| This research explored the relationship between entitativity and individual perceptions of the union-management workplace environment as viewed by production workers and superviors. Entitativity is defined as "theories that individual perceivers hold about specific social groups and that endow the groups with social meaning and predictive value" (Brewer, Hong, & Li, 2004, p. 25). Empirical research suggested high levels of entitativity correspond to levels of prejudice. Such an understanding could have significance for training, communication, and performance effectiveness in an organization. This research was conducted as a quantitative, nonexperimental, correlational study (Fraenkel & Wallen, 2006). The method was survey research using scales from 2 previously validated instruments. One instrument measured the existence and levels of entitativity (Spencer-Rodgers, Hamilton, & Sherman, 2007). The other, the Employee Environment Diagnostic Survey (EEDS; Munro, 2002), measured individual perceptions of workplace satisfaction. Participants included labor and management employees of the same company performing identical work functions at geographically different locations. Positive correlations were found at the group level between degrees of entitativity and perceptions of the workplace environment. The positive correlation indicated that as entitativity increased, job satisfaction increased at the group level. Future analysis will require qualitative methods to further understand individual level responses. |
