" He notes that organizations are now taking a greater interest in the relevance of the quality of work life. Parker was delighted with her higher salary but felt the money would not be worth it unless she felt good about her work and her workplace. Ilies, Scott & Judge (2006, p. 561) point out that there is an increasing amount of research being done with respect to work behavior that goes beyond traditional measures of job performance. They found that people with positive affect and agreeable personalities exhibited greater levels of citizenship than people deemed less agreeable, or even disagreeable.
Parker's co-workers would probably all agree that she has a positive affect and an agreeable personality. She does not like conflict and feels that she goes out of her way to avoid it. She was therefore taken aback by comments from Susan, her new secretary. Susan is older than most people in the department and has less education. She avoids work, if possible, and complains about everything. She seems friendly in one-on-one exchanges but Parker quickly found out that Susan makes negative remarks and snide comments once someone is out of earshot. Parker's new boss was annoyed when she did not receive Parker's weekly report on time. Parker finished the report several hours early, but Susan did not put the documents in inter-office mail in a timely fashion. Parker's relationship with Susan can be characterized as an interdependence conflict.
Another new co-worker is Adam. According to Holland's theory of personality types, Adam would be described as conventional. He is good at his job but largely invisible as far as other co-workers are concerned....
Parker would like to see Adam do more work collaboratively; she also wishes that he would take initiative instead of waiting for her to tell him what to do. Parker's workplace relationship with Adam can be characterized as a difference in work style personality.
A third co-worker Parker finds challenging is Betty. Betty seems eager to be friends with Parker, but it is clear, at least to Parker, that the two women have nothing in common. Parker enjoys spending weekends with her boyfriend, her family and pets. She enjoys camping and other outdoor activities. Betty, who is the same age as Parker, is a self-proclaimed "city girl" who loves shopping and going to clubs. She is quite talkative and does not seem to understand Parker's dry sense of humor. The relationship between Parker and Betty can best be described as a personality clash.
Job coach Sandra V. Abell suggests ten ways that managers/employers can create a positive work environment: build trust; communicate positively and openly; expect the best from your staff; create team spirit; give recognition and appreciation; give credit and take responsibility; be approachable; provide a positive physical environment; make staff evaluations a positive experience; and make it fun (Abell n.d.). Employees can apply these same ideas to their individual performance and to the group dynamic.
Parker Allison met with a consultant who discussed Abell's approach. In addition, she suggested that Parker take some leadership courses through the local university, since she is not a natural leader according to her work style. The courses, the consultant advised, would give Parker the language and
