Counterproductive Worker Behavior After a Pay Cut

We examine how workers reacted to a pay cut in a sales call-center setting in the US. The pay cut was implemented by raising two pre-existing sales targets, i.e., by “moving the goalposts.” Using a difference-in-difference approach, we show that among the workers who experienced the pay cut, some chose to leave the firm (exit); others generated abnormally high customer refunds, in a way that hurt both them and the firm (we define this work practice as counterproductive). The firm believed, and we present evidence, that these workers intentionally sold the wrong items, as opposed to simply optimally shirking on effort in response to the pay cut. We show that the most loyal workers (those with longer tenure) expressed themselves only through counterproductive work practices and not through exit. Less-loyal workers reacted more strongly than loyal workers, and did so through a balanced mix of exit and counterproductive behavior. To our knowledge, this is the first study to document individual-level patterns of exit and (counter-)productivity following a pay cut and, how these differ for high- vs. low-loyalty workers.

Pengaruh Pengetahuan Keselamatan dan Kesehatan Kerja (K3) Terhadap Perilaku Pekerja dan Kecelakaan Kerja Pada Proyek di DS LNG Kabupaten Banggai Propinsi Sulawesi Tengah

In association with the potential risks of work accidents in the implementation of construction work, the knowledge of K3 on a construction project is now a fundamental requirement. Aspects of K3 itself will not be able to be run as it should without any intervention from management in the form of a planned effort to manage it (safety management), which is often called the Occupational Safety and Health Management System (SMK3). This research aims to know effects of the knowledge of K3 on the behavior of construction workers as viewed from several aspects related to K3 such as the influence of knowledge variables K3 together to the behavior of construction workers, the effect of knowledge variables K3 partially on the behavior of construction workers and the effect of worker's behavior on work accident.This research were conducted in four construction companies which executed works given by the local government of Luwuk Banggai Regency in 2016. The research approach used in this research is survey method and regression and correlation analysis method having samples of 129 workers. Based on statistical test of hypothesis test, the test result of each K3 knowledge variable shows that all the variables tested (5 K3 knowledge variables ie devinition and initiation K3/X1, K3/X2 management system, personal protector K3/X3, facilities and infrastructure K3/X4, K3/X5 risk) has a strong correlation to worker behavioral variables (Y1). This is evidenced by the correlation numbers R> 0.8 and the determination (r2)>0.7. However, based on the results of simultaneous test (F test) to know the correlation of the five variables of K3 knowledge together to the variable of worker behavior (Y1), the result of statistical test on the simultaneous test shows that in t test (partial) only 2 K3 Good correlation to worker behavior (Y1) that is variable of personal protective device (X3) and K3 risk (X5). According to these two test, it revealed that linear multiple regression result in an equation: Y=0,318X3+0,557X5+1,613 with determinant coefficient (R2) = 71.4 % which means that the model resulting having very good performance.

Influence of the Number of Queens on Nest Establishment: Native and Invasive Ant Species

As a critical stage in the life cycle of ant colonies, nest establishment depends on external and internal factors. This study investigates the effect of the number of queens on queen and worker behavior during nest establishment in invasive Argentine ants (Linepitema humile) and native Mediterranean Tapinoma nigerrimum. We set up experimental colonies with the same number of workers but with one or six queens. At different time points, we recorded the positions of queens and workers inside and outside the nest. Our results highlight the influence of the number of queens on the position of queens and workers with between-species differences. Queens of both species entered the nests more quickly when there were six queens. During nest establishment, more workers were inside nests with six queens for both species, with this effect being greater for T. nigerrimum. Once nests were established, fewer workers of both species were engaged in nest maintenance and feeding in nests with six queens; T. nigerrimum had fewer workers engaged in patrolling. These results suggest that the number of queens is a key factor driving queen and worker behavior during and after nest establishment with different species responses.