M eaning O f W orking

Studies the role work plays in people's lives within the fabric of industrialized societies. Focusses on work as paid employment in traditional and new employer-employee contracts, work careers, absence of work, and work-nonwork connections. Promotes advanced HRM praxis using motivational programs, work stress management, career development, diversity management, and global management.

Contents 

• The MOW Center
• How To Contact the Center
• Past MOW Research
• MOW Publications
• Requests

Contact the MOW Center

The MOW Center

George W. England was Director of the MOW International Research Program which was affiliated to the Center for Economic and Management Research of the University of Oklahoma (USA) from 1990 through 1996. The MOW International Research Team deeply appreciates the involvement and the effort which characterized the coordinatorship of George W. England and wants to thank him sincerely for doing such a good job.

From January 1997, the MOW International Research Center is affiliated with the University Gent (Belgium), Faculty of Psychology and Pedagogical Sciences, Department of Personnel Management, Work & Organizational Psychology. Rita Claes is Director, and S. Antonio Ruiz-Quintanilla is Associate Director.
 
 

Rita Claes, Director
Professor, Department of Personnel, Work and Organizational Psychology, University Gent
Officer, International Association of Applied Psychology (1990-98)

She teaches "Organizational Psychology" in the Faculty of Psychology and Pedagogical Sciences of the University Gent.

She coordinates the Inter-University Cooperation Programme (SOCRATES) in Work & Organizational Psychology for twelve European universities. Her involvement in cross-national research projects includes industrial democracy, meaning of working, life roles and values, work socialization of youth.

She authored and co-authored books, chapters, and psychological tests. She published articles in Journals including the European Journal of Social Psychology, the Career Development Quarterly, the European Work & Organizational Psychologist, the Industrial and Labor Relations Review.
 
 
 

S. Antonio Ruiz-Quintanilla, Associate Director

His research interests include international comparison of work-related attitudes and values, leadership, and organizational culture.

He has written over 50 articles and chapters which were published in Journals including Industrial and Labor Relations Review, Journal of Occupational Psychology, Human Resource Management, Journal of Organizational Behavior, Business Strategy and the Environment. His book publications include two co-edited books with Wiley.

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Past MOW Research

The original MOW research began in 1978 with a cross-national study conducted by the MOW International Research Team (MOW IRT) composed of Work &Organizational psychologists of eight countries: Erik Andriessen (Netherlands), Vojko Antoncic (Slovenia), Rita Claes (Belgium), Pol Coetsier (Belgium), Pieter Drenth (Netherlands), George England (USA), Itzhak Harpaz (Israel), Frank Heller (UK), Marnix Holvoet (Belgium), Hans Maimer (Germany), Jyuji Misumi (Japan), Antonio Ruiz-Quintanilla (Germany/USA), Rob van der Kooij (Netherlands), William Whitely (USA), and Bernhard Wilpert (Germany).

In the early 1990s MOW replication studies have been conducted in Belgium (Flanders), Germany (FRG), Japan, and USA. Further reliability and validity studies of MOW instruments were done by England, Ruiz-Quintanilla, Maimer, and Claes.

Additional MOW studies were conducted in Brazil, Canary Islands, the former German Democratic Republic, Peoples Republic of China, Portugal, Russia, South Africa. Further a panel study was carried out in Israel.

The basic instruments of MOW were used in recent large scale multi-country research: "Attitudes towards work and the market economy in Czech and Slovak Republics, Bulgaria, Hungary, and Poland" conducted by Ruiz-Quintanilla; Work Socialization of Youth (WOSY) in seven European countries and Israel" conducted by the WOSY International Research Group; an EU-project "Future working structures: social values and meaning of working" conducted by Wilpert and Maimer.

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How To Contact the MOW Center Rita Claes Department of Personnel Management Work And Organizational Psychology University Gent 2 Henri Dunantlaan 9000 Gent, Belgium Fax: 32 (0) 9 264 64 94   Electronic mail address Send us an Email Web address  Visit Us Here

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MOW Publications

MOW Questionnaires

Research Publications:

• chronological order
• by key word

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Requests

• Assistance with MOW releated research
If you are an individual researcher or a group of researchers currently planning or already doing MOW related research, we are willing to be of assistance. Send to the MOW Center a short description of your research project and formulate your eventual problems as clear as possible. We'll see what we can do to help you out.

