Thèse numérisée par la Division de la gestion de documents et des archives de l'Université de Montréal

What is the meaning of the Mexican-American's job displacement and participation in a training program? To answer this question, this study adopted hermeneutic phenomenology as a methodological approach. My intention was to search for deep meaning of job displacement followed by entering an educational program. Ten Mexican-American individuals who had been displaced from their job due to economic and trade reasons, and who later participated in a retraining program, were interviewed. Tentative themes were drawn from the analysis, and 15 thematic categories were confirmed after follow-up interviews. The themes were: Mexican-American Culture, Machismo, Self-determination, Resilience, Union Membership, Job Security, Have Someone Advocate for Their Rights, Job Displacement, Trade-related Closure, Breach of the Psychological Contract, Emotional Distress, Education and Retraining, Entrepreneurship and Problems with Workforce Benefits. The themes were expanded based on participants' words and then discussed through a post-analysis literature review. Recommendations were made to government and non-government organizations advocating for a potential change in policies. Recommendations were also provided to healthcare providers and to U.S. American workers. Finally, recommendations were made for future research.

This research investigates the new psychological contract phenomenon in an organisational case study. The research question underpinning this study is - What are the core attributes of the new employment relationship? To investigate this research question, the researcher applied Noer's (1997) new employment relationship model to a disproportionate stratified sample of 19 participants from three organisational perspectives in an Australian-based international travel retail organisation, Flight Centre Limited, which specialises in the sale of discount international airfares. Data from a survey instrument were analysed using a "Multi-source Assessment" instrument. The data analysis method was used to create a schema to guide and inform a series of focus groups. The research findings validated Noer's five attributes of Flexible Employment, Customer-focus, Focus on Performance, Project-based Work and Human Spirit & Work. In addition, three other attributes of the new employment relationship emerged from the data, namely, Loyalty & Commitment, Learning & Development and Open Information. The research findings validate eight core attributes of the new employment relationship and therefore make a contribution to the expanding body of research in this field. The research approach also provides organisational practitioners with a unique consulting methodology to merge the changing needs and interests of individual and organisation.

Made available in DSpace on 2010-04-20T20:15:06Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 1997-04-25T00:00:00Z / A partir de um estudo exploratório sobre o comprometimento organizacional, o trabalho destaca os desafios colocados para as intervenções de mudança na realidade não só organizacional como pessoal. Enquanto estratégia de estudo do comportamento humano no trabalho, tem-se, no conceito de comprometimento, um elo para se estudar também o comportamento das organizações. Destarte, é apresentado o contrato psicológico - o elemento mediador da relação indivíduo-organização, com base nos fatores organizacionais e pessoais que determinam o comportamento organizacional. Sua análise é baseada em pesquisa bibliográfica, bem como complementada com pesquisa de campo. A proposição de contrato psicológico como condicionante permite situar o processo de construção de comprometimento organizacional tendo em vista que ele predispõe, de alguma forma, o indivíduo para se comportar segundo padrões internalizados, conforme seu cálculo de motivação e seu processo de tomada de decisões no que se refere à mudança e ao desenvolvimento organizacional. O trabalho conclui que comprometimento organizacional apresenta uma anatomia e em uma fisiologia que fazem emergir contratos psicológicos sadios ou patológicos. / From an exploring study about organizational commitment, this work presents the challenges for an intervention of reality change, not only organizational, but personal as well. As a study strategy of human behavior at the work place, it has in the concept of commitment, a link to also study organizations behaviors. Moreover, it presents the psychological contract - the mediating element of the person-organization relationship - as the basis of organizational and personal factors which determine the organizational behavior. Its analysis is based on bibliographic research complemented by field researches. The psychological contract proposition, as a conditioning factor, allows one to find the building process of an organizational commitment, having in mind that it predisposes, in some way, the person to behave according to internaI patterns and also according to his understanding of motivation and his decision making process referring to changes and to organizational development. The work concludes that organizational commitment presents an anatomy and physiology that result in healthy or pathologic contracts.

