Carlos María Alcover de la Hera

El objetivo de este artículo es presentar una revisión del estado de la investigación y la práctica profesional acerca del papel desempeñado
por las identidades múltiples individuales y sobre los procesos implicados en las múltiples identidades organizacionales, así como las consecuencias de ambos tipos de identidades para los individuos y las organizaciones. El artículo concluye con una serie de implicaciones prácticas y de líneas futuras de investigación y de intervención en relación con ambos fenómenos.

Our study tests the perceived organizational support-burnout-satisfaction relationship based on stressor–strain–outcome model of stress (Koeske & Koeske, 1993) and on the conservation of resources theory (Hobfoll, 1989) in workers with disabilities employed in ordinary or competitive jobs (open labor market), analyzing the relationship between perceived organizational support, family support, job satisfaction and burnout. We use a sample of 246 workers with physical, motor, sensory and psychological disabilities working in ordinary jobs. To test our proposed model we used a regression-based path analysis using PROCESS software, which is a computational tool for estimating and probing interactions and the conditional indirect effects of moderated mediation models. We find that the positive relationship between organizational support and job satisfaction was partially mediated by the levels of cynicism and the relationship between burnout and job satisfaction was moderated by family support. Employees with low support from family had identical job satisfaction with high burnout or low burnout, but employees with high support from family when they had high burnout had lower job satisfaction than when they had low burnout, indicating that the support outside work could have a negative effect in workers’ life. Practical implications and future research are discussed and proposed.

Trabajar, jubilarse, ser mayor, envejecer no tienen los mismos significados en la actualidad que los que tenían en el siglo XX. Sin embargo, buena parte de las percepciones, actitudes, comportamientos y decisiones de muchas personas, organizaciones y poderes públicos continúan anclados en modelos mentales, percepciones y normas que no se corresponden con las nuevas realidades.
Todo ello ha puesto de actualidad en la investigación internacional y en la práctica profesional la necesidad de conocer con mayor precisión los principales factores implicados en la actividad laboral de los trabajadores mayores, en su gestión organizacional y en la salud ocupacional de un colectivo de personas cuyo volumen no deja de incrementarse. Al mismo tiempo, es necesario conocer los factores implicados en las decisiones de mantener la actividad o de jubilarse, así como sus consecuencias para el bienestar y la salud de las personas afectadas, sus familias y las sociedades en general.
Los objetivos del libro se resumen en los siguientes:
● Ofrecer una panorámica accesible y práctica de los principales factores implicados en la actividad laboral de los trabajadores mayores (de 50 a 65 años y más).
● Analizar los cambios demográficos y el proceso de envejecimiento en el mundo actual, con las implicaciones que ello tiene en la fuerza de trabajo.
● Ofrecer un resumen de la situación en España de los trabajadores mayores en el mercado laboral actual.
● Analizar los principales procesos implicados en la gestión de recursos humanos de los trabajadores mayores.
● Ofrecer una síntesis de los principales factores implicados en el desarrollo de la carrera laboral de los trabajadores mayores, con especial atención a las diferencias de género y a las relaciones trabajo-familia.
● Presentar un panorama sobre las implicaciones de prolongar la actividad laboral, retirarse anticipadamente y jubilarse en el contexto socio-económico actual.
● Analizar las consecuencias de estas decisiones para el bienestar psicosocial y la salud general.
● Presentar las principales perspectivas de futuro acerca del trabajo de las personas mayores y el concepto de capacidad de trabajo sostenible.

In recent years, scholars have increasingly recognized that the theoretical underpinnings of employee-organization relationships (EOR) are in need of further extension in light of recent organizational changes. In prior research, the study of EOR has been based on social exchange theory, and the psychological contract (PC) has played a central role in understanding this crucial aspect of organizational life. The main objective of this paper is to provide an integration of the existing literature by adopting a multiple-foci exchange relationships approach. Specifically, we looked at identification; the quality of relationships and exchanges with the leader, coworkers, and other organizational agents; justice perceptions involving several organizational sources; and perceived organizational, leader, and coworker support to expand our understanding of the PC. Overall, we advocate a multiple-foci exchange relationships approach that will ultimately enable us to develop a more comprehensive understanding of the complex nature of PCs in 21st century organizations.

