Organizational Psychology

We are glad to introduce our readers to new issue of Organizational Psychology Journal. We are pleased to continue to acquaint readers with the latest developments in organizational psychology.
Editorial Board the «Organizational Psychology» journal mourn together with the family of Yury Mikhailovich Zhukov, a pioneer of Russian organizational psychology, one of the most widely readauthors of our journal. On March 18, 2018, our Yury Mikhailovich Zhukov passed away. Elena Mikhailova, his student and colleague shared her memories in the editorial notes.

The «Research in organizational psychology» section offers three research reports. The article «Social responsibility in Russian business: A research of attitudes of owners and managers in a smalland medium enterprises» by B. Bataeva, L. Cheglakova and O. Melitonyan. Authors examine attitudesof owners and managers of Russian small and medium businesses towards the social responsibility inbusiness. The paper «Organizational commitment and job satisfaction: A study on the two generationsof the Russian employees» by I. Petrovaskaya and V. Kashirina presents the analysis of differences inaffective, normative and continuance commitment between generation X and Y employees. Finding ssuggest that the companies facing the problem of retaining generation Y employees can be advisedto channel their efforts into the development of the normative commitment. The work «The semantic structures of PR-specialists: An evaluation of lifestyle and profession» of V. Skleynis explores the image ofthe world of the PR-specialist.

In the «Review» section the paper «Contemporary issues in the research of personality resources at work» presents a theoretical analysis of the concept of personality resources understood as non-specificindividual psychological characteristics that facilitate activity performance and well-being (This article by a team of authors, headed by T. Ivanova). The theoretical review indicates the need for ageneral personality resource theory to resolve the existing contradictions, as well as the need for moresystematic empirical studies focusing on groups of personality resources, rather than on single variables,and accounting for the situational context. The findings reveal new perspectives for future personalityresource studies in the organizational domain.

The «First steps» section is represented by the article «Perceived corporate culture and organizationalidentity: A research of employees’ attitudes toward organization» by R. Nesmeianova and S. Lipatov.

In the end of the issue we represent full report on the International conference «BusinessPsychology: Theory and Practice 2017».
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In memory of our colleague is dedicated. On March 18, 2018, Yury Mikhailovich Zhukov passed away, Doctor of Psychology, Professor of the Department of Social Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, an outstanding scientist, an excellent practitioner, author of numerous publications.

Authors examine attitudes of owners and managers of Russian small and medium businesses (SMEs) towards the concept and phenomena of social responsibility of business. An empirical background of the research consists of 57 focused interviews with representatives of Russian SMEs from the Central Federal Count of the Russian Federation. The research conducted allows to evaluate individual motives of behavior, influence of values, as well as key factors that determine choices of Russian SMEs’ practices related to social responsibility of business. Analysis of interviews evidences that there is no complex understanding of the term “social responsibility of business” among owners and managers of Russian SMEs, however, there is a variety of individual examples of responsible behavior and initiatives. This allows to conclude that norms and principles of ethical and responsible behavior are spread among companies of the business segment analyzed. Research results demonstrate that Russian SMEs are focused on practices of social responsibility aimed at internal stakeholders (such as employees). Among seven directions of responsible behavior according to ISO 26000 representatives of Russian SMEs indicated the following ones as most strategically important: relationship with consumers (1^st place according to the number of attitudes), responsible behavior towards employees (expressed in stable wages, opportunities for professional development and qualification improvement; provision of additional health insurance and social benefits; creation of attractive work places etc.) (2^nd place according to the number of attitudes), environmental protection (activities aimed at improving ecological situation) (3^rd place), good business practices (4^th place). Research results confirm that practice of social responsibility in case of Russian SMEs is shaped notonly by official legislative requirements, but in a great extent by personal attitudes, values, choices and beliefs of their owners. The practice of social responsibility of Russian SMEs is also influenced by choices and attitudes of these companies’ employees. Owners and managers of Russian SMEs believe that responsible behavior and practices allow to create and maintain long-term relationship of trust between their companies and key groups of stakeholders which include consumers of their goods and services, their employees and local communities.

The paper presents the analysis of differences in affective, normative and continuance commitment between generation X and Y employees. The sample consisted of 174 respondents (70% representing generation Y) working for the companies based in Moscow and St. Petersburg. Survey methods included a short version of Organizational commitment scale (D. Meyer and N. Allen), foursubscales of the “Diagnostic of job satisfaction” (T. Y. Ivanova, E. I. Rasskazova and E. N. Osin), and three subscales of the “Job Diagnostic Survey” (R. Hackman and G. Oldham, adapted by I. N. Bondarenko). Student’s t-test, Mann-Whitney U-test and correlational analysis were employed to analyze the data. Findings indicate that generation Y employees rate their normative and continuance commitment lower than generation X. No statistically significant differences in affective commitment were found. Both generations are least satisfied with their salaries, and most satisfied with their knowledge of the resultsof their work. Apart from pay satisfaction, all components of commitment correlated strongly with supervision satisfaction in the case of generation Y employees, and with experienced meaningfulness from work – in the case of generation X. Findings suggest that the companies facing the problem of retaining generation Y employees can be advised to channel their efforts into the development of the normative commitment.

