Timo Lorenz

Shared values between employees and their organization constitute a central prerequisite of organizational identification. However, research on person‐organization (PO) fit has largely relied on assumptions of uniformly beneficial value congruence. In the present study, we integrate the Circular Work Value Theory with PO fit research to examine how the motivational content of personal work values shapes organizational identification in interaction with organizational culture. Using cross‐sectional data from 2151 employees nested within 54 organizations, we applied multilevel polynomial regression with response surface analysis to investigate value congruence between employees' higher‐order work values and their organizations' culture for psychological empowerment. In addition, drawing on social identity theory, we examined identity leadership as a moderator influencing the relation between the level of value congruence and organizational identification. Results revealed systematic asymmetries and non‐linear patterns across value domains. Whereas conservation and self‐enhancement values show largely linear and positive associations with organizational identification in high‐empowerment cultures, openness to change and self‐transcendence exhibit curvilinear relations, indicating diminishing or even adverse effects at higher value levels. Moreover, when employees' leaders were high in identity leadership, individuals across a broader range of conservation and self‐enhancement values showed higher organizational identification. Overall, this study advances PO fit theory by integrating a circumplex work‐value framework with multilevel congruence modeling and identity‐based leadership processes, offering actionable insights for organizations seeking to strengthen identification through value‐sensitive culture design and leadership practices.

Introduction: Workplace gender microaggressions constitute subtle forms of symbolic violence that are often difficult to recognize, particularly in their manifestations as microinsults and microinvalidations. Although related constructs such as micromachismos and sexism have been examined in Spanish-speaking contexts, no validated Spanish-language instrument has operationalized these experiences in line with the microinsults–microinvalidations taxonomy. This study examines the psychometric properties of the Spanish adaptation of the Microinvalidations and Microinsults Scale (MIMI-16) in working women. Methods: Two independent samples of working women in Spain ( N ₁ = 352; N ₂ = 404) were analyzed. Confirmatory factor analyses using a robust weighted least squares estimator (WLSMV), multigroup analyses for measurement invariance, and correlational analyses for criterion-related validity were conducted. Results: Supported the expected correlated two-factor structure, with moderate to high standardized loadings ( λ = 0.60–0.92) and high reliability ( ω = 0.88–0.89; composite reliability = 0.93–0.95). Measurement invariance was supported at the configural, metric, and scalar levels. Criterion-related validity was evidenced by associations with poorer workplace social relations, higher psychological distress and burnout, lower work engagement and job satisfaction, and greater turnover intention. However, the high inter-factor correlation and partial limitations in discriminant validity suggest substantial shared variance between dimensions. Discussion: Overall, these findings support the reliability and structural validity of the Spanish MIMI-16 and its use for assessing subtle forms of gender-based violence in organizational contexts, while highlighting the need for further research on the distinctiveness of its dimensions.

Background: Hope research has been constrained by Western-centric models that prioritize individual agency and pathways, often neglecting relational and transcendent dimensions prominent in collectivist and religious societies. Method: Using a genetic algorithm, we developed and validated the HOPE-4 scale across two independent samples of Algerian adults (Study 1: N = 338; Study 2: N = 290; total N = 628), comprising four facets: Willpower (agency), Waypower (pathways), Faith-Based Hope (transcendent trust), and Communal Hope (relational solidarity). Results: Confirmatory factor analysis supported a hierarchical structure with excellent fit, high internal consistency ( α = 0.93–0.95; ω = 0.96–0.97), strong convergent validity with established measures of hope and psychological capital, and moderate inter-facet correlations indicating discriminant validity. Based on approximate fit criteria, the scale showed configural, metric, and scalar invariance across gender and age groups. Scores also showed high consistency across demographic groups. Conclusion: These findings underscore the salience of faith-based and communal hope in Arab-Islamic contexts, extending traditional frameworks and addressing calls for emic instruments. The HOPE-4 provides a robust, culturally attuned tool for hope assessment, with implications for research and interventions in Arabic-speaking populations.

