Wendy R. Boswell

Texas A&M University | TAMU · Department of Management

Although research has recognized the straining effects of incivility at work, it is less clear how incivility experiences at home affect employees’ daily states and behaviors at work. We argue that partner-instigated incivility—ambiguous aggressions from an employee’s partner prior to work may affect helping behavior at work in multiple ways. Build...

Organizations grapple with how to position and manage star employees within and across workgroups. One critical question not yet well understood is how to optimize the influence of stars on non‐stars and specifically whether to concentrate together or spread out stars across workgroups. Furthermore, we lack knowledge of who is more likely to benefi...

A rich history of research on job demands suggests that employees’ demands at work are related to their strain and engagement. This research often considers job demands to be fixed and stable over the course of workers’ experiences, despite the existing research showing that some employees experience high levels of job demands one day and low level...

Toward a workplace that facilitates civility while encouraging prosocial and remedial voice - Volume 12 Issue 4 - Julie B. Olson-Buchanan, Wendy R. Boswell, Young Eun Lee

To identify a set of broad factors that reflect the constructs measured in three content models of employee turnover, we hypothesized 19 scales would reduce to five factors related to employee job‐search behavior and actual turnover decisions: one's affect toward the organization, work environment, instrumental attachment, extraorganizational ties,...

Burgeoning theory and research signal the prominence of within-individual dynamics in OCB, with such work focusing primarily on short-term (i.e., minutes, days, weeks) fluctuations that result from a focus on immediate circumstances. But, longer-term variations in OCB also occur as people continuously craft identity narratives to tell evolving stor...

We highlight our research findings on ‘‘after- hours’’ electronic communication. This research has offered insights on both the upside and downside of connectivity to work, providing practical guidance for orga- nizations, managers, and individual employees to most effectively manage after-hours electronic communication and the blurring of boundari...

This research examines the issue of employee retention by considering what happens to employees that engage in the job search process yet end up staying with an organization. Grounded in the conceptualization of reluctant staying from Hom, Mitchell, Lee, and Griffeth (2012), we consider a potential downside of employee retention. Specifically, the...

As advances in communication technologies have made organizations more easily connected to their workforce outside of normal work hours, there is increased concern that employees may experience heightened work-nonwork conflict when away from the office. The current study investigates the effects of electronic communication received during nonwork t...

The literature on corporate social responsibility and corporate philanthropy generally focuses on how employers come to the aid of those outside the organization in different regions that have been affected by disasters. Less is known about how corporate philanthropic disaster response (CPDR) directed toward their own employees relates to important...

This study examines the links between employee perceptions of job insecurity, the work-nonwork interface, and stress-related outcomes. Drawing on an adaptation perspective, we expect employees feeling greater job insecurity to engage in adaptive work behaviors including less use of work-nonwork support programs and greater willingness to let work p...

Integrating research on work-to-family enrichment and turnover literature, the current study investigated whether and how work- to-family enrichment, an under-studied variable, affects one’s turnover intention and subsequent behavior in the presence of two traditional turnover predictors (work-to-family conflict and organizational commitment). The...

The literature on corporate social responsibility and corporate philanthropy generally focuses on how employers come to the aid of those outside the organization who have been affected by disasters. Less is known about an organization's corporate philanthropic disaster response ( CPDR ) directed towards their employees. We argue, based on conservat...

This research investigated how much and in what direction newcomer psychological contracts changed during the first year of employment and the extent to which change was a function of a psychological contract breach. These issues were investigated using a sample of 88 organizational newcomers with diverse job duties/titles, prior experience, and ag...

The purpose of this chapter is to review and integrate the existing research on job-to-job search behavior. The authors provide an overview of the various job-search and employee withdrawal/ turnover models followed by a review of the prior empirical findings on the processes, antecedents, and outcomes of job-search behavior within the context of e...

This study examines the links between employee perceptions of job insecurity, the work–nonwork interface, and stress-related outcomes. Drawing on an adaptation perspective, we expect employees feeling greater job insecurity to engage in adaptive work behaviors including less use of work–nonwork support programs and greater willingness to let work p...

