My Job, Your Calling: Work Orientations in Organizational Teams

1. May Meaning Meeting 5/8/04 My Job, Your Calling: Work Orientations in Organizational Teams Amy Wrzesniewski New York University Thanks for having me � have a dual focus today First a bit of my background Second more about a new study that I�ve just gotten the data in from! So would like to talk a bit about my research more generally, and then spend more time on a new study, my first foray into groups � new for me and so this is the ideal group for getting feedback on the study and your ideas about what the data show.Thanks for having me � have a dual focus today First a bit of my background Second more about a new study that I�ve just gotten the data in from! So would like to talk a bit about my research more generally, and then spend more time on a new study, my first foray into groups � new for me and so this is the ideal group for getting feedback on the study and your ideas about what the data show.

2. May Meaning Meeting 5/8/04 General Research Question What kinds of meanings do people derive from work, both generally and in challenging contexts? To answer these questions, I have chosen to look at contexts where finding meaning in work is likely to be difficult - In looking at difficult contexts, I hope to uncover principles and dynamics that are universal but more salient in these contexts. Thus, I have studied the meaning of work for those who felt that they had little choice in entering their occupation, for those who work in stigmatized occupations, for those who have no work, and are trying to reenter the workforce, and those who work far from their coworkers. I would like to take you on a journey with me today in talking about work and meaning. I want to tell you about the questions I�ve asked and the answers I�ve found along the way. The questions I initially asked about work meaning started with the what: what is the structure of the meaning of work, and have more recently turned toward the howTo answer these questions, I have chosen to look at contexts where finding meaning in work is likely to be difficult - In looking at difficult contexts, I hope to uncover principles and dynamics that are universal but more salient in these contexts. Thus, I have studied the meaning of work for those who felt that they had little choice in entering their occupation, for those who work in stigmatized occupations, for those who have no work, and are trying to reenter the workforce, and those who work far from their coworkers. I would like to take you on a journey with me today in talking about work and meaning. I want to tell you about the questions I�ve asked and the answers I�ve found along the way. The questions I initially asked about work meaning started with the what: what is the structure of the meaning of work, and have more recently turned toward the how

3. May Meaning Meeting 5/8/04 The Meaning of Work: Theoretical Framework Values (Dubin, 1956; Lodahl & Kejner, 1965; Roberson, 1990) Expectations and motivation (Amabile, Hill, Hennessey, & Tighe, 1994; Ryan & Deci, 2001) Characteristics of the job (Griffin, 1987; Hackman & Oldham, 1976, 1980) Organizational influences (Pratt & Ashforth, 2003) Where does our experience of work get created � is it in the values we bring to work, what motivates us, the design of our jobs, the coworkers we encounter, or someplace else entirely? Research has shown that all of these are important. Today, my goal is to convince you of two things � first, that people vary greatly in their experience of work, and the kinds of meaning they derive from it. This is true when we look at people doing the same job in the same organization, as well as those who do different jobs in different organizations. Second, these differences make a difference to important organizational processes and outcomes that deserve consideration and study.Where does our experience of work get created � is it in the values we bring to work, what motivates us, the design of our jobs, the coworkers we encounter, or someplace else entirely? Research has shown that all of these are important. Today, my goal is to convince you of two things � first, that people vary greatly in their experience of work, and the kinds of meaning they derive from it. This is true when we look at people doing the same job in the same organization, as well as those who do different jobs in different organizations. Second, these differences make a difference to important organizational processes and outcomes that deserve consideration and study.

4. May Meaning Meeting 5/8/04 Work Orientation Origin of concept (Bellah, Madsen, Sullivan, Swidler, & Tipton, 1985) Ways work fits sense of self Shapes relationship to work Goal-oriented First project in this area was to find a way to think about and measure people�s relationships with their work that was more complex than measures of job satisfaction or work centrality. � which focus on how strongly people feel about work � not what they feel so much Found it in Bellah�s writing on work as job, career or calling. Sociologist put forth idea � as a psychologist, wanted to empirically test it and develop this idea further Define as the way work fits with our sense of who we are � in essence, what our relationship is with our work. Reflected in our feelings about work, behaviors at work, how we think about work and its role in our lives Work orientation, which I�ll define in a moment, also captures the primary goals we are trying to achieve by working. Of course, nearly everyone shares Making money Doing interesting work As reasons for working � what is interesting is that these reasons vary in their relative importanceFirst project in this area was to find a way to think about and measure people�s relationships with their work that was more complex than measures of job satisfaction or work centrality. � which focus on how strongly people feel about work � not what they feel so much Found it in Bellah�s writing on work as job, career or calling. Sociologist put forth idea � as a psychologist, wanted to empirically test it and develop this idea further Define as the way work fits with our sense of who we are � in essence, what our relationship is with our work. Reflected in our feelings about work, behaviors at work, how we think about work and its role in our lives Work orientation, which I�ll define in a moment, also captures the primary goals we are trying to achieve by working. Of course, nearly everyone shares Making money Doing interesting work As reasons for working � what is interesting is that these reasons vary in their relative importance

