cox's (1994) interactional model of cultural diversity, we hypothesize a positive influence of age-inclusive HR practices on the development of an organization-wide age-diversity climate, which in turn should be directly related to collective perceptions of social exchange and indirectly to firm performance and employees' collective turnover intentions. The assumed relationships are tested in a sample of 93 German small and medium-sized companies with 14,260 employees participating. To circumvent common source problems, information for the various constructs was gathered from 6 different sources. To test our assumed relationships, we applied structural equation modeling and executed bootstrapping procedures to test the significance of the indirect effects. We received support for all assumed relationships. The paper concludes with practical recommendations on how to establish and make use of a positive age-diversity climate.
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    Scopus© Citations 230
  • Publication
    Age, resistance to change, and job performance : Testing for a common stereotype
    Purpose - In light of the increasingly aging workforce, it is interesting from both a theoretical and practical perspective to empirically investigate the commonly held stereotype that older workers are more resistant to change (RTC). Thus, the main purpose of this paper is to investigate the age/RTC relationship, considering tenure and occupational status (blue-/white-collar employees) as additional boundary conditions. Furthermore, we investigate the relationship between RTC and individual performance, thereby introducing RTC as a mediator in the age/job performance relationship. Design/methodology/approach - Study hypotheses are tested among a sample of 2,981 employees from diverse companies. Structural equation modeling with bootstrapping procedures is applied to investigate the moderated-indirect model. Findings - Contrary to common stereotypes, employees' age is negatively related to RTC. Tenure and occupational status are further identified as boundary conditions for this relationship. Moreover, RTC also shows an association with individual job performance, which allows for the establishment of an indirect-mediation mechanism from age to job performance via the intermediation of RTC. These results can be explained using current life span concepts, particularly the Selective Optimization with Compensation (SOC) model. Research limitations/implications - Hypotheses were tested in a cross-sectional data set, which does not allow for conclusions of causality. Originality/value - This study contributes to the age stereotyping literature that has thus far neglected the age/RTC relationship. Furthermore, the age/job performance literature is extended by introducing RTC as an important mediating factor. In sum, this study should help provide a more positive and more differentiated picture of older employees in the workplace.
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    Scopus© Citations 79
  • Publication
    Organizational Performance Consequences of Age Diversity: Inspecting the Role of diversity-friendly HR Policies and Top managers' Negative Age Stereotypes
    This paper seeks to advance the diversity literature by investigating organizational performance consequences of age diversity. Drawing from social-identity and social-categorization theory, we theoretically argue that, in age-diverse companies, age-based subgrouping processes occur, favoring a shared perception of a negative age-discrimination climate. This perceived negative age-discrimination climate in turn negatively relates to organizational performance. As main contribution, top managers' negative age-related stereotypes and diversity-friendly HR policies are introduced as organizational-level moderators that increase and attenuate, respectively, the social categorization processes affecting performance in age-diverse companies. We utilized structural equation modeling (SEM) to test the proposed hypotheses using a multisource data set comprising 147 companies. The results supported all hypotheses, indicating that low negative top managers' age stereotypes as well as high diversity-friendly HR policies are potential organizational factors that can prevent the negative relation of age diversity with organizational performance transmitted through the negative age-discrimination climate. These results are discussed in light of their contribution to the diversity literature and social-categorization theory as well as their implication for practitioners.
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    Scopus© Citations 131
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    Scopus© Citations 287
  • Publication
    Age, Resistance to Change, and Job Performance: Testing for A Common Stereotype
    (Academy of Management, 2010-08-01) ; ;
    The article discusses evidence on the relationship between employees' age and their resistance to change. It considers organizational tenure and occupational status as potential moderators in explaining the age/resistance to change association. Resistance to change is introduced as a potential mediator in the age/job performance relationship. A negative linkage between age and individual resistance to change is observed, which suggests that some younger employees were more resistant to change than older workers. Having a longer organizational tenure and being a blue collar worker are also identified as positive boundary conditions for the relationship between age and resistance to change.
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    Scopus© Citations 4
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    Age diversity, age discrimination, and performance consequences - A cross organizational study
    (Academy of Management, 2009-08-01) ; ;
    The article presents the results of research on the relationship between age diversity in the workplace and corporate performance. It focuses on perceptions of ageism in the workplace. An overview of related previous studies is provided, along with details of the research protocol, which involved a survey of over 18,000 employees and executives. It was found that increased age diversity correlated with higher levels of perceived age-based discrimination. Perceived age discrimination was also negatively correlated with performance.
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    Scopus© Citations 4