Purpose – Retirement adjustment is the process by which aged workers become accustomed to the changed facts of life in the transition from work to retirement and develop psychological well-being in their post-working life. The purpose of this paper is to explore the psychosocial factors that significantly explain retirement intentions and retirement adjustment, using two separate empirical studies. Design/methodology/approach – Retirement self-efficacy, low work involvement, older worker identity and relative deprivation significantly explained retirement intentions (bridge employment engagement, part-time retirement, late retirement and full retirement) of workers over 60 years (Study 1, n1⁄4157). Retirement adjustment indices (retirement satisfaction, feelings of anxiety and depression) were associated with psychosocial factors for retirees (Study 2, n 1⁄4 218).
Findings – The findings highlight that retirement self-efficacy and older worker identity positively and significantly explained both full retirement of aged workers and retirement satisfaction of retirees. Relative deprivation negatively significantly explained partial and late retirement intentions and retirement satisfaction of retirees.
Research limitations/implications – The implications of these studies are discussed for understanding retirement planning and counselling practice.
Practical implications – Retirement adjustment conceptualized as a process has important implications for retirement planning, and consequently can influence the project of the life course, as well as career’s decisions.
Social implications – Social contexts should consider all factors that can negatively affect self-efficacy, work involvement and identity of employees in the mid and late-career stages, and thus contribute to reinforce and strengthen personal and psychosocial resources involved in planning and adaptation to retirement, and to increase the insight into the planning and decisions older workers make to face retirement.
Originality/value – This work had two goals, pursued by two empirical studies with two samples: workers over 60 years, and retirees. The authors contend that the availability of two different sets of data increases the generalizability of the findings.

The study highlights the relevance of how organizational exit is carried out (voluntariness, perception of justice, etc.) in relation to the adjustment to retirement. The degree to which the labour market exit implies different types of rupture (psychological contract, identity, professional and personal objectives, way of life, etc.) conditions the adaptation to post-working life. The importance of social support during the transition process from work to early retirement is pointed out.

Bridge employment refers to the workforce participation pattern displayed by older workers between their partial retirement and their complete withdrawal from the workforce. Based on Shultz’s (2003) model of antecedents and consequences of bridge employment, this article proposes a set of hypotheses, using SHARE panel data (N = 634) from Wave 1 (2004) and Wave 2 (2006). These data are analyzed via structural equation modeling (SEM), testing both a direct effects model and a partial mediation model. Results show that bridge employment quality partially mediates the influences of T1 antecedents on T2 consequences. The implications of this study are discussed at both the theoretical and practical level.

In this study, meta-analytic procedures were used to examine the relationships between retirement planning, retirement decision and their antecedent and consequences. Our review of the literature generated 341 independent samples obtained from 99 primary studies with 188,222 participants. A small effect size (ES) for antecedents of retirement planning (poor health, negative working conditions and positive attitudes toward retire- ment) was obtained (ranging from r = .05 to r = .19), whereas a medium ES was obtained for work involvement and job satisfaction (r = 􏰀.31 and r = 􏰀.34). Regarding retirement decision, lower effect sizes were obtained. Effect sizes for the relationships with conse- quences were medium for retirement planning and bridge employment (r = .28), for retire- ment decision-volunteer work (r = .26), and for retirement decision-retirement satisfaction (r = .26). Structural equation analysis using the pooled correlation matrix allowed us to test a more complex model. Potential moderator variables were examined, and it was found that they explained only a small percentage of variability of primary studies. Results are discussed, and theoretical and empirical implications are suggested.

