Objectives – Retaining older workers in the Australian Healthcare System in rural areas is critical in preventing an imminent workforce crisis. Traditionally, healthcare workers have retired earlier than other groups. Using an internationally recognised model of job stress, the aim of this study was to examine the influence of Effort-Reward Imbalance (ERI) in predicting psychological strain and intention to retire in older Australian healthcare workers. Method – Utilising a cross-sectional design, data was obtained from 295 women and men aged over 55 years, working as professional healthcare workers in a rural Australian setting. ERI was measured using the 23-item scale developed by Siegrist (Siegrist, 2002); psychological strain was measured using the 12-item version of the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) and a question on retirement intentions was developed. Results – The results confirm that those employees who experience high ERI and higher levels of overcommitment (OVC) experience psychological strain. Support for the three-way interaction was mixed: at low levels of OVC, higher levels of effort and increasing reward decreased strain, yet at high levels of OVC, increasing reward increased strain. This study could not confirm an association between intention to retire early and effort, reward, OVC or strain.

Error climate refers to shared perceptions of organisational practices regarding errors. Error management climate (EMC), which acknowledges the inevitability of error, and error avoidance climate (EAC), characterised by fear of error and reluctance to discuss error, were explored in relation to supervision, stress, fatigue, psychological ill-health and violations. Errors are of particular concern in the aviation industry, particularly aviation maintenance. The focus of the present study was on perceptions of error climate among Technical Trade personnel in the Royal New Zealand Air Force. Participants were 189 personnel below the rank of Flight Sergeant, all in practical maintenance roles. Perceptions of EMC were associated with better perceived supervision and psychological health, and less EAC, fewer violations and errors. Perceptions of EAC were associated with more violations and errors, and worse psychological health and perceived supervision. Two types of violations were identified. Situational violations were predicted by routine violations, errors, stress and seniority. Routine violations were predicted by situational violations, errors and fatigue. Violations partially mediated the effect of error climate on errors. These findings suggest that error climate is an important organisational factor in safety and aviation maintenance.

The present study investigated the prevalence of upwards bullying — that is, subordinate-initiated bullying of their supervisor — in two sample groups. Subordinates (n = 491) in this study were either thesis students working under the supervision of an academic advisor or were employees working under a primary supervisor in a variety of occupations. Participants completed a measure of bullying behaviours, the Negative Acts Questionnaire, as part of an online survey. Although the overall prevalence of bullies was low (1.7%), there was a high incidence of bullying behaviour with 70.6% of the sample reporting having engaged in bullying behaviours toward their supervisor in the preceding 6 month period. The incidence of bullying behaviours was lower for the students than for the employees and lower for females than for males. Implications for workplaces are considered.

The aim of the current study was to investigate the relationship between social support and durable return to work (RTW) post occupational injury. A total of 1,179 questionnaires were posted to clients previously receiving vocational rehabilitation services from the Return to Work Assist program in Queensland, Australia. Participants were asked to indicate their current RTW status, in addition to completing questionnaires measuring their relationship with their superior, relationships with colleagues, and social support external to the workplace. The statistical analysis included 110 participants. An ANOVA indicated that participants in the RTW group reported significantly better relationships with their superiors and colleagues than participants in the non-durable RTW group. No significant differences were observed between the RTW, non-durable RTW and no RTW groups on a measure of social support external to the workplace. Although the findings were limited by the low response rate, an evaluation of demographics indicated the respondents were representative of the original target sample. The findings suggested that providing support in the workplace is an important area for intervention and may be a means of increasing durable RTW outcomes.

The value of feedback about errors when learning a novel computer-based task was explored in two studies. The first study examined the optimal level of information to be provided in feedback about errors. The second study examined whether framing errors positively as opportunities to learn (which encourages error tolerance) or negatively as hindrances to learning (which encourages error avoidance) facilitated learning and performance. Both studies used a computer-based simulation of a management decision-making task. In the first study there were three feedback conditions: outcome feedback alone, outcome feedback plus error signal feedback, and outcome feedback plus corrective feedback. Corrective feedback produced better performance than error signal and outcome feedback but learning did not differ across the three conditions. Corrective feedback also facilitated the use of systematic exploration which was positively associated with performance and learning. Learners' self-efficacy moderated the effects of error feedback: learners with high self-efficacy showed high levels of performance in all conditions but for those with low self-efficacy, detailed corrective feedback was essential for learning. The second study explored the effects of positive vs. negative error framing and corrective vs. signal error feedback in a 2 × 2 design. Positive error framing produced more unsystematic exploration and worse performance than negative error framing. Positive error framing helped those with low self-efficacy but for those with higher self-efficacy it was of more value to frame errors negatively. The implications of the interactions between error framing, error feedback and learner characteristics are discussed along with implications for the study of error management, a positive error framing technique.

