A Structural Analysis of Behavior in Work Situations Shared by Group Members

Abstract

Behavior of group members in work situations is often guided by work norms. Traditionally, work norms (entitlement and obligation) and work attitudes (job satisfaction and organizational commitment) have been investigated separately. In the present study, a multifaceted definition of work norms was proposed, and it was suggested that people's work norms are more highly related to organizational commitment than to job satisfaction. Data gathered from 138 Israeli managers and workers were used to examine the construct validity of this definition. An exploratory factor analysis and Guttman's smallest space analysis (SSA) showed that the hypotheses were generally supported. Three facets of the norm definition were verified: norm referents (superiors, co-workers, and the environment), behavior modality (instrumental, affective, and cognitive), and norm type (entitlement and obligation). The work norms were also more highly correlated with organizational commitment than with job satisfaction.