Towards an understanding of individual ratings of cohesion within work units a multilevel study /

by De La Rosa, Gabriel M.

Steve Jex, Advisor The major aim of the current study of the current study was to advance the state of knowledge on cohesion within work units by looking at the influence of social identity; similarity in quantity of reported occupational stress, and domestic working location or international working location as factors influencing individual perceptions of cohesion. The current study analyzed self report data from 38,400 employees in a large, domestically based, manufacturing organization with international subsidiaries. Work unit cohesion is typically measured by aggregating individual responses to the group level and treated as a group level variable. The current study used Hierarchical Linear Modeling to simultaneously analyze individual and group level influences on individual perceptions of cohesion in work units. A linear relationship between individual identification with the overall organization cohesion was found; a curvilinear relationship between individual perceptions of quantitative work overload (relative to their respective group members) was found. It was found that domestic location intensified the relationship between identification with the overall organization and perceptions of cohesion. Implications of the study suggest an importance of considering social identity and chronic occupational stressors as factors influencing work unit cohesion. Results of the study also highlight the importance of considering the context of the study environment when considering relationships between individual level predictors and outcomes. This work is dedicated to those who help others because it is the right thing to do. iii iv