Submitted by Marcia Bacha (marcia.bacha@fgv.br) on 2011-09-22T18:13:18Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Fabio Cipolla.pdf: 909425 bytes, checksum: 8f2b0e8b6aae1adc456c6990dafc3588 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Marcia Bacha (marcia.bacha@fgv.br) on 2011-09-22T18:13:32Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 Fabio Cipolla.pdf: 909425 bytes, checksum: 8f2b0e8b6aae1adc456c6990dafc3588 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Marcia Bacha (marcia.bacha@fgv.br) on 2011-09-22T18:13:42Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 Fabio Cipolla.pdf: 909425 bytes, checksum: 8f2b0e8b6aae1adc456c6990dafc3588 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2011-09-22T18:13:52Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Fabio Cipolla.pdf: 909425 bytes, checksum: 8f2b0e8b6aae1adc456c6990dafc3588 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011 / Looking for superior performance of human capital is a key for organizations to exercise greater competitiveness and to achieve higher levels of competition. For this purpose, to conquer the greater involvement of workers is fundamental to improve individual performance and stands out as the main way to build enduring competitive advantage in organizations where, to the leader, is delegated the role of motivator. Recent studies reveal a new approach to understanding the impact of leadership on subordinates. The authenticity. The true leader has the merit of generating self-efficiency on their subordinates, and be perceived through the respect he treats his subordinates, showing high consistency in their actions. This leader assesses the views of their subordinates, provides feedback on performance and possesses values that lead him to be fair, and has the ability to extract extra effort of their team. Therefore, the more 'authentic as a person,' the more you can directly impact the effectiveness of their followers. But this study revealed that there is a component of mediation between the leader and the largest authentic organizational commitment. The psychological contract. In its relational dimension, especially, the psychological contract is said to mediate the relationship between the authenticity of the leader and the largest team commitment, in other words, the authenticity of the leader shapes the way the individual is linked to the organization, so this is an out stand finding and help us to understand what are the real factors influencing the increased performance of employees. / Buscar desempenho superior do capital humano é fator chave para as organizações exercerem maior competitividade e atingir níveis superiores ao da concorrência. Para este intento, conquistar o maior comprometimento dos trabalhadores é fundamental para aumentar o desempenho individual e, se destaca como a principal via para construção de vantagem competitiva duradoura nas organizações onde, ao líder, é delegado o papel de motivador. Estudos recentes desvendam uma nova abordagem para compreender o impacto da liderança sobre os subordinados. A autenticidade. O líder autêntico tem por mérito gerar auto-eficiência em seus liderados, é através do respeito com que trata seus subordinados, demonstra elevada consistência em seus atos, avalia os pontos de vista de seus comandados, provê retorno sobre desempenho e possue valores que o levam a ser justo, tendo ainda, a capacidade de extrair de seus liderados esforço adicional. Portanto, quanto mais 'autêntica como pessoa', mais poderá impactar diretamente na eficácia de seus seguidores. Mas, este estudo revelou que há um componente de mediação entre o líder autêntico e o maior comprometimento organizacional. O contrato psicológico. Em sua dimensão relacional, principalmente, que trata de lealdade e estabilidade, o contrato psicológico se destacou por mediar a relação entre a autenticidade do líder e o maior comprometimento da equipe, ou seja, a autenticidade do líder molda a forma como o indivíduo se vincula à organização, sendo assim uma descoberta relevante a qual nos auxilia a compreender quais são os verdadeiros fatores que influenciam no maior comprometimento e, conseqüente, aumento no desempenho dos trabalhadores.