Meta-analytic procedures were used to examine relationships between objective income (OI), perceived adequacy of income, and retirement and their consequences. The authors’ review of the literature generated 90 independent samples obtained from 71 primary studies with 115,129 participants, which provided 136 independent effect sizes (ESs). A high effect size (r = .37) was found for the subjective income–retirement planning relation and a medium ES (r = .29) for the OI–retirement planning relation. Regarding retirement consequences, both objective and subjective incomes were positively related to retirement adjustment indicators, with low ES for OI–life satisfaction, OI–retirement income satisfaction, and retirement satisfaction. Structural equation analysis using the pooled correlation matrix allowed testing a more complex model. Potential moderator variables were examined, and it was found that they explained only a small percentage of variability of primary studies. Results and theoretical and empirical implications are discussed.

La coordinación en equipos de trabajo es un proceso que implica el uso de estrategias y patrones de comportamiento dirigidos a in- tegrar acciones, conocimientos y objetivos de miembros interdependientes, con el objetivo de alcanzar unas metas comunes. La co- ordinación garantiza que un equipo funcione como un todo unitario y es identificado como un proceso clave para entender la efectividad de los equipos de trabajo.
Para explicar cómo se coordinan los equipos, la investigación se ha centrado tradicionalmente en la coordinación explícita, que in- cluye la planificación y la comunicación como mecanismos básicos. Trabajos recientes complementan nuestra comprensión del pro- ceso con la noción de coordinación implícita, que tiene lugar cuando los miembros de un equipo anticipan acciones y necesidades tanto de sus compañeros como de la tarea que realizan, y adaptan su comportamiento dinámicamente sin necesidad de comunicar- se entre sí o de planificar su actividad.
El objetivo del presente artículo es revisar de manera integradora y sintética los principales estudios de coordinación en equipos que analizan dicho proceso desde perspectivas explícitas e implícitas. Para ello, atenderemos a distintos antecedentes y procesos de equipo concurrentes que modulan los efectos de la coordinación sobre la efectividad de los equipos. Adicionalmente, discutiremos las contribuciones que el estudio de la coordinación arroja sobre el desarrollo de métodos de evaluación e intervención en equipos, así como sus implicaciones prácticas para el ejercicio profesional.

Teams do not always provide the diversity of knowledge, attitudes, skills and experience required to generate an innovative response to challenges or perform according to expectations. This paper summarizes the key results of research on work teams carried out over the decade from 1999 to 2009. To this end, we set out a brief explanatory framework for the effectiveness of work teams based on a differentiated analysis of inputs, mediators and outcomes. Our approach uses the SWOT technique, which identifies strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats in relation to teamwork research for the new decade. Finally, we integrate and discuss the key challenges facing the field if it is to turn threats into opportunities.

In recent years, early retirement has attracted increasing attention in the literature. Using a larger Italian- Spanish sample, this study examines the push and pull factors related to early retirees’ mental health status, as well as the moderating effects of perceived self-efficacy on the relationships between reasons for early retirement and mental health. Analyses revealed that poor retirees’ mental health is positively correlated to the push factor Pressure from Employer and negatively related to the pull factor Pursue Own Interests. Thus, mental health status is better for Italian retirees than for their Spanish counterparts. The Italian sample shows that Pursue Own Interests was negatively related to poorer mental health particularly under the low self-efficacy condition. Findings suggest that mental health depends on both the motivating reasons that lead people to retire early and the personal resources available to them to manage this psychosocial transition.

