Suchergebnisse

Although many writers have bemoaned psychology's indifference toward labor unions, there has been little critical analysis of why this indifference exists. In this article, several explanations that have been offered to explain this indifference are identified and evaluated. These explanations are: (i) limited access to relevant data; (ii) limited financial rewards;(iii) early psychologists' attitudes toward unions; and (iv) the failure to appreciate power differences between workers and management. The history of psychology in the US is compared with the history of sociology and economics in order to investigate the viability of these hypotheses. It is concluded that the two crucial reasons for the neglect of labor union issues by applied psychologists are the psychologists' reluctance to address the presence of conflict between employers and employees and the dearth of early, pro-union psychologists.

The purpose of this investigation was to study the effect of socialization-related attitudes and behaviors exhibited by insiders on the development of organizational newcomers. New graduate students, advanced graduate students, and faculty members responded to surveys at two different time periods. Insiders' attitudes toward socialization were predictive of their involvement in socialization activities. New student involvement in activities that were initiated by faculty members and advanced students was related to role conflict, role ambiguity, and service to the department. Faculty and advanced student attitudes and behaviors, aggregated to the department level, predicted new student departmental service. The authors conclude that the recent call for renewed interest in the role of insiders in the socialization process is warranted.