During times of organisational change and restructuring, employees, are often placed in acting positions. Consciously, organisations frame their reasons for this practice as preparing the system for a new strategy, organisational structure, work distribution and leadership challenges. This implies that the conscious reasons for using acting as a human resources practice may not be sound, leading to a question about the possibility of unconscious collusions operating in the system. From an unconscious perspective, it can be hypothesised that this practice represents how organisations respond to its unprocessed unconscious anxieties inherent to change, transformation and adapting to new ways of thinking, operating and functioning. This research was done using systems psychodynamics as theoretical paradigm and theory, offering a depth-psychology organisational theory, OD consultancy and qualitative research stance which differentiate between conscious and unconscious. The unconscious contains anxiety against which the system defends, specifically, by using dependence, fight/flight, pairing, me-ness and we-ness. Role identity consists of the normative, existential and phenomenal roles. If the three role parts are similar, anxiety is contained and bearable. When there are splits between the three role parts, persecutory and paranoid anxiety exists. The acting professionals’ normative role was relatively clear. In their existential role they introjected confusion, uncertainty, splits about their competence, doubt in their own authority, shame, and conflict in their view of the other. In their phenomenal role they received projections from the organisation about incompetence and denigration. The findings indicated how acting professionals experienced different kinds and intensities of anxiety. They got confused about their primary task, and the differences between their normative, existential and phenomenal roles caused high levels of performance anxiety. They struggled to manage their personal and work boundaries and the system de-authorised them by withholding information and feedback about their contribution to the organisation and their acting tenure. Acting professionals experienced being seduced by the power of the organisation, their careers being placed on hold, and being bullied by the systemic illness and toxicity in the organisational. It was concluded that the organisational system unconsciously uses acting positions as a psychodynamic container of organisational change anxiety. / Industrial and Organisational Psychology / Ph.D. (Consulting Psychology)

Les cadres pendulaires à l’international représentent une catégorie de personnel émergente. Au gré de leurs missions à envergure internationale, ils navettent chaque semaine entre leur siège social et un pays du monde. Ils ne sont ni des expatriés, ni des cadres traditionnels. Qui sont-ils exactement ? Quelle dispositif de gestion est mis en place pour eux au sein des entreprises ? Leurs difficultés sont elles connues et reconnues ? Autant de questions que la littérature scientifique n’a pas encore abordées alors que le recours à la mobilité internationale de court terme a augmenté de 10% depuis 2002 et s’intensifiera encore dans les cinq ans à venir, les prévisions faisant état d’un accroissement de 20%. Poursuivant un objectif exploratoire, notre recherche pose la question de la caractérisation des cadre pendulaires à l’international et de leur relation au travail. Pour cela, nous avons mobilisé un ensemble de méthodes diversifiées (méthodes qualitatives, analyses de données quantitatives et utilisation du diary study) et des cadres théoriques d’analyse complémentaires (le modèle exigences-ressources (Demerouti et al., 2001) et le contrat psychologique (Rousseau, 1989). La recherche se compose de trois études complémentaires. La première étude quantitative (1 841 participants), qui a été réalisée en partenariat avec l’APEC, s’est ainsi focalisée sur l’examen des contours et caractéristiques des cadres pendulaires à l’international, mettant en évidence la similarité de leur niveau d’épuisement et de bien être émotionnel avec celui des cadres pendulaires nationaux et des cadres sédentaires ; elle a confirmé que cette catégorie de personnel, plus diversifiée que celle des expatriés, plus féminisée, avec des profils d’expert aussi bien que de managers, se comporte d’une manière spécifique. A travers la collecte de récits de vie (10 participants), la deuxième étude a, quant à elle, permis de définir le contrat psychologique des cadres pendulaires à l’international : ces derniers sacrifient leur temps, au détriment de la vie privée, en échange d’une évolution et d’un enrichissement professionnels. Des conflits entre les domaines de vie émergent lorsque que le navettage international menace le bien-être des proches ; le soutien du conjoint se présente alors comme une ressource primordiale, la troisième étude (30 participants), de type diary study, a mis en relief l’importance de certaines ressources pour la gestion au quotidien de ce type de mobilité : les opportunités professionnelles de développement et le détachement psychologique permettraient de contenir le niveau d’épuisement professionnel des cadres lors des déplacements. Des recommandations ont été émises afin que les entreprises apprennent à valoriser les cadres pendulaires à l’international. Ces derniers, intermédiaires entre le siège social et les filiales des multinationales, véhiculent l’information et la culture organisationnelle.C’est pourquoi ils représentent