Absenteeism in an Organizational Context

Abstract

Research on absenteeism has led to the development of models that emphasize individual-level variables of satisfaction and job involvement but fail to recognize the social framework of absenteeism. Most studies investigate chiefly blue-collar workers in fairly routinized jobs; few studies cross industrial and occupational lines to white-collar or professional work. Our social model examines absenteeism in terms of alternatives available to employees each day and the consequences of absenteeism for workers and for employers. Beyond psychological and aggregated demographic variables, we consider the role of occupational and organizational processes and point to needs for cross-industry and cross-occupational studies of absenteeism.

Workplace Conditions and the Rise and Fall of Teachers' Commitment

“…There are empirical as well as theoretical grounds for clustering these variables. A growing body of evidence from industrial social psychology reveals that disaffection, absenteeism, and turnover are highly intercorrelated (Johns and Nicholson 1982;Marcus and Smith 1985). The same holds true for the teacher work force as well (Rosenholtz 1985(Rosenholtz , 1989.…”

Time for Absenteeism: A 20-Year Review of Origins, Offshoots, and Outcomes

“…Perceived control, which is quite similar to Nicholson's (1977) A--B event continuum, could be the short-term outgrowth of Steers and Rhodes' (1984) perceived ability to attend. Moral obligation might arise from broad societal or occupational beliefs about the legitimacy of a potential absence (Marcus & Smith, 1985). Relative weights for each decision parameter might differ across personality types (Hogan & Hogan, 1989) and demographic groups (Ferris, Bergin & Wayne, 1988).…”

“…Virtually all of the dependent and independent variables are defined in the mid-term, shown by the form of subsequent operationalizations and empirical tests which supported a number of the proposed paths in the model (Brook & Price, 1989). Marcus and Smith (1985) presented a sociological model of absenteeism that included demographic characteristics. Their basic contention, similar to other views described below, was that previous research had concentrated too heavily on attitudinal determinants of absenteeism, and that a more fruitful approach would concentrate on absence norms, customs, and socialization.…”

Individual and group determinants of employee absenteeism: Test of a causal model

“…A number of researchers have indicated that decisions to attend or be absent from work are affected by the social and organizational context (e.g. Chadwick-Jones et al, 1982;Dalton and Perry, 1981;Johns and Nicholson, 1982;Marcus and Smith, 1985;Nicholson and Johns, 1985).…”