This study tested hypotheses concerning how similarity of personality traits between promotion candidates and their peers and supervisors influences promotion decisions in different work unit cultures. Personality similarity to peers was positively associated with promotion in units with high individualism. In units with high collectivism, supervisor-subordinate personality similarity was instead a significant predictor of advancement. Behavioral integration between candidates and their peers and supervisors partially mediated the influence of personality similarity on promotion. Demographic similarity had little influence on promotion decisions. We discuss implications for understanding similarity effects and for increasing the validity of promotion decisions.

The attitudinal and behavioral effects of being promoted and being rejected for promotion were examined in a quasi experiment conducted at an international bank in Hong Kong. Promoted tellers who had more internal locuses of control (LOC) maintained improved attitudes across 3? and 18?month posttest intervals. Attitudes returned to baseline levels by the second posttest among external?LOC individuals who had been promoted. There was no change in attitudes among people passed over for promotion. Absenteeism and job performance both decreased among promotees. The implications for the administration of promotions are considered.

The relationship between perceived participative decision making and employee performance was examined in matched samples of employees from the Hong Kong and U.S. branches of one organization. Self-efficacy in regard to participating in decisions and idiocentrism moderated the relationship between perceived participative decision-making opportunity and individual performance. Perceptions of the participation efficacy of a work unit and allocentrism moderated the relationship between participative decision-making opportunity and group performance. Idiocentrism and allocentrism appeared to explain regional differences in how participative decision making and efficacy perceptions interacted to predict performance.

In a field quasi experiment, customers were most satisfied with the service quality of the branch of a multinational bank where good organizational citizens had been trained as service quality leaders, and branch employees exhibited the highest conformance to the quality scheme of the bank. In a branch where service quality leaders were randomly selected for training, customer satisfaction and conformance improved more than they did in a branch where no service quality leaders were trained.