Purpose. The aim of this work was to research of the semantic structures of the specialists on public relations of their lifestyle, professional activity, and as representative of their profession. Methodology. Methodological basis of research was made by three-layer model structure of an image of the world and the concept of professional specificity of an image of the world. The methods of research are specialized semantic differentials “Lifestyle”, “Work” and “Professional”. Data processing was performed by factor analysis, cluster analysis and the method of semantic universalities. When comparing data obtained using different methods of research a set of patterns was revealed. Findings. The semantic structures of the evaluation by the public relations specialists of their professional activity include descriptors pointing to a high personal involvement in professional activities. In our opinion, it is personal involvement that determines the presence of specificity of the nuclear layer of an image of the world of the public relations specialists and determines its nature (high rates of internality of the control locus, as well as the high rank of value orientations associated with knowledge and development). Another invariant regularity manifested in the comparison of the results of techniques is a greater degree of severity of the dynamic characteristics observed in thee valuation of the representative of the profession in the group of the PR-specialists. In our opinion, this regularity is also explained by the specification of professional activities of PR specialists relatedto the implementation of projects in a changing environment and requiring greater flexibility in the implementation of professional activities. Finally, the third regularity is manifested when using all of the procedures processing results, is the presence of the group of specialists on public relations of the characteristics associated with creative activities. The latter pattern may be due to the creative nature of the activities of the public relations specialist, associated with the generation of original content. Value of the results. The results of the research complement the existing information on the availability of professional specificity of the image of the world of the PR-specialist and can be used to improve the efficiency of professional activity of these specialists and the development of vocational training programs.

The paper presents a theoretical analysis of the concept of personality resources understoodas non-specific individual psychological characteristics that facilitate activity performance and wellbeing. Based on the resource theory by S. Hobfoll and the personality potential theory by D. Leontiev, we propose a classification of personality resources and discuss some of these variables that have enjoyed particular research attention in empirical studies (hardiness, resilience, sense of coherence, optimism, self-esteem, self-efficacy, tolerance for ambiguity). We present a brief review of the studies showing the effects of personality resources at work and offer a critical analysis of four integral personality resource theories, including those popular in organizational psychology (core self-evaluations,psychological capital., self-regulation competence, personality potential). Based on the theoreticalanalysis, we specify several issues in this research area: ambiguity with respect to the “object” of personality resources and to the criteria of their efficacy, the problem of general vs. specific functionsof personality resources, the problem of their structural and systemic organization, the problem of stability vs. plasticity of personality resources, as well as individual and environmental factors and mechanisms underlying the dynamics of personality resources and their effective utilization in activity. We discuss some methodological possibilities of developing future studies aimed to confront theseissues. The theoretical review indicates the need for a general personality resource theory to resolve theexisting contradictions, as well as the need for more systematic empirical studies focusing on groups ofpersonality resources, rather than on single variables, and accounting for the situational context. The findings reveal new perspectives for future personality resource studies in the organizational domain.

Purpose. The purpose of this research was to identify the features and structure of the relationship between the subjective image of the corporate culture and some characteristics of the employees’ attitude toward the organization (need for identification, attachment type at work and the person-organization value fit) with their organizational identification. Methodology. The respondents were employees of commercial enterprises, total 241 people. Data collection was carried out in one stage. Respondents filled out a questionnaire composed of five measures. The results was processedwith the help of factor analysis and structural modeling, and graphically presented in the form ofmodels — path diagrams. Results. The variables were divided into four factors. The first included avoiding and ambivalent types of attachment. The second contains variables: identification, needfor identification, the person-organization value fit, and the attractiveness of corporate culture. Thethird factor was the neutral and ambivalent identification, as well as the desidentification. Closed, synchronous and open perceived types of culture (described in the framework of the “paradigmatic” approach of L. Constantine) have merged into the fourth factor. Conclusion. The subjective image of corporate culture has a significant effect on the assessment of other organizational processes and phenomena by employees and is associated with the emergence of a certain type of organizational identification. When employees perceive the culture developed in the enterprise as an open type (thatis, adaptive and collaborative), they are likely to have a higher need for identification, their valuesare consistent with organizational ones; they positively assess the existing culture and are identified with their corporation. Value of the results. The conducted research made it possible to see the latent structure of factors, to reveal the interrelationships of the selected groups and to evaluate the ratioand degree of contributions of factors both to the variables studied and to the model as a whole. The prospect of development of this line of research is the addition of new organizational variables to the model and clarification of their role and interrelations.

The article presents the main results of the International scientific-practical conference «Business Psychology: Theory and Practice» (HSE, Moscow, Russia), which took place from 16 to 19 November 2016. The Conference was prepared and carried out at the initiative of the master’s program «Psychology in Business» and was an important milestone in the development of business psychology — a new area of applied psychology. The presentations and discussions are demonstrated the scientific importance and practical utility of business psychology. Currently, there is a trend to find basic theoretical approaches for business psychology as a practice. The new area of research and practice for business psychologists were outlined. Such contemporary hot topics as organizational flexibility and knowledge management are increasingly penetrate into the area of research and practice of business psychologists and became more concretized. As a consequence, a tendency to search for psychological solutions in management and organizational consulting is developing.