May Meaning Meeting 5/8/04 My Job, Your Calling: Work Orientations in Organizational Teams Amy...

May Meaning Meeting 5/8/04May Meaning Meeting 5/8/04

My Job, Your Calling: Work My Job, Your Calling: Work Orientations in Organizational Orientations in Organizational

TeamsTeams

Amy WrzesniewskiAmy Wrzesniewski

New York UniversityNew York University


General Research QuestionGeneral Research Question

What kinds of meanings do people What kinds of meanings do people derive from work, both generally and in derive from work, both generally and in challenging contexts?challenging contexts?


The Meaning of Work: The Meaning of Work: Theoretical FrameworkTheoretical Framework

Values Values ((Dubin, 1956; Lodahl & Kejner, 1965; Roberson, Dubin, 1956; Lodahl & Kejner, 1965; Roberson, 19901990))

Expectations and motivation Expectations and motivation (Amabile, Hill, (Amabile, Hill, HenneHennessey, & Tighe, 1994;ssey, & Tighe, 1994; Ryan & Deci, 2001) Ryan & Deci, 2001)

Characteristics of the job Characteristics of the job ((Griffin, 1987; Hackman Griffin, 1987; Hackman & Oldham, 1976, 1980& Oldham, 1976, 1980))

Organizational influences Organizational influences (Pratt & Ashforth, 2003)(Pratt & Ashforth, 2003)


Work OrientationWork Orientation

Origin of concept Origin of concept (Bellah, (Bellah, Madsen, Sullivan, Swidler, Madsen, Sullivan, Swidler, & Tipton, 1985)& Tipton, 1985)

Ways work fits sense of selfWays work fits sense of self

Shapes relationship to workShapes relationship to work

Goal-orientedGoal-oriented


Jobs, Careers, and CallingsJobs, Careers, and Callings

JobsJobs: Material benefits from work: Material benefits from work‘‘My primary reason for working is financial – to My primary reason for working is financial – to

support my family and lifestyle.’support my family and lifestyle.’

CareersCareers: Advancement in occupation: Advancement in occupation‘‘I expect to be in a higher level job in five years.’I expect to be in a higher level job in five years.’

CallingsCallings: Fulfillment from work itself: Fulfillment from work itself‘‘My work makes the world a better place.’My work makes the world a better place.’


Prior Relevant ResultsPrior Relevant Results Unambiguous in seeing work as a Job, Career, or Unambiguous in seeing work as a Job, Career, or

CallingCalling Associated with different work behaviors and work Associated with different work behaviors and work

and life satisfactionand life satisfaction Each orientation found both across and within Each orientation found both across and within

occupations and organizationsoccupations and organizations Importance of others in experience of workImportance of others in experience of work ““Job crafting”Job crafting”


Work Orientation in Work GroupsWork Orientation in Work Groups

Increasing use of teams in organizations Increasing use of teams in organizations (Hackman, 1998)(Hackman, 1998)

Challenges of coordination and cooperation Challenges of coordination and cooperation (George, 1996)(George, 1996)

Work behaviors and moods affect other Work behaviors and moods affect other members members (Barsade, et al., 2000; Bartel & Saavedra, 2000)(Barsade, et al., 2000; Bartel & Saavedra, 2000)


Research QuestionResearch Question

What happens when people with different What happens when people with different work orientations are interdependent in a work orientations are interdependent in a team context?team context?




Work Groups: Prior ResearchWork Groups: Prior Research Group process and outcomes affected by Group process and outcomes affected by

similarity similarity (Bettenhausen, 1991)(Bettenhausen, 1991)

General preference for similar others General preference for similar others (Berscheid, (Berscheid, 1985)1985)

Similarity on a number of dimensions (e.g., Similarity on a number of dimensions (e.g., affect, demography) promotes satisfaction, affect, demography) promotes satisfaction, commitment, and trust commitment, and trust (Barsade, et al., 2000)(Barsade, et al., 2000)

Personality and demographic difference can Personality and demographic difference can promote conflict, poor rapport and process promote conflict, poor rapport and process (Ancona & Caldwell, 1992; O’Reilly, Snyder, & Boothe, (Ancona & Caldwell, 1992; O’Reilly, Snyder, & Boothe, 1993; Pelled, 1996)1993; Pelled, 1996)


HypothesesHypothesesGroups with a Groups with a higherhigher proportion of proportion of

members with Calling orientations will members with Calling orientations will have have betterbetter team functioning team functioning