Researchers consistently argue that organizations need to generate creative ideas to ensure long-term success and survival. One possible solution for increasing creativity is to inject “fresh blood” into the organization by hiring new employees. However, past work suggests there may be a number of impediments that stifle newcomer creativity and, fu...

Hom, Mitchell, Lee, and Griffeth (2012) presented an extensive review of employee turnover research, reconceptualized the turnover criterion to include multiple destinations, and proposed to expand the predictor domain. They illuminated the multiple destinations employees pursue following turnover. By crossing desire to remain and volitional contro...

This research draws on family systems theory to examine the influence of the significant other on employees’ job search behaviours. Data from 102 matched pairs of employees and their significant others showed that significant others’ perception of the employee’s work-to-family conflict was positively related to the employee’s job search activity af...

Research suggests that certain personality characteristics lead to greater (or lesser) withdrawal from work, yet little research has examined exactly how personality translates into withdrawal behavior. To address this question, the present study demonstrated that the approach-avoidance personality traits of extraversion and neuroticism each showed...

Outsourcing of jobs to contract workers who work alongside a client's employees has changed the human resource landscape of many organizations. In this study we examine how a contract worker's perceived employment status similarity to the client's own standard employees influences his/her affective commitment to both the client and the employer and...

Job search behaviors occur across various contexts, involving diverse populations of job seekers searching for employment opportunities. In particular, individuals may search for their first jobs following a period of education, may seek reemployment following job loss, or may search for new opportunities while currently employed. Research in each...

We investigate the joint effects of employees’ perceptions of their organization's reputation (or status) and their own status within the organization (ie, autonomy and impact) on their commitment to the organization and job search behavior. Results of a field study of managers show that for organizational commitment and job search behavior, autono...

We examined the relationship between employees' attitudes related to communication technology (CT) flexibility, communication technology (CT) use, work-to-life conflict and work satisfaction. Based on data obtained from 193 employees, CT flexibility predicted more CT use. Further, CT use was associated not only with increased work satisfaction, but...

Drawing from an interactionist approach and feedback research, we examine the role of developmental feedback and proactive personality on newcomer task performance and helping behavior. Data were collected from 2 high-tech joint-ventures within the information technology and manufacturing industries located in Shanghai, China. Results based on 151...

This study examined factors that may help explain under what conditions employee job search effort may most strongly (or weakly) predict subsequent turnover. As predicted, the job search-turnover relationship was stronger when employees had lower levels of job embeddedness and job satisfaction and higher levels of available alternatives. These find...

Existing research suggests that the equity sensitivity construct has both theoretical significance and applied value. This study investigates the antecedents of equity sensitivity, focusing on the relationships among organizational setting, personal characteristics (age, sex, work experience), organization tenure, and equity sensitivity. Results ba...

Stock based rewards are often used to motivate high-level managers to take actions to increase the stock price of the firm. However, numerous constraints may weaken the perceived link between individual effort and stock price appreciation for many recipients. This study introduces a new construct, stock price expectancy, which we define as individu...

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to compare employee reactions to the use of an online performance appraisal (PA) system to the traditional paper‐and‐pencil (P&P) approach. Design/methodology/approach A quasi‐experimental study is conducted comparing the reactions of a group of 83 employees evaluate with a traditional P&P PA instrument to the...

In this study, the authors contribute insight into the temporal nature of work attitudes, examining how job satisfaction changes across the 1st year of employment for a sample of organizational newcomers. The authors examined factors related to job change (i.e., voluntary turnover, prior job satisfaction) and newcomer experiences (i.e., fulfillment...

Integrating findings from research and practice in order to make practical, evidence-based recommendations for preventing and addressing systemic workplace mistreatment, this book: * Focuses on the recursive effects of mistreatment in organizations and how individual and organizational well-being can be enhanced by carefully-designed policies and p...

