EXAMPLES OF ARTICLE SUMMARIES

Punnett, B.J., Greenidge, D., & Ramsey, J. (2007). Job attitudes and absenteeism: A study in the English speaking Caribbean, Journal of World Business, Vol. 42, o. 2, pp. 214-227. This study examined the relations of job attitudes and personality characteristics to absenteeism. More specifically, this article explored the effect of intrinsic job satisfaction facets (ability utilization, achievement, activity, authority, creativity, independence, moral values, responsibility, social services, social status, and variety), extrinsic job satisfaction facets (advancement, company policies and procedures, compensation, co-workers, recognition, security, supervision-technical, supervision-human relations, and working conditions), organisational commitment facets (job involvement, job identification, and loyalty), and personality characteristics (need for achievement, self-efficacy, and locus of control) on absenteeism Barbados. The study was conducted in five manufacturing companies in Barbados, sampling a total of 352 employees. The results of the study indicated that an employees levels of satisfaction with co-workers, activity, responsibility, and job security, as well as loyalty to the organisation, are predictors of absenteeism.

Ramsey, J., Punnett, B.J., & Greenidge, D. (2008). A social psychological account of absenteeism in Barbados, Human Resource Management Journal. This paper tested a social psychological model of absenteeism. More specifically, this paper applied Ajzens (1991) theory of planned behaviour (TPB) to explain absence in Barbados. Moreover, the primary objective of study was to understand the process underlying employee absence decisions. Ajzens (1991) TPB postulates that an individuals attitude towards behaviour (the individuals overall evaluation of the behaviour), subjective norms (the individuals perceived expectations of important others with regard to his or her performing the behaviour in question), perceived behaviour control ( the degree to which an individual feels he or she has control over exhibiting a particular behaviour) directly affects behavioural intentions ( intentions to engage in a particular behaviour). Behavioural intentions lead to behaviour. The study was conducted in five manufacturing companies in Barbados, sampling a total of 352 employees. The results of the study found evidence to suggest that job attitude (job satisfaction), subjective norms, and perceived control predicted an employees intention to be absent; in turn an employees intention to be absent predicted an employees actual absence behaviour.

Steel, R., Rentsch, J., & Van Scotter (2007). Timeframes and absence frameworks: A test of Steers and Rhodes (1978) model of attendance, Journal of Management, Vol. 33, o. 2, pp. 180-195. This longitudinal study tested Steers and Rhodes (1978) model of employee attendance against four different absenteeism time frames short-term absence (3 months), mid-term absence (6 months), long-term absence (12 months), and extended-period absence (60 months). Steers and Rhodes (1978) framework postulated that the job situation determine employee levels of job satisfaction and in turn job satisfaction leads to attendance motivation. Moreover, personal characteristics predict employee values and job expectation and an employees ability to attend work. Employees values and job expectations are hypothesised to influence the relationship between job situation and job satisfaction. Also, pressures to attend work are theorised to have a direct predictive effect on attendance motivation. An employees attendance motivation is hypothesised to predict employee attendance. In addition, an employees ability to attend work is proposed to influence the effect of attendance motivation on employee attendance. Steers and Rhodes (1978) model of employee attendance endeavoured to integrate the causes of both voluntary and involuntary absence. The current study utilised a longitudinal design and was conducted over a 10-year period in which surveys were administered in three waves. In the first wave the study sample 580 employees and in the final wave only 212 of the original survey population were sampled due to sample erosion over the course of the study (employee turnover, transfers, retirements, deaths, and so on). The results of the study indicated that Steers and Rhodes framework was stronger predictor of absence as absence time frames increased. Moreover, the results showed that personal characteristics and job satisfaction contributed significantly to the prediction of all four absence time frames. More specifically, the results demonstrated that gender and job satisfaction were the most robust predictors of absence across all absence time frames.