bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Child as Democratic Citizen
Authors: Rehfeld Andrew
Published: June 2011

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) justifiably emphasizes welfare over participation rights of children for two reasons. First, children are by nature an at-risk population. Second, democratic citizenship rights require a minimal bundle of cognitive and emotional capacity—which may be called “political maturity”—that children, again by nature, lack. However, the CRC goes too far in prioritizing welfare over participation, again for two reasons. First, millions of children have their basic welfare needs met, and second, participation would be useful in cultivating the very political maturity that citizens need. In this article, the author argues that participatory institutions should be designed to further the interests of children, cultivate their political maturity, and mitigate the harm that giving power to the politically immature might cause. The author discusses three institutional designs that might achieve this result (fractional voting, national electoral constituencies, and political spending accounts) and discusses how federalism might also help to implement these designs.
Promoting Children’s Capacities for Active and Deliberative Citizenship with Digital Technologies: The CADE Project in Costa Rica
Authors: Fonseca Clotilde , Bujanda Maria Eugenia
Published: June 2011

This article explains several core aspects of the experience of the Omar Dengo Foundation of Costa Rica in the development of the Deliberative Capabilities in School Age Children project, a set of citizenship education programs based on the conception of children as citizens and on a particular conception of the role of digital technologies in the promotion of children’s high-order skills. It analyzes the outcomes of the program designed for elementary schools and presents the lessons learned in the process of scaling up the initiative from its inception as a pilot to its implementation as a regular after-school program within the Costa Rican National Program of Educational Informatics.
The Promise of Citizenship for Brazilian Children: What Has Changed?
Authors: Rizzini Irene
Published: June 2011

This article explores the ideas behind the promise of citizenship to children in Brazil. The human rights of children has become a very important issue in Brazil. This has been especially true since the inclusion of Article 227 in the 1988 Constitution referring to children’s rights and the approval of the Statute on the Child and the Adolescent in 1990, less than a year after the ratification of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). The article examines the changing discourse connected to what was promised and what the law actually accomplished. The conclusion focuses on some of the most relevant improvements affecting children’s lives and some of the remaining challenges Brazilians face in the attempt to keep the promises made in the Constitution and the statute.
“Color Coding” and Support for Social Policy Spending: Assessing the Parameters among Whites
Authors: Wilson George , Nielsen Amie L.
Published: June 2011

This study uses data from the 1996 through 2002 General Social Survey to examine whether one variant of modern racial prejudice—“color coding”—explains support for several ostensibly nonracial government spending policies regarding crime, urban problems, and drug addiction (welfare and race spending are used as baseline measures). Findings indicate that color coding does not extend appreciably beyond its established focus of welfare and race and operates along a continuum with welfare and race at one end (heavily influenced by prejudice), addiction spending and urban spending at the other end (not influenced by prejudice), and crime spending situated in the middle (moderately influenced by prejudice). Possible causes of the continuum, as well as emerging aspects of the color coding phenomenon— specifically, its possible bidirectional effects and its subordination to political party affiliation in explanatory value—are discussed. Directions for future research that would shed additional light on the color coding phenomenon are also discussed.
Including Oneself and Including Others: Who Belongs in My Country?
Authors: Hochschild Jennifer L. , Lang Charles
Published: June 2011

To be a full member of a country, must one have citizenship, the same ethnic or racial background, or the same religion as most citizens? What do people of different statuses believe about the criteria for inclusion? To answer these questions, the authors analyze the 2003 International Social Survey Programme survey on national identity, focusing on ten wealthy, democratic countries. They find a series of mismatches. A strong sense of being included is often coupled with a desire to exclude others. Countries with extreme public views are not always the countries with political controversy over inclusion. Views of citizens or members of the mainstream religion or race often differ from views of relative outsiders. Countries often cluster in ways that violate standard assumptions about geographic, cultural, or political affinities. Enjoying high status does not guarantee feeling included or seeking to include others. Given these mismatches, it is no surprise that politics and policies around inclusion are contentious, unstable, and fascinating.
Race, Religion, and Beliefs about Racial Inequality
Authors: Taylor Marylee C. , Merino Stephen M.
Published: June 2011

This article focuses on stratification beliefs and racial policy opinions among white and black Americans who differ in religious preference. First, it summarizes earlier research on white conservative Protestants and outlines characterizations of Black Protestant church congregants. It then reports patterns of stratification beliefs and racial policy opinions among blacks and whites varying in religious preference who responded to the 1996 through 2006 General Social Surveys. Comparisons across twelve race-by-religion categories did not provide persuasive evidence that white conservative Protestants are uniquely conservative in their stratification beliefs, once background characteristics are controlled, nor was the Black Protestant group distinctive. Compared to blacks, whites were less inclined to structuralist explanations of racial inequality, slightly more inclined to individualist explanations, and consistently more negative about policies and programs to aid blacks. What is more, white Christians were more racially conservative in all these ways than non-Christian whites.
Improving Education and Employment for Disadvantaged Young Men: Proven and Promising Strategies
Authors: Heinrich Carolyn J. , Holzer Harry J.
Published: June 2011

