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This chapter studies the negative signals associated with nonpromotion. I first show theoretically that, when workers' productivity rises little with additional years on the same job level, the negative signal associated with nonpromotion leads to wage decreases. On the other hand, when additional job-level tenure leads to a sizable increase in productivity, workers' wages increase. I then test my model's predictions using the personnel records from a large US firm from 1970–1988. I find a clear hump-shaped wage-job-tenure profile for workers who stay at the same job level, which supports my model's prediction.

This chapter estimates a dynamic reduced-form model of intra-firm promotions using an employer–employee panel of over 300 of the largest corporations in the United States in the period from 1981 to 1988. The estimation conditions on unobserved individual heterogeneity and allows for both an endogenous initial condition and sample attrition linked to individual heterogeneity in demonstrating the relative importance of variables that influence promotion. The role of the executive’s functional area in promotion is considered along with the existence and source of promotion fast tracks. We find that while the principal determinant of promotions is unobserved individual heterogeneity, functional area has a high explanatory power, resulting in promotion probabilities that differ by functional area for executives at the same reporting level and firm. No evidence is found that an executive’s recent speed of advancement in pay grade has a positive causal impact on in-sample promotions after conditioning on the executive’s career speed of advancement, except for the lowest level executives the data. Fast tracks appear to largely result from heterogeneity in persistent individual characteristics, not from an inherent benefit in recent advancement itself.

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the broad debate regarding universalistic and contingency perspectives of human resource management (HRM). Design/methodology/approach – Building on recent evidence of HRM differentiation within organisations, the present article studies variation in experienced HR practices across job level and whether the impact of HR practices on commitment, intention to quit and well‐being across job level is best explained by universalistic or contingency claims. Findings – Both studies found that employees in higher job levels report a greater number of HR practices. Findings further indicated that the associations between HR practices and the three outcomes were largely invariant across job level, thus supporting universalistic notions of HRM across job levels. Research limitations/implications – Data from both studies were cross‐sectional and single‐source, thus limiting causal inferences. More generally, there is a need to better understand HR differentiation within organisations and whether it offers an effective HR strategy. Originality/value – Few studies have examined systematic variation in HR practices across employee groups and universalistic/contingency arguments within organisations. The studies presented are among the first to offer an evaluative as well as descriptive analysis of the issues under investigation.

The purpose of this paper is to determine the occurrence of job level, salary and job authority demotions in the workplace through the analysis of Belgian Statistics on Income and Living Conditions (SILC)-data of 2007-2011.

Three hypotheses are tested: H1: there is a gender inequality in job authority demotions. H2: the level of education and the probability of being subject to a job level, salary or job authority demotion are negatively correlated. H3: age is negatively correlated with job level, salary or job authority demotion probabilities. The cross-sectional data of the SILC cover a specific time period with data on inter alia living conditions. The longitudinal data give information on inter alia income and non-monetary variables over a period of four years. The authors estimate multivariate regression models for binary demotion variables. These analyses allow the authors to estimate the odds of being demoted. The authors discuss the demotion rates, the bivariate correlations and the regression analysis.

The data analysis result in the fact that base salary demotions are not commonly applied as literature and the Belgian law on salary protection endorses. Fringe benefits demotions, as for instance the abolition of a company car or a bonus are, however, more frequent. There is a gender gap with regard to job authority demotion. Highly educated respondents are less confronted with job authority demotions. Age is negatively correlated with base salary/fringe benefits or job authority demotion probabilities, but not with job-level demotions. H1 is thus confirmed. H2 and H3 only partly confirmed.

Several analyses were restricted because the EU-SILC did not question all dimensions of demotion in detail.

This study contributes to the scarce literature on demotion and to empirical studies on demotions regarding job level, salary and job authority.

The purpose of the study is to deepen the understanding of job crafting and its consequences. An occupational framework is proposed as an alternative to the exclusive focus of current theory on the individual and job levels of analysis. This model extends job crafting theory by applying a multilevel framework, examining bottom-up and top-down influences of occupations, and explicates the interplay among occupation- and job-level autonomy and job crafting.

The authors conducted a two-study research program using multilevel modeling and moderated mediation analysis. Data were derived from two large-scale archival databases. Study 1 spanned 701 occupations and 50,729 individuals. Study 2 involved 270 occupations and 3,270 individuals.

Study 1 reveals that nearly one-third of the variability in job crafting is attributable to occupational context. Study 2 shows that occupational contexts moderate individual-level processes, whereby occupational-level crafting moderated the mediated effects between job-level autonomy, job-level crafting and individual-level outcomes.

Results inform interventions that can be used to facilitate job crafting. Increasing autonomy generally increases job crafting, yet this effect does not always hold. This result demonstrates the importance of attending to the occupations in which people work. Also, job crafting is related to positive outcomes for individuals (e.g. satisfaction) but is also linked to some negative consequences (e.g. burnout).

