ABSTRACT Using evidence from an 18-year British follow-up study this paper examines whether savin... more ABSTRACT Using evidence from an 18-year British follow-up study this paper examines whether saving during adolescence is linked to saving in adulthood. A contextual development model of saving behavior is tested, examining the interplay between socioeconomic family background, parenting style, economic socialization, adult socioeconomic attainments, and saving behavior in adolescence and adulthood. The findings suggest that saving at age 16 is linked to saving at age 34, and that socialization experiences during adolescence, as well as own social status and income, shape the savers that we become.
This paper sets out to test the Hessing et al. model of tax paying behaviour (which treats tax ev... more This paper sets out to test the Hessing et al. model of tax paying behaviour (which treats tax evasion as a defective behaviour within a social dilemma) using a new measure of hypothetical tax evasion. Two studies were carried out. In all, 400 questionnaires were distributed in Exeter and London (England), Oslo (Norway) and Paris (France). Two hundred and thirty
This study investigates Malaysian students’ attribution of poverty and attitudes towards the poor... more This study investigates Malaysian students’ attribution of poverty and attitudes towards the poor in rural Malaysia. A combined total of 124 Malaysian students in the United Kingdom participated in this web-based survey. Factor analysis results reproduce the tripartite (individualistic, structural and fatalistic) structure for attribution of poverty. The results suggest that there is a statistically significant main effect for gender (F3,120=4.48, p=.005) wherein females have a higher attribution for poverty. On attitudes towards the poor, it was found that with upward social mobility, respondents have a more positive attitude towards the poor. It was recommended that further study should focus on how the poor attribute poverty
ABSTRACT This paper deals with the issue of motivations for ethical choices within economic conte... more ABSTRACT This paper deals with the issue of motivations for ethical choices within economic contexts from the perspective of economic psychology. Three general points about motivations are made at the outset: that interesting behaviours usually subserve more than one motivation; that there is no simple one‐to‐one correspondence between the reasoning behind an act and an “ethical” choice and that people are often inconsistent. Empirical work in three areas is considered: ethical investment, tax evasion and the environmentally concerned consumer. It is clear that the evidence from these domains does not support a simple utility maximising model and that most people have mixed motives, mixed capabilities and varying opportunities to act in ethical and unethical ways. The frequency of ethical choices can probably be increased if situations are framed in appropriate ways. The more people become aware that nearly all everyday situations involve ethical decisions, the more likely it is that motivations will become consistent with (more ethical) behaviour.
ABSTRACT Total quality management (TQM) is an approach to management which has spread rapidly in ... more ABSTRACT Total quality management (TQM) is an approach to management which has spread rapidly in the US since the 1970s, and in the past 10 years has had a significant impact on practice in UK companies and other institutions. It began through the fusion of the ideas of three American management gurus (Deming, Juran, Crosby) with traditional Japanese culture, and can be summed up as a philosophy of looking for continual on-going improvement. This philosophy is sometimes referred to as kaizen , an umbrella term covering a range of practices, including customer orientation, total quality control, quality circles, cooperative labour-management relations and the notion of making products with zero defects. In general, TQM has been very successful but little is known about how and why it works. This paper describes two studies which try to shed some light on this issue: first, an interview study of 41 UK managers that explored the question of what implicit psychology underlies TQM and, second, an interview study of the effects of TQM on 28 shop floor workers. The first study suggests that nine key psychological processes underlie TQM: identification, equity, equality, consensus, instrumentality, rationality, development, group dynamics and internalization. For example, the process of identification by the employees with the company begins with the projection of a strong clear corporate image through its outward presentation of premises and products, and is fostered by the use of slogans and a clear mission statement reinforced with consistent management behaviours (particularly a friendly, open and highly visible management). Likewise, there is a commitment to management by consensus, where management and workers share the same goals and vision. The paper describes the other processes and how they are realized in the actual practice of management. The second study reveals some of the gaps between TQM theory and practice, the major areas being equality, rationality and internalization. There were a considerable number of criticisms of management but for the most part these were due to management's failure to implement TQM principles in practice.
Based on a series of qualitative interviews, Webley and Cartwright ((1996) Total Quality Manageme... more Based on a series of qualitative interviews, Webley and Cartwright ((1996) Total Quality Management, 7, pp. 483-492) suggested that nine key psychological processes underlie total quality work cultures. This paper reports a case study of a development of this ...
The relationship between physical reasoning and interpersonal reasoning was examined by devising ... more The relationship between physical reasoning and interpersonal reasoning was examined by devising group-administered written measures of interpersonal reasoning tasks (social guessing games) and giving these and standard physical reasoning tasks to 11-year-old children (N = 106). A factor analysis revealed two factors: Physical reasoning accounted for 42% of the variance, and social reasoning accounted for 17% of the variance. This supports the proposition that social reasoning is distinct from physical reasoning, but performance on all reasoning tasks may depend upon structures of both types.
Journal of Health Services Research & Policy, 2010
Gaming of performance measurement in health care distorts performance, making it appear better th... more Gaming of performance measurement in health care distorts performance, making it appear better than it is. This can conceal potentially hazardous practice and endanger patients and staff. Research has investigated and categorized this behaviour but as yet has offered little in the way of potential solutions as the drivers are still not well understood. Studies of the psychology of tax behaviour, specifically tax avoidance and evasion, reveal some insights into what the underlying causes are. Looking at health care and tax compliance, seven similarities in response can be detected: negative view of those subject to it; not salient except for specific classes of people; general understanding of the need versus resentment of actuality; cognitive dissonance; moral versus legal grey areas; two levels of objective non-compliance; and four categories of subjective behaviour and attitude. We suggest a model of reaction and compliance for gaming and offer some suggestions as to how this phenomenon might be minimized.
