Upward mobility was operationalized as how many promotions or job advancements one had within the time frame they have been at the organization; for example, someone who has gotten 3 promotions in a 1 year time frame would have high upward mobility. 

Upward Mobility

Operationalized as if their job was considered to be high or low in the organization. Anyone under the middle value was considered to have low position in the organization while those above the middle value had a high position.

Job Level

Referred to the number of different terms and concepts used to describe others

Construct System Content

Defines how specific ideas were defined and measured in this study: 
- Upward Mobility 
- Job Level
- Construct System Content

Alma College

A study that investigated the differences in our construct systems in how we view liked and disliked co-workers. They looked at the role of cognitive differentiation, gender, job level, and upward mobility. 

Liked and Disliked Co-Workers

Sypher, B. D., & Zorn, T. E. (1988). Individual differences and construct system content in descriptions of liked and disliked co-workers. International Journal of Personal Construct Psychology, 1(1), 37-51.

Individual Differences and Construct System Content in Descriptions of Liked and Disliked Co-Workers

- Are there differences in the content of construct systems for more and less cognitively differentiated employees? 
- Are there content differences in the construct systems of high and low level employees?
- Are there content differences in the construct systems for employees that are more or less upwardly mobile?
- Do gender differences exist in the contents of construct systems for liked and disliked co-workers?

Research Hypotheses

Constructs in This Study

Contains results for the experiment:
- Construct systems for liked and disliked others
- Gender differences

Results: Sypher and Zorn 1988

- When describing liked co-workers, we tend to use more of the same terms/constructs whereas for disliked co-workers we use a more diverse array. 
- People at the lower levels of organizations tend to value more personable and considerate behaviors than people with higher-up level jobs. 
- Females value positive affect toward co-workers more than males do; subsequently, it seems to be related to communication behaviors. 

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