Initiative in Work Teams: Lever between Authentic Leadership and Results.

Background: The central point of this study is team initiative, and we analyzed how the theoretical model of antecedents and consequents of personal initiative contribute to explaining the relationship between team initiative and its antecedents and consequents. Authentic leadership is proposed as the antecedent, and the consequent leads to two types of outcomes, one of which is related to employee well-being, and the other is related to performance. However, little is known about what occurs in this relationship once the focus shifts to the team level. From a team perspective, with the label team initiative, we propose a collective construct defined similarly to personal initiative. This study shows the relationship between team initiative and its two consequences, team work engagement and performance, which are measured in terms of team productivity by the leader. Methods: Our model was tested in a field study with 344 employees of 79 work teams belonging to 55 organizations. Results: The analysis of the results using SEM and a regression analysis supported our main hypotheses. Conclusions: The finding that initiative is related to performance establishes the importance of initiative at the team level. It also emphasizes its impact on employee well-being through team work engagement and suggests the importance of authentic leadership.

Lactation and Work: Managers' Support for Breastfeeding Enhance Vertical Trust and Organizational Identification.

BACKGROUND: In working women, there are barriers when combining the mother and work role, especially during the breastfeeding period. Recent literature shows that improving organizational support increases trust performance via different domains (i.e., organizational identification) and that improving support for breastfeeding increases lactation rates and duration. Breastfeeding support in the workplace is one component that contributes to a mother's ability to continue to breastfeed once she has returned to work. This is a Human Resource Management practice that facilitates a work-life balance. Working mothers have, at least, two roles: mother and worker and, when mothers return to work, they have to manage both identities. Is lactation a way to keep both identities connected? Is organizational support of breastfeeding a way to improve organizational identification? The aim of this paper is to analyze a hierarchical model to explain how managers and co-worker support to breastfeeding predict trust and organizational identity in a sample of Spanish working mothers (N = 1,028). MATERIALS AND METHODS: To analyze the indirect effect, it was tested using a mediation model with PROCESS in two random samples and carried out structural equation modeling to confirm structural relationship in the proposed model. RESULTS: Outcomes reveal effects of managers' support to lactation and vertical trust in organizational identity but not in co-worker path. CONCLUSION: The findings suggest the manager's role in maintaining trust from working women and create and maintenance organizational identification.

Team Efficiency in Organizations: A Group Perspective on Initiative.

Organizational research has shown that personal initiative is related to both climate for initiative and work engagement. Yet little is known about what happens to this relationship once the focus shifts to the team level. When organizational and team goals are involved this renders the relationship more complex, and team identification and organizational identification are likely to be key to understanding it. In this paper we develop a model to deal with these complexities. This predicts (a) that team identification will impact on team initiative through team work engagement while (b) organizational identification will impact on team initiative through climate for initiative. It is also expected that team initiative will, in turn, impact on team productivity, and on radical innovation as evaluated by the team leader. This model was tested in a field study with 327 participants of 76 workteams belonging to 50 organizations. Results of SEM and regression analysis supported our main hypotheses. Findings showed that initiative is related to performance and also underline the importance of initiative at a team level. At the same time they suggest that to develop teams with high levels of initiative it is important to promote both organizational and team identification.

Too soon to worry? Longitudinal examination of financial planning for retirement among Spanish aged workers.

The present study analyzes the relationship between three distal antecedents-financial literacy, confidence in retirement, and economic well-being-and financial planning for retirement evaluated at two different times. We used longitudinal data with repeated measures of financial planning for retirement obtained from a sample (N = 269) of active Spanish workers aged 45-62 years. The results confirm that self-perceived financial knowledge, confidence in retirement, and economic well-being are associated with financial planning for retirement at three and six months. The stability of financial planning for retirement over time was a relevant finding in the present research, even though different measures have been employed in the two waves and financial planning decreases slightly at three months. While the first step of planning, at three months, has predictive power over the second, at six months, there are possible moderators in the relationship between financial planning for retirement at time 1 and time 2, which were not explored. The implications of the results both for financial education and Policy-makers are discussed. Future lines of research can explore these relationships including objective measures of income, as wealth accumulation.

The effects of work engagement and self-efficacy on personal initiative and performance.

BACKGROUND: Two popular concepts, work engagement and personal initiative, are different but related constructs. This study is based on and extends the Frese and Fay (2001) model of personal initiative (PI) by including work engagement (WE) and self-efficacy as antecedents of PI, and performance as a consequence. METHOD: Two studies (study 1, with a cross-sectional design using N = 396 participants from 22 organizations, and study 2, with a longitudinal design conducted in two waves with N = 118 participants from 15 organizations) test the hypotheses. RESULTS: Structural equation modeling and the PROCESS SPSS Macro were used to test the hypothesized mediating role of personal initiative in work engagement and performance, and the results show the indirect effect of WE on performance through PI. CONCLUSIONS: The results of these two studies confirmed our hypotheses: WE and self-efficacy lead to higher PI, which, in turn, leads to higher performance. In addition to considering WE as an antecedent of PI, the results lead to considering PI as an antecedent of performance.