Low high school graduation rates and sharply declining employment rates among disadvantaged youth have led to an increasing number of youths who are disconnected from both school and work. What programs and policies might prevent these disconnections and improve educational and employment outcomes, particularly among young men? The authors review the evidence base on youth development policies for adolescents and young teens; programs seeking to improve educational attainment and employment for in-school youths; and programs that try to “reconnect” those who are out of school and frequently out of work, including public employment programs. The authors identify a number of programmatic strategies that are promising or even proven, based on rigorous evaluations, for disadvantaged youths with different circumstances and conclude that policy efforts need to promote a range of approaches to engage and reconnect youths, along with ongoing evaluation efforts to improve our understanding of what works, including which program components, for whom.
Child Support: Responsible Fatherhood and the Quid Pro Quo
Authors: Cancian Maria , Meyer Daniel R. , Han Eunhee
Published: June 2011

Over time, public policy changes have strengthened the private child support system while reducing access to public support—welfare. Given the especially limited availability of public support, nonresident fathers’ economic contributions through child support can play an important role in helping children to avoid poverty. In this article, the authors review evidence on nonresident fathers’ ability to pay support, provide an overview of the way child support policies affect disadvantaged fathers, and propose new directions for child support policy. The authors argue that the current work-focused safety net, which aims to require and help to enable disadvantaged mothers to work, creates a context in which government should similarly require and help to enable all fathers, even those who are disadvantaged, to work and pay child support. However, reforms are needed to make this a realistic expectation, given many fathers’ limited employment options and complex families.
No Country for Young Men: Deteriorating Labor Market Prospects for Low-Skilled Men in the United States
Authors: Sum Andrew , Khatiwada Ishwar , McLaughlin Joseph , Palma Sheila
Published: June 2011

The labor market fate of the nation’s male teens and young adults (ages 20—29) has deteriorated along most employment, weekly wages, and annual earnings dimensions in recent decades. The employment rates reached new post—World War II lows in 2009, with the less well educated faring the worst. The deterioration in the labor market well-being of these young men has had a number of adverse consequences on their social behavior. Less-educated young men, especially high school dropouts, are far more likely to be incarcerated than their peers in earlier decades. They are considerably less likely to be married and more likely to be absent fathers, with gaps in marriage rates across educational groups widening substantially since the 1970s. The decline in marriage among less-educated young adults, high assortative mating among younger married couples, and growing gaps in earnings across educational groups have contributed to a substantial widening in income and wealth disparities among the nation’s young families.
Low-Income Fathers’ Influence on Children
Authors: Carlson Marcia J. , Magnuson Katherine A.
Published: June 2011

This article examines what we know about how low-income fathers matter for children. The authors first provide a theoretical background about how parents generally (and fathers more specifically) are expected to influence children’s development and well-being. The authors note the importance of considering differences across children’s age, gender, and race/ethnicity; and they identify key methodological challenges in this area. Then, they summarize the literature on residential fathers and child well-being, finding that greater involvement has been linked to better outcomes for children; however, much of this research has been conducted on more socioeconomically advantaged samples. For fathers who live away from their children, child support payments appear to improve children’s outcomes, but the benefits of father-child interaction are much less clear and likely depend on the quality of the interaction and the characteristics of fathers. Overall, the authors conclude that low-income fathers can have a positive influence on children’s well-being, but the evidence about the population overall is rather weak.
Policies That Strengthen Fatherhood and Family Relationships: What Do We Know and What Do We Need to Know?
Authors: Knox Virginia , Cowan Philip A. , Pape Cowan Carolyn , Bildner Elana
Published: June 2011

As described in earlier articles, children whose parents have higher incomes and education levels are more likely to grow up in stable two-parent households than their economically disadvantaged counterparts. The widening gaps in fathers’ involvement in parenting and in the quality and stability of parents’ relationships may reinforce disparities in outcomes for the next generation. This article reviews evidence about the effectiveness of two strategies to strengthen fathers’ involvement and family relationships—fatherhood programs aimed at disadvantaged noncustodial fathers and relationship skills programs for parents who are together. Fatherhood programs have shown some efficacy in increasing child support payments, while some relationship skills approaches have shown benefits for the couples’ relationship quality, coparenting skills, fathers’ engagement in parenting, and children’s well-being. The research suggests that parents’ relationship with each other should be a fundamental consideration in future programs aimed at increasing low-income fathers’ involvement with their children.
Emotion Detectors, Answering Machines, and E-Unions: Multi-Surveillances in the Global Interactive Service Industry
Authors: Poster Winifred R.
Published: June 2011

