Basing their hypotheses on information processing theory, the authors incorporate important group processes within strategic decision making. They examine the interrelationships of cognitive diversity, task conflict, and competence-based trust and their effects on decision outcomes. Their survey includes top management teams from 85 U.S. hospitals. They found that cognitive diversity has a strong positive relationship with task conflict and that competence-based trust strengthens this relationship. In addition, these results suggest that task conflict mediates the effects of cognitive diversity on decision outcomes.

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Purpose Higher education institutions play an important role in the economic growth of any country, through skills and productivity of their graduates. Employers have some expectations about the skills the graduates possess when they graduate out of universities. The purpose of this paper is to examine the skills employers look for in graduates before they hire them. Design/methodology/approach Using a structured survey instrument, this paper gathered data from 50 organizations employing over 50 people. The data consisted of 21 skills the employers rate as important. These skills were categorized into four dimensions: analytical skills, career professional and readiness skills, communications skills, and personality, leadership skills and team/group work. After checking the reliability of the scale, χ2 test and rank correlation were used to analyze the importance of these skills. Findings The findings from a study of employers in the northeastern part of USA suggest that the top six skills and competencies rated with highest importance by employers were: interpersonal skills/works well with others; critical thinking/problem-solving skills; listening skills; oral/speech communication skills; professionalism; and personal motivation. Of all 21 skills, the highly ranked skills needed were interpersonal skills followed by critical thinking and problem solving and listening. Research limitations/implications The present research is based on self-report measures and, hence, the limitations of social desirability bias and common method bias are inherent. However, adequate care is taken to minimize these limitations. The research has implications for the higher educational institutions and researches in the field of education. Practical implications In addition to the employers, this study contributes to higher educational institutions. The study suggests that employers look for interpersonal skills and problem-solving skills before making hiring decisions. Educational institutions need to focus on enhancing these skills in classrooms by emphasizing the teamwork. The implications for both academicians and practitioners are discussed in the paper. Social implications The findings from the study help in creating a fruitful social environment in organizations. Originality/value This study provides new insights about the changing pattern of skills students need to secure before seeking employment.

Purpose -This paper aims to investigate the effects task conflict has on agreement seeking behavior and interpersonal conflict. In addition, it seeks to examine the moderating role of trust on the effects of agreement seeking behavior and interpersonal conflict on the styles of handing conflict, namely, avoidance, collaboration, and third party intervention. Design/methodology/approach -Using a structured survey instrument, this paper gathered data from 252 senior executives from Mainland China and analyzed these using the regression technique to see how interpersonal trust between executives moderates the relationship between conflict and conflict response mechanisms. The study also investigates the relationship between task and relationship conflict as well as agreement-seeking behavior among Chinese executives in Mainland China. Findings -Results show that the presence of interpersonal trust among executives affects the conflict responses for the benefit of organization. The results show that task conflict in top management teams is positively related to relationship conflict and negatively related to agreement-seeking behavior. The data support the view that intra-group trust moderates the relationship between agreement-seeking behavior and collaborating responses such that high-trust groups will have greater collaboration than low-trusting teams. Results also support that intra-group trust moderates the relationship between agreement-seeking behavior and third party responses such that high-trust groups will have greater third-party responses than low-trusting teams. Research limitations/implications -Self-report measures may have some inherent social desirability bias. Despite this potential weakness, this study examines Chinese executives and therefore provides insights into top management team literature. Practical implications -This study contributes to both practicing managers as well as to strategic management literature. This study suggests that administrators need to focus on interpersonal trust while dealing with the outcomes of task and relationship conflict. Originality/value -Although the study is related to Chinese executives, the findings from the study, that task conflict has its affect on interpersonal conflict and agreement-seeking behavior, contribute to the strategic decision making literature.

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between quality of work-life (QWL) and work-life balance (WLB).Design/methodology/approachUsing a structured survey instrument, this paper gathered data from 445 respondents in cosmopolitan city in southern part of India. First psychometric properties of the instrument were tested, and then hierarchical regression was used as a statistical technique for analyzing the data.FindingsThe hierarchical regression results indicated that QWL is (1) negatively related to job stress, (2) positively related to job satisfaction and (3) positively related to job commitment. The results also indicated that (1) job stress is negatively related to WLB, (2) job satisfaction is positively related to WLB and (3) job commitment is positively related to WLB. The results also show partial mediation of job stress, job satisfaction, and job commitment in the relationship between QWL and WLB.Research limitations/implicationsSince the present research is based on self-report measures, the limitations of social desirability bias and common method bias are inherent. However, sufficient care is taken to minimize these limitations. The research has implications for human resource managers in work organizations.Practical implicationsThis study contributes to both practicing managers and the literature on human resource management. The study suggests that employers need to be aware of the importance of quality of work-life and work-life balance in achieving organizational effectiveness.Social implicationsThe study is expected to contribute to the welfare of the society in terms of identifying the antecedents of work-life balance.Originality/valueThis study provides new insights about the effects of QWL on WLB through mediating variables. This is a conceptual model developed and tested and first of its kind in India.