The purpose of this paper is to analyse the impact of change-oriented leaders on group outcomes. An explanatory model is proposed, in which the team climate (in particular as it relates to innovation) mediates between change-oriented leadership and group outcomes, while group potency reinforces this relationship. This study is designed as a correlative and cross-level research. The sample comprises 318 health-care professionals in 78 health-care teams at different public hospitals throughout Spain. Hierarchical regression analysis was used to evaluate mediating and moderating effects. Results offer considerable empirical support for the proposed model. It would be of interest to increase the sample, differentiate it by service, and to get samples from other sectors, as well as to carry out experimental and longitudinal research. It would also be interesting to further explore the conditions that implement change-oriented leadership impact, analysing environment, external relations and so on, to examine the relationships between other variables and to study their effects on new forms of work organisation and on virtual teams. To make more useful change-oriented leader actions, it would be advisable to identify, modify or improve team climate, using strategies such as management by objectives, delegation and empowerment and so on. It would also be necessary to boost group potency before going ahead with change, for example, by developing the skills of team members, or by fostering the self-confidence of the team. This paper contributes to developing actual research about how change-oriented leaders influence team outputs.

El liderazgo resulta fundamental para la eficacia de los equipos de trabajo y las organizaciones de las que forman parte. Los retos que afrontan estas en la actualidad requieren una revisión exhaustiva del papel estratégico del liderazgo. En este empeño, es preci- so explorar nuevas modalidades de liderazgo, que permitan responder eficazmente a nuevas necesidades de trabajo, como el dise- ño para el cambio y la innovación, la diversidad cultural, la complejidad, el trabajo basado en el conocimiento y las organizaciones virtuales. La respuesta a estas demandas ha motivado el desarrollo de nuevos enfoques, como el ‘nuevo liderazgo’, el liderazgo au- téntico, transcultural, complejo, compartido y remoto.
El objetivo de este artículo es revisar los principales trabajos sobre estas nuevas formas de liderazgo. Para ello, se analizarán los principales modelos teóricos y líneas de investigación y se discutirán las implicaciones prácticas orientadas a la intervención y a la dirección de equipos de trabajo.

This introductory paper aims to provide a contextualization of recent research and applications on work team effectiveness in organizational contexts carried out in Spain and Portugal and to describe connections between this research and the main trends in the international scene. Since the 1990s, new occupational and organizational realities have deepened scientific interest in work teams in both Spain and Portugal. A range of recently published (1992-2004) works in this area are reviewed. The selected sources are papers published in Spanish, Portuguese and international journals. Reviewing this work, four major trends are identified that synthesize the key concerns of researches in both countries: work teams and new information/communication technologies; intra- and inter-group conflicts in organizational contexts; definition, dimensions and measurement criteria for work team effectiveness; and teams in innovation and change processes. This paper fulfils a panoramic vision of this research area in both Spain and Portugal, and provides an overview of the papers included in this special issue and an outlook for the future.

El fenómeno de las prejubilaciones se ha implantado dentro del mercado laboral español como la forma de salida organizacional habitual de trabajadores de edad avanzada. Con el objetivo de conocer los factores motivacionales que explican una salida laboral voluntaria y no-voluntaria se administro una adaptación del Retirement Satisfaction Inventory (Floyd et al., 1992) a una muestra de prejubilados con una edad media de prejubilación de 53.89 años. Los datos fueron analizados mediante análisis de regre- sión lineal múltiple. Los trabajadores que aceptan la oferta de retiro de manera voluntaria son aquellos que tienen una motivación más positiva hacia el retiro. Mientras, aquellos que han aceptado de manera no- voluntaria han experimentado presiones organizacionales, problemas de salud y estrés laboral. Conocer los factores motivacionales de salida laboral de personas prejubiladas es un primer paso para relacionar la forma de salida con la posterior satisfacción y adaptación con la vida en el retiro.
Palabras clave: prejubilación, aceptación voluntaria, aceptación no-voluntaria, razones para el retiro, satisfacción con la vida en el retiro.