une valeur intangible fondamentale pour l’organisation. / Managers who commute internationally represent an emerging category of personnel. During their international missions, they commute weekly between their headquarters and other worldwide locations. They are neither expatriates, nor sedentary managers. Who exactly are they? What organizational policies and procedures have been implemented to manage and help them? Are their difficulties known and recognized? So many questions that the literature has not yet addressed, whereas the use of shortterm international mobility has increased by 10% since 2002 and a further mobility intensification is foreseen? in the next five years (20% increase). Following an exploratory objective, our research focused on the characterization of the managers who commute internationally and their relationship with the workplace. We utilized several methods (qualitative and quantitative methods, use of the diary study) and complementary theoretical frameworks (Job-Demands – Resources Model (Demerouti and al., 2001) and Psychological Contract (Rousseau, 1989)). Our work consisted of three studies. The first quantitative study (1.841 participants), lead through a partnership with APEC, examined the contours and characteristics of the managers who commute internationally, highlighting the similarity of their level of exhaustion and emotional well-being with that of national commuters and sedentary managers. It confirmed that this category of personnel, more diversified than the expatriates, more feminized, experts as well as managerial profiles, was characterized by a specific behavior. Through the collection of life stories (1 0 participants), the second study defined the psychological contract of the managers who commute internationally: those that sacrificed their time, to the detriment of their private life, in exchange of professional career and enrichment. Conflicts between private and professional life emerged when the international commuting threatened the family well-being; in this situation, spousal support was considered a primary resource. The third study (30participants), a diary study, highlighted the importance of certain resources to manage daily this kind of mobility: professional opportunities, development and psychological detachment limited the burnout level during the mission. Finally, recommendations were addressed in order to improve the organizational valorization of the managers who commute internationally. Indeed, these later are the intermediary between the headquarters and the subsidiaries of multinationals, they diffuse the organizational information and culture. They represent a fundamental intangible value that the organization has to care of. / I quadri pendolari internazionali rappresentano una categoria di personale emergente. A seconda delle loro missioni internazionali, viaggiano ogni settimana tra la loro sede di lavoro e altri paesi per il mondo. Essi non sono né degli espatriati e né dei quadri tradizionali. Chi sono realmente? Quale strumento di gestione ha implementato l’azienda per inquadrarli? Si conoscono le loro difficoltà ? Sono queste prese in considerazione dall’azienda? Tante domande che la letteratura non ha ancora affrontato, mentre l'uso della mobilità internazionale a breve termine è aumentato del 10% dal 2002 e tenderà ad intensificarsi ulteriormente nei prossimi cinque anni, con una crescita prevista del 20%. Con un obiettivo esplorativo, questa ricerca si interessa alla caratterizzazione dei quadri pendolari nella mobilità internazionale e della loro relazione con il lavoro. Lo studio è basato su un insieme di metodologie diversificate (metodologia qualitativa, analisi di dati quantitativi, uso del metodo diary study), su dei modelli teorici di analisi complementari (il JD-R Model (Demerouti et al., 2001) ed su il contratto psicologico (Rousseau, 1989). 3 studi complementari sono stati condotti. Il primo studio quantitativo (1 841 partecipanti) è concentrato sull'esame dei contorni e caratteristiche dei quadri pendolari internazionali, mettendo in evidenza la similarità del loro livello di esaurimento e di benessere emotivo con quello dei pendolari nazionali e quadri sedentari ; ha confermato che questa categoria di personale, più diversificata degli espatriati, più femminilizzata, includendo dei profili sia di esperti che di manager, si comporta in un determinato modo. Attraverso la raccolta di storie di vita (10 partecipanti), il secondo studio, a sua volta, ha definito il contratto psicologico dei quadri pendolari internazionali, essi sacrificano (a discapito della loro vita privata) il loro tempo in cambio di una evoluzione e di un arricchimento professionali. I conflitti tra le sfere di vita emergono quando il pendolarismo internazionale minaccia il benessere delle famiglie; il sostegno del coniuge si presenta allora come una risorsa fondamentale. Infine, il terzo studio (30 partecipanti), di tipo diary study, ha evidenziato l'importanza di alcune risorse per la gestione quotidiana di questo tipo di mobilità: opportunità di sviluppo professionale e distacco psicologico potrebbero contenere il livello di esaurimento professionale durante le trasferte. Infine, sono state suggerite delle raccomandazioni affinché le organizzazioni imparino a valorizzare questa categoria di personale che, facendo spola tra la sede centrale e le filiali delle multinazionali, è portatrice dell’informazione e della cultura dell’ organizzazione e costituisce un rilevante valore immateriale dell’azienda stessa.

