No abstract

A field experiment of 76 employees studied the effects of induced conceptions of ability as either an acquirable skill or fixed entity on computer anxiety, computer efficacy beliefs, and the acquisition of declarative knowledge, drawing from social cognitive theory. The setting was an introductory microcomputer training course. The findings indicate that trainees in the acquirable skill condition experienced a significant decrease in computer anxiety between the pre- and posttraining assessments; however, trainees in the entity condition did not experience a significant change in computer anxiety. Also, trainees in the acquirable skill condition experienced a significant increase in computer efficacy beliefs, and trainees in the entity condition experienced a significant decrease in computer efficacy between the pre- and posttraining assessments. Contrary to expectations, the effects of the training intervention on the acquisition of declarative knowledge were not mediated by computer anxiety and computer efficacy beliefs. The significant results are consistent with deductions made from social cognitive theory.

A field study of 97 employees tested a model of the mediating influences of self-deception and task-specific self-efficacy in the relationship between conscientiousness and learning. The setting was an introductory Windows 3.1 software training course. Findings indicated that, as hypothesized, self-deception and self-efficacy mediated the relationship between conscientiousness and learning. Specifically, conscientiousness was positively related to self-deception, which was negatively related to learning, and conscientiousness was positively related to self-efficacy, which was positively related to learning. In addition, 4 alternative models were estimated. The results of the tests of the 4 alternative models were not supported by the data, further substantiating the validity of the hypothesized model.

Although variations in national cultures predominate as explanation for the belief that universal approaches to management do not exist, there have been few reports of systematic studies. Data from employees of a single firm with operations in the United States, Mexico, Poland, and India were used to test the fit of empowerment and continuous improvement practices with national culture. Using the theoretical constructs of individualism-collectivism and power distance, the authors predicted that the practices would be more congruent in some cultures than in others and that value congruence would result in job satisfaction. Using structural equations modeling, the authors found that empowerment was negatively associated with satisfaction in India but positively associated in the other 3 samples. Continuous improvement was positively associated with satisfaction in all samples. Substantive, theoretical, and methodological implications are discussed.