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    The use of values and social identity to investigate occupational culture : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Psychology at Massey University
    (Massey University, 2001) Ward, Robyn Felicity
    The present study applies the concept of organisational culture to the culture of psychology in New Zealand. It examined, from a multiple cultures perspective, the existence of an overall, general culture of psychology, and as well as investigating the existence of subcultures in groups defined by specialty, role, and sex. The study also provided an opportunity to compare a more traditional approach to investigating culture (values) with a more novel approach (social identity). Members of the New Zealand Psychological Society (n = 174) completed two versions of a Work Values Survey and an Identification Scale as part of a membership survey. Results were analysed using Principal Components Analysis. Analysis of values showed that there was some similarity among psychologists when they considered psychology in general, and some differences when considering their specialty. Differences were also found between academics and practitioners, and males and females. Analysis of identification produced results similar to those of values when looking at specialties and roles, but no differences were found between males and females. The results were discussed in terms of their support for a multiple cultures view, their use to the New Zealand Psychological Society, and their support of the use of Social Identity Theory for investigating cultural complexity in occupations and organisations.
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    Exploring the value a psychological assessment brings to workplace coaching for the purpose of stress reduction and increased job satisfaction : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Psychology at Massey University, Albany, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2015) Prideaux, Deborah Lynne
    This research explored the impact of using a psychological assessment in workplace coaching to reduce stress, and increase job satisfaction and work engagement. Organisations that recognise employees as valuable assets are seeking ways to address stress in the workplace, and increase work engagement, and one of the tools often used is workplace coaching. While it is recognised that coaching is an effective tool for stress management, the aim of this research was to explore if there is any value in adding a psychological assessment to the coaching process. The study sample consisted of 42 individuals from a variety of occupations, genders, ethnicities and age groups, who were all reporting some level of perceived stress. The participants were randomly allocated into two groups, and both groups received four coaching sessions using positive psychology coaching tools, and one group also received a psychological assessment (MBTI) to enable greater data gathering on individual preferences and strengths. The research explored quantitative data from the Perceived Stress Scale and the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale, collected at three time points; Time 1 was collected prior to the start of the coaching programme; Time 2 was collected at the conclusion of the coaching programme; Time 3 was collected two months after the coaching had concluded. Although both groups reported continued reduction is stress levels as a result of the coaching, there was no significant difference between the experimental group (MBTI) and the control group. Work engagement scales showed no significant difference either within or between groups. An unexpected finding was that although ten of the original participants failed to complete the research, all ten were from the control group and the entire experimental group completed the coaching programme. The research has implications for both coaching practitioners and organisations, as both seek to identify tools to address workplace stress, job satisfaction and work engagement that have empirical evidence of effectiveness. Limitations and recommendations for future research are also considered.
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    Contract negotiation in New Zealand : a thesis to be submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Business Studies in Business Psychology
    (Massey University, 1980) Dower, Carol A
    To date, in vivo studies of the process involved in the negotiation of industry contracts has been scarce. This research was an attempt to rectify this point. As such, the research aims were three fold. Firstly, to provide an integration of the many negotiation elements purported to influence negotiation success. Secondly, to develop a set of scales based on the negotiation literature, that would effectively discriminate between negotiators. Thirdly, to validate the derived scales against reality based information. Seventy-five Managers involved in the negotiation of contracts in industry, from twenty-three of New Zealand's top Companies, comprised the research sample. Each subject completed a 50 item questionnaire, based on current negotiation literature relating to the negotiation of contracts in industry. Information obtained from the completed questionnaires was factor analysed to 10 factors. These 10 factors were used in two discriminant analyses. The first discriminant analysis related to company size, with each participating company classified, via a composite criterion of Net Profit, Ordinary Shareholders Funds, and Total Tangible Assets into groupings of Top, Middle and Bottom companies. The relevant information pertaining to this classification was drawn from the 1979 Edition of the New Zealand Economist. The second discriminant analysis was conducted between the four Managerial functions of Production, Purchasing, Marketing and Chief Executives. Information relating to this classification was drawn from the completed questionnaires. The results demonstrated that the 10 derived factors effectively discriminated between companies of various sizes and between managerial functions in terms of negotiation style and orientations adopted toward negotiation.