Empowerment has been a popular concept in management and leadership practice and research for more than forty years. The intentions behind empowerment at the workplace are positive: empowered employees should experience a greater degree of influence, decision-making latitude, and meaningfulness. This is achieved through transfers of power, such as increases in autonomy and responsibility. Although empowerment efforts have often been shown to successfully result in empowered and highly involved employees, there has also been research that shows the opposite: the so-called paradox of empowerment is a well-known problem that refers to failed empowerment efforts through which beneficiaries feel disempowered rather than empowered. This thesis comprises three papers intended to contribute to empowerment research and practice within a sociological framework that offers a better understanding of implicit assumptions between employer and employee and the unintended consequences these can have on the outcome of empowerment change efforts. The analyses utilize a communicative approach in line with sociological and social-psychological theories of communication and interaction. The first two papers are theoretical analyses, one examining the general concept of empowerment (Paper I), the other focusing more specifically on empowerment in workplace contexts (Paper II). Paper III is an empirical analysis that investigates some of the theoretical assumptions made in Papers I and II. The first paper analyzes empowerment from a sociological point of view and identifies possible mechanisms behind the paradox of empowerment. It is argued that such paradoxes may evolve from discrepancies between approaching empowerment from a purely economic and structural perspective versus a communicative and relational one. It concludes with the observation that, although their agency may be increased on a structural level, empowerees may experience a parallel decrease of agential options on a communicative level. The second paper deals with empowerment at the workplace as a management or leadership technique. Focusing on relational aspects, a “basic communicative structure” is identified. This is analyzed as comprising a contractual and a communicative context that should be taken into consideration by empowerers in order to avoid misunderstandings in the recipients’ sensemaking processes. Paper II concludes by arguing that the way recipients make sense of their roles and situations as defined by employment and/or psychological contracts might not necessarily be in line with the communicative meanings they ascribe to the change agents’ actions, and vice versa. The third paper analyzes employees’ orientations and attitudes toward empowerment and the relevance of their attitudes for the success of empowerment efforts. These issues are explored by means of survey data from 268 employees in the Swedish retail sector. Results indicate that age and work intensity (part-time vs. full-time), as well as cohabitation status may have significant impacts on how empowerment efforts are approached and received by employees. The thesis as a whole provides insights into sociological issues of empowerment, both generally and particularly in management and leadership contexts and concludes that the communicative context of empowerment interactions plays a significant role in employees’ empowerment orientations. / <p>At the time of the doctoral defense, the following papers were unpublished and had a status as follows: Paper 2: Manuscript. Paper 3: Manuscript.</p>

Under de senaste decennierna har HRs roll förändrats inom organisationerna. Från att vara enlägre administrativ funktion har HR ökat i betydelse och anses idag vara en strategisk resurs,vilket har lett till att begreppet SHRM myntats. Inom SHRM återfinns rekrytering, hanteringav humankapitalet och bevarande aktiviteter. Fokus bör ligga på bevarandet av nyckelmedarbetaresom är viktiga för organisationens konkurrenskraft på arbetsmarknaden när det idag tillstor del är arbetstagarens marknad. Syftet med vår studie är att undersöka hur organisationeranvänder HR-funktionen för att locka nyckelmedarbetare att stanna kvar, med fokus på framgångsfaktorer för ett lyckat strategiskt HR-arbete, samt dess påverkan på det psykologiska kontraktet. Vi har använt oss utav kvalitativa intervjuer med tre informanter som ingår i en organisations