Appearance-based Sex Discrimination and Stereotyping in the Workplace: Whose Conduct Should We Regulate?

Court treatment of sex discrimination and harassment claims based on appearance and gender stereotyping has been inconsistent, particularly where the facts involve reference to sexual orientation. Ironically, court willingness to allow such claims may turn on the choice of verbal or physical conduct by, or the sex or sexual orientation of, the alleged offenders. Because plaintiffs in such situations may assert retaliation claims to increase their chances of prevailing, employers should focus less on regulating aspects of personal appearance unrelated to job performance and more on problematic reactions by co-workers. Workplace civility policies may hold promise for limiting both legal liability and practical consequences in the absence of a legislative response.

Rethinking Love at the Office: Antecedents and Consequences of Coworker Evaluations of Workplace Romances

Researchers have pointed out a wide variety of organizational effects attributable to workplace romances, concluding that the impact of such romances on the workgroup can range from positive to negative. To date, however, little research has attempted to pinpoint the elements leading to this divergence. We suggest that coworker evaluation of a romance or anticipatory injustice may play a key role in influencing the positive or negative impact of the relationship on the workgroup at large. Our model proposes that three separate mechanisms (procedural fairness, intragroup cognitive dissonance, and normative adjustment), each corresponding to a different domain of evaluation, may mediate the apparent relationship between coworker evaluation of a romance and various aspects of group performance. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

组织中成员工作嵌入的前因变量研究

现有研究对于同一个组织中成员工作嵌入存在差异的原因解释不足,文章基于社会交换理论的视角,考察了成员对于高参与工作系统的感知、领导成员交换以及职场排斥对于职位内工作嵌入的影响。通过对同一企业中的273名员工进行问卷调查,检验了上述变量的影响机制。研究发现,高参与工作系统的感知正向影响工作嵌入,领导成员交换和职场排斥会对此关系产生调节作用,成员的政治技能会调节职场排斥的影响。     

Workplace bullying and absenteeism: The mediating roles of poor health and work engagement

Workplace bullying is a major problem that affects the well‐being and productivity of employees. Some previous studies have found that workplace bullying is associated with absenteeism, which is a major contributor to lost workplace productivity. However, a comprehensive understanding of how different workplace bullying experiences are associated with absenteeism is currently lacking. In particular no previous studies have examined potential mediators of these relationships. The present article aimed to provide new insights into the relationship between workplace bullying and absenteeism. In a 12‐month prospective study of 500 Australian employees, we identified 5 distinct subtypes of workplace bullying experiences using a person‐centred approach. These bullying subtypes were found to be associated with absenteeism via health impairment and lower work engagement. The findings can be used to inform HR strategies to prevent and manage workplace bullying.     

“好士兵”还是“坏苹果”？员工建设性越轨行为对团队绩效的非线性影响机制

文章基于IPO理论探讨了员工建设性越轨行为对团队绩效的“过犹不及”效应的作用机制和边界条件,并通过两阶段追踪问卷调查法获取了62名直接主管和290名员工的配对数据。研究结果发现：员工建设性越轨行为与团队绩效呈倒U形关系;团队创造力在员工建设性越轨行为与团队绩效之间的倒U形关系中起完全中介作用;领导的政治技能在员工建设性越轨行为与团队创造力之间的倒U形关系中不起调节作用。     

Employee Awareness of Workplace Violence Policies and Perceptions for Addressing Perpetrators at Colleges and Universities

Most of the research on workplace violence has focused on workplace violence incidents and the development of models to predict and address the phenomenon. The assumption that all organizations are essentially similar in nature underlies this research. However, colleges and universities differ from for-profit businesses. Little, if any, research has been conducted to determine employees’ awareness of workplace violence policies and employee perceptions of potential perpetrators and how to address perpetrators which is necessary for increasing such policies’ effectiveness. The present study examines the awareness of employees at a large, public university in the Midwestern United States concerning WPV. Respondents indicate which sources they perceive to be likely perpetrators of workplace violence, and the actions that organization should take if WPV occurs. Based on this information, steps to increase employee awareness of workplace violence policies in colleges and universities are suggested.     

AIDS in the workplace: Options and responsibilities

Scientists now believe that no one is safe from AIDS. AIDS is no longer “the disease” of a small fringe segment of society. It is now a disease that can touch us in our personal, family, and professional lives. AIDS is, as columnist Ellen Goodman has suggested, an “equal opportunity infector” that does not discriminate on the basis of race, age, sex, or sexual orientation. Although statistics indicate that most of us will probably not experience AIDS in our private or family lives, a significant number of us will be forced to grapple with AIDS in the workplace. This article is an attempt to examine the business community's response to AIDS, and the possible options and strategies that larger corporations especially might use in responding to the medical, legal, and ethical dimensions of the disease. According to Nancy L. Merritt, vice-president and director of equal opportunity for Bank of America, AIDS raises at least three fundamental issues in the workplace: How do you handle an employee with AIDS? How do you educate and ensure the safety and morale of your other employees? How do you balance the needs of business with the human, ethical considerations raised by the disease? Such questions, Merritt maintains, will become more and more pressing as the AIDS epidemic continues to spread.     

Workplace ostracism and turnover intention: A moderated mediation model of job insecurity and coaching leadership

Workplace ostracism is prevalent and has profound consequences for both organizations and individuals. Based on the conservation of resources and job demands–resources theories, we propose a moderated mediation model to examine when and how workplace ostracism induces employee turnover intentions in China. We collected 214 valid questionnaires from a two-wave survey conducted in 28 Chinese hotels. The results indicate that workplace ostracism is positively associated with employees' turnover intentions. Moreover, this relationship is mediated by job insecurity and is stronger when coaching leadership is low. These findings shed light on the role of job insecurity and coaching leadership in the relationship and the importance of mitigating the destructive effects of workplace ostracism. The theoretical and practical implications are discussed.     

Workplace Substance Testing—An Exploratory Study

This study, using 1993 survey data taken from large Ontario, Canada, headquartered organizations (n = 127), compares workplace substance testing versus nontesting organizations based on a number of external and internal factors. Results showed that few Canadian organizations conduct workplace substance testing. Variables such as sector, location of operations, risk sensitivity and organizational structure appear to be not related to the workplace substance testing decision. Partial support was found for age and size of organization (measured in sales volume) as differentiating workplace substance testing organizations from non-testers. Public policy implications based on these findings are provided.