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    Emotional processes in strategic management : the role of positive and negative affect in biasing perceptions of the organisational environment : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Psychology
    (Massey University, 2000) Galley, Ian
    Effective strategic-level planning and decision-making are vital processes for an organisation's long-term success. Strategic decision-making is difficult to perform effectively due to both the density of data contained in the strategic environment and the often ambiguous and incomplete nature of this data. Daniels (1998) found evidence for a link between perceptions of aspects of the organisational environment germane to strategic decision-making and managers' trait negative affect. The present study sought to replicate this finding and extend this line of research with positive affect. The present study employed a cross-sectional, correlational design. A total of 150 managers employed in a range of businesses in New Zealand returned questionnaire forms mailed out to them. The hypothesis that positive affectivity could influence perceptions of the organisational environment was supported. A systematic relationship in the hypothesised direction was found between Positive affectivity and managers' perceptions of their organisational environments. Contrary to the findings of Daniels (1998), no support was found for a relationship between negative affectivity and managerial perceptions of their organisational environments. Some evidence was also found for an interaction effect between negative and positive affectivity and managerial perceptions of the environment. The implications of the results obtained are that positive affectivity may work to bias the cognitive processes of the strategic decision-maker when he or she is scanning the strategic environment for relevant data. It is concluded that emotion must be considered a substantive factor for future strategic planning research.
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    A survey of mental health in the workplace : a human resource perspective : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Psychology at Massey University
    (Massey University, 1997) Ripley, Nadine T
    The present study is exploratory in nature, utilising the survey method of research to address the topic of occupational mental health. This theme within the broader topic of occupational health and well-being has not previously been explored through the use of a quantitative or qualitative research method in the New Zealand workplace. A questionnaire was constructed to elicit information and develop an understanding of Human Resource practitioners' perceptions and practice concerning various occupational mental health issues. The sample consisted of 625 randomly selected Human Resource practitioners within the Auckland and Wellington regions of New Zealand. The final number of participants who responded to the survey was 164. The Human Resource practitioners acknowledged that organisations have a responsibility to address mental health issues in the workplace. Psychological/emotional issues were perceived as prevalent. The Human Resource practitioners demonstrated an understanding of the high impact of work and non-work stressors on employee psychological health as well as the negative impact that poor employee mental well-being has on organisational outcomes and individual outcomes. Human Resource practitioners perceived primary interventions to be most commonly implemented, followed by tertiary interventions and secondary interventions. Employee Assistance Programmes were reported to be the most prevalent intervention and were perceived to be effective in addressing mental health in the workplace. The implications of the study include the need for an increased understanding of work-based interventions addressing mental health in the workplace to enable the Human Resource practitioners to make informed contributions to organisations taking responsibility to address occupational mental health.
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    Survivors of restructuring : an analysis of the impacts on psychological well-being and work commitment : a thesis presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Masters of Arts in Psychology at Massey University
    (Massey University, 1998) Berkett, Rachel
    Downsizing remains a popular management technique for restructuring organisations. This is despite evidence that, by itself, downsizing often fails to deliver promised benefits and can result in a range of other problems. In the prior literature, little effort has been focused on the people that remain within the organisation, the 'survivors', even though these are the very people who will carry the organisation forward. The present study was designed to examine the impacts of organisational restructuring on these survivors. Specifically, the impacts restructuring has on employees' work commitment and psychological well-being. A total of 98 employees of a large meat processing company participated in the study, which used a questionnaire-based methodology and had an overall response rate of 21%. The results did not identify a relationship between work commitment and psychological well-being, but due to various explanations, this result is not necessarily definitive. On the other hand, the results did indicate that restructuring had clear impacts on employees' levels of work commitment and psychological well-being and that these impacts slowly diminish over time. Site specific data was non-significant, but information on several demographic variables (for example, age, education level, income status, gender, the number of dependents a person has, their length of tenure with the company, and the number of years the employee had worked in their present job) provided very pertinent information.