5. May Meaning Meeting 5/8/04 Jobs, Careers, and Callings Jobs: Material benefits from work �My primary reason for working is financial � to support my family and lifestyle.� Careers: Advancement in occupation �I expect to be in a higher level job in five years.� Callings: Fulfillment from work itself �My work makes the world a better place.� For example, for those with job orientations, work is primarily a means to an end � a financial end Career Calling Not mutually exclusive, emphasis is relative to other orientations. Profiles. Not a personality variable. Job and calling, by definition, are mirror images of each other � represent opposite orientations to work � love or money. For example, for those with job orientations, work is primarily a means to an end � a financial end Career Calling Not mutually exclusive, emphasis is relative to other orientations. Profiles. Not a personality variable. Job and calling, by definition, are mirror images of each other � represent opposite orientations to work � love or money.

6. May Meaning Meeting 5/8/04 Prior Relevant Results Unambiguous in seeing work as a Job, Career, or Calling Associated with different work behaviors and work and life satisfaction Each orientation found both across and within occupations and organizations Importance of others in experience of work �Job crafting� A third, a third, and a third Calling and job strong negative relationship � those with callings did not have job orientations Career unrelated to both � are a different thing Those with callings missed less work, worked more hours, and were more satisfied with their work and lives than were those with jobs or careers. Looking within one group � doing same job, admin assts, same organization, with the same pay, tenure and of same age group, the same patterns hold. This evidence, that people working next to one another doing the same work, can see it so differently, find such different meanings in the work, was encouraging and exciting for us � I decided to follow up on this by thinking about what could produce these differences. One possibility is that the admin assts with callings really wanted to be admin assts, while the others came to do that work from a variety of other paths!A third, a third, and a third Calling and job strong negative relationship � those with callings did not have job orientations Career unrelated to both � are a different thing Those with callings missed less work, worked more hours, and were more satisfied with their work and lives than were those with jobs or careers. Looking within one group � doing same job, admin assts, same organization, with the same pay, tenure and of same age group, the same patterns hold. This evidence, that people working next to one another doing the same work, can see it so differently, find such different meanings in the work, was encouraging and exciting for us � I decided to follow up on this by thinking about what could produce these differences. One possibility is that the admin assts with callings really wanted to be admin assts, while the others came to do that work from a variety of other paths!

7. May Meaning Meeting 5/8/04 Work Orientation in Work Groups Increasing use of teams in organizations (Hackman, 1998) Challenges of coordination and cooperation (George, 1996) Work behaviors and moods affect other members (Barsade, et al., 2000; Bartel & Saavedra, 2000) Change gears and talk about the study that I want to present today Total change of focus � am studying groups from a starting place of trying to understanding how work orientations operate in org settings. Devote a great deal of time to teams in our teaching, etc., and know a few things to start (here, list) If w.o. are assoc. with behaviors, attitudes, beliefs, feelings about work, could affect coord and coop., and could affect other members of the group.Change gears and talk about the study that I want to present today Total change of focus � am studying groups from a starting place of trying to understanding how work orientations operate in org settings. Devote a great deal of time to teams in our teaching, etc., and know a few things to start (here, list) If w.o. are assoc. with behaviors, attitudes, beliefs, feelings about work, could affect coord and coop., and could affect other members of the group.

8. May Meaning Meeting 5/8/04 Research Question What happens when people with different work orientations are interdependent in a team context?

