Knowledge that Transforms

AbstractGiven the assumption that most employers would like to gain the trust of their employees, what would initiate this trust? This study explores the joint role of the employee‐organization relationship (EOR) and supervisory support in initiating trust among middle managers. The results from a study of 545 middle managers in China show that both EOR and supervisory support are important in creating trust, with supervisory support having a stronger influence than EOR. Further, supervisors play a synergistic role by accentuating the positive influence of the mutual investment EOR approach and attenuating the negative influence of the quasi‐spot contract EOR with the managers. Results reinforce the importance of both formal structure and social processes in cultivating employee trust in the organization. We discuss implications of these findings for future research and human resource management practices. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

AbstractThe retirement of baby boomers along with a smaller cohort group of young people replacing them poses a challenge for employers in the future—where will they find the workers they need? One largely untapped source of human resources is people with disabilities (PWDs). Why have employers mostly ignored this large labor pool? This research used a semistructured interview approach with 38 executives across a broad array of industries and geographic regions to examine why employers don't hire PWDs and what they believe can be done to change this situation. Results show that most employers are not very proactive in hiring PWDs and that most employers hold stereotypical beliefs not supported by research evidence. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.