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    Assessment of the organizational culture profile (OCP) and a study of the relationship between organisational culture and organisational commitment, job satisfaction and culture strength using the OCP : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Psychology at Massey University
    (Massey University, 2004) Henderson, Eileen Anne
    This research was designed to test the factor structure of the Organizational Culture Profile (OCP) and the relationship of the dimensions of culture to 3 outcome variables, organisational commitment, job satisfaction and culture strength. A 158-item questionnaire, including the OCP, additional culture factors, social desirability scales, and measures for 3 outcome variables was distributed throughout a metropolitan hospital. 302 useable responses were analysed. Structural equation modeling using AMOS was used to assess the models. The 10-factor OCP model was not supported, but a 3-factor higher order structure (Task, Relationship and Socialisation) represented the data. An alternative 7-factor structure (Leadership, Planning, Individual Development, Structure, Innovation, Humanistic and Socialisation) was indicated. Chi-square differences favoured the 7-factor over the 3-factor model. Structural models were tested for each outcome variable using the 7-factor model of culture. Organisational commitment and job satisfaction were directly related to the extent to which the organisation develops and up-skills its members. Commitment and job satisfaction were indirectly related to socialisation of new members, through collectivism and collaboration. Encouragement of innovation and creativity were positively related to job satisfaction. However, socialisation was also negatively predictive of two facets of job satisfaction, work conditions and pay/rewards. Structure and the extent policies and procedures limit the actions of staff were negatively related to job satisfaction. The degree of care and respect afforded staff and the free sharing of information were negatively predictive of satisfaction with pay and the nature of work. Those who felt they were respected felt less satisfied with their pay and the type of work they carried out. Culture strength was not related to the cultural dimensions. Results support the theory (Rousseau, 1995) concerning the changing nature of psychological employment contracts. Psychological contracts between employees and organisations have moved from relational (mutual commitment to the relationship and built on trust) to transactional whereby an exchange of services and benefits occurs. The research suggested that in exchange for receiving training and development, staff give the organisation commitment and feel more satisfied with their job. The implications for the healthcare sector are discussed.
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    The importance of employee satisfaction with performance appraisal systems : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Psychology at Massey University, Albany, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2013) Katavich, Karen M
    Although performance appraisals have been in existence for nearly 100 years, little is known about how employees’ reactions to these systems might impact on factors important to organisations. The primary aim of the current study was to investigate the relationship between employee satisfaction with performance appraisal systems, work performance, affective commitment, and intention to leave. A secondary aim of the research was to explore how intrinsic and extrinsic motivation might impact on these relationships, as both these variables were argued as having the potential to moderate these relationships. The sample consisted of N=118 New Zealand professionals working in either the retail or finance industry. After controlling for organisation (one or two), organisational tenure, organisational level (management or staff), and work status (full-time or part-time) it was found that performance appraisal satisfaction accounted for variance in both affective commitment and intention to leave, however, no significant correlation was found with work performance. As there was no significant association between performance appraisal satisfaction and work performance, no moderation was found. The performance appraisal system is often a source of employee dissatisfaction, however, the findings from the current research provide evidence that if employees are satisfied with their appraisal system then this satisfaction has positive benefits for both the organisation and the individual in terms of affective commitment and intention to leave. This study adds to the body of knowledge of why employee performance appraisal satisfaction matters.