Il pensionamento può essere considerato come un’importante transizione lavorativa dell’età matura, che comporta una riorganizzazione del proprio sistema di ruoli e attività. Le conseguenze di questa transizione sono state studiate principalmente in ter- mini di soddisfazione per il pensionamento e benessere dei pensionati. Il presente studio ha definito differenti modalità di adattamento al pensionamento (Hanson e Wapner, 1994; Hornstein e Wapner, 1985) e ha indagato l’effetto che due variabili soggettive (soddi- sfazione lavorativa pre-ritiro e percezione di volontarietà della scelta di pensionarsi) hanno su di esse e sulla soddisfazione generale per il pensionamento. La ricerca fa parte di un’indagine internazionale svolta dal Dipartimento di Scienze dell’Educazione dell’Uni- versità di Bologna e dal Departamento de Psicología, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos di Madrid. I partecipanti sono 1174 pensionati (51% italiani; 49% spagnoli), il 66% uomini, il 34% donne, con un’età media di 59.3 (DS = 3.8). I risultati mostrano che la soddisfazione lavorativa pre-ritiro influenza negativamente le modalità di adattamento al pensionamento e la soddisfazione post-ritiro, ma che que- sto effetto è moderato dalla percezione di volontarietà della scelta di ritirarsi.

The number of call centre businesses and workers has increased considerably over recent years and has become one of the sectors with the highest growth rate in Portugal. In this cross-sectional study, covering 363 call/contact centre (C/CC) workers in a Portuguese firm,we confirm that the relationship between employees and the organization, namely their psychological contract, is influenced by their employment conditions, that is, their status and work premises. We perform multiple regression analyses and results show that: (1) temporary employees perceive fewer relational and balanced and more transactional organizational obligations than permanent employees; (2) employees working at the client’s premises perceive more balanced obligations of the organization; (3) the psychological contract has a relationship with the attitudes and behaviours of employees with a higher general relational orientation to their work, who are more satisfied and present more civic virtue behaviours. This study provides a discussion of the practical implications and future research.

Far from agreement, the uneven definitions of trust indicate the difficulty in encapsulating this psychological state in a single and precise idea. Uncovering the everyday concept of trust can show the need for a different approach to its definition. To this aim, 16 expatriates of several international cooperation organizations around the world gave their views through an electronic Delphi process declaring they do not associate trust with risk or vulnerability, which does not correspond with the more widespread definition of trust in work and organizational psychology. Instead, trust appears as an evaluation that ensures outcomes as well as an understanding of them. A cluster of several central ideas in the everyday concept highlights that different practices can be designed to build or recover trust in different scenarios.

Este trabajo de revisión tiene dos objetivos. En primer lugar, se analizan las potencialidades de las organizaciones-basadas-en- equipos y de sus ventajas para el afrontamiento y la adaptación a entornos flexibles e inciertos. Y en segundo lugar, se examinan los efectos que estas condiciones y dinámicas organizacionales pueden ejercer sobre los procesos y los resultados grupales, dedi- cando especial atención a fenómenos como la reducción del tamaño del equipo, los cambios en la composición, los procesos de aprendizaje de equipo y otras disposiciones derivadas de los requerimientos de flexibilidad; asimismo, se analizan sus posibles con- secuencias en relación con el rendimiento y la eficacia de los equipos. Finalmente, se resumen las principales implicaciones prácticas para el diseño de las organizaciones y la gestión de equipos de trabajo en contextos dinámicos y complejos caracterizados por altos niveles de incertidumbre y flexibilidad.

Un aspecto esencial de la denominada gestión del conocimiento en las organizaciones actuales es el re- ferente a cómo las personas comparten información y conocimiento, y particularmente cómo las orga- nizaciones y equipos aprenden. En los últimos años se han realizado algunas propuestas sugerentes, como el modelo de Huber (1991) y, siguiendo a éste, el instrumento de evaluación desarrollado por Of- fenbeek (2001). Este último incluye cuatro escalas de actividades de aprendizaje: 1) distribuir infor- mación; 2) interpretar: aspectos convergentes; 3) interpretar: aspectos divergentes; y 4) almacenar y re- cuperar la información. En este artículo se presenta la adaptación española y las propiedades psico- métricas de este instrumento.