Global call centers, such as those in India receiving back office work from the U.S., are testing grounds for new ICTs (information and communication technologies). While the “electronic sweatshop” has been the prevailing model for understanding the implications of these ICTs, this analysis proposes that a multi-surveillances framework offers a more compelling account. It widens the lens from managers alone, and uncovers a web of actors directly involved in the daily operations of Indian call centers—technology vendors, American outsourcing clients, American consumers, Indian shopfloor supervisors, and Indian employees. Using a case study of the Indian call center industry, this analysis shows each of these actors participates in their own independent surveillance of the others. It charts the proliferation of the technologies themselves and shows how devices like emotion detectors, answering machines, and online unions are symbolic of changing relations in global interactive service.
Network Associations and Professional Growth Among Engineers From India and China in Silicon Valley
Authors: Dossani Rafiq , Kumar Ashish
Published: June 2011

The economic benefits attributed by the literature to ethnic networks include helping their members cope with social exclusion, mainstreaming, facilitating entrepreneurship, and providing access to transnational opportunities. In this article, the authors explore the benefits provided by participation in ethnic professional associations formed by Indian and Chinese engineers in Silicon Valley. We find that the ethnic professional associations offer several of these economic benefits. These benefits are complementary to the benefits from other ethnic ties and from nonethnic ties.
Global Connectivity and Global Consciousness
Authors: Robertson Roland
Published: June 2011

This is a critical discussion of Benedict Anderson’s best selling and highly influential Imagined Communities (1983/1996). This book is located within the Marxist tradition of deliberation on the crucial topic of nationhood and nationalism, which were both regarded as highly problematic in relation to the prospects for proletarian revolution. The manner in which this came to be very influential outside Marxism is discussed, in particular reference to some major features of symbolic interactionism. The final portion of the article deals with the considerable limitations of Marxism in general and the wider study of nationalism. In this respect it is argued that a global vision must necessarily precede any plausible discussion of the “units” that constitute the world as a whole. This vision is demonstrated through invocation of cartography and mapmaking. These are characterized as features of global cultures and consciousness, thereby strongly criticizing the emphasis on connectivity both in the work of Anderson and of most globalization theorists.
Impact of Management and Bacterial Genomics on Outcomes of Staphylococcus aureus Bacteremia in Children
Authors: Faden Howard , Gill Steven , Lesse Alan
Published: June 2011

Children with Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia (SAB) generally presented with nonsevere signs and symptoms in sharp contrast to reports of adults with SAB. Despite incomplete adherence to current management guidelines, children with SAB did not experience mortality or relapse. Molecular characteristics of strains responsible for SAB in children were not significantly different than those described in adults. Improved outcomes in pediatric SAB compared with adults may most likely be attributed to less severe comorbidities in children.
Time to Stop Blaming Gastroesophageal Reflux
Authors: Garza Jose M. , Nylund Cade M. , Kaul Ajay
Published: June 2011

Objectives. Cough, pain, and desaturation episodes in infants are often ascribed to gastroesophageal reflux, and many are empirically treated with acid suppression medications. The authors hypothesize that most of these symptoms are not related to gastroesophageal reflux. Methods. Retrospective review of 186 combined pH–multichannel intraluminal impedance studies performed in infants at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. Results. Of 4159 symptoms reported 1504 (36%) were associated with reflux events (27% nonacid and 9% acid). When total number of symptoms and reflux events were taken into consideration, nonacid reflux events were as likely to be associated with a symptom as acid reflux events ( P = .66). Conclusion. The extra-esophageal symptoms commonly attributed to gastroesophageal reflux in infants are most often not associated with a reflux event. Even though causality cannot be definitively proven, in the minority in whom a symptom association is observed, nonacid events are as likely as acid events to cause symptoms.
Need for affect, need for cognition, and the intention–fruit consumption relationship: An action-control perspective
Authors: de Bruijn Gert-Jan , Keer Mario , van den Putte Bas , Neijens Peter
Published: June 2011

Objective:

Predictors of action-control profiles are useful targets for health behaviour change interventions, but action-control research has not focused on fruit consumption and has not yet included need for affect and need for cognition, despite the demonstrated usefulness of these variables in a broad range of research. The role of these variables for fruit consumption action control was explored.

Design:

Prospective data was collected with self-administered questionnaires.

Setting:

University.