When job applicants lie in job interviews, they can deprive a more honest candidate of a job and deprive an organisation of the best employees. To better understand job interview faking, the present study examined the effect of general dispositions and domain-specific beliefs on the intention to fake job interviews. A community sample of 313 participants completed measures of personality (i.e., extraversion, neuroticism, conscientiousness) and self-monitoring, and a domain-specific measure of beliefs about faking job interviews based on the theory of planned behaviour, which measured attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioural control. Results indicated that the measure of attitudes was the strongest predictor of intention to fake. In line with the compatibility principle, the domain-specific measures based on the theory of planned behaviour correlated much more strongly with intentions to fake job interviews than did the general measures of personality or self-monitoring. Of the dispositional measures, lower conscientiousness, higher neuroticism, and higher self-monitoring was associated with greater intention to fake job interviews. The findings support a model whereby the effect of personality on intentions is partially mediated by domain-specific beliefs.

Reception and administrative employees may be particularly vulnerable to patient aggression in mental health services. This study examined whether satisfaction with social support and primary aggression training moderated the effects of perceived aggression on psychological distress and somatic symptoms in a sample of 101 employees. The biophysical model of threat and challenge, the stressor-stress-strain model, and the stress-buffering hypothesis served as theoretical frameworks. Results showed perceived aggression correlated positively with psychological distress, but not with somatic symptoms. Significant interactions were found for social support (buffering effect) and training (interaction effect) for somatic symptoms, but not for psychological distress. It is suggested that, for somatic symptoms, the moderation effects of social support and training on perceived aggression involve similar mechanisms (increased knowledge, self-esteem, perceived control, coping capacity). These findings provide support for the benefits of staff training and the incorporation of knowledge-based components in training programs.

Situational judgement tests (SJTs) are increasingly popular as part of selection procedures because of their strong psychometric properties. SJTs present test takers with job-related situations and a series of potential responses. The aim of this review article is to provide evidence-based recommendations for practitioners who are considering implementing SJTs for their clients, as well as offering an analysis of some key issues for academics. This research provides a review of the literature on SJTs to answer three questions: (1) What is the difference between framing questions either as what should you do versus what would you do? (2) What is the difference between multimedia-based and text-based SJTs? (3) What is the best process for SJT creation? Following this, recommendations are provided as follows: That responses are optimally framed in terms of what a respondent thinks s/he should do, not what s/he would do; that multimedia-based SJTs are used in preference to text-based SJTs; and a ‘best practice’ process for creating an SJT is outlined. Finally, the review includes a discussion of implications for creating tests that are inclusive of different ethnic groups, as well as ethical issues relating to the use of SJTs in selection.

With a focus on a specific employment group this research attempted to add to the knowledge on the content of the psychological contract. Structured interviews with 35 managers generated 651 responses relating to the content of their psychological contracts. Analysis of those responses resulted in the development of an initial two-component measure of the contract. One component (23 items) included the managers' expectations relating to the organisation's obligations. The other component (16 items) included the managers' obligations relating to the perceived organisation's expectations. Validation of the measure was based on a questionnaire completed by 124 managers. Participants considered all items to be important aspects of the contract. Participants also rated as high the obligation of each party to meet the expectations of the other. Factor analysis of the measure revealed two factors in each component which, in line with previous research, were termed relational obligations and transactional obligations. A robust methodology is proposed for continuing research into the content of the psychological work contract.

At work, burnout is one of the most pervasive impediments to mental health. Over the last decade, researchers have distilled six workplace conditions that prevent or curb burnout: feasible job demands, a sense of fit with the job or organisation, recurrent experiences of reward, a feeling of control, a perception of justice, and a connection with the community. Unfortunately, the emerging culture of modern capitalism is characterised by fluctuating demands, aversions towards specialisation, systemic disloyalty, unilateral resolutions, expedient decisions, and transactional relationships — trends that counteract the conditions that prevent burnout. Initiatives that are instituted to curb burnout, therefore, often contradict the imperatives of managers. To resolve this paradox, this article distills a series of initiatives that psychologists can apply to alleviate burnout without counteracting the prevailing culture of modern organisations. To illustrate, employees should be encouraged to seek challenging and stressful experiences, invoke their intuition when composed, and disclose their personal anxieties. This article then integrates these initiatives into a unified theory. According to this theory, practices that prevent burnout all increase the likelihood that individuals experience positive and negative feelings concurrently; these ambivalent emotions seem to enhance wellbeing and contain burnout.