The research empirically demonstrates the need to expand job crafting theory beyond the individual and job levels, as well as offers a deeper and expanded understanding of job crafting and its relationship with people’s occupations.

Objetivo – El objetivo del presente artículo es profundizar en la comprensión de la creación del puesto (job craftig) y sus consecuencias. Se propone un marco ocupacional como alternativa al foco en el individuo y el puesto de trabajo que plantea la teoría existente. Este modelo extiende la teoría de la creación del puesto aplicando un marco teórico multinivel, examinando las influencias abajo-arriba y arriba-debajo de las ocupaciones, y explica la interrelación entre ocupación, autonomía en el puesto y la creación del puesto.

Llevamos a cabo dos estudios utilizando modelización multinivel y análisis de mediación-moderación. Los datos se obtuvieron de dos bases de datos a gran escala. El estudio 1 considera 701 ocupaciones y 50,729 individuos. El estudio 2 considera 270 ocupaciones y 3,270 individuos.

El estudio 1 revela que casi un tercio de la variabilidad en la creación del puesto es atribuible al propio contexto de la ocupación. El estudio 2 muestra que el contexto ocupacional modera los procesos a nivel individual mientras que la creación a nivel ocupacional modera los efectos mediadores entre la autonomía del puesto, la creación del puesto y los resultados a nivel individual.

Los resultados informa acerca de la actividades que pueden favorecer la creación del puesto. Aumentar la autonomía en general aumenta la creación del puesto, aunque este efecto no se da siempre. Este resultado demuestra la importancia de atender las ocupaciones en las que trabajan los empleados. También, la creación del puesto se relaciona con resultados positivos de los empleados (e.g. satisfacción), pero también con algunas consecuencias negativas (e.g. agotamiento).

El trabajo de investigación demuestra empíricamente la necesidad de expandir la teoría sobre la creación del puesto más allá del estudio del individuo o el trabajo, al tiempo que ofrece una comprensión mayor y más profunda sobre la creación del puesto y su relación con la ocupación de los empleados.

Creación del puesto (job crafting), multinivel, ocupación, autonomía del puesto

Tipo de artículo – Trabajo de investigación

O objetivo do presente artigo é aprofundar na compreensão da criação do posto de trabalho (job craftig) e suas consequências. Se propõe um marco ocupacional como alternativa ao foco no indivíduo e no posto de trabalho que a teoria existente planteia. Este modelo estende a teoria da criação do posto aplicando um marco teórico multinível, examinando as influências abaixo acima y acima abaixo das ocupações, e explica a inter-relação entre ocupação, autonomia no posto e a criação do posto de trabalho.

Realizamos dois estudos usando modelagem multinível e análise de mediação-moderação. Os dados foram obtidos de dois bancos de dados de grande porte. O estudo 1 considera 701 ocupações e 50.729 indivíduos. O estudo 2 considera 270 ocupações e 3.270 indivíduos.

O Estudo 1 revela que quase um terço da variabilidade na criação de empregos é atribuível ao próprio contexto de ocupação. O estudo 2 mostra que o contexto ocupacional modera os processos no nível individual, enquanto a criação no nível ocupacional modera os efeitos mediadores entre a autonomia do posto de trabalho, a criação do posto de trabalho e os resultados no nível individual.

Os resultados informam sobre as atividades que podem favorecer a criação do posto de trabalho. Aumentar a autonomia em geral aumenta a criação do posto, embora esse efeito nem sempre ocorra. Este resultado demonstra a importância de atender às ocupações em que os funcionários trabalhem. Além disso, a criação do posto de trabalho está relacionada a resultados positivos dos funcionários (por exemplo, satisfação), mas também a algumas conseqüências negativas (por exemplo, exaustão).

O investigação demonstra empiricamente a necessidade de expandir a teoria da criação de empregos além do estudo do indivíduo ou do trabalho, ao mesmo tempo que oferece uma compreensão mais profunda da criação do posto de trabalho e sua relação com a ocupação dos funcionários.

Criação do posto de trabalho (job crafting), multinível, ocupação, autonomia do posto de trabalho

Trabalho de investigação

The purpose of this paper is to investigate how the relative institutional distance of the subsidiary from the multinational enterprise (MNE) headquarters influences job satisfaction in the subsidiary. The authors argue that job satisfaction in the MNE subsidiary will be influenced by the institutional distance between the firm’s home (headquarter) and host (subsidiary) countries, such that the greater the institutional distance, the less satisfied the subsidiary employees. The authors also argue that the degree of function interdependence (global vs local roles) will moderate this relationship, such that high interdependence will result in lower job satisfaction as distance increases.

Using data from a global high-tech Canadian MNE, consisting of over 15,000 employees located in 19 subsidiaries, the research undertakes an empirical investigation that identifies if and how job satisfaction varies between countries and tests the influence of subsidiary-level institutional distance from the headquarters on subsidiary-level job satisfaction, using a multilevel model.