Economic Cognitions Among Older Adults: Parental Socialization Predicts Financial Planning for Retirement.

Drawing on the model on financial planning for retirement (FPR), the aim of this work is to explore how parental economic socialization both directly and indirectly affects FPR through the mediation of financial literacy, financial planning decisions and financial management. Data from a sample of 280 participants aged between 45 and 63 years were used. The results show that parental economic socialization directly and indirectly influences FPR. Moreover, parental economic behavior acts as a positive model for the development of financial literacy and skills and for decisions about FPR. All the variables increased the explained variance of FPR. Lastly, we discuss the process by which parental economic socialization is positively related to financial literacy and skills that impact on FPR, indicating some implications and future lines of research.

Social identity and engagement: an exploratory study at university / La identidad social y el compromiso: estudio exploratorio en la universidad

Within the framework of research on students' active performance in their study habits, the aim of this study is to analyze a model predicting the effect of social identity and personal initiative on engagement in university students. We conducted a cross-sectional study on 266 students from different Spanish universities. The resulting data were analyzed using SPSS Macro MEDIATE. Evidence was found for the proposed model. Only group-identity predicted personal initiative and engagement. Analysis revealed the mediating role of proactive behavior on engagement in university students. It is concluded that the university management may intervene, from an organizational-culture approach, promoting guidelines to reinforce students' sense of belonging by enhancing initiative and autonomous problem solving in learning behaviors (AU)

Dentro del marco de investigación sobre desempeño activo de estudiantes, el objetivo de este trabajo es analizar un modelo predictor del efecto de identidad social e iniciativa personal en el compromiso de estudiantes universitarios. Se llevó a cabo un estudio transversal con 266 alumnos de diversas universidades españolas. Los datos se analizaron con la Macro MEDIATE de SPSS. Se encontraron pruebas para el modelo propuesto. Sólo la identidad grupal predecía la iniciativa personal y el engagement. El análisis mostró el papel mediador de la iniciativa personal en el engagement de estudiantes universitarios. Entre las conclusiones se destaca la posibilidad de promover desde la Universidad el sentido de pertenencia para generar iniciativa personal y la solución autónoma de problemas en los comportamientos de aprendizaje (AU)

Social identity, passion and well-being in university students, the mediating effect of passion

Research on positive emotions associated with the performance of an activity, such as work or study, has increased exponentially in recent years. Passion is understood as an attitude and intense emotion in the performance of an activity, and it has shown both positive and negative consequences for well-being. A link between social identity and positive emotions through social category membership has been described. The aim of this work is to study the relationship between social identity, the dimensions of passion and the positive impact on university responses. A quasiexperimental design was used on a sample of 266 university students from different Spanish universities (Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia, Universidad Miguel Hernández and Universidad de Alicante). Descriptive analyzes were performed on the study’s variables using SPSS 18. Structural equation modeling was carried out with AMOS 18 and the mediational analysis with MODMED macro developed by Preacher, Rucker, and Hayes (2007). The results show that the identity of the studies had an indirect effect on positive responses mediated by passion for the studies (RMSEA = .07; CFI = .97; NFI = .96; TLI = .92). It is observed that the harmonious and obsessive dimensions of passion differ in the mediating effect on happiness and satisfaction with studies. Practical and theoretical implications for well-being are discussed (AU)

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Social identity, passion and well-being in university students, the mediating effect of passion.

Research on positive emotions associated with the performance of an activity, such as work or study, has increased exponentially in recent years. Passion is understood as an attitude and intense emotion in the performance of an activity, and it has shown both positive and negative consequences for well-being. A link between social identity and positive emotions through social category membership has been described. The aim of this work is to study the relationship between social identity, the dimensions of passion and the positive impact on university responses. A quasi-experimental design was used on a sample of 266 university students from different Spanish universities (Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia, Universidad Miguel Hernández and Universidad de Alicante). Descriptive analyzes were performed on the study's variables using SPSS 18. Structural equation modeling was carried out with AMOS 18 and the mediational analysis with MODMED macro developed by Preacher, Rucker, and Hayes (2007). The results show that the identity of the studies had an indirect effect on positive responses mediated by passion for the studies (RMSEA = .07; CFI = .97; NFI = .96; TLI = .92). It is observed that the harmonious and obsessive dimensions of passion differ in the mediating effect on happiness and satisfaction with studies. Practical and theoretical implications for well-being are discussed.