Method:

Undergraduate students ( n = 109; mean age = 22.63 ( SD = 2.67), 78% female) who were recruited using announcements at the university completed measures of need for affect and cognition and theory of planned behaviour items that were used as independent variables. Self-reported fruit consumption one month later was the dependent variable. Data were analyzed using bivariate correlations, discriminant function analysis and analysis of variance.

Results:

Affective attitude, cognitive attitude and perceived behavioural control (PBC) were significantly correlated with the discriminant function. Successful intenders had significantly higher scores on PBC than unsuccessful intenders; intenders had significantly higher scores on attitude measures and PBC. Additionally, high-affect unsuccessful intenders had higher scores on affective attitudes measures than high-affect unsuccessful nonintenders.

Conclusion:

Cognitive attitude, affective attitude, and PBC are relevant intervention targets to increase motivation to consume sufficient fruits. Further, the promotion of controllability of fruit consumption should minimize the intention–fruit consumption gap. These effects occur relatively independent of need for affect and cognition.
An entertainment–education study of stereotypes and prejudice against fat women
Authors: Gesser-Edelsburg Anat , Endevelt Ronit
Published: June 2011

Objective: To evaluate the impact of Fat Pig on the attitudes of high school students towards fat women and investigate the perspective of dietitians as health professionals on the messages in Fat Pig.

Design: Performance analysis, pre–post analysis of students’ responses to self-administrated pre-constructed questionnaires, students’ focus groups and personal interviews with dietitians.

Setting: Tenth grade (15–16 year-old) high school students in Israel who saw Fat Pig as part of their high school’s educational–cultural curriculum, and dietitians from four different healthcare organizations in Israel that came to see the play as a group.

Method: Performance analysis, quantitative analysis of students’ responses using SPSS, and qualitative analysis of students’ focus groups and personal interviews with dietitians.

Results: Students’ responses indicate that the play’s impact is completely opposite to the playwright and the educator’s original intention to challenge stereotypes and prejudice towards fat women in society. Moreover, the play reinforces the student’s social and cultural norms that glorify the ‘thinness ideal’. In addition, according to the dietitians, the play cannot serve them as an additional treatment tool.

Conclusion: Creating or using drama in education not according to theoretical approaches, such as the entertainment–education (EE) approach, may lead to paradoxical outcomes, completely contradict educational intentions, and even reinforce undesired attitudes and behaviours.
Clock Reading
Authors: Burny Elise , Valcke Martin , Desoete Annemie
Published: June 2011

Recent studies have shown that children with mathematics difficulties (MD) have weaknesses in multiple areas of mathematics. Andersson, for example, recently found that children with MD perform significantly worse than other children on clock reading tasks. The present study builds on this recent finding and aims at a more profound understanding of the difficulties that children with MD experience with telling time. Therefore, clock reading abilities of 154 children with MD were compared to the abilities of 571 average achieving children, and a qualitative error analysis was performed. The results of this study confirm the earlier findings of Andersson that children with MD perform worse on clock reading than average achieving children and also show that children with MD especially struggle with the combination of procedural and retrieval strategies that are needed to read complex 5-min and 1-min clock times. Children with MD make more errors, which reflects immature counting strategies and deficits in memory retrieval. This finding is in line with Geary’s theory of subtypes in MD, which argues that children with MD have problems with mathematical procedures and semantic memory retrieval.
The Construct and Predictive Validity of a Dynamic Assessment of Young Children Learning to Read: Implications for RTI Frameworks
Authors: Fuchs Douglas , Compton Donald L. , Fuchs Lynn S. , Bouton Bobette , Caffrey Erin
Published: June 2011

The purpose of this study was to examine the construct and predictive validity of a dynamic assessment (DA) of decoding learning. Students ( N = 318) were assessed in the fall of first grade on an array of instruments that were given in hopes of forecasting responsiveness to reading instruction. These instruments included DA as well as one-point-in-time (static) measures of early alphabetic knowledge, rapid automatized naming (RAN), phonemic awareness, oral vocabulary, listening comprehension, attentive behavior, and hyperactive or impulsive behavior. An IQ test was administered in spring of second grade. Measures of reading outcomes administered in spring of first grade were accuracy and fluency of word identification skills and reading comprehension. Factor analysis using principal axis factor extraction indicated that DA loaded on a first factor that also included language abilities and IQ, which the authors refer to as the “language, IQ, and DA” factor. It was relatively distinct from two additional factors: (a) “speeded alphabetic knowledge and RAN” and (b) “task-oriented behavior.” A three-level (children nested within classroom; classrooms nested within school) random intercept model with fixed effects predictors suggested that DA differed from word attack in predicting future reading skill and that DA was a significant predictor of responsiveness to instruction, contributing unique variance to end-of-first-grade word identification and reading comprehension beyond that explained by other well-established predictors of reading development.
Exploring Dynamic Assessment as a Means of Identifying Children At Risk of Developing Comprehension Difficulties
Authors: Elleman Amy M. , Compton Donald L. , Fuchs Douglas , Fuchs Lynn S. , Bouton Bobette
Published: June 2011