Developing Recruitment and Selection Systems to Help Prevent MistreatmentDeveloping and Implementing Training Systems to Help Prevent MistreatmentExamining Reward StructuresManagerial Effectiveness in Preventing MistreatmentThe Role of Disciplinary Actions and Terminations

Scope of MistreatmentLegal and Contractual Aspects of MistreatmentConcluding Mistreatment - “I've Been Mistreated”

mistreatment prevention and resolution – The Big Picture;effective dispute resolution;evaluation and continuous improvement of dispute resolution system;beyond dispute resolution;carefully designed dispute resolution procedures;evidence-based best practices with right systems and attention - mistreatment perceptions being fully addressed within org...

Costs of MistreatmentIs Prevalent, Costly Mistreatment Inevitable?

What Are the Continuing Concerns?A Spiral of MistreatmentAcknowledge the Elephant in the Room and Figure Out How to Get it Out of There!Moving ForwardUnsuccessful Relationship Repair

What Are the Potential Sources of Information for Scanning?How Do You Evaluate Your Scanning Sources?How Can You Tell Whether Your System Meets These Criteria?Develop a System to Systematically Review/Audit InformationFoster a Voice-Supportive Culture

Auditing Your Dispute Resolution SystemUsing Voice Information to Modify Systems and Organizational Practices

Informal DiscussionOpen-Door SystemThird-Party FacilitationMulti-Step Appeal SystemsHot-linesCommon Concerns across Dispute Resolution Systems

Multiple OptionsNested CollaborationSystem FacilitationTrainingCommunicationAccessibilityFlexibilityIntegration with Organization and CultureState-of-the-Art Systems for Smaller OrganizationsRecognizing the Limitations of State-of-the-Art Dispute Resolution Systems

a b s t r a c t We sought to determine the extent to which one's beliefs about the relationship between an employee and an organization at the start of employment influence subsequent social-ization activities. The balance of employee exchange relationships, employee perceptions of both their own obligations and the employers' obligations, were col...

The authors examined one manner in which to decrease the negative impact of social dominance orientation (SDO), an individual difference variable that indicates support for the "domination of 'inferior' groups by 'superior' groups" (J. Sidanius & F. Pratto, 1999, p. 48), on the selection of candidates from low-status groups within society. Consiste...

Conflict management research generally has focused on some aspects of conflict in organizations - for example, the predictors or consequences of using a particular dispute resolution method - with little theory to explain how various aspects of the process fit together. We present a model that integrates these factors and specifically focuses on th...

In this chapter, the authors focus specifically on organizational dispute resolution (ODR) systems. They define ODR systems as any process identified in organizational policy as a sanctioned means to resolve disputes within the organization. The authors focus on a number of issues related to ODR systems. The chapter focuses primarily on nonunion se...

Communication technologies have made it increasingly feasible for employees to stay connected to work when not in the office. Yet we have little understanding of the implications for important aspects of work and work life. This study investigates how the use of communication technologies beyond normal work hours relates to work-related attitudes a...

We introduce two concepts, action alignment and interest alignment, that we propose to help explain the linkages between employee behaviors and organizational strategy. We first examine the problem of action alignment, developing employee ability to identify and engage in behaviors that most effectively lead to the realization of the goals of organ...

This research focuses on the strategic alignment of a firm's human resources. Specifically, I investigate employee ‘line of sight’ to an organization's strategic objectives. Line of sight is conceptualized as an employee's understanding of an organization's objectives and how to contribute to those objectives. Line of sight was expected to vary acr...

This study investigates the interrelations among role integration–segmentation, role identification, reactions to interruptions, and work–life conflict. Results from a field survey of university staff employees suggest that as highly identified roles are integrated into other domains, high role integration is related to less negative reactions to i...

This research investigates predictors of job search activity among high-level European managers. We examined the role of personality in predicting job search over and above the effects of situational and demographic variables. Results found that the personality traits extraversion and neuroticism predicted job search, and the effects were found in...

Aligning employees with the firm's larger strategic goals is critical if organizations hope to manage their human capital effectively and ultimately attain strategic success. An important component of attaining and sustaining this alignment is for employees to have a “line of sight” (LOS) with their organization's strategic objectives. In this arti...

High-level managers are often faced with challenging demands at work, and much of the managerial development literature has researched the responses to these challenges. The authors propose an extension to this research by investigating the influence of challenge-related and obstacle-related job demands on job search among a sample of U.S. managers...