The results demonstrate that subsidiary distance from the headquarters has a complex effect on subsidiary-level job satisfaction; in some distances, no effect is found, while in others, either some or all job satisfaction facets are affected (depending on the distance and facet) in both positive and negative ways. Unlike much of the past research on distance, which has treated distance as a barrier to be overcome or reduce (Stahl et al., 2016), the paper’s finding demonstrate that “negative” distance operates independently (and at varying strengths and significance) than “positive” distance, due to underlying mechanisms.

There is a real opportunity to push ahead on linking international business strategy research with organizational theory and organizational behavior research. To do so, it requires not only a positive organizational scholarship approach (Stahl et al., 2016) but also methods that will allow researchers to study the influence of distance on mechanisms and processes, as opposed to stand-alone variables. The authors therefore suggest that future work in this area pursue qualitative methods as called for by Chapman et al. (2008).

Findings are surprising, in that results vary across job facets and distances. Practitioners need to therefore focus on the mechanisms that influence job satisfaction, not just differences and their potential negative impact.

The firm-level study provides a rich perspective on the complex way in which country-level differences influence subsidiary-level job satisfaction.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the mediating role of burnout (i.e. exhaustion, cynicism, professional inefficacy) in the relationship between job level and job satisfaction as well as between job level and task performance.

The final sample included 342 Korean workers from selected companies. The authors employed the Hayes (2013) PROCESS tool for analyzing the data.

The results showed that all three subscales of burnout (i.e. exhaustion, cynicism, professional inefficacy) mediate the relationship between job level and job satisfaction. However, only two mediators (i.e. cynicism, professional inefficacy) indicated the mediating effects on the association between job level and task performance.

This research presented the role of burnout on the relationships between job level, job satisfaction, and task performance especially in South Korean organizational context. In addition to role of burnout, findings should prove helpful in improving job satisfaction and task performance. The authors provide implications and limitations of the findings.

Although the proliferation of research in emotional intelligence (EI) in the last 25 years has largely focused on the individual level, some researchers have proposed theories and measurement models for EI at the organizational level. Drawing from earlier work which conceptualizes organizational emotional intelligence (OEI) as a climate-level construct involving shared norms and practices this chapter sets out to investigate the relationship between perceptions of organizational emotional intelligence (OEI) and turnover intentions amongst employees. Since turnover intentions are a reliable indicator of actual turnover they are deemed to be a critical indicator for organizational performance. This chapter also builds on previous research which found that the relationship between OEI as a climate-level construct and intention to leave was mediated by organizational emotional appeal (i.e., overall reputation) and trust in senior management to explore the mediating role of other employee attitudes which have been traditionally linked to climate and individual-level outcomes in organizations, namely job satisfaction and affective commitment. By surveying employees in a UK-based charity organization (n = 173), the study finds that both job satisfaction and affective commitment mediate the impact of OEI on intention to leave and explain a moderate amount of variance in the focal construct. However, the majority of the mediation occurs through job satisfaction with a reduced mediation effect for affective commitment. Potential reasons for these results in the charity context are discussed. The chapter contributes to a wider understanding of the way in which perceptions of OEI impact on employee attitudes toward the organization and the job; and, in turn, how these attitudes impact on turnover intentions.

Personnel economics tends be based on single-firm case studies. Here, we examine several internal labor market dimensions of nearly 5,000 firms, over a period of 20 years, using detailed matched employer–employee data from Portugal. In the spirit of Baker, Gibbs, and Holmstrom (1994a, 1994b), we consider worker turnover, the role of job levels and human capital as wage determinants, wage dispersion within job levels, the importance of tenure in promotions and exits, and the scope for careers. We find a large degree of diversity in most of these personnel dimensions across firms. Moreover, some dimensions are shown to be robust predictors of firm performance, even after controlling for time-invariant firm heterogeneity and other variables. These dimensions include low worker churning, the importance of careers, low wage dispersion at low and intermediate job levels, and a tight relationship between human capital variables and wages.

Economists and sociologists have proposed arguments for why there can exist wage penalties for work involving helping and caring for others, penalties borne disproportionately by women. Evidence on wage penalties is neither abundant nor compelling. We examine wage differentials associated with caring jobs using multiple years of Current Population Survey (CPS) earnings files matched to O*NET job descriptors that provide continuous measures of “assisting & caring” and “concern” for others across all occupations. This approach differs from prior studies that assume occupations either do or do not require a high level of caring. Cross-section and longitudinal analyses are used to examine wage differences associated with the level of caring, conditioned on worker, location, and job attributes. Wage level estimates suggest substantive caring penalties, particularly among men. Longitudinal estimates based on wage changes among job switchers indicate smaller wage penalties, our preferred estimate being a 2% wage penalty resulting from a one standard deviation increase in our caring index. We find little difference in caring wage gaps across the earnings distribution. Measuring mean levels of caring across the U.S. labor market over nearly thirty years, we find a steady upward trend, but overall changes are small and there is no evidence of convergence between women and men.