Groups with a Groups with a higherhigher proportion of proportion of members with Career orientations will members with Career orientations will have have poorerpoorer team functioning team functioning

Diverse mixes of work orientations will be Diverse mixes of work orientations will be associated with associated with poorerpoorer team functioning team functioning


MethodMethod Survey study of work teams Survey study of work teams N = 266 teams, range in size from 3 to 18, mean N = 266 teams, range in size from 3 to 18, mean

size of 4.6 size of 4.6 Drawn from a wide variety of industries and Drawn from a wide variety of industries and

organizations, from accounting teams to organizations, from accounting teams to emergency room teams to equity arbitrage teamsemergency room teams to equity arbitrage teams

Mean age = 31.9 Mean age = 31.9 Mean tenure with team = 34.9 monthsMean tenure with team = 34.9 months Met criteria for real groups (Hackman, 1998)Met criteria for real groups (Hackman, 1998)


MeasuresMeasuresIndependent VariablesIndependent Variables Work Orientation (Wrzesniewski et al., 1997)Work Orientation (Wrzesniewski et al., 1997) Satisfaction with Work Elements (Satisfaction with Work Elements (Andrews & Andrews &

Withey, 1976)Withey, 1976)

Dependent VariablesDependent Variables Team Identification (Bhattacharya, 2001)Team Identification (Bhattacharya, 2001) Group Process (Taylor & Bowers, 1972)Group Process (Taylor & Bowers, 1972) Faith and Confidence in Management (Cook & Faith and Confidence in Management (Cook &

Wall, 1980)Wall, 1980) Team Commitment (Mowday, Steers, & Porter, Team Commitment (Mowday, Steers, & Porter,

1979) 1979)


Data AnalysisData Analysis

Aggregated group measuresAggregated group measuresSignificant F values in one-way ANOVASignificant F values in one-way ANOVA

(Kenny & Judd, 1986)(Kenny & Judd, 1986) ICC(2) values greater than .75 ICC(2) values greater than .75 ((Bliese, 2000Bliese, 2000))Ran correlations on aggregated dataRan correlations on aggregated data

Individual level analysesIndividual level analysesStepwise regression, predicting attitudes Stepwise regression, predicting attitudes

toward group, controlling for age, gender, toward group, controlling for age, gender, tenure, satisfactiontenure, satisfaction


Initial Results: CallingsInitial Results: CallingsAt the Group Level:At the Group Level:

The higher the proportion of members with The higher the proportion of members with Callings:Callings: Better group processBetter group process Higher commitment to team Higher commitment to team Stronger faith and confidence in management Stronger faith and confidence in management

(range in rs .37 to .54, all rs significant at .001 level)(range in rs .37 to .54, all rs significant at .001 level)

On individual level, Calling associated withOn individual level, Calling associated with :: Identification with Team (Identification with Team (beta .12**)beta .12**) Better Group Process (Better Group Process (beta .05*)beta .05*) Commitment to Team (Commitment to Team (beta .25**)beta .25**)


Initial Results: CareersInitial Results: CareersAt the Group Level:At the Group Level:

The higher the proportion of members with The higher the proportion of members with Careers:Careers:

Poorer group processPoorer group process Lower commitment to team Lower commitment to team Lower faith and confidence in management Lower faith and confidence in management

(range in rs -.34 to -.48, all rs significant at .001 level)(range in rs -.34 to -.48, all rs significant at .001 level)

On individual level, Career associated with:On individual level, Career associated with:Team Identification (Team Identification (beta .07*)beta .07*) Faith and Confidence in Management (Faith and Confidence in Management (beta -.05*)beta -.05*) Team Commitment (Team Commitment (beta -.07*)beta -.07*)


Initial Results: MixInitial Results: Mix

Larger range in work orientation scores in Larger range in work orientation scores in the group is associated with:the group is associated with:Poorer group process (-.17**)Poorer group process (-.17**)Lower commitment to team (-.16**)Lower commitment to team (-.16**)


Potential ContributionsPotential Contributions

Elaborates research on group Elaborates research on group composition and its effectscomposition and its effects

Further develops picture of the role of Further develops picture of the role of work meanings in organizational contextswork meanings in organizational contexts


My QuestionsMy Questions

How to frame this?How to frame this?Can I use the composition argument as a Can I use the composition argument as a

way in?way in?Other data to collect or use?Other data to collect or use?Other ways to parse the data?Other ways to parse the data?