Despite the applied importance of cohesion within organisational settings, researchers have yet to reach consensus about the dimensionality of group cohesion, and therefore appropriate tools for its measurement. The way that cohesion has generally been conceptualised has changed over time, but the measures appear not to reflect the underlying theory. This deficiency has impeded attempts to explore the relationship between co-worker cohesion and group performance (Beal et al., 2003; Mullen & Copper, 1994). Given inconsistent findings from previous factor analyses of cohesion, the present study employed exploratory means to help clarify the factor structure of cohesion within the workplace. Potential participants were recruited via the researchers' social networks. This snowballing technique led to 236 participants completing the online questionnaire. Exploratory factor analysis revealed four first-order factors of team commitment, friendliness, interpersonal conflict and communication that collectively accounted for 55.17% of the variance shared among the 75 cohesion items. Subsequently, a single higher-order factor was extracted which accounted for over half of the co-variation among the first order factors. This higher-order factor seems to reflect a general cohesion factor, as it was loaded by a diffuse collection of items, including those from the four lower-order factors as well as items that failed to load onto these lower-order factors. While there were similarities between these results and those of previous studies, the present factor structure did not map perfectly onto any of the existing conceptual models of cohesion. This finding highlights the need to incorporate some alternate factors that have previously been given little consideration.

Many hurdles, such as inadequate resources, impede the execution of strategies in organizations. These problems could partly be ascribed to the tendency of individuals to feel, in the midst of change, their identity could shift dramatically. Their activities now, therefore, may not seem meaningful to their future. In this state, people become more concerned about their immediate needs, withholding the effort needed to affect future change. Leaders who promote stable, consistent values over time might redress this concern. To assess this possibility, 208 senior managers completed a questionnaire that assesses consistency of values over time, a sense of meaning at work, hurdles that impede the execution of strategy, and firm performance. Consistent with the hypotheses, consistent values over time were positively associated with firm performance, and these relationships were mediated by meaning at work and hurdles that impede strategy. A qualitative study showed that managers utilize many approaches to foster this consistency of values. Specifically, they communicate their strategic plan regularly, redress misalignments between values and practice, encourage the participation of all departments equally, and seek the active support of senior management-all intended to show how perturbations in the organization align to an overarching, enduring vision.

Sri Lanka has one of the highest rates of natural disasters and violent conflicts in the world. Yet there is a lack of research on its unique socio-cultural characteristics that determine an individual's cognitive and behavioural responses to distressing encounters. This study extends Goh, Sawang and Oei's (2010) revised transactional model to examine the cognitive and behavioural processes of occupational stress experience in the collectivistic society of Sri Lanka. A time series survey was used to measure the participant's stress-coping process. Using the revised transactional model and path analysis, a unique Sri Lankan model is identified that provides theoretical insights on the revised transactional model, and sheds light on socio-cultural dimensions of occupational stress and coping, thus equipping practitioners with a sound theoretical basis for the development of stress management programs in the workplace.

Perceived organisational support (POS) refers to an employee's perception concerning the degree to which organisational management values their contributions and cares about their wellbeing. Despite the influence of culture on organisational behaviour, there is still a paucity of culture-comparative studies. The study investigated POS from a cross-national perspective with Ghanaian and Finnish industrial workers. We hypothesised and tested a model predicting differences on POS using a cross-sectional data of Ghanaian (N = 320) and Finnish (N = 520) industrial workers. The data were collected with Eisenberger, Fasolo, and LaMastro's (1990) Survey of Perceived Organizational Support. Correlational analyses, t-test and hierarchical regression analyses were used to test four hypotheses. The relationships between employee demographic factors and POS were also analysed. The hierarchical regression analysis revealed worker demographic variables as impacting more significantly on POS among Ghanaian workers. Contrary to our expectations, Ghanaian workers perceived more managerial support than their Finnish counterparts. Structural equation modelling revealed job satisfaction as a mediator in these relationships. Path analysis performed to identify specific variables that were moderated by culture revealed organisational position and job satisfaction as potential variables. The theoretical and practical implications of the study are discussed.