La participación y normalización de las personas con discapacidad en el mercado de trabajo depende tanto de factores externos a la organización, como el contexto legal, económico u ocupacional, como de factores relacionados con la gestión de las personas en las empresas, entre los que destacan la cultura organizacional, las políticas y prácticas de recursos humanos, los estilos de supervisión y dirección y las relaciones entre sus miembros. Este artículo tiene como objetivo revisar los principales factores psicosociales relacionados con el acceso, la integración y el desempeño de las personas con discapacidad en las organizaciones y sus implicaciones para el bienestar, la salud ocupacional y la calidad de vida laboral de este colectivo. A partir del modelo teórico propuesto por Stone y Colella1 analizamos los resultados de las principales investigaciones sobre los factores macroorganizacionales e interpersonales y su relación con los riesgos psicosociales y su prevención. Finalmente, se ofrecen una serie de conclusiones y de propuestas de intervención e investigación futura dirigidas a la mejora de la salud ocupacional de los trabajadores con discapacidad.

University and academia are, due to its nature, its structure and its inside relationships, a perfect breeding ground for the conflicts, disputes, problems, and grievances. In these settings, mediation is one of the dispute resolution mechanisms most used by University Ombudsperson. However, the special characteristics of university contexts make it necessary to consider and evaluate elements that may have a bearing on the effectiveness of the process and outcomes of the mediation. In this paper a model of contingent intervention in mediation processes articulated in three dimensions is put forward: a) level of balance or symmetry of power between the parties involved; b) the foreseeable temporal perspective of the relationship between them; and c) level of formalization of the mediation process. Based on the interaction between the three dimensions, a series of proposals will be formulated in order to design different strategies of intervention for mediation processes in university settings. Practical implications of this contingent model and future research on this topic are discussed.

The requirements of flexibility and change demanded of organisational activities by today’s environments may have diver- se consequences for work teams, such as those related to conditions of the continuity and change of their members. Traditional psychological research has paid considerable attention to the static arrangement of groups. Nevertheless, most of the features of membership dynamics in work teams remain unknown. This study uses a longitudinal method to explore the influence of continuity-and-change patterns on the productivity of work teams, as measured by the quantity and quality of products. Forty teams, each with four members, worked for eight weeks, under different conditions of continuity and change of members, on real problem-solving tasks. These tasks consisted in the generation of several alternatives and the choice of the one they considered most suitable and viable. Results show higher productivity of teams whose composition changed, as against those that remained stable. Different implications are discussed with respect to the decisions of orga- nisations on rigidity and flexibility in the formation of work teams, and the effects these may have on performance.

This paper has three objectives: firstly, we offer a synthesis of the recent results regarding the psychosocial and organizational factors involved in early retirement processes, especially in the case of early retirement in Spain. Secondly, we provide an analysis of the need to redefine retirement in the Spanish context, specifically by implementing “bridge employment“ modalities. And lastly, we identify future lines of research and we indicate the practical implications for workers, organizations and societies as a whole.

Working conditions in call/contact centers influence employees’ perceptions of their relations with the organization and their attitudes to work. Such perceptions can be analyzed through the psychological contract. The associa- tion between the relational/transactional orientation of the psychological contract and intention to quit the organization was examined, as well as the mediating role of affective commitment in employment relations. Data were collected from 973 employees in a cross-sectional survey. Analysis confirmed that there was a statisti- cally significant relation between the orientation of the psychological contract and intention to quit, which was positive for transactionally oriented and negative for relationally oriented contracts. A mediating role for affective commitment was also confirmed, and a full mediating effect was reported for both orientations.

Capítulo publicado como: Alcover, C. M. (2014). Pessoas, Tarefas, Processos e Resultados: Fundamentos das Equipas de Trabalho e do Trabalho em Equipa. En S. P. Gonçalves (coord.) Psicossociologia do Trabalho e das Organizações. Princípios e Práticas (pp. 261-297). Lisboa: Pactor. http://issuu.com/lidel/docs/maquete_pto_issuu?e=4804698/6438168