In this study, the authors explore a newly constructed dynamic assessment (DA) intended to tap inference-making skills that they hypothesize will be predictive of future comprehension performance. The authors administered the test to 100 second-grade children using a dynamic format to consider the concurrent validity of the measure. The dynamic portion of the assessment comprised teaching children to be “reading detectives” by using textual clues to solve what was happening in the story. During the DA children listened to short passages and answered three inferential questions (i.e., one setting, two causal). If children were unable to answer a question, they were reminded what a reading detective would do and given a set of increasingly concrete prompts and clues to orient them to the relevant portion of text until they could answer the question correctly. Results showed that the DA correlated significantly with a standardized measure of reading comprehension and explained a small but significant amount of unique variance in reading comprehension above and beyond vocabulary and word identification skills. In addition, results suggest that DA may be better than the standardized measure of reading comprehension at identifying intraindividual differences in young children’s reading abilities.
Implementing RTI in a High School
Authors: Fisher Douglas , Frey Nancy
Published: June 2011

This case study chronicles the efforts of a small high school over a 2-year period as it designed an implemented a response to intervention (RTI) program for students at the school. Their efforts were largely successful, with improved achievement, attendance, and grade point averages and a decrease in special education referrals. Major themes include the need to focus on quality core instruction as a means for preventing school failure, adopting a schoolwide approach, and developing curriculum-based assessments that make intervention meaningful.
A Number Sense Intervention for Low-Income Kindergartners at Risk for Mathematics Difficulties
Authors: Dyson Nancy I. , Jordan Nancy C. , Glutting Joseph
Published: June 2011

Early number sense is a strong predictor of later success in school mathematics. A disproportionate number of children from low-income families come to first grade with weak number competencies, leaving them at risk for a cycle of failure. The present study examined the effects of an 8-week number sense intervention to develop number competencies of low-income kindergartners ( N = 121). The intervention purposefully targeted whole number concepts related to counting, comparing, and manipulating sets. Children were randomly assigned to either a number sense intervention or a business as usual contrast group. The intervention was carried out in small-group, 30-min sessions, 3 days per week, for a total of 24 sessions. Controlling for number sense at pretest, the intervention group made meaningful gains relative to the control group at immediate as well delayed posttest on a measure of early numeracy. Intervention children also performed better than controls on a standardized test of mathematics calculation at immediate posttest.
Youth Perspectives on the Intersections of Violence, Gender, and Hip-Hop
Authors: Hernández Diana , Weinstein Hannah , Muñoz-Laboy Miguel
Published: June 2011

Youth’s perceptions of violence within their social environments can provide relevant insights into the gender-based interpersonal violence epidemic in inner-city communities. To explore this issue, we examined two sets of narratives with young men and women, aged 15 to 21, involved in hip-hop culture in New York City. In the analysis, we reveal youth accounts of street and interpersonal violence, examining the interconnections with gender and hip-hop culture. Our findings suggest that youth involved in hip-hop culture vary in the comprehensiveness of their definitions of violence and viewed violence as entertainment or as a way to gain or maintain respect. Moreover, many respondents described episodes of interpersonal violence but failed to classify the behavior as violent, which suggests that dialogue with youth is needed to deconstruct diverse cultural understandings and more effectively address violence among youth. We recommend using hip-hop as a tool for reform in the process.
Sexual Debut of Young Black Women Who Have Sex With Women
Authors: Timm Tina M. , Reed Sarah J. , Miller Robin Lin , Valenti Maria T.
Published: June 2011

Young Black women continue to be at high risk for HIV and sexually transmitted infections (STIs). However, little is known about the risks specifically to young Black women who primarily have sex with women (YWSW). As part of a larger sexual health project, in-depth qualitative interviews were completed with 14 Black women ages 16-24, who identified as lesbian. Using within and cross-case analysis, this article explores their consensual sexual debut experiences with both males and females. The most obvious indicator of risk was the almost universal lack of safer sex practices. Other risks include the context of the debuts including young ages of debut, lack of adult supervision, use of alcohol, and lack of agency in female debuts. The two motivations for debuting with males that may put young women at increased risk are intent to get pregnant and the need to “cover up” or “test” sexual attraction.
Recommended Levels of Physical Activity and Insulin Resistance in Middle-Aged Women
Authors: LeCheminant James D. , Tucker Larry A.
Published: June 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between recommended levels of physical activity (PA) and insulin resistance, as estimated by the homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) in middle-aged women without diabetes.

