Group & Organization Management

Michael J. Glauser and Stephen R. Axley present a summary of the results of a national study of university- based consultants-their background characteristics, perceptions, and activities. Although the sample sets some real limits on generalizations-as does the response rate—the results are interesting and worth thinking about.

Current OD philosophy is compared to that espoused by Douglas McGregor over 20 years ago. The persuasive trend today toward designing training programs based upon Theory X assumptions— though they aim to communicate Theory Y concepts—is discussed and contrasted with McGregor's "integrative approach" to OD.

Organization development practitioners devote considerable atten tion to the application of theory and research in their practice. They less often consider the potential for their practice to contribute to theory. To foster a more even balance between contributions of theory and practice, this article discusses several types of contributions OD practice can make to theory. These include modifying established theories, addressing new problem areas, and exploring the internal logic of organizations' experiences.

Trust perceptions of male and female respondents toward on-site supervisors, area supervisors, and top management were investigated in a large state agency. Although trust differences between men and women toward management were not found, respondents reporting to someone of the same gender had significantly higher trust in their superior than did men or women reporting to a superior of the opposite sex. Perceptions of trust were also found to be significantly related to the respondent's position level in the organization.

This study examines the effects of organizational context on sub ordinates' use of power tactics in upward influence attempts. A simulation design similar to that used by Staw and Ross (1980) was employed. Subjects were randomly assigned one of two forms of an organizational scenario. The following organizational character istics were described as either all positive or all negative in the scenarios: (1) managerial competence, (2) supervisory support, (3) fairness in reward, and (4) rule enforcement. Between-group com parisons show that (a) respondents to the positive scenario were more likely to choose rational power tactics, and (b) respondents to the negative scenario were more likely to choose political power tactics (ingratiation, threat, and blocking). These results reinforce the utility of considering organizational context as a potential source of variation in individual responses. Theoretical, research, and prac tical implications are discussed.