Philippine Journal of Psychology

June 2006, Vol. 39, No. 1

Contents

The Effects of Procedural Justice and Distributive Justice Criteria on Secondary School Teachers’ Fairness Appraisal
Ferdinand S. Piñgul

This study investigates the effects of procedural justice and distributive justice criteria on fairness appraisal. Two hundred thirty nine high school teachers from Bulacan, Cavite, and Pasig City participated. They rated the fairness of two justice scenarios, one organizational and one educational, each containing a procedural justice criterion (voice) and a distributive justice criterion (equity). Analyses of variance were performed. The results showed that process and distribution interact differently in the two scenarios—distributive justice affects fairness appraisal in the organization scenario while procedural justice affects fairness appraisal in the education scenario. These results indicate that as receivers of justice decisions, the participants are influenced by outcomes in appraising the fairness of a situation while as makers of decisions, they are influenced by processes.
Are You Happy Now? Agreement of Self-, Father-, and Mother-Reports on Judgments of Life Satisfaction of Filipino College Students
Eric Julian Manalastas and Alric V. Mondragon

How satisfied are Filipino college students with their lives and do their respective fathers and mothers accurately gauge this? In an empirical demonstration of self-other agreement in a family context, we investigated self-reports of global life satisfaction vis-à-vis father- and mother-judgments in a sample of N = 68 student–mother–father triads using Diener et al.’s (1985) Satisfaction With Life Scale validated using Sycip et al. (2000) measure of Filipino well-being. Results showed moderate convergence for self vs mother-reports, with a general overestimation bias for both fathers and mothers. Multiple regression analysis suggested that mother-reports, compared to father-reports, appeared to be better predictors of adolescent children’s self-reported levels of life satisfaction. Students with mothers and fathers who made less discrepant judgments also tended to have higher self-reported life satisfaction. Results are discussed using the Realistic Accuracy Model (RAM) of personality judgment (Funder, 1995) as well as findings in family psychology.
Structural Similarities among Significant Others and Acquaintances: Measurable?
Gilda Dans-Lopez

This study employs a variation of Kelly’s Repertory grid, called the Star matrix, as a model to depict objects and structures in individual consciousness. It uses numbers as symbolic portrayals of figure representations in psychological space, and then explores whether a computation of similarity among these representations reasonably reflects the structures in mental life. Participants were 66 adolescents. Q correlation was used to measure structural similarities among significant others and acquaintances. This was compared to participants’ rank-ordering of acquaintances according to perceived similarity with a significant other. Using idiographic-nomothetic methods, it was found that there was a fair convergence of the structural measure with participants’ perception. Analysis of participants’ essays further showed that the structural measure was meaningful to a subject when congruence was high between the Q and participants’ perception.
Conceptual and Psychometric Properties of a Foreign Language Learning Motivation Questionnaire
Richard DLC. Gonzales

This paper investigates the conceptual and psychometric properties of an instrument that measures the foreign language motivation of Filipino learners. The results of this study suggest that there are six factors that compose the motivation orientation of Filipino learners. The factors identified in the questionnaire have the psychometric properties of internal consistency and construct validity. Some further validation, modifications and improvements are also suggested.
Exploring Differences in Work Attitudes of Professionals in Family and Non-Family Businesses
Farida R. Pangan, Ma. Regina M. Hechanova, Edna P. Franco, Ricardo H. Mercado, and Carmelo V. Lopez

Professionals in family businesses are reputed to experience unique opportunities and challenges. This study compared work attitudes of professionals in family and non-family run businesses. Analysis of survey data collected from 206 participants revealed that professionals in family-run businesses were more empowered, satisfied with their jobs and careers and committed to their organizations compared to employees in non-family businesses even when age, job level, organizational tenure, and firm size are controlled. We suggest that family businesses may have cultures that resonate with values of Filipino workers.
The Relationship of Human Resource Management Roles and Practices and Organization Effectiveness
Mendiola T. Calleja

Human resource (HR) professionals are increasingly challenged to play strategic roles in organizations and demonstrate how HR functions are linked with organizational performance. This study describes the current state of human resource management practice in the Philippines through HR’s work systems and roles. It evaluates the relationship of these variables with: (a) perceptions of organizational performance, (b) employee productivity, (c) human capital depletion, and (d) financial performance. Respondents of the survey included HR and line managers in 41 firms. Results indicated that HR units in Philippine organizations are weaker in the strategic HR roles. Significant relationships were obtained with HR roles and work systems and perceptions of organizational effectiveness.
The Impact of Human Resource Management Practices on Organizational Commitment: Investigating the Mediating Roles of Perceived Organizational Support and Procedural Justice
Robert L. Tang, Simon Lloyd D. Restubog, Joseph Anthony C. Rodriguez, and Peter Lemuel T. Cayayan

One of the key elements in the design and implementation of human resource management (HRM) policies and programs is to develop employees that remain loyal and identify with organizational goals and objectives. In this study, we examined the mediating roles of perceived organizational support (POS) and procedural justice in the relationship between HRM practices and organizational commitment. Data were collected from 421 rank and file employees working in various departments from four manufacturing organizations in Metro Manila. Using structural equation modeling, we found support for the positive relationships between effective HRM practices and procedural justice perceptions, POS, and organizational commitment. Furthermore, POS mediated the relationship between effective HRM practices and organizational commitment. Implications for theory and practice are discussed.
Gender Differences in Scientific Productivity of Academic Scientists in the Philippines
Marshall N. Valencia

Gender differences in scientific productivity were examined for a sample of 96 PhD science faculty members of the Philippines’ largest research university. Productivity was measured using ISI abstracted journal publications for the period 1998-2002 and gender differences were determined for various personal, contextual, and social cognitive variables. Results indicated that males and females in the sample generally did not differ in scientific productivity levels as well as in most other variables considered. The findings were discussed in the context of its support to the deficit model of gender differences in scientific productivity. It was concluded that the sexes do not differ in the capacity and potential to be scientifically productive but they possibly differ in their pathways to publishing.
Risk Factors and Causal Processes in Juvenile Delinquency: Research and Implications for Prevention
Liane Peña Alampay

This paper presents the child/adolescent and family risk factors and causal processes which have been empirically established in both foreign and local literature as leading to juvenile delinquency. It discusses insights and implications derived from these studies for local initiatives to prevent juvenile delinquency.