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Much of the extant literature regarding generational cohort differences has been conducted on college-educated participants, a potential bias noted by previous researchers. The present study therefore examines generational cohort differences in workplace expectations between professional (i.e., 'white-collar,' largely college educated) and production (i.e., 'blue-collar,' largely non-college educated) workers. Using online survey data from 2,799 union workers employed by the same organization, we compared expectations when first hired as well as current workplace expectations between professional and production workers from three different generational cohorts (i.e., Gen Y, Gen X, and Baby Boomer). We found evidence for generational differences that confirms some of the common characterizations of Gen Y workers; however, this characterization was principally found within our professional subgroup of Gen Y employees. Further, the data suggest that other factors (e.g., workplace experiences, maturation effects) may shape current workplace expectations more than do generational differences. These results suggest that concern over generational differences may be limited to certain workplace expectations and to specific subgroups of employees., Author(s): Sarah Moore[sup.1] , Leon Grunberg[sup.2] , Alan J. Krause[sup.3] Author Affiliations: (1) Department of Psychology, University of Puget Sound, 1500 N. Warner St., 98416, Tacoma, WA, USA (2) Department [...]

This article tests the hypotheses that the effects of layoffs on surviving employees' level of organizational commitment and job performance will vary according to (a) how close employees are to the layoffs, (b) their perceptions of the fairness of the layoffs, and (c) their position in the organizational hierarchy. Analyses were conducted on 1,900 respondents employed by a large U.S. company. Results indicated that although perceptions of layoff unfairness were associated with lower commitment regardless of employee position, close contact with layoffs was associated with the greater use of sick hours by surviving managers and professionals, but with lower use of sick hours and higher work effort by employees in lower positions.

We suggest that the 'simple political spillover' hypothesis - that participation in decision making at work increases the probability of participating in politics outside the workplace - ought to be respecified in such a way that it takes into account (1) the possible differential effects on political participation of direct and representational forms of decisional participation at work; (2) the possibility that the pathway between workplace and political participation is mediated by the former's impact on psychological outlooks; and (3) the possibility that participation in decision making in economically troubled enterprises may diminish political participation. Using a sample of 1,247 workers from producer cooperative, employee stock ownership, conventional union, and conventional non-union wood products mills, we show that this more complex spillover model gives us a better understanding of the linkages between workplace and political experiences.

In the present study, we investigate several outcome differences among 410 managers who either had or had not implemented layoffs (i.e., handing out warn notices) during one or more years between 2000 and 2003. Using survey data, our findings show that issuing warn notices significantly predicts increased self-reported health problems, seeking treatment for those health problems, sleep problems, feelings of depersonalization, and intent to quit. Emotional exhaustion fully mediates the relationship between issuing warn notices and health problems, depersonalization, and intent to quit, whereas it partially mediates the relationship to seeking treatment and sleep problems. A similar pattern was found for the mediating variable of job security. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of prevalent and complex organizational changes on the affected employees are explored. Findings suggest that most employees adapt quickly to these difficult changes and experience a sense of well being once the organization experiences an economic turnaround.

The current study examined how work support resources and working from home influenced forms of work-family conflict (WFC) in employees at a large corporation. Scales measuring employee’s general WFC, time-based WFC, and strain-based WFC were used to evaluate the extent to which employees experienced work-induced conflict at home. Two forms of working at home were assessed, days worked at home and extra hours worked at home, and five variables measured the extent of one’s support resources: work social support, organizational support, individual consideration from one’s manager, idealized influence from one’s manager and contingent reward from one’s manager. We predicted that days worked at home would be negatively related to the three forms of WFC, while the extra hours worked at home would be positively related. Moreover, we hypothesized that the five support variables would moderate the relationship between extra hours worked at home and the types of WFC. The data supported some of the predictions, and the implications of these findings are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the relationship between workplace transformation (or restructuring) and the well-being of employees in terms of both psychological and physical heath, at a large manufacturing corporation in the United States. While the previous literature has been largely divided over the issue - some researchers providing unqualified enthusiasm and others equally strong criticism of workplace changes - we found after decomposing workplace transformation Into five distinct dimensions of intensity autonomy, team-work sklling and computing, that certain components were harmful while others were benefical to the employees Furthermore, some effects of reengineering varied between managers and non managers. Overall increases in workplace intensity were associated with the largest increases in stress and symptoms of poor health. The data were produced by a longitudinal (two-wave) survey questionnaire of over 1000 employees and were analyzed by means of a structural equations model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study tests the hypothesis that recent changes in political direction in Britain and France would have changed the previous patterns of workplace relations in comparable automobile plants in the two countries. It finds that there have indeed been changes in the workplace balance of power and, as predicted, in productivity. Changes in the accident rate, however, are more difficult to interpret. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents an improved model of the `simple political spillover' hypothesis regarding the implications of participation in decision making at work. Need to take into account socio-political considerations; Sample survey involving workers in wood product mills.