AN EXAMINATION OF CHANGES IN WORK GROUP COMMUNICATION BEHAVIORS FOLLOWING INSTALLATION OF A GAINSHARING PLAN

This article reports the results of a study of a self-designed gainsharing plan adopted by a Fortune Service 500 firm in the priority package delivery industry. The study focused on changes in work group communication behaviors following installation of a gainsharing plan. The significant results indicate that during the early stages (first 6 months) of a successful gainsharing program, the occurrence of positive, job-related communication and idea communication increased among gainsharing participants. This is the first reported gainshanng study to use control groups and pre- and posttests in a quasi-experimental field study. A major conclusion of the study is that a fruitful approach to gainsharing research is to focus on the intervening effects of gainsharing as the process operates to produce economic outcomes for employers and employees. © 1991, Sage Publications. All rights reserved.