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11. May Meaning Meeting 5/8/04 Work Groups: Prior Research Group process and outcomes affected by similarity (Bettenhausen, 1991) General preference for similar others (Berscheid, 1985) Similarity on a number of dimensions (e.g., affect, demography) promotes satisfaction, commitment, and trust (Barsade, et al., 2000) Personality and demographic difference can promote conflict, poor rapport and process (Ancona & Caldwell, 1992; O�Reilly, Snyder, & Boothe, 1993; Pelled, 1996) Bullet 4, is true when groups are early in their life together and haven�t yet established systems for working togther Types of teams I am thinking about in terms of interdependence and tasks they�re doing (not sequential or pooled) � looking at intact, long lived teams � lots of group research on ad hoc short term teams that come together to make a decision or create a product and then disband. This is an enduring membership situation, where new and existing members have to wrestle with�..This is a strong context in which to find the most challenge to members based on these orientation differences If we think about people w/a Calling orientation, their primary goal is � If we think about people w/a Career orientation, we know that they are less satis., etc�.primary goal is�Bullet 4, is true when groups are early in their life together and haven�t yet established systems for working togther Types of teams I am thinking about in terms of interdependence and tasks they�re doing (not sequential or pooled) � looking at intact, long lived teams � lots of group research on ad hoc short term teams that come together to make a decision or create a product and then disband. This is an enduring membership situation, where new and existing members have to wrestle with�..This is a strong context in which to find the most challenge to members based on these orientation differences If we think about people w/a Calling orientation, their primary goal is � If we think about people w/a Career orientation, we know that they are less satis., etc�.primary goal is�

12. May Meaning Meeting 5/8/04 Hypotheses Groups with a higher proportion of members with Calling orientations will have better team functioning Groups with a higher proportion of members with Career orientations will have poorer team functioning Diverse mixes of work orientations will be associated with poorer team functioning Better team functioning: better group process, higher commitment to the team, more faith and confidence in team mgmtBetter team functioning: better group process, higher commitment to the team, more faith and confidence in team mgmt

13. May Meaning Meeting 5/8/04 Method Survey study of work teams N = 266 teams, range in size from 3 to 18, mean size of 4.6 Drawn from a wide variety of industries and organizations, from accounting teams to emergency room teams to equity arbitrage teams Mean age = 31.9 Mean tenure with team = 34.9 months Met criteria for real groups (Hackman, 1998) 3-18, first cut at new data, may restrict the range in later analyses, but for now, maintained full range. Mean time � close to 3 years, these are enduring teams Real teams: social entity, interdependent, product can be assessed, boundaries, embedded in system3-18, first cut at new data, may restrict the range in later analyses, but for now, maintained full range. Mean time � close to 3 years, these are enduring teams Real teams: social entity, interdependent, product can be assessed, boundaries, embedded in system

14. May Meaning Meeting 5/8/04 Measures Independent Variables Work Orientation (Wrzesniewski et al., 1997) Satisfaction with Work Elements (Andrews & Withey, 1976) Dependent Variables Team Identification (Bhattacharya, 2001) Group Process (Taylor & Bowers, 1972) Faith and Confidence in Management (Cook & Wall, 1980) Team Commitment (Mowday, Steers, & Porter, 1979) Calling = 8 items, alpha is .79, Career = 3 items, alpha = .67 Two factors: quality of the work, pay and benefits (alpha = .84); quality of people, team members, and supervision (alpha = .83) All alphas .84-.91Calling = 8 items, alpha is .79, Career = 3 items, alpha = .67 Two factors: quality of the work, pay and benefits (alpha = .84); quality of people, team members, and supervision (alpha = .83) All alphas .84-.91

15. May Meaning Meeting 5/8/04 Data Analysis Aggregated group measures Significant F values in one-way ANOVA (Kenny & Judd, 1986) ICC(2) values greater than .75 (Bliese, 2000) Ran correlations on aggregated data Individual level analyses Stepwise regression, predicting attitudes toward group, controlling for age, gender, tenure, satisfaction Note on difference between ICC 1 (intraclass correlation coefficient, is the proportion of the total variance that can be explained by group membership) and 2 (more common in org research, is estimate of the reliability of group means)Note on difference between ICC 1 (intraclass correlation coefficient, is the proportion of the total variance that can be explained by group membership) and 2 (more common in org research, is estimate of the reliability of group means)

16. May Meaning Meeting 5/8/04 Initial Results: Callings At the Group Level: The higher the proportion of members with Callings: Better group process Higher commitment to team Stronger faith and confidence in management (range in rs .37 to .54, all rs significant at .001 level) On individual level, Calling associated with: Identification with Team (beta .12**) Better Group Process (beta .05*) Commitment to Team (beta .25**) Calling Orientation: The more members with Callings, better group process, higher commitment to team and faith and confidence in management (all sig. R�s) On the individual level, when you run regressions controlling for age, gender, tenure in organization and group, satisfaction with work and with people at work, you find that calling is associated with higher team identification, better group process, and higher commitment to the team. Both controlling for demogs AND orientations of others in team, except for group process.Calling Orientation: The more members with Callings, better group process, higher commitment to team and faith and confidence in management (all sig. R�s) On the individual level, when you run regressions controlling for age, gender, tenure in organization and group, satisfaction with work and with people at work, you find that calling is associated with higher team identification, better group process, and higher commitment to the team. Both controlling for demogs AND orientations of others in team, except for group process.