• Requesting MOW related material
• MOW Questionnaires
• MOW Reports
• Using the MOW databank
• Consulting in MOW related matters
Any other questions! Please let us know by email or send us a fax, or letter; constructive criticism is welcome too!

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MOW Questionnaires The following questionnaires can be downloaded if you have Adobe Acrobat 3.0 or they are available from the MOW Center upon request for a charge of 10 USD per questionnaire (handling and shipping).

DOWNLOAD:

• MOW Target Group Study (English)
• MOW National Sample Study (English)
• MOWRE questionnaire (English)


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MOW Reports

Researchers can request a copy of the following reports from the MOW Center at the price listed below (including handling and shipping):

Holvoet, M. (1984). The Construction of MOW Indices and Pattern Variables including Tests on Reliability and on External Validity. Rapporten van het Laboratorium en Seminarie voor Toegepaste Psychologie, No.27, Rijksuniversiteit Gent. 30 USD for the European Union 32 USD for the rest of Europe 36 USD for the rest of the world

Holvoet, M.(1984).MOW Data Treating. Rapporten van het Laboratorium en Seminarie voor Toegepaste Psychologie, No.28, Rijksuniversiteit Gent. 22 USD for the European Union 24 USD for the rest of Europe 30 USD for the rest of the world

Ruiz Quintanilla, S.A. (1992). Attitudes Toward Work and the Market Economy in Poland. ILR/Cornell University. Center for Advanced Human Resource Studies, Working Paper 92-24. Price (including handling and shipping): 10 USD.

Ruiz Quintanilla, S.A. (1992). Attitudes Toward Work and the Market Economy in Hungary. ILR/Cornell University. Center for Advanced Human Resource Studies, Working Paper 92-25. Price (including handling and shipping): 10 USD.

Ruiz Quintanilla, S.A. (1992). Attitudes Toward Work and the Market Economy in Bulgaria. ILR/Cornell University. Center for Advanced Human Resource Studies, Working Paper 92-36. Price (including handling and shipping): 10 USD.

Ruiz Quintanilla, S.A. (1992). Attitudes Toward Work and the Market Economy in the Czech & Slovak Republics. ILR/Cornell University. Center for Advanced Human Resource Studies, Working Paper 92-37. Price (including handling and shipping): 10 USD.

Claes, R. (1993). Work Meanings in Flanders: Stability and Change. Rapporten van de Vakgroep Personeelsbeleid, Arbeids- & Organisatiepsychologie, Universiteit Gent, No.6. Price (including handling and shipping): 15 USD.

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Additional reports can be ordered from Work and Organization Research Centre (WORC) P.O. Box 90153, 5000 LE Tilburg, The Netherlands, fax: +3113 6620 53, bitnet: WORC@KUB.NL:

Claes, R. & Ruiz Quintanilla, S.A. (1994). The Development of Work Meanings During the Work Socialization of Youth. Tilburg, WORC Paper 94.11.043/6.

England, G.W. & Ruiz Quintanilla, S.A. (1994). Work Meanings: Their Structure and Stability. Tilburg, WORC Paper 94.11.046/6.

Ruiz Quintanilla, S.A. (1994). Measurement and Structure of Work Meanings. West, East and Far East. Tilburg, WORC Paper 94.11.054/6.

Wilpert, B. & Maimer, H. (1994). Work Meanings in International Perspective. WORC Paper 94.11.049/6.

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MOW databank

Researchers can be granted permission to use the MOWRE databank which includes the data from four countries (Belgium, Germany, Japan, and the USA) from the original MOW study as well as from the replication studies MOWRE.

Please contact the MOW Center for further information.

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Consulting

The MOW Center offers its expertise to apply MOW research findings to concrete problems encountered by employee groups, organizations, policy makers. Samples of consulting are: training session for managers on cultural diversity in work motivation; feedback for union leaders on work values threatened by privatization of public organizations; motivational programs for employees forced to early retirement.

Please contact the MOW Center if you want to discuss with us some consulting in MOW related matters.

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All Contents Copyright. This webpage was created by S. Antonio Ruiz-Quintanilla in 1997.
Last revised: March, 2012 by R.Claes and B.Verloo.