Methods

This was a cross-sectional study of 264 women located in the Mountain West region of the United States. Sedentary time and moderate- and vigorous-intensity PA were determined objectively, via accelerometry, over 7 days. HOMA-IR was calculated from fasting insulin and glucose. Body mass index (kg/m2) was calculated from measured weight and height; body fat percentage was assessed using air displacement plethysmography; and abdominal circumference was measured at the umbilicus. Moderate- and vigorous-intensity PA levels were based on recommendations for PA and health from the American College of Sports Medicine.

Results

Total time spent in sedentary activity was significantly related to insulin resistance. Time spent in moderate-intensity or vigorous-intensity activity, at recommended levels, was also significantly and inversely related to insulin resistance. However, after statistically adjusting for body fat percentage or abdominal circumference individually, the relationship between sedentary activity, moderate-intensity, or vigorous-intensity activity and HOMA-IR was eliminated.

Conclusions

Achieving recommended levels of PA is associated with lower HOMA-IR in healthy women without diabetes; however, adiposity accounts for part of this relationship.
Item Vector Plots for the Multidimensional Three-Parameter Logistic Model
Authors: Bryant Damon , Davis Larry
Published: June 2011

This is a brief technical note on the creation of item vector plots for the multidimensional 3-parameter logistic model.
Testing for Nonuniform Differential Item Functioning With Multiple Indicator Multiple Cause Models
Authors: Woods Carol M. , Grimm Kevin J.
Published: June 2011

In extant literature, multiple indicator multiple cause (MIMIC) models have been presented for identifying items that display uniform differential item functioning (DIF) only, not nonuniform DIF. This article addresses, for apparently the first time, the use of MIMIC models for testing both uniform and nonuniform DIF with categorical indicators. A latent variable interaction is added to the MIMIC model to test for nonuniform DIF. The approach is tested in simulations with small focal-group N and illustrated with an empirical example using a scale about agoraphobic cognitions. MIMIC-interaction models are compared with MIMIC models without the interaction as well as likelihood ratio DIF testing using item response theory (IRT-LR-DIF). The most important finding is that when the latent moderated structural equations approach is used to estimate the interaction, the Type I error in MIMIC-interaction DIF models is severely inflated.
Within-Person Analysis of Information Seeking: The Effects of Perceived Costs and Benefits
Authors: Morrison Elizabeth W. , Vancouver Jeffrey B.
Published: June 2011

This study focused on how perceived costs and benefits affect information seeking across multiple types and sources of information. This focus required a within-person approach to data collection and analysis. Respondents were 282 early-career engineers. The results demonstrate that individuals selectively seek different types of information, and utilize different sources, based on assessments of corresponding costs and benefits. Results provide insight into individuals’ decisions about what information to seek and from whom, and highlight the value of studying within-person patterns of information seeking.
A Resource-Based Theory of Strategic Alliances
Authors: Das T. K. , Teng Bing-Sheng
Published: June 2011

The resource-based view of the firm has not been systematically applied to strategic alliances. By examining the role of firm resources in strategic alliances, we attempt, in this paper, to put forward a general resource-based theory of strategic alliances, synthesizing the various findings in the literature on alliances from a resource-based view. The proposed theory covers four major aspects of strategic alliances: rationale, formation, structural preferences, and performance. The resource-based view suggests that the rationale for alliances is the value-creation potential of firm resources that are pooled together. We note that certain resource characteristics, such as imperfect mobility, imitability, and substitutability, promise accentuated value-creation, and thus facilitate alliance formation. We discuss how the resource profiles of partner firms would determine their structural preferences in terms of four major categories of alliances: equity joint ventures, minority equity alliances, bilateral contract-based alliances, and unilateral contract-based alliances. As part of the theory, we propose a typology of inter-partner resource alignment based on the two dimensions of resource similarity and resource utilization, yielding four types of alignment: supplementary, surplus, complementary, and wasteful. We also discuss how partner resource alignment directly affects collective strengths and inter-firm conflicts in alliances, which in turn contribute to alliance performance. Finally, we develop a number of propositions to facilitate empirical testing of the theoretical framework, suggest ways to carry out this testing, indicate future research directions, and list some of the more significant managerial implications of the framework.
Does Cultural Socialization Predict Multiple Bases and Foci of Commitment?
Authors: Clugston Michael , Howell Jon P. , Dorfman Peter W.
Published: June 2011

