WORK INTERACTIONS AND ATTITUDES STUDY

April 2004

NOTE: THE SIGN-UP PHASE HAS BEEN COMPLETED. THERE ARE NO PARTICIPANT POSITIONS AVAILABLE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR INTEREST

To complete the second self-rated survey, please go to: Social Interactions Survey.

Thank you for you interest in the work interactions and attitudes study. The study will be conducted starting April 5, 2004 and consists of three distinct phases, as we describe below. We will reward paticipants by sending a $10 check to those who complete the surveys.

1. The "Self-Rating Survey" asks participants to indicate the extent to which they agree with behavioral statements such as "I try to be courteous to everyone I meet" or "I would rather cooperate with others than compete with them" and to provide some demographic information. This survey, available on-line, should take about 10 minutes to complete. (Those who sign up for the study will be presented with a link to the Self-Rating Survey on the confirmation page.)

2. The "Significant Other Survey" is to be completed by your spouse. This survey is very short, and it should take approximately 5 minutes to complete. Those who complete the Self-Rating Survey will be asked for an address where we can send the signficant other surveys, we will mail the short survey to the significant others, together with a postage-paid return envelope to be mailed directly to us.

3. The "Self-Rating Follow-Up Survey" is to be approximately two weeks after the Self-Rating Survey (we will send participants an e-mail message with instructions and the web-link at that time). In this survey we ask you to indicate the extent to which you engage in a number of social interactions at work (e.g., "Talked with a co-worker about each other's families") and to rate their pleasantness and stressfulness, and provide ratings of general mood and satisfaction. This survey should take 15-20 minutes to complete.

Before you start participating in this study, please read the informed consent below. If you agree with the informed consent, you can sign up to participate in the study after you indicate your agreement by pressing the SUBMIT button below.

If you have questions, please email Remus Ilies at ilies@msu.edu.

I greatly appreciate your participation in this important research.


Remus Ilies


The Eli Broad Graduate School of Management
Michigan State University
N475 North Business Complex
East Lansing, MI 48824-1112
(517) 432-3510
Faculty Web Page


INFORMED CONSENT FOR WORK INTERACTIONS AND ATTITUDES STUDY

You are invited to participate in a research study of social interactions at work. We ask that you read this form and ask any questions you may have before agreeing to be in the study.

This study is being conducted by:

Remus Ilies, Assistant Professor, Management Department, Michigan State University

Timothy A. Judge, Matherly-McKethan Eminent Scholar of Management, University of Florida

Background Information:

The purpose of this study is to examine the role of social interactions, mood and personality in the formation of employees' job satisfaction. This research is important for understanding the antecedents of job satisfaction and should provide suggestion for increasing employees' satisfaction with their jobs.

Procedures:

If you agree to be in this study, we will ask you to do the following things:

1. Indicate the frequency with which you engage in each of the 75 social situations comprising a work social interaction checklist, and give examples of typical interactions that you encounter at work.
2. Rate the pleasantness and stressfulness of each situation
3. Provide reports of your general mood at work, your personality and of your satisfaction with your job.
4. Secure personality and life satisfaction ratings from a significant other (spouse or close family member, good friend, etc.)

We estimate that the study will take about 20-30 minutes to complete. You do not have to answer any question you do not wish to answer. The ratings provided by your significant other would take approximately 10-15 minutes to complete. The ratings you and your significant other provide will be combined with those of other participants in this research. The target period for this phase of the study is March 29-April 9.

Risks and Benefits of Being in the Study:

Participation in this study entails no more than minimal risk. In return for your participation, you will pay you $10. We will begin processing the payment within two weeks of the date when the data collection will be completed and checks will be mailed to participants shortly thereafter. Participants will receive no other benefit for participating in the study.

Confidentiality:

Your identity will be kept confidential to the maximum extent allowable by law. The records of this study will be kept private. In any sort of report we might publish, it will not be possible to identify you as a subject in this research.

Voluntary Nature of the Study:

Your decision whether or not to participate will not affect your current or future relations with Michigan State University. If you decide to participate, you are free to withdraw at any time without affecting those relationships.

Contacts and Questions:

The researchers conducting this study are Remus Ilies and Timothy A. Judge and. If you have any questions, please contact them at ilies@msu.edu and tjudge@ufl.edu, or at 517-432-3510 and 352-374-9158. If you have any questions or concerns regarding this study and would like to talk to someone other than the researchers, contact the University Committee on Research Involving Human Subjects (UCRIHS):

Peter Vasilenko, Ph.D., UCRIHS Chair PHONE: (517) 355-2180
202 Olds Hall FAX: (517-432-4503
East Lansing, MI 48824-1046 E-MAIL ucrihs@msu.edu


Statement of Consent:

I have read the procedure described above. By pressing the button below, I voluntarily agree to participate in the procedure and I have received a copy of this description (available for download on the Download page).