Recent research suggests that the turnover process is not fully captured by the traditional sequential model relating job dissatisfaction to subsequent turnover. The present study contributes to this research by modeling within-individual job satisfaction as a function of job change patterns to determine if individual work attitudes change systemat...

The contributors to this special issue provide unique perspectives and insights about the future of human resource management, and many of their ideas present opportunities for future research. Our intent is to focus on identifying and briefly discussing the key needs and directions suggested by these articles. The discussion is organized around fo...

The need for future leadership in organizations is widely recognized, and often addressed through leadership development, succession planning, and building a top talent pipeline among existing employees. Equally important is retaining talented executives. Executive retention has become a concern for organizations as plunging stock prices have led t...

This study assesses the psychological contracts of a group of at-will employees and compares their relevant psychological contract beliefs with the terms of the controlling legal employment contract. In addition, we test specific hypotheses regarding the relationship between employers formal job security policy (employment at-will vs. good cause pr...

The authors investigate a previously overlooked yet important objective for employee job search--seeking leverage against the current employer. They explore the outcomes and correlates of leverage-seeking search and how it may differ from the more traditional objective for engaging in job search--to change jobs. Results show that leverage-seeking a...

Recent research on reported work stress indicates stress may not always be deleterious for an individual or organization. Research in this area, however, has not yet examined a variety of work outcomes, the mechanism by which stress leads to such outcomes, and the moderators of this effect. The present study hypothesized that two types of reported...

Examining a neglected issue, we investigated the relationships between employees' feeling mistreated, grievance filing, the nature of the perceived mistreatment, and employee withdrawal. Results indicated higher exit-related withdrawal for those who perceived mistreatment and higher work withdrawal behavior for those who experienced personalized mi...

This study investigates the relationships among job search self-efficacy beliefs, number of job interviews participated in, and job search outcomes using data collected from graduating college job seekers at multiple points in their respective job searches. Results indicate that job search self-efficacy is positively related to number of total offe...

The present research is intended to contribute to the understanding of how job-choice decisions are made and the role of effective and ineffective recruiting practices in that process. The issues are examined by tracking job seekers through the job search and choice process. At multiple points in the process, structured interviews are used to elici...

This study extends prior research on voice, loyalty, and postvoice outcomes by examining a variety of methods by which an employee may choose to voice a dispute. The authors argue that more loyal employees may prefer and use less formal methods to voice discontent and that the use of less formal voice methods relates to less job search activity and...

This study extends prior research on voice, loyalty, and postvoice outcomes by examining a variety of methods by which an employee may choose to voice a dispute. The authors argue that more loyal employees may prefer and use less formal methods to voice discontent and that the use of less formal voice methods relates to less job search activity and...

Since the early 1980’s the field of HRM has seen the independent evolution of two independent subfields (strategic and functional), which we believe is dysfunctional to the field as a whole. We propose a typology of HRM research based on two dimensions: Level of analysis (individual/ group or organization) and number of practices (single or multipl...

[Excerpt] We examine the effects of separating the evaluative and developmental components of PA, so it is important to define development and evaluation. Development is any effort concerned with enriching attitudes, experiences, and skills which improve the effectiveness of employees. Specific examples of developmental PA use include: identifying...

Aligning employees with the organization’s strategic goals has become increasingly important as organizations struggle to gain or sustain a competitive advantage. This article defines “line of sight” as employee understanding of organizational objectives and how to contribute to those objectives. There has been much discussion among academics and p...

This study extends prior research on employee voice, loyalty, and post-voice outcomes by examining a variety of mechanisms by which an employee may chose to voice a dispute (including but not limited to filing a grievance). Specifically, we argue that loyal employees may use less formal mechanisms such as talking with the other party or seeking ass...

Traditional models and research on employee job search and separation focus on situationally-specific variables, those that change with time or between particular employment situations. More enduring individual characteristics, such as personality and cognitive ability, may create predispositions that affect search and separation in consistent ways...

The present study extended prior career success models by incorporating traits from the five-factor model of personality (often termed the “Big Five”) and several dimensions of extrinsic (remuneration, ascendancy, job level, employability) and intrinsic (job, life, and career satisfaction) career success. The model examined both direct effects and...

