University of Groningen Loyalty in Humanity Visser, Miranda
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University of Groningen Loyalty in humanity Visser, Miranda IMPORTANT NOTE: You are advised to consult the publisher's version (publisher's PDF) if you wish to cite from it. Please check the document version below. Document Version Publisher's PDF, also known as Version of record Publication date: 2015 Link to publication in University of Groningen/UMCG research database Citation for published version (APA): Visser, M. (2015). Loyalty in humanity: turnover among expatriate humanitarian aid workers. [S.n.]. Copyright Other than for strictly personal use, it is not permitted to download or to forward/distribute the text or part of it without the consent of the author(s) and/or copyright holder(s), unless the work is under an open content license (like Creative Commons). Take-down policy If you believe that this document breaches copyright please contact us providing details, and we will remove access to the work immediately and investigate your claim. Downloaded from the University of Groningen/UMCG research database (Pure): http://www.rug.nl/research/portal. For technical reasons the number of authors shown on this cover page is limited to 10 maximum. Download date: 24-09-2021 LOYALTY IN HUMANITY TURNOVER AMONG EXPATRIATE HUMANITARIAN AID WORKERS Miranda S. Visser © 2015 by Miranda S. Visser ISBN: 978-94-6299-046-3 All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or by any means, including scanning, photocopying, or otherwise without prior written permission of the copyright holder. Printing by Ridderprint BV, Ridderkerk, the Netherlands Cover design by Miranda Visser and Robbert Lindeman Photograph by Brendan Bannon LOYALTY IN HUMANITY Turnover among Expatriate Humanitarian Aid Workers PhD Thesis to obtain the degree of doctor at the University of Groningen on the authority of the Rector Magnificus, Prof. E. Sterken and in accordance with the decision by the College of Deans. This thesis will be defended in public on Thursday 9 April 2015 at 16.15 hours by Miranda Simone Visser born on 13 January 1984 in Arnhem Supervisors Prof. R.P.M. Wittek Prof. M.C. Mills Co-supervisor Dr. L. Heyse Assessment committee Prof. A.G. van der Lippe Prof. A. Flache Prof. J. Paauwe Table of Contents 1 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................. 1 1.1 Professionalization and turnover of expatriates in the humanitarian sector ......2 1.2 Explaining turnover in the humanitarian sector .................................................................4 1.3 Turnover-related attitudes .............................................................................................................5 1.4 The formal organization: job design and HRM .....................................................................6 1.4.1 Job Design ................................................................................................................................6 1.4.2 HRM Practices .......................................................................................................................7 1.5 The informal organization: social relations and turnover..............................................7 1.6 Research problem ................................................................................................................................8 1.7 Research design and data ............................................................................................................. 11 1.7.1 Organization: Médecins Sans Frontières .............................................................. 11 1.7.2 The Humanitarian Employment Survey (HES) ................................................. 12 1.8 Contributions ...................................................................................................................................... 13 2 ENABLING WORK-LIFE BALANCE IN AN UNBALANCED ENVIRONMENT: JOB AUTONOMY AND TRUST IN MANAGEMENT AMONG HUMANITARIAN AID EXPATRIATES .................................................................................................................. 15 2.1 Introduction ......................................................................................................................................... 16 2.2 Theoretical framework .................................................................................................................. 17 2.2.1 Autonomy as an Enabling Resource for Work-Life Balance ....................... 18 2.2.2 Trust in Management and Work-Life Balance Satisfaction ........................ 18 2.2.3 The Buffering Role of Trust in Management ...................................................... 19 2.2.4 Other Factors Influencing Work-Life Balance ................................................... 20 2.3 Data and method ............................................................................................................................... 20 2.3.1 Data .......................................................................................................................................... 20 2.3.2 Measurements .................................................................................................................... 21 2.3.3 Method of Analysis........................................................................................................... 22 2.4 Results..................................................................................................................................................... 23 2.5 Discussion ............................................................................................................................................. 27 2.5.1 Implications for Research ............................................................................................ 27 2.5.2 Managerial Implications ............................................................................................... 27 2.5.3 Strengths and Limitations ............................................................................................ 28 2.5.4 Conclusion ............................................................................................................................ 28 3 REDUCING TURNOVER INTENTIONS IN COMPLEX TASK ENVIRONMENTS: THE INTERPLAY BETWEEN ROLE CLARITY AND SOCIAL RELATIONS AMONG HUMANITARIAN AID WORKERS .................................................................................. 31 3.1 Introduction .........................................................................................................................................32 3.2 Theory .....................................................................................................................................................33 3.2.1 Role clarity and turnover..............................................................................................34 3.2.2 Quality of relationships with coworkers and turnover ................................34 3.2.3 Social relations: a necessary condition for role clarity to help reduce turnover .................................................................................................................................35 3.3 Data and Method ...............................................................................................................................36 3.3.1 Data ..........................................................................................................................................36 3.3.2 Measurements ....................................................................................................................39 3.3.3 Method of Analysis ...........................................................................................................39 3.4 Results .....................................................................................................................................................39 3.5 Conclusion and discussion ...........................................................................................................42 4 HUMANITARIAN EXPATRIATES’ PERCEPTIONS OF JOB TRAINING, TRUST IN MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATIONAL COMMITMENT: A GIFT EXCHANGE PERSPECTIVE .................................................................................................................... 45 4.1 Introduction .........................................................................................................................................46 4.2 Theory .....................................................................................................................................................47 4.2.1 Training and commitment ...........................................................................................49 4.2.2 Trust and commitment ..................................................................................................51 4.2.3 Trust, Training, and Commitment............................................................................51 4.2.4 Alternative antecedents of organizational commitment .............................52 4.3 Data and Method ...............................................................................................................................53 4.3.1 Data ..........................................................................................................................................53 4.3.2 Measurements ....................................................................................................................56