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    Relationships among work adjustment variables : a thesis in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology at Massey University
    (Massey University, 1993) Skinner, Monica Jessie
    In the context of changing patterns of work and a growing trend for individuals to occupy more than one position during their working life, knowledge about the factors affecting work adjustment becomes increasingly important to employee and employer alike. The present research investigated the application of aspects of a dominant but relatively unchallenged psychological theory of work adjustment (and its instrumentation) of Dawis and Lofquist ( 1 984). The aspects of particular interest in this area of Occupational , Industrial/Organisational and Vocational Psychology, were the effect of work need correspondence (as moderated by satisfactoriness) on job satisfaction and tenure and the use of the adjustment styles of active, reactive, perseverance and flexibility. A critical evaluation of the theory raised concerns about possible omissions of important variables, about inconsistencies (such as having the key variables of j ob satisfaction and satisfactoriness act mutually as moderators yet be relatively independent of each other) and about the apparent failure of an orthogonal model to represent the relationships among work need factors accurately. The underlying factor structure of work needs was explored using confirmatory factor analytic techniques and the linear structural relations model (LISREL) . Dawis and Lofquist's work need factor analyses were reworked in an empirical study and as part of a meta-analysis . The work adjustment theory was expanded to take account of relationships among constructs with a more cognitive component (such as subjective wellbeing, self-efficacy and locus of control), among social constructs (such as social support and social reference group influences) and among non-work variables (such as satisfaction with quality of life domains) . Vocational issues such as the relationship between occupational fantasy and actual position taken up were explored. The study was of a two-stage longitudinal design with questionnaires administered to a relatively homogeneous group of 377 volunteers from a range of academic disciplines in a New Zealand university towards the last third of their final year of study, prior to graduation and to the 288 remaining in the study sample a year later, the majority of whom were in work. Data about the characteristics of the respondent group including information about their parents and individual work expectations were gathered at stage one. Stage two repeated measures of self-efficacy, locus of control and subjective well-being and sought information to evaluate aspects of work adjustment theory, non-work factors and the work/non-work relationship. The psychological instruments in addition to those of work adjustment theory used were Holland's (1965) Vocational Preference Instrument, The Strong-Campbell Interest Inventory (Hansen, 1985) and the measures used by Campbell, Converse and Rodgers (1976) of happiness, subjective well-being and personal competence. The criticisms of the theory appeared valid and the expanded model outlined fitted the data better than the original of Dawis and Lofquist with the additional variables performing as well or better in the prediction of tenure. Job satisfaction was found to be a better predictor of work adjustment than expected tenure. Job attachment explained more of the variance in the work adjustment model than did expected length of tenure itself. Although correspondence between work needs and work reinforcers usually occurred, only certain work needs when reinforced affected job satisfaction. The factor structure of work needs was found to be hierarchical with two second order factors. One second order factor was interpreted as being intrinsic and involving personal development and growth aspects while the other was more extrinsic in nature involving the work setting, management and working conditions. Just as the first level factors correlated so did the second order factors to produce a single, general work need factor. Not all work needs may need to be reinforced for job satisfaction to occur and perhaps as few as five need to be measured. Adjustment style did not moderate correspondence between all work needs and their reinforcers. The social reference group and the degree of social support were found to be an important influence on the subjective wellbeing of respondents. When taken together a greater amount of variance in subjective wellbeing was accounted for by leisure satisfaction and social support than by job satisfaction. Perceived job satisfactoriness was a better predictor of tenure than job satisfaction. Non-work factors and the relative importance of work and job/lifestyle compatibility were found to be of importance to work adjustment. The implications of the apparent limitations of Dawis and Lofquist's theory of work adjustment are discussed along with the effect of the emergence of a different work need factor structure on the theory's instrumentation.
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    The in basket test as practical psychology : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology at Massey University
    (Massey University, 1982) Smith, Michael Charles
    The aim of this thesis is to demonstrate the value of the in basket test as practical psychology. Practical psychology is defined as applied psychology that is used by practitioners. In the case of personnel selection the practitioners are those who select people for work; this includes a large number and a wide variety of people. For the in basket test to be regarded as practical psychology it was hypothesised that a single variable method of overall assessment of performance on the in basket test should be as good as a multivariate method; the in basket test should be reliable; the single variable approach should be a valid method of assessing performance on the test; and the validity of the in basket test should be demonstrated in an industrial setting. Four studies were conducted to test these hypotheses; a reliability study, a factor analytic study, an assessment of the validity of the in basket test using discriminant analysis, and a study of the test in a meat freezing works. It was concluded that the single variable method of overall assessment of performance on the in basket test was as good as the multivariate method. It was argued that there were inherent difficulties in establishing the reliability of the in basket test, but inter scorer reliability was demonstrated. It was shown that the single variable of overall assessment on the in basket test was valid. The study conducted in a meat freezing works showed that the in basket could be used validly in an industrial setting. As a result of the research and a review of other personnel selection methods and their relationship to practical psychology, it was concluded that work sample tests need to be promoted more psychologists as useful selection methods in industry.