ABSTRACT Using evidence from an 18-year British follow-up study this paper examines whether savin... more ABSTRACT Using evidence from an 18-year British follow-up study this paper examines whether saving during adolescence is linked to saving in adulthood. A contextual development model of saving behavior is tested, examining the interplay between socioeconomic family background, parenting style, economic socialization, adult socioeconomic attainments, and saving behavior in adolescence and adulthood. The findings suggest that saving at age 16 is linked to saving at age 34, and that socialization experiences during adolescence, as well as own social status and income, shape the savers that we become.
This paper sets out to test the Hessing et al. model of tax paying behaviour (which treats tax ev... more This paper sets out to test the Hessing et al. model of tax paying behaviour (which treats tax evasion as a defective behaviour within a social dilemma) using a new measure of hypothetical tax evasion. Two studies were carried out. In all, 400 questionnaires were distributed in Exeter and London (England), Oslo (Norway) and Paris (France). Two hundred and thirty
This study investigates Malaysian students’ attribution of poverty and attitudes towards the poor... more This study investigates Malaysian students’ attribution of poverty and attitudes towards the poor in rural Malaysia. A combined total of 124 Malaysian students in the United Kingdom participated in this web-based survey. Factor analysis results reproduce the tripartite (individualistic, structural and fatalistic) structure for attribution of poverty. The results suggest that there is a statistically significant main effect for gender (F3,120=4.48, p=.005) wherein females have a higher attribution for poverty. On attitudes towards the poor, it was found that with upward social mobility, respondents have a more positive attitude towards the poor. It was recommended that further study should focus on how the poor attribute poverty
ABSTRACT This paper deals with the issue of motivations for ethical choices within economic conte... more ABSTRACT This paper deals with the issue of motivations for ethical choices within economic contexts from the perspective of economic psychology. Three general points about motivations are made at the outset: that interesting behaviours usually subserve more than one motivation; that there is no simple one‐to‐one correspondence between the reasoning behind an act and an “ethical” choice and that people are often inconsistent. Empirical work in three areas is considered: ethical investment, tax evasion and the environmentally concerned consumer. It is clear that the evidence from these domains does not support a simple utility maximising model and that most people have mixed motives, mixed capabilities and varying opportunities to act in ethical and unethical ways. The frequency of ethical choices can probably be increased if situations are framed in appropriate ways. The more people become aware that nearly all everyday situations involve ethical decisions, the more likely it is that motivations will become consistent with (more ethical) behaviour.
ABSTRACT Total quality management (TQM) is an approach to management which has spread rapidly in ... more ABSTRACT Total quality management (TQM) is an approach to management which has spread rapidly in the US since the 1970s, and in the past 10 years has had a significant impact on practice in UK companies and other institutions. It began through the fusion of the ideas of three American management gurus (Deming, Juran, Crosby) with traditional Japanese culture, and can be summed up as a philosophy of looking for continual on-going improvement. This philosophy is sometimes referred to as kaizen , an umbrella term covering a range of practices, including customer orientation, total quality control, quality circles, cooperative labour-management relations and the notion of making products with zero defects. In general, TQM has been very successful but little is known about how and why it works. This paper describes two studies which try to shed some light on this issue: first, an interview study of 41 UK managers that explored the question of what implicit psychology underlies TQM and, second, an interview study of the effects of TQM on 28 shop floor workers. The first study suggests that nine key psychological processes underlie TQM: identification, equity, equality, consensus, instrumentality, rationality, development, group dynamics and internalization. For example, the process of identification by the employees with the company begins with the projection of a strong clear corporate image through its outward presentation of premises and products, and is fostered by the use of slogans and a clear mission statement reinforced with consistent management behaviours (particularly a friendly, open and highly visible management). Likewise, there is a commitment to management by consensus, where management and workers share the same goals and vision. The paper describes the other processes and how they are realized in the actual practice of management. The second study reveals some of the gaps between TQM theory and practice, the major areas being equality, rationality and internalization. There were a considerable number of criticisms of management but for the most part these were due to management's failure to implement TQM principles in practice.
Based on a series of qualitative interviews, Webley and Cartwright ((1996) Total Quality Manageme... more Based on a series of qualitative interviews, Webley and Cartwright ((1996) Total Quality Management, 7, pp. 483-492) suggested that nine key psychological processes underlie total quality work cultures. This paper reports a case study of a development of this ...
The relationship between physical reasoning and interpersonal reasoning was examined by devising ... more The relationship between physical reasoning and interpersonal reasoning was examined by devising group-administered written measures of interpersonal reasoning tasks (social guessing games) and giving these and standard physical reasoning tasks to 11-year-old children (N = 106). A factor analysis revealed two factors: Physical reasoning accounted for 42% of the variance, and social reasoning accounted for 17% of the variance. This supports the proposition that social reasoning is distinct from physical reasoning, but performance on all reasoning tasks may depend upon structures of both types.
Journal of Health Services Research & Policy, 2010
Gaming of performance measurement in health care distorts performance, making it appear better th... more Gaming of performance measurement in health care distorts performance, making it appear better than it is. This can conceal potentially hazardous practice and endanger patients and staff. Research has investigated and categorized this behaviour but as yet has offered little in the way of potential solutions as the drivers are still not well understood. Studies of the psychology of tax behaviour, specifically tax avoidance and evasion, reveal some insights into what the underlying causes are. Looking at health care and tax compliance, seven similarities in response can be detected: negative view of those subject to it; not salient except for specific classes of people; general understanding of the need versus resentment of actuality; cognitive dissonance; moral versus legal grey areas; two levels of objective non-compliance; and four categories of subjective behaviour and attitude. We suggest a model of reaction and compliance for gaming and offer some suggestions as to how this phenomenon might be minimized.
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Papers by Paul Webley