Research on work values is affected by construct proliferation, weak theoretical integration, and sociocultural blind spots. We address these issues by grounding work values in a motivational continuum via the Circular Work Value Theory. We introduce the modular Circular Work Value Scale (CWVSmod), assessing work values at three levels of abstraction. Across four studies (N = 7,516), we develop, validate, and norm the scales.Study 1 used algorithm-based item selection to construct three scales. Confirmatory factor analyses indicated acceptable fit and measurement invariance (MI) held across age and gender. Study 2 examined cross-language validity: strict MI across countries was supported, correlations with higher-order basic values aligned with theory. Study 3 mapped the nomological network, yielding largely expected convergent/discriminant patterns with personality traits and work behaviors consistent with the circumplex structure. Study 4 provided representative German norms for one module by age, gender, and education; strict MI across demographics and time, and retest reliability, were supported. Across all four studies, the circumplex structure of conflict and compatibility was largely corroborated, with observable deviations of Hedonism-Compatibility. The CWVSmod offers theory-consistent, psychometrically robust, and comparable assessments while its modular design enables efficient screening and fine-grained diagnostics.

Hybrid work, offering locational flexibility, is becoming a key aspect of contemporary work. However, its focus on the percentage of work per location overlooks the critical role of team dynamics. This study identified the role of coordination in hybrid team collaboration by defining four key components (location, time, collaboration modality, and preferences) and developed a scale to assess them. Construct conceptualization and item definitions were derived and refined through expert panels. In Study 1 Phase A, an automated item-selection algorithm identified 12 items based on psychometric enhancement ( N = 775) in German and English. Confirmatory analysis showed good fit indices, reliability, validity, and measurement invariance.We tested external validity in Study 1 Phase B with a second measurement after 6 weeks ( N = 245), revealing small-to-modest correlations with relevant outcome variables at individual and team levels. Study 2 offers encouraging empirical support for conceptualizing coordination of collaboration in hybrid teams as a team-level construct in hybrid settings ( N = 108, 22 teams). This scale advances hybrid teamwork research with incremental validity over traditional operationalizations. It empowers teams to self-coordinate, improving satisfaction, performance, and commitment, while serving as a diagnostic tool to identify strengths and weaknesses, fostering targeted team development. This scale makes managing hybrid teams a tangible management responsibility.

This paper addresses challenges in personal work value research, particularly the lack of theoretical and explanatory foundations. With a focus on lists of constructs and potential biases and blind spots in past work value conceptualizations, the diversity of instruments used to assess values in organizational settings has led to ambiguity and incomplete progress in the field. By integrating propositions from basic value research, this paper develops a comprehensive work value theory. The theory is based on the compatibility and conflict of underlying basic motivational goals in work contexts, as postulated by the theory of basic human values. We review past instruments from work value research to consider a broad range of constructs with the purpose of refining broader work value constructs and enhance their theoretical capabilities in organizational settings. To achieve that, we resolve definitional inconsistencies, enable a context-sensitive theorizing of values in a motivational circumplex and broaden the scope of work value constructs to cover personal and social-focused dimensions. The latter is discussed considering the fantasmatic logic of neoliberal ideology. The developed theoretical framework can guide future research on the role of work values for organizational behavior and organizational performance, as well as on the role of fit between personal and organizational values. The paper concludes by highlighting the need to empirically validate the proposed work value model across different cultures and organizational contexts.

Empowering leadership has garnered significant attention over the past two decades, driven by the evolving dynamics of organizations. However, current measures of empowering leadership often fail to align with the psychological empowerment construct (Spreitzer, 1995) – the very construct these leadership practices claim to impact – and exhibit some psychometric flaws. To address these issues, we introduce the Psychological Empowerment Leadership Scale (PELS), designed to assess leader behaviors fostering psychological empowerment across six dimensions. We used automated item selection algorithms to ensure high psychometric quality and tested the instrument’s validity and measurement invariance in German and US samples. A second study with two measurement points, assessed the criterion-oriented validity of the PELS. Confirmatory factor analyses support its factorial validity and indicate metric measurement invariance across both countries. The PELS shows strong correlations with psychological empowerment, job satisfaction, and emotional exhaustion, often exceeding previous meta-analyses, thus demonstrating criterion validity. However, its association with innovative behaviors was lower than expected, warranting further research. With only 24 items, the PELS, offers high reliability and stability over time, providing a more efficient tool for assessing empowering leadership and aligning better with contemporary theoretical perspectives. This research refines the conceptualization and assessment of empowering leadership in contemporary organizational contexts.