ledningsgrupp. Materialet har sammanställts och analyserats genom en tolkande ansats där vi med stöd av tidigare forskning identifierat relevanta begrepp som undersökts empiriskt. De slutsatser som vi kan dra om SHRM som arbetssätt är att det krävs kunskap och insikt hos ledningen om vad för potential HR-funktionen har att bidra med till organisationen för att kunna implementera SHRM som arbetssätt. Angående bevarande åtgärder för att behålla nyckelmedarbetare bör organisationer först och främst tillkännage att nyckelmedarbetare finns för att de ska kunna motiveras till att vilja arbeta med bevarande aktiviteter för att behålla dessa. Vi kan även dra slutsatsen att det psykologiska kontraktet bortprioriteras när personalomsättning har blivit en naturlig del av organisationens vardag. / Great changes have occurred in HR over the last few decades. From being a lower, administrativefunction, HR has developed to a strategic resource in, operating in the higher levels of the organization, which has lead to the development of SHRM. Within the field of SHRM we can find recruitment, management of human capital and activities to decrease turnover. Attention should be paid to retain key employees whom are of great importance for creating a competitive advantage for the organization on the labor market. The purpose of this study is to investigate how organizations use the HR-function to increase retention among key employees; focusing on success factors for a strategic HR-work and its effect on the psychological contract. We've used qualitative interviews containing three informants that represent an organizations operational management team. The material has been assembled and analyzed through an interpreting approach where we, supported by theories and previous research, have identified relevant terms that have been investigated empirically. A conclusion regarding SHRM, as a practice, is that it demands a high level of knowledge and insight within the operational management team regarding the diversity of HR and how it can contribute to the organization in order to be implemented within the organization. Regarding activities to decrease turnover to keep key employees, organizations primarily need to signify the existence of key employees to even consider wanting to work with these kinds of activities. Furthermore, we have identified the lack of priority that the psychological contract gets if turnover has become a natural part of the everyday life within the organization.

One of the challenges imposed by the 21st century is to retain talented staff by keeping employees engaged in their work. Engagement in itself is a complex construct, which still requires much clarification. One of the gaps in the literature is the link between engagement and the competencies required by individuals to craft a career in the 21st century. These competencies are referred to as psychological career resources (Coetzee, 2008). This study was conducted in a medium-sized South African software and services organisation using a random sample of 111 consultants. The primary objective of the study was to investigate the relationship between psychological career resources (career preferences, career values, career enablers, career drivers and career harmonisers) and engagement (dedication, vigour and absorption). The second and third objectives were to find whether there were any significant differences between individuals who differed as to gender, age, marital status, occupational field, occupational level and department in which employed with regard to engagement and psychological career resources. A further objective was to establish the dominant psychological career resources and engagement constructs of the consultants in the sample. The data was collected using the 9-item U-WES (Utrecht Work Engagement Scale) and the PCRI (Psychological Career Resources Inventory). The study found that behavioural adaptability and self-esteem have a significant impact on vigour and dedication, while behavioural adaptability also has a significant impact on absorption. This study could contribute meaningful information to the field of well-being and career development, allowing professionals to assist individuals in developing career competencies that contribute to engagement and ultimately to well-being. / Dissertation (MCom)--University of Pretoria, 2012. / Human Resource Management / unrestricted