The aim of this study is to determine the factors that affect the wellbeing at work of a particular group within the Victorian public sector: those who are directly responsible for the delivery of justice to offenders, namely corrections officers. Corrections staff, as front-line workers in the corrections system, have an important role in the rehabilitation and reintegration of offenders. The study is based on data from The People Matter Survey 2005 that sought to measure Victorian public sector employees' perceptions of how well the public sector values and employment principles were applied within their organisations. In this study we used data from 230 employees from Corrections Victoria who participated in the survey and used multilinear regression to analyse the factors affecting the level of workplace wellbeing. This study found that the most important factors affecting workplace wellbeing of the workers are Fair and Reasonable Treatment (FRT), Accountability (AC), and Senior Management (SM). Other findings included that the levels of workplace wellbeing of bullied or harassed staff was less than non-bullied or harassed staff.

In Australia today, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people experience significant ongoing disadvantage around employment, education, health, housing, and social inclusion. Local government agencies and others often now have roles for Aboriginal people to work and deal with relevant issues. Ten people working, or formerly working, in Aboriginal-related roles in local government were interviewed about the issues and benefits of such roles. Themes to emerge included the importance of properly resourcing the positions, having wide-ranging Aboriginal employment policies, providing mentoring and support for Aboriginal workers, and continuing to build cultural awareness in councils. Many of those interviewed described cultural awareness training as valuable for councils, but also questioned the efficacy of the way they are commonly run. Implications for local government include the need to ensure that what is already known about the effective implementation of policies in organisations is being applied; for example, by making Aboriginal employment policies the responsibility of each work area.

Several recent studies have connected information-processing styles, as described by Cognitive-Experiential Self-Theory (CEST), with important workplace behaviours, including leadership and conflict-handling styles. This article extends such research by examining the connection between CEST information-processing styles and organisational-influencing tactics. In Study 1 (N = 119), the CEST information-processing styles of behavioural coping and rational thinking were positively correlated with the use of rationality as an influencing tactic, as measured by the Profile of Organizational Influence Strategies. In Study 2 (N = 142), a broader self-report measure of influencing tactics was used; behavioural coping and rational thinking were positively correlated with effective influencing tactics such as rational persuasion. Together, behavioural coping and rational thinking accounted for more than 31% of the variance in preference for rational persuasion as an influencing tactic. Additionally, the apprising tactic was positively correlated with both behavioural coping and rational thinking. These findings emphasise the importance of examining individual differences in information-processing preferences to understand key elements of organisational behaviour.

Research on the effects of cultural diversity on individual team member performance has typically assumed a linear relationship, but has yielded mixed findings. In the study, we address these inconsistencies by hypothesizing an optimal (mid-range) level of diversity that maximizes performance. Given the potential for negative emotions to arise within a diverse team, we also hypothesize that team members who employ emotional self-regulation strategies will demonstrate stronger performance. We adopt an individual-level perspective, assessing diversity as the cultural dissimilarity between each individual and their teammates. Using a sample of 103 postgraduate students (23 teams with 3–6 participants in each), we found evidence of a curvilinear relationship between cultural dissimilarity and individual team member performance. Contrary to our expectations, we found that individual performance is greatest at very low and very high levels of dissimilarity. In terms of emotional regulation strategies, we found that cognitive reappraisal was associated with higher performance, but there was no evidence for the effects of expressive suppression. Together, the present findings challenge the assumption that the diversity-performance relationship is linear. Our findings also indicate individual performance in culturally diverse teams is influenced by individuals’ use of cognitive reappraisal to regulate negative emotions.

Research on person–environment fit theory has largely developed within the context of people and organisations in urban settings. There has been little research of this kind within organisations in isolated and confined contexts. The purpose of this article was to examine the implications of person–environment fit theory within the context of the complementary fit and supplementary fit paradigm (Muchinsky & Monahan, 1987), for people working in isolated and remote organisational settings. Using a sample of Antarctic personnel, this study examined the extent to which psychological need fulfilment and subjective fit with Antarctic station culture were equally important in predicting individual attitudes, including satisfaction with being an expedition member, intent to return and willingness to recommend the Antarctic to others. Results showed that gender and subjective fit with Antarctic station culture predicted satisfaction with station membership. Results also showed that subjective fit predicted willingness to recommend the Antarctic as a good place to work, while psychological need fulfilment was not a predictor of any of the outcome variables examined. Results suggest that outcomes such as intention to return (or to stay) may be less relevant in such settings because of the unique and temporary nature of the experience and the work. Results also attest to the need for further development of organisational theories, including person–environment fit theory, using data collected from organisations in isolated, confined and extreme environmental contexts.