Team IdentificationTeam Identification 6 Items 6 Items (adapted from Bhattacharya, 2001), 1-5 (adapted from Bhattacharya, 2001), 1-5

scalescale When someone criticizes my team, it feels like a personal When someone criticizes my team, it feels like a personal

insult. insult. I am very interested in what others think about my team. I am very interested in what others think about my team. When I talk about my team, I usually say 'we' rather than When I talk about my team, I usually say 'we' rather than

'they'.'they'. My team’s successes are my successes. My team’s successes are my successes. When someone praises my team, it feels like a personal When someone praises my team, it feels like a personal

compliment.compliment. If a story in the media criticized my team, I would feel If a story in the media criticized my team, I would feel

embarrassed.embarrassed.


Group ProcessGroup Process 8 Items (Taylor & Bowers, 1972), 1-5 scale8 Items (Taylor & Bowers, 1972), 1-5 scale Thinking about your work team, to what extent:Thinking about your work team, to what extent:

does your work group plan together and coordinate its does your work group plan together and coordinate its efforts?efforts?

does your work group make good decisions and solve does your work group make good decisions and solve problems well?problems well?

do people in your work group know what their jobs are do people in your work group know what their jobs are and know how to do them well?and know how to do them well?

does your work group really want to meet its objectives does your work group really want to meet its objectives successfully?successfully?

do you have confidence and trust in the people in your do you have confidence and trust in the people in your work group?work group?

is there conflict in your work group?is there conflict in your work group?


Faith and Confidence in Faith and Confidence in ManagementManagement

6 Items (Cook & Wall, 1980), 1-5 scale6 Items (Cook & Wall, 1980), 1-5 scale Management at my firm is sincere in its attempt to Management at my firm is sincere in its attempt to

meet the team’s point of view.meet the team’s point of view. I feel quite confident that the management will I feel quite confident that the management will

always try to treat my team fairly.always try to treat my team fairly. Our management would be quite prepared to gain Our management would be quite prepared to gain

advantage by deceiving the workers.advantage by deceiving the workers. Our firm has a poor future unless it can attract Our firm has a poor future unless it can attract

better managers.better managers. Management can be trusted to make sensible Management can be trusted to make sensible

decisions for the firm’s future.decisions for the firm’s future. Management at work seems to do a good job. Management at work seems to do a good job.


Team CommitmentTeam Commitment 16 items (Porter & Smith, 1970), 1-5 scale16 items (Porter & Smith, 1970), 1-5 scale

I am willing to put in a great deal of effort beyond that I am willing to put in a great deal of effort beyond that normally expected in order to help this team be normally expected in order to help this team be successful. successful.

I feel very little loyalty to this team.I feel very little loyalty to this team. I would accept almost any type of job assignment in order I would accept almost any type of job assignment in order

to keep working with this team.to keep working with this team. I am proud to tell others that I am part of this team.I am proud to tell others that I am part of this team. I could just as well be working with a different team as I could just as well be working with a different team as

long as the type of work were similar. long as the type of work were similar. It would take very little change in my present It would take very little change in my present

circumstances to cause me to leave this team.circumstances to cause me to leave this team. I really care about the fate of this team.I really care about the fate of this team.


Correlations

** Correlation is significant at the .01 level (2-tailed).

* Correlation is significant at the .05 level (2-tailed).

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13

1. Calling --

2. Career -.23** --

3. Team Identification .39** -.09** --

4. Group Process .40** -.19** .49** --

5. Faith & Confidence in Mgmt .32** -.19** .31** .54** --

6. Team Commitment .55** -.25** .61** .73** .52** --

7. Satisfaction People .44** -.14** .49** .72** .61** .72** --

8. Satisfaction Work .58** -.28** .49** .58** .53** .64** .66** --

9. Age .15** -.56** .14** .16** .12** .18** .10** .27** --

10. Sex -.01 -.01 -.04 -.05 -.08** -.11** -.10** .01 .03 --

11. Education .18** -.03 .11** .13** -.03 .05 .06* .14** .18** .09** --

12. Tenure .11** -.49** .06* .12** .12** .13** .08** .19** .74** .05 .06 --

13. Team Tenure .06* -.38** .06* .09** .08** .12** .04 .13** .48** .04 .05 .54** --

Date post:	14-Dec-2015
Category:	Documents
Upload:	pamela-speake
View:	212 times
Download:	0 times

May Meaning Meeting 5/8/04 My Job, Your Calling: Work Orientations in Organizational Teams Amy...

Documents