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Social Comparisons and Absenteeism: A Structural Modeling Approach 1
Author(s) -
Geurts Sabine A.,
Buunk Bram P.,
Schaufeli Wilmar B.
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
journal of applied social psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.822
H-Index - 111
eISSN - 1559-1816
pISSN - 0021-9029
DOI - 10.1111/j.1559-1816.1994.tb00565.x
Subject(s) - absenteeism , lisrel , psychology , social psychology , resentment , feeling , perception , anomie , norm (philosophy) , structural equation modeling , political science , mathematics , statistics , neuroscience , politics , law
In this study a social comparison model is constructed that predicts objectively recorded absence frequency among male Dutch blue‐collar workers from a metal factory in the Netherlands. By employing LISREL, the model is developed (tested and revised) in Plant North (N = 254), and successfully cross‐validated in Plant South (N= 199). The study demonstrates the impact of two social comparison processes upon absenteeism. Absenteeism is the result of: (a) the perception that one is less well‐off than one's colleagues on several job aspects, and (b) the adjustment of one's personal absence norm to that of the work group. In addition, our study reveals that, rather than being absent or having tolerant absence norms, employees may develop feelings of resentment in response to perceived inequity and a tolerant group absence norm. It is concluded that social comparison theory enhances our understanding of absenteeism.