17. May Meaning Meeting 5/8/04 Initial Results: Careers At the Group Level: The higher the proportion of members with Careers: Poorer group process Lower commitment to team Lower faith and confidence in management (range in rs -.34 to -.48, all rs significant at .001 level) On individual level, Career associated with: Team Identification (beta .07*) Faith and Confidence in Management (beta -.05*) Team Commitment (beta -.07*) Career Orientation: The more members with Careers, worse on each of those dimensions. Could be that individualized goals/careerist approach hurts the team. SAY how high the correlations are The puzzle here is on the individual level, career is associated with HIGHER team identification. Ideas? Career Orientation: The more members with Careers, worse on each of those dimensions. Could be that individualized goals/careerist approach hurts the team. SAY how high the correlations are The puzzle here is on the individual level, career is associated with HIGHER team identification. Ideas?

18. May Meaning Meeting 5/8/04 Initial Results: Mix Larger range in work orientation scores in the group is associated with: Poorer group process (-.17**) Lower commitment to team (-.16**) This suggests that diversity in work orientation within the group is associated with negative group dynamics, but isn�t as bad as having a group dominated by career oriented members.This suggests that diversity in work orientation within the group is associated with negative group dynamics, but isn�t as bad as having a group dominated by career oriented members.

19. May Meaning Meeting 5/8/04 Potential Contributions Elaborates research on group composition and its effects Further develops picture of the role of work meanings in organizational contexts Majority of teams are long term teams, importance of integration of new members � this is work that�s been done, but that work means that people need to fit selves into group context, but this data may suggest that this may not be as easy as it seems � people�s behaviors, attitudes, thoughts about and approaches to work differ, and may explain difficulties in group membership/composition changes and adjustmentsMajority of teams are long term teams, importance of integration of new members � this is work that�s been done, but that work means that people need to fit selves into group context, but this data may suggest that this may not be as easy as it seems � people�s behaviors, attitudes, thoughts about and approaches to work differ, and may explain difficulties in group membership/composition changes and adjustments

20. May Meaning Meeting 5/8/04 My Questions How to frame this? Can I use the composition argument as a way in? Other data to collect or use? Other ways to parse the data?

21. May Meaning Meeting 5/8/04 Team Identification 6 Items (adapted from Bhattacharya, 2001), 1-5 scale When someone criticizes my team, it feels like a personal insult. I am very interested in what others think about my team. When I talk about my team, I usually say 'we' rather than 'they'. My team�s successes are my successes. When someone praises my team, it feels like a personal compliment. If a story in the media criticized my team, I would feel embarrassed.

22. May Meaning Meeting 5/8/04 Group Process 8 Items (Taylor & Bowers, 1972), 1-5 scale Thinking about your work team, to what extent: does your work group plan together and coordinate its efforts? does your work group make good decisions and solve problems well? do people in your work group know what their jobs are and know how to do them well? does your work group really want to meet its objectives successfully? do you have confidence and trust in the people in your work group? is there conflict in your work group?

23. May Meaning Meeting 5/8/04 Faith and Confidence in Management 6 Items (Cook & Wall, 1980), 1-5 scale Management at my firm is sincere in its attempt to meet the team�s point of view. I feel quite confident that the management will always try to treat my team fairly. Our management would be quite prepared to gain advantage by deceiving the workers. Our firm has a poor future unless it can attract better managers. Management can be trusted to make sensible decisions for the firm�s future. Management at work seems to do a good job.

24. May Meaning Meeting 5/8/04 Team Commitment 16 items (Porter & Smith, 1970), 1-5 scale I am willing to put in a great deal of effort beyond that normally expected in order to help this team be successful. I feel very little loyalty to this team. I would accept almost any type of job assignment in order to keep working with this team. I am proud to tell others that I am part of this team. I could just as well be working with a different team as long as the type of work were similar. It would take very little change in my present circumstances to cause me to leave this team. I really care about the fate of this team.

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