Estudiar con pasión: relación con la iniciativa personal y el engagement / Studying with passion: personal initiative and engagement relationship

Los objetivos de este trabajo son, la adaptación al castellano de las escalas de pasión armoniosa y pasión obsesiva de Vallerand y otros y la propuesta de un modelo exploratorio que analice la relación ente ambos tipos de pasión y la iniciativa personal, el engagement y el aprendizaje percibido. En el estudio han participado una muestra de 266 estudiantes de titulaciones superiores de tres universidades (UNED, UMH y UA). Los resultados muestran relaciones estadísticamente significativas entre todas las variables del estudio, reproducen la estructura factorial del cuestionario original y confirman el modelo propuesto. Los resultados están en la línea de trabajos previos que identifican que experimentar pasión armoniosa en una actividad se relaciona con comportamientos positivos tales como persistencia, vigor y dedicación y un mejor rendimiento. Asimismo, se contrasta la independencia entre el engagement y el concepto de pasión. Las implicaciones teóricas y prácticas así como las limitaciones son discutidas en el trabajo.

This article studies the Spanish adaptation of the harmonious passion and obsessive passion scale (Vallerand et al. 2003) and the proposal of an exploratory model capable of analize the harmonious passion and obsessive passion; the personal initiative; the engagement; and perceibed learning. A sample of 266 students of higher degrees from three colleges (UNED, UMH and UA) participated in this study. The outcomes show significant statistic relationships among all the variables of this study, the factorial structure of the original questionaire is reproduced and the proposed model is confirmed. The outcomes match previous studies that show that experiencing harmonious passion in an activity is related with positive behaviours such as persistence, vigor, dedication, and better performance. From this perspective, the independence between engagement and the passion concept is compared. The theorical implications and practices along with limitations are discussed in this study.

El engagement como resultado de la socialización organizacional / Engagement as a consequence of organizational socialization

In the last years, the research on organizational socialization has focused on the study of the contents of the socialization, having stressed that is fundamentally a learning process in which the employee adopts an active role. Following the model of Taormina, we distinguish four domains of learning: training, understanding, support of the co-workers and perspective of future. Many studies have shown that the learning of the new workers is associated with a greater success in the socialization. In this paper we set out to deepen in the empirical study of the relationships among the domains and engagement. The sample is composed by 514 participants pertaining to 22 organizations from different sectors of activity and size. Results indicate that the domains training, understanding and perspective of future are positively related to engagement (AU)

En los últimos años, la investigación sobre socialización organizacional ha centrado su atención en el estudio de los contenidos de la socialización, recalcando que es fundamentalmente un proceso de aprendizaje en el que el empleado adopta un papel activo. Siguiendo el modelo de Taormina distinguimos cuatro dominios de aprendizaje: entrenamiento, comprensión, apoyo de los compañeros y perspectivas de futuro. Numerosos estudios han mostrado que el aprendizaje de los nuevos está asociado con un mayor éxito en la socialización. En este trabajo nos proponemos profundizar en el estudio empírico de las relaciones entre estos dominios y el engagement. La muestra está formada por 514 participantes pertenecientes a 22 organizaciones de distintos sectores de actividad y diferente tamaño. Los resultados nos indican que los dominios entrenamiento, comprensión y perspectivas de futuro están relacionados positivamente con el engagement (AU)

El constructo «Orientación a la calidad total» y su medida: el Cuestionario OCT / The «Total Quality Orientation» construct and its measurement: The OCT questionnaire

Se presentan las propiedades psicométricas de un cuestionario para evaluar la "Orientación a la Calidad Total" de PYMEs, definido este constructo como el grado en que una empresa es gestionada mediante la filosofía de la Calidad Total. El instrumento incluye los principios de esta forma de gestión -orientación al cliente, mejora continua, trabajo en equipo, uso de datos-, así como aspectos de la gestión de Recursos Humanos enfatizados por la Calidad Total. Los análisis se han realizado a partir de dos tomas de datos y la muestra está formada por aproximadamente 300 personas en cada uno de los tiempos, pertenecientes a 17 empresas. Los resultados indican que el instrumento mide de una forma válida y precisa las dimensiones evaluadas. El cuestionario pretende ser útil para profesionales e investigadores, proporcionando una fácil medida del grado en que una empresa está más o menos orientada a la Calidad Total (AU)

The psychometric properties of a questionnaire for the evaluation of «Total Quality Orientation» of SMEs are presented in this study. We define the construct «Total Quality Orientation» as the degree with which one company approaches the Total Quality Management. The instrument includes the principles of Total Quality Management –customer focus, continuous improvement, teamwork and use of data– as well as other aspects of the Human Resources Management emphasised by this management system. The analyses have been carried out from two data measures, and the sample, in both cases, consisted in around 300 people belonging to 17 different enterprises. Results indicate that the instrument measures in a valid and reliable way the dimensions evaluated. The questionnaire tries to be useful for practitioners and researchers providing an easy measure of the level a company has reached in putting into practice the Total Quality Management principles and Human Resources Management related with it (AU)