Based on an integration of job design and lifespan developmental theories, Truxillo et al. (2012) proposed that job characteristics interact with employee age in predicting important work outcomes. Using an experimental policy-capturing design, we investigated age-differential effects of four core job characteristics (i.e., job autonomy, task variety, task significance, and feedback from the job) on job attraction (i.e., individuals' rating of job attractiveness). Eighty-two employees between 19 and 65 years (Mage = 41, SD = 14) indicated their job attraction for each of 40 hypothetical job descriptions in which the four job characteristics were systematically manipulated (in total, participants provided 3,280 ratings). Results of multilevel analyses showed that the positive effects of task variety, task significance, and feedback from the job were stronger for younger compared to older employees, whereas we did not find significant age-differential effects of job autonomy on job attraction. These findings are only partially consistent with propositions of Truxillo et al.'s (2012) lifespan perspective on job design.

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Realistic scenarios were evaluated to determine whether participants would make ethical/ unethical decisions in the face of various dilemmas. 3 factors were systematically varied throughout 32 different scenarios: accountability, deception, and profitability. A personality variable, locus of control was also explored for its relationship to ethical decision making. Subjects were 25 managers from a national car rental company as well as 21 undergraduate students. In a policy-capturing analysis of the ethical reasoning process., we found neither managers nor students used consistent policies in their decision making. Regression analyses revealed that locus of control orientation did not influence number of ethical decisions made. Implications for the study of ethical decision making are discussed. / Master of Science

Il progetto di ricerca riguarda le decisioni di disinvestimento ed il coinvolgimento del management di livello intermedio nelle iniziative di disinvestimento. L’obiettivo principale è quello di comprendere il processo decisionale sottostante alle decisioni di disinvestimento nelle grandi aziende multinazionali, con particolare attenzione agli asset di business. I manager di livello intermedio sono chiamati spesso a valutare gli asset di business e scegliere quali tenere e quali vendere, nell’ambito del portafoglio di asset detenuti da un’azienda. Utilizzando il framework di dynamic capabilities, ai fini della presente ricerca, abbiamo adottato una metodologia mista, che ci ha permesso di raccogliere le prime evidenze da un case study, tornare alla letteratura di management per una review di quanto scritto in precedenza e costruire la sezione più innovativa di questo lavoro, ossia l’esperimento di policy capturing. Tramite delle interviste fatte a manager di livello intermedio in una multinazionale europea, sono state individuate quattro prospettive teoriche che possono spiegare i determinati che hanno portato alla dismissione di un asset, ossia real option theory, transaction cost economics, resource-based view e new institutionalism. Il gap di ricerca è stato individuato nel fatto che gli studi condotti in precedenza si sono focalizzati principalmente sul disinvestimento di business unit o filiali e hanno basato le analisi prevalentemente su dati secondari. L’esperimento di policy capturing è stato usato per catturare quali fattori realmente influenzano le valutazioni dei manager di livello intermedio nel momento in cui sono chiamati a valutare la dismissione di asset di business. Il nostro obiettivo è quello di sviluppare e testare un framework teorico derivante da un fenomeno osservato, che origina dalla pratica manageriale. L’interesse è stato guidato principalmente da un gap percepito tra la teoria e la pratica in merito alle decisioni di disinvestimento e l’impressione che quanto saggiamente descritto nei libri di management non sia diffusamente utilizzato nella pratica. / This research project addresses divestment decisions and the involvement of middle management in divestiture initiatives. The main goal is to understand the practice of divestment decision-making in multinational multibusiness corporations, with a focus on the divestment of business unit assets. Middle managers are routinely asked to assess business unit assets and choose the ones to keep and the ones to be divested within the firm’s portfolio of assets. Within the dynamic capabilities framework, as for the purpose of this research project, we adopted a mixed methodology that allowed us collect useful insights from a case study, go back to the management literature for a structured review and open up the way to the most innovative section of this work, the policy capturing experiment. Middle managers inside a European multinational corporation were interviewed, providing evidence for four main theoretical lenses that can explain determinants related to asset divestment decisions, namely real option theory, transaction cost economics, resource-based view and new institutionalism. A clear research gap was identified as a consequence of the major focus of prior research on business unit or subsidiary divestments and the predominant use of secondary data. The policy capturing instrument, drawing from the four theoretical lenses, is used to capture which factors influence middle managers assessment of the divestment of business unit assets. Our intent is to develop and test a theoretical framework about an existing phenomenon, originating from the management practice. This interest was mainly driven by a perceived gap between theory and practice about divestment decisions and by the belief that the conventional wisdom of management textbooks is not widely used in practice.

Understanding organizational behavior (OB) has profoundly influenced organizational performance and how people behave in organizations. Researchers have suggested various micro and macro organizational behaviors to be the impetus for high-performing organizations. Through a policy capturing approach this study builds on these findings by specifically examining the perceptions of micro and macro organizational behaviors in an organizational setting. The participants (n =181) completed a Micro and Macro Organizational Behavior Perceptions Questionnaire. Results showed perception differences exist between subordinates and supervisors. Additionally, participants perceived job satisfaction to be the most important micro organizational behavior, whereas organizational design was perceived to be the most important macro organizational behavior. However when comparing hierarchal positions in the organization, supervisors weighted leadership as the most important and subordinates weighted job satisfaction as the most important organizational behavior. While these findings only scratch the surface as to how organizational behavior is perceived, the implications challenge leaders to close the OB perception gap. Correspondingly, organizational behavior thinking may result in improving individual and organizational performance.

During the past twenty years, extensive research has been conducted concerning the judgmental processes of labor arbitrators. Previous research, sometimes referred to as policy capturing, attempted to identify the criteria or standards used by arbitrators to support their decisions. Much of the research was qualitative. Due to the categorical nature of the dependent variables, log-linear models such as logit regression have been used to examine decisional relationships in more recent studies. The decision cues used by arbitrators in 249 published alcohol- and drug-related arbitration cases were examined. The justifications for arbitrators' decisions were fitted into Carroll Daugherty's "seven tests" of just cause. The dominant cues were proof of misconduct, the appropriateness of the penalty, and the business necessity of management's action. Foreknowledge of the rule by the grievant and the consequences of a violation, equal treatment of the grievant, and an appropriate investigation by management were also important decision cues. In general, grievants in alcohol and drug arbitration cases fared as well as grievants in any other disciplinary arbitrations. However, when the cases were analyzed based on the legal status of the drug, illicit drug users were at a considerable disadvantage.