Some organizational commitment theorists have proposed that culture is an important antecedent to organizational commitment (Meyer & Allen, 1991; Wiener, 1982). This study tests whether individualized measures of power distance, collectivism, uncertainty avoidance, and masculinity are related to an employee’s level of commitment. A nine-factor model of commitment is postulated with three bases (affective, continuance, and normative commitment) and three foci (organization, supervisor, and workgroup) of commitment. Confirmatory factor analysis provides support for the commitment model embodying all bases and foci of commitment. Hierarchical regression analysis results also suggest that cultural dimensions are significant predictors of multiple bases and foci of commitment. Specific significant results include: (1) Power distance is related to normative commitment across all foci; (2) Uncertainty avoidance is related to continuance commitment across all foci; and (3) Collectivism is related to workgroup commitment across all bases of commitment.
Communication, Procedural Justice, and Employee Attitudes: Relationships Under Conditions of Divestiture
Authors: Gopinath C. , Becker Thomas E.
Published: June 2011

This study examines the relationships among managerial communication, perceptions of the procedural justice of layoffs, and employee attitudes within the context of divestiture. As we expected, employee perceptions of procedural justice regarding the divestiture predicted, at one point in time, trust in new ownership and, two months later, post-divestiture commitment to the organization. Also as hypothesized, perceptions of the justice of the divestiture explained variance in trust and commitment above and beyond that explained by the perceived justice of the layoffs. Finally, as predicted, managerial communications that helped employees understand the events surrounding the divestiture increased perceptions of the procedural justice of the divestiture and layoffs, and had both indirect and direct effects on future commitment.
MNC-Host Government Bargaining Power Relationship: A Critique and Extension Within the Resource-Based View
Authors: Moon Chul W. , Lado Augustine A.
Published: June 2011

In this paper, we critique the literature on MNC-Host government bargaining power relationship, and propose an integrative theoretical model within the resource-based view of the firm. Recognizing that a firm’s bargaining power is directly related to rent generation, we analyze how firm-specific resources provide the basis of a sustainable bargaining power for the MNC vis-á-vis the host government. Furthermore, we identify several industry and country characteristics as moderators of the relationship between MNC resources and bargaining power. In the last section of the paper, we offer directions for future research and theory development in this area.
Making More by Doing Less: An Analysis of Outsourcing and its Effects on Firm Performance
Authors: Gilley K. Matthew , Rasheed Abdul
Published: June 2011

This study empirically examined the extent to which outsourcing of both peripheral and near-core tasks influences firms’ financial and nonfinancial performance. In addition, the potential moderating effects of firm strategy and the environment on the outsourcing-performance relationship were examined. Results indicate that, whereas there was no significant direct effect of outsourcing on firm performance, both firm strategy and environmental dynamism moderated the relationship between outsourcing and performance.
Efficacy-Performance Spirals: An Empirical Test
Authors: Shea Christine M. , Howell Jane M.
Published: June 2011

This study examined the pattern of the relationships between self-efficacy and performance in an experiment involving 148 students who worked on a manufacturing task over four trials. Task feedback and task experience, two variables that may influence the occurrence of efficacy-performance spirals, were also investigated. Results indicated strong support for a significant relationship between self-efficacy and performance over time. However, the pattern of changes in self-efficacy and performance from trial-to-trial contained self-corrections, suggesting that the efficacy-performance relationship does not necessarily proceed in a monotonic, deviation-amplifying spiral. Task feedback and task experience affected the occurrence of self-corrections in the pattern of changes in self-efficacy and performance over time. Implications are drawn about the dynamic nature of self-efficacy.
The people make the process: commitment to employees, decision making, and performance
Authors: Miller Danny , Lee Jangwoo
Published: June 2011

This study argues that a well designed decision making process will have its most positive impact on company financial performance when it is carried out by a capable, motivated and dedicated workforce. Prior research has determined that such a workforce can be developed via an organization’s commitment to its employees (OCE) in the form of ample training and compensation, fairness, and meaningful personal consideration. We argue that OCE will enhance financial performance where it is able to improve the quality of a decision making process that emphasizes ample information processing, collaboration, and initiative. Conversely, these three dimensions of decision making are expected to be of little value where OCE—and hence a capable and motivated workforce—are lacking. These expectations were borne out in our study of Korean companies. Specifically, we found positive associations between return on assets and the interactions between OCE and information processing, collaboration, and initiative, respectively. We found also that these interactions contributed the most to return on assets in uncertain environments, where effective information processing, collaboration and initiative were especially important.
Changing the focus on volunteering: an investigation of volunteers’ multiple contributions to a charitable organization
Authors: Farmer Steven M. , Fedor Donald B.
Published: June 2011

