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Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between task variety and counterproductive work behavior (CWB) and the relationship between change in task variety and change in CWB. CWB is proposed as being a behavior that serves as an outlet by which employees can express displeasure and acts as a substitute for a lack of interest when task variety is low. Design/methodology/approach This study analyzed survey data that were collected at two points in time (T1 and T2) from 515 employees with different occupations working in Switzerland. Findings Task variety at T1 negatively related to organizational CWB (CWB-O) at T2 and interpersonal CWB (CWB-I) at T2. Task variety at T1 was also related to a change in CWB-O and a change in CWB-I. However, change in task variety showed a non-significant relationship to change in CWB-O and change in CWB-I. Research limitations/implications Results indicated that employees tend to respond with CWB when task variety is permanently low and that CWB may even increase over time. Further studies that examine the dynamics between task variety and CWB are therefore recommended. Practical implications Findings inform the practice on the potentially harmful effects of unstimulating work designs and therefore have implications for how to better prevent CWB. Originality/value The two-wave data collection allowed for differentiation between the effect of the baseline level of task variety at T1 on CWB at T2 and the effect of a change in task variety on a change in CWB.

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate how temporary agency workers’ job attitudes are influenced by the fulfilment of the psychological contract; a set of employees’ expectations, formed with the temporary work agency and its client: the host organisation. Design/methodology/approach – The paper estimated moderated regressions with data collected through an online survey of 352 temporary agency workers employed by a large temporary work agency in Switzerland. Findings – Results suggest that temporary agency workers’ job satisfaction, commitment towards the host organisation, and intentions to stay with the temporary work agency relate positively to the fulfilment of the psychological contract by both organisations. Additionally, reported spill-over-effects imply that the fulfilment of the psychological contract by one organisation moderates job attitudes towards the other organisations. Research limitations/implications – Results of the explorative study reveal that future research should consider the interrelated nature of psychological contracts in working arrangements when multiple employers are involved. However, for more generalisable results, a greater international sample, including different temporary work agencies, would be favourable. Practical implications – Findings will help temporary work agencies to better understand how they rely on host organisations to fulfil the temporary agency workers’ psychological contract to attract and retain temporary agency workers. Originality/value – This paper contributes to the literature in the understudied field of non-traditional work arrangements as one of the few to examine these spill-over-effects both empirically and theoretically.

This paper focuses on the effects of a family supportive work environment on employees’ attitudes and behaviors. We therefore differentiate between employees with childcare responsibilities and those without. As the implementation of family supportive services is financially costly, it is important to know if and how a family-friendly work policy affects the attitudes and behaviors of the entire workforce. Using a survey of results taken from 1260 randomly selected employees in Switzerland, we analyzed whether the perception of a comprehensive family orientation – involving family supportive services as well as family-friendly dialogue and culture – has an effect on employees with responsibility for childcare, for care of the elderly and also, on those without any care responsibilities. Firstly, the results show that family supportive services only have a specifically positive effect on the life satisfaction of employees with childcare responsibilities. More surprisingly, one can see that spillover effects exist for organizational-related outcomes: A family supportive dialogue and culture both reduce the intention to quit and enhance the organizational commitment of the entire workforce – whether or not there is a direct benefit to the employees.

Illness risks can be recognized by gene tests at an early stage. They offer employees the chance to avoid their illnesses as well as give companies the possibility of reducing their illness costs. Even though the technique become more valid & the costs of gene tests sank personnel manager fear that gene tests would harm the image of their company & abandon therefore the use. To assess the usage of gene diagnostics about 200 Swiss personnel manager have been questionnaired. The following article examines the company view of gene tests as a voluntary element of health promotion program for employees. Tables, Figures, References. Adapted from the source document.

Background and Objectives: Learning curves for anesthesia procedures in adult patients have been determined, but no data are available on procedures in pediatric anesthesia. The aim of this study was to assess the number of caudal blocks needed to guarantee a high success rate in performing caudal epidural analgesia in children. Methods: At a teaching hospital, the technical skills of 7 residents in anesthesiology who performed caudal blocks were evaluated during 4 months using a standardized self-evaluation questionnaire. At the start of the study period, the residents had no prior experience in pediatric anesthesia or in performing caudal epidural blocks. All residents entered the pediatric rotation after a minimum of 1 year of training in adult general and regional anesthesia. The blocks were rated using a binary score. For comparison, the success rates of 8 experienced staff anesthesiologists were collected during the same period using the same self-evaluation questionnaire. Statistical analyses were performed by generating individual and institutional learning curves using the pooled data. The learning curves were calculated with the aid of a least-square fit model and 95% confidence intervals were estimated by a Monte Carlo procedure with a bootstrap technique. Results: The success rate of residents was 80% after 32 procedures (95% confidence interval of 0.59 to 1.00). The pooled success rate of the staff anesthesiologists was 0.73 (mean) with a standard deviation of 0.45, which was not statistically different from the success rate of the residents. Conclusion: High success rates in performing caudal anesthesia in pediatric patients can be acquired after a limited number of cases. Success rates of residents learning this procedure are comparable to the results of staff anesthesiologists. Reg Anesth Pain Med 2000;25:385-388.

The aim of this study is to investigate whether trust in one's employer and also perceived employability are able to reduce employees' perceived post-restructuring job insecurity. Both, quantitative job insecurity (insecurity over the continuity of a job) and qualitative job insecurity (insecurity over the continuity of valued aspects of the job) are examined. Based on Lazarus' theory of stress, we predict that employees' trust in their employer, perceived levels of employability and the combination effect impacts employees' perceived post-restructuring quantitative and qualitative job insecurity. Results taken from a sample of 377 employees working in Switzerland who survived restructuring mostly support these hypotheses. In general, employees with a high level of trust in their employer and high level of perceived employability show lower post-restructuring quantitative and qualitative job insecurity. Moreover, results suggest a potentially important role for the multiplicative effects of trust in one's employer and perceived employability regarding the perception of qualitative job insecurity. Implications for both research and practice are discussed. [PUB ABSTRACT]

Nachfolgend wird die Frage zu beantworten versucht, inwiefern es in der Betriebswirtschaftslehre (BWL) eine Personalökonomik gibt. Damit wird ein doppelter Nutzen beabsichtigt. Der erste ist für die Lehre, weil eine Auslotung der ökonomischen Grundlagen für die Personalwirtschaftslehre geboten erscheint, der zweite für die Praxis, weil sich aus einer Personalökonomik Hinweise für ein effizientes Management der Humanressourcen ergeben können. Das Vorgehen gliedert sich in drei Schritte. Zuerst wird die aktuelle Lage in der Personalwirtschaftslehre beurteilt, dann werden Bausteine und Funktionen einer Personalökonomik skizziert, und zum Schluss wird das Leistungsvermögen einer Personalökonomik evaluiert.

Nach einer kurzen Skizze der relevanten Grundlagen werden zuerst ausgewählte ökonomische und soziale Aspekte verschiedener Formen von Arbeitszeitflexibilität, dann bestimmte Fragen der Entwicklung und Verwirklichung von Arbeitszeitflexibilisierung betrachtet. (Schriftliche Fassung des Vortrages anlässlich der Herbsttagung der Schweizerischen Gesellschaft für Betriebswirtschaft vom 15. Oktober 1992 in Bern.)