The childhood origins of abusive bosses and how office workers mark their territory are just two of the topics that will be discussed by UBC researchers at the world’s largest management conference, beginning this Friday in Vancouver.
More than 10,000 academics who study how organizations tick will converge for the Academy of Management Annual Meeting, August 7 to 11. Professors from UBC’s Sauder School of Business will join colleagues from 84 countries to share findings and discuss ways to make working life better and more efficient.
“Basically, the entire field of management research is coming to town,” says Sauder Associate Professor Marc-David Seidel, executive officer for the Organization and Management Theory Division at the conference. “The way work will be conducted in the future is being contemplated and shaped by the world-leading researchers at this conference.”
Research highlights from Sauder presenters include:
Professor Sandra Robinson:
“Give Me Space: The Impact of Territoriality in Organizational Settings”
The finding: Feeling ownership of your own workspace is good for job satisfaction, but when it feels like other people have too much ownership over the rest of the office unhappiness ensues.
PhD student Marjan Houshmand & Associate Professor Martin Schulz
“The Fruits of Passion: The Effect of Entrepreneurship on Life Satisfaction of Family Members”
The finding: Being involved in a family business is good for those leading the enterprise, but it drags down the rest of the family’s life satisfaction.
Associate Professor Danielle van Jaarsveld, Professor Daniel Skarlicki with lead author Assistant Professor David Walker (UBC Okanagan):
“What made that interaction uncivil? Event characteristics and perceptions of customer incivility”
The finding: Complaining customers who make it personal with targeted pronouns like “you” are seen as the rudest by service employees.
Professor Daniel Skarlicki:
“Interactional Justice as a Dependent Variable: The Relationship between Differential Parental Treatment & Abusive Supervision”
The finding: If you felt your parents favoured your sibling over you by punishing them less or showing them more affection, you’re more likely to grow up to be an abusive boss.
Professor Ilan Vertinsky
“Do Alliances Lead to Competition? An Empirical Analysis of the US Biopharmaceutical Industry”
The finding: While alliances between R&D firms initially reduce competition, they later lead to increased technological competition as companies focus on reaping private benefits over common benefits.