Organizations in Jamaica have been impacted by globalization and the opportunities and challenges of cultural incompatibilities. Most previous studies on cultural incompatibilities have focused on the impact on expatriates leaving a gap in the literature with respect to the implications for host country nationals, and specifically Jamaicans. This quantitative study focused on employees of 2 companies in Jamaica, an energy company and a hospitality company. It examined cultural dissimilarity with respect to host country nationals and expatriates, and its effect on the productivity, job satisfaction, affective commitment, and normative commitment of these employees (N = 110). In addition to the above variables, the study also identified the role that gender, age, and tenure played in these relationships. Diversity theory, social exchange theory, homophily, and repulsion hypothesis formed the theoretical framework for this study, and multiple regression and correlation were utilized in the analysis of the data collected. The results of the study indicated correlation and predictive relationships between/among: culture and job satisfaction; age, gender, and experience in relation to job satisfaction; age, gender, and experience in relation to affective commitment; and culture, age, gender, and experience in relation to affective commitment. Social change implications for this study include the development of country-specific culture awareness training programs for both host country nationals and expatriates. It is further expected that the findings of this study will increase knowledge on the subject and help in the development of human resource management policies and procedures. These policies should aid in improved job attitudes and productivity for host country nationals.

Given the substantial monetary and nonmonetary costs that both employees and organizations can incur as a result of perceived workplace discrimination, it is important to understand the outcomes of perceived workplace discrimination as well as what moderates the discrimination-outcome relationship. While other meta-analyses of perceived discrimination have been published, the current meta-analysis expands prior meta-analytic databases by 81%, increasing the stability of the estimated effects. In addition, several prior meta-analyses have not focused exclusively on workplace discrimination. Consequently, the purpose of this meta-analysis is to provide a comprehensive quantitative review of perceived workplace discrimination, its consequences, and potential moderators of these relationships. Results showed that perceived workplace discrimination was related to decreased job satisfaction, reduced organizational commitment, greater withdrawal, and more perceived organizational injustice. Further, perceived workplace discrimination was associated with decreased mental health and physical health, lower ratings of life satisfaction, and increased work stress. Moderator analyses provided some evidence that perceiving the general presence of discrimination in one's organization may be more detrimental than perceiving oneself to be personally targeted by discrimination at work. Additionally, moderator analyses provided some support that interpersonal discrimination may be more detrimental than formal discrimination for some outcomes and that there may be differences in the perceived workplace discrimination-outcome relationships across different countries. The implications for workplace discrimination research and practice are discussed.

Although the commercially-popular construct of employee engagement has gained attention in scholarly work in recent years, several questions about the construct remain unresolved. In the current paper, I addressed several issues with previous engagement research by (a) meta-analyzing the relationship between employee engagement, task performance, contextual performance, absenteeism, and turnover, (b) using these meta-analytic estimates to fit a series of models in which engagement predicts both specific and broadly-defined work behaviors, and (c) estimating the unique predictive validity of engagement above and beyond job attitudes. Several regression equations and structural equation models were tested using a combination of previous meta-analytic correlations (k = 95) and original meta-analytic correlations (k = 12). Results of the study found that engagement does offer unique incremental validity over several work-related behaviors (task performance, ∆R2 = .037; contextual performance, ∆R2 = .025; turnover, ∆R2 = .083), however this incremental validity has been over-stated in previous research. Results also found that the A-factor (higher order attitudinal construct) is strongly related to behavioral engagement (higher order behavioral construct) (Γ = .62) suggesting that when attitudes and behaviors are examined on the same level of specificity there is a strong predictive relationship between the two. These results suggest that although engagement may not be as unique as previous research has implied it does offer utility in the sense that it acts as a proxy for the A-factor

Fierce competition and re-allocation of firms on a global scale, including processes of substantial downsizing have come to the forefront of attention. The concern is that the global scale of actions cannot be controlled on a local level and may therefore pose a threat to a wide variety of workers. Many of the changes taking place in the economies and labour markets of the industrialised countries may have increased structural job insecurity. Cutbacks and dismissals give rise to feelings of job insecurity. More often employees experience a sense that their jobs are a fragile, threatened privilege, which can be taken away at any time. Employee perception of management efforts to maintain employment security is based on past downsizing thus raising the potential that continued downsizing will increase insecurity and therefore, will decrease both employee desire to participate in decision-making as well as employee satisfaction and commitment to the organisation. Previous research found a consistent negative relationship between perceived job insecurity and both employee satisfaction and commitment. The empirical objective of this study was to determine the relationship between job insecurity, organisational commitment and job satisfaction. A survey design was used to test research hypotheses and to determine the relationship between job insecurity, organisational commitment and job satisfaction. Data from the total population of engineers in a parastatal (N = 60) were gathered. The Job lnsecurity Survey Questionnaire (JISQ), Organisational Commitment Questionnaire (OCQ) and Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire (short version) (MSQ) were administered. The statistical analysis was carried out with the help of the SAS programme. The statistical methods utilised consisted of descriptive statistics, Cronbach Alpha coefficients, inter-item correlations, and Pearson-product moment correlations. Results indicated that engineers do not experience high levels of job insecurity. Furthermore, engineers don't experience low levels of organisational commitment and job satisfaction. Research findings indicated that the Job lnsecurity Survey Questionnaire (JISQ), Organisational Commitment Questionnaire (OCQ) and the Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire (MSQ) are valid and reliable measuring instruments. The findings suggested that a relationship exist between job insecurity, organisational commitment and total job satisfaction. Recommendations for future research were made. / Thesis (M.A. (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2005.

Fierce competition and re-allocation of firms on a global scale, including processes of substantial downsizing have come to the forefront of attention. The concern is that the global scale of actions cannot be controlled on a local level and may therefore pose a threat to a wide variety of workers. Many of the changes taking place in the economies and labour markets of the industrialised countries may have increased structural job insecurity. Cutbacks and dismissals give rise to feelings of job insecurity. More often employees experience a sense that their jobs are a fragile, threatened privilege, which can be taken away at any time. Employee perception of management efforts to maintain employment security is based on past downsizing thus raising the potential that continued downsizing will increase insecurity and therefore, will decrease both employee desire to participate in decision-making as well as employee satisfaction and commitment to the organisation. Previous research found a consistent negative relationship between perceived job insecurity and both employee satisfaction and commitment. The empirical objective of this study was to determine the relationship between job insecurity, organisational commitment and job satisfaction. A survey design was used to test research hypotheses and to determine the relationship between job insecurity, organisational commitment and job satisfaction. Data from the total population of engineers in a parastatal (N = 60) were gathered. The Job lnsecurity Survey Questionnaire (JISQ), Organisational Commitment Questionnaire (OCQ) and Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire (short version) (MSQ) were administered. The statistical analysis was carried out with the help of the SAS programme. The statistical methods utilised consisted of descriptive statistics, Cronbach Alpha coefficients, inter-item correlations, and Pearson-product moment correlations. Results indicated that engineers do not experience high levels of job insecurity. Furthermore, engineers don't experience low levels of organisational commitment and job satisfaction. Research findings indicated that the Job lnsecurity Survey Questionnaire (JISQ), Organisational Commitment Questionnaire (OCQ) and the Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire (MSQ) are valid and reliable measuring instruments. The findings suggested that a relationship exist between job insecurity, organisational commitment and total job satisfaction. Recommendations for future research were made. / Thesis (M.A. (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2005.

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