This study empirically examines the popularized influence of underwater stock options on employee job search behavior. In a multi-industry sample of executives we find a positive relationship between the percentage of employee stock options that are underwater and job search frequency. In addition, we find that this relationship is moderated by imp...

This study investigates how perceptions of performance appraisal use relate to employee satisfaction with both appraisal and appraiser. The research brings renewed support for the importance of individual development in the performance appraisal process. © 2000 by Jossey-Bass, A Publishing Unit of John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

This study proposes that self-reported work stress among U.S. managers is differentially related (positively and negatively) to work outcomes depending on the stressors that are being evaluated. Specific hypotheses were derived from this general proposition and tested using a sample of 1,886 U.S. managers and longitudinal data. Regression results i...

This study proposes that self-reported work stress among U.S. managers is differentially related (positively and negatively) to work outcomes depending on the stressors that are being evaluated. Specific hypotheses were derived from this general proposition and tested using a sample of 1,886 U.S. managers and longitudinal data. Regression results i...

This study proposes that stress associated with two kinds of job demands or work circumstances, “challenges” and “hindrances,” are distinct phenomena that are differentially related to work outcomes. Specific hypotheses were derived from this general proposition and tested using a sample of 1,886 U.S. managers and longitudinal data. Regression resu...

The present study attempted to provide a constructive replication and extension of a study on managerial job search completed by Bretz, Boudreau, and Judge (1994). Beyond examining the same variables as Bretz et al. (1994), the effects of personality, cognitive ability, challenge and hindrance related job stress, and fit on job search and turnover...

This article seeks to provide HRM professionals information and guidance that will assist them in understanding, evaluating, and applying current thinking regarding the new employment relationship. The focus of the article is a study that investigates the extent to which there is a consensus in the literature regarding the nature of the new employm...

The multiple uses of performance appraisal (PA) have been the focus of much research, often yielding conflicting findings and conclusions. The objective of this study was to examine the effects of separating PA uses on employee attitudes and behavioral intentions. An untreated control group design was used to investigate the effects of removing the...

The present study investigated the degree to which traits from the five-factor model of personality (often termed the "Big five") and cognitive ability were associated with several dimensions of extrinsic (salary, number of promotions, job level) and intrinsic (job satisfaction, life satisfaction, career satisfaction) career success. Data were coll...

This study draws on attribution theory and literature from compensation and strategy to investigate executives’ perceptions about their influence over the firm’s stock price. We define stock price expectancy as the extent to which executives feel that they can influence the firm’s stock price. Results from of a survey of 435 U.S. executives suggest...

The purpose of this research is to investigate a previously overlooked yet important objective for an employee engaging in job search – seeking alternative employment to obtain leverage against the current employer. We focus specifically on how employees conduct job search to obtain leverage, and then turn to the question of what motivates employee...

This research expands the notion of “job search” beyond traditional models of searching for an alternative yet similar job, arguing that motivations for search are varied. Specifically, we investigate whether search objectives associate with use of different search processes. A study of high-level managers found mixed support for the hypotheses.

This research investigates how employee perceptions of performance appraisal use relate to employee satisfaction with the performance appraisal and with the appraiser—the employees’ immediate supervisor. Employee perceptions that appraisals were used for development positively associated with both attitudinal variables, after controlling for justic...

[Excerpt] There has been an explosion of interest in the changing relationship between employees and employers, sometimes referred to as the "Deal." There is widespread agreement between researchers and practitioners that a new deal is evolving which has important implications for the management of employees. However, fundamental issues regarding t...

The present study extended prior career success models by incorporating traits from the five-factor model of personality (often termed the "Big Five") and several dimensions of extrinsic (remuneration, ascendancy, job level, employability) and intrinsic (job, life, and career satisfaction) career success. The model examined both direct effects, and...

This research examines the influence of job satisfaction and three dimensions of organizational commitment (i.e., affective, continuance, and normative) on the intention to leave, job search activity, performance, and leadership effectiveness of executives. Job satisfaction and the commitment dimensions were hypothesized to negatively predict the r...