Despite the fact that over half of the people in the US volunteer each year, there is little theoretical or empirical understanding of volunteer performance. In response, this study examined executive-level volunteers’ multiple contributions of personal resources to a national health care advocacy organization. We expected higher contributions when demands from volunteer roles do not exceed desired levels of contribution, interaction with other volunteers is higher, role investments are higher, and motives to join are consistent with organization’s mission. Regression analyses supported the relation of contributions to social interaction, role investments, and volunteer motives. Suggestions for enhancing the level of volunteer contributions to the organization are made.
Capturing knowledge and knowing through improvisation: what managers can learn from the thoracic surgery board certification process
Authors: King Adelaide Wilcox , Ranft Annette L.
Published: June 2011

To compete effectively in the information age, managers must take actions in ambiguous, complex, and rapidly changing environments. A thoracic surgeon facilitates actions that are consequential and difficult to reverse, that require individual and group expertise, and that are based on changing, complex inputs and environments that are often ambiguous and interact in unpredictable ways. We suggest that managers can benefit from learning we have gained from studying the thoracic surgery certification process.
Breaking through boundaries for organizational innovation: new managerial roles and practices in e-commerce firms
Authors: Kickul Jill , Gundry Lisa K.
Published: June 2011

The information age presents complex opportunities and challenges for organizations, leading to the emergence of new managerial roles and practices. This research examined the influence of management diversity and creativity on the assessment of opportunities for e-commerce organizations, and on innovative internal and external managerial relationships and practices. Results from a sample of 120 CEOs of e-commerce firms revealed that opportunity assessment mediates the interactive effects of managerial diversity and creativity, influencing the adoption of innovative practices that focus on employee relationships, external networks, and new products and services. This research is one of the first empirical studies of managerial behavior in Internet organizations, and a suggested research agenda for this area of inquiry is presented.
Factors contributing to virtual work adjustment
Authors: Raghuram Sumita , Garud Raghu , Wiesenfeld Batia , Gupta Vipin
Published: June 2011

We explore factors associated with employee adjustment to virtual work. In particular, we explore structural factors (i.e., work independence and evaluation criteria) and relational factors (i.e., trust and organizational connectedness) as predictors of adjustment to virtual work. Additionally, we explore age, virtual work experience and gender as moderators of the relationships. We find that structural and relational factors are important predictors of adjustment and that the strength of the relationship is contingent upon individual differences. We explore the implications of these findings for future research and for practice.
The Perceived Glass Ceiling and Justice Perceptions: An Investigation of Hispanic Law Associates
Authors: Foley Sharon , Kidder Deborah L. , Powell Gary N.
Published: June 2011

This study examined the relationship between the perceived glass ceiling, perceptions of promotion fairness, and attitudinal outcomes for a sample of Hispanic lawyers. The results showed that gender and perceptions of ethnic discrimination were positively related to perceptions of a glass ceiling, whereas the proportion of Hispanic law associates in the organization was negatively related to a perceived glass ceiling. The perceived glass ceiling was negatively related to perceptions of promotion fairness, which in turn were positively related to perceived career prospects and negatively related to intentions to leave. Overall, perceived glass ceiling had a substantial impact on turnover intentions. Implications are discussed.
Beaten Before Begun: The Role of Procedural Justice in Planning Change
Authors: Korsgaard M. Audrey , Sapienza Harry J. , Schweiger David M.
Published: June 2011

This investigation examines the potential adverse effects of planning strategic change on the employment relationship. We proposed that planning change can alter the psychological contract such that employees believe that organization obligations to the employee will diminish. We also argue that planning change may adversely affect employees’ perceived obligations to the organization, their trust in management, and their intention to remain with the organization but that such effects depend upon whether employees perceive the planning process to be procedurally just. We tested these hypotheses in a longitudinal study of a utility company undergoing reengineering planning. The findings supported the proposition that reactions to planning change depend upon perceptions of procedural justice in that employee obligations and intention to remain were only adversely affected by planning when employees perceived the process as unjust. Surprisingly, planning change did not significantly affect trust for employees who perceived the process as unjust and actually resulted in an increase in trust for employees who perceived the process as just. We discuss implications for practice and research.
Examining the Human Resource Architecture: The Relationships Among Human Capital, Employment, and Human Resource Configurations
Authors: Lepak David P. , Snell Scott A.
Published: June 2011

In this study we examined the characteristics of human capital as well as the human resource (HR) configurations used for employees in four different employment modes (knowledge-based employment, job-based employment, contract work, and alliance/partnership). Results from 148 firms show that the strategic value and uniqueness of human capital differs across these four employment modes. In addition, each employment mode is associated with a particular type of HR configuration (commitment-based, productivity-based, compliance-based, and collaborative).