Abstract:

This study investigated potential antecedents of the alignment of organizational subunits' processes and goals with the organization's primary goals and therefore with each other. Alignment data of 329 aggregated subunits (7,359 employees), organization-wide, of a large US manufacturing company were examined. Managerial effectiveness, communication about goals and objectives, and employee enhancement positively related with alignment at a group or subunit level. Alignment, in-turn, positively related with company satisfaction at an individual level. Moreover, 95% of the variation in satisfaction across subunits could be explained by alignment and its antecedents.

Document Type: Research article

DOI: 10.1348/096317908X310247

Affiliations: 1: Psychology Department, Central Michigan University, Michigan, USA 2: Psychology Department, San Jose State University, San Jose, California, USA 3: School of Psychology, Victoria University at Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand 4: Personnel Decisions Research Institutes, Arlington, Virginia, USA 5: BNSF Railways, Fort Worth, Texas, USA