bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Learned-Behavior Approach to Management Skill Development
Authors: Hunt James G.(Jerry) , Sorenson Ritch L.
Published: March 2007

The authors develop and provide arguments and some supporting empirical data for a learned-behavior approach in competency-based MBA education. The learnedbehavior approach emphasizes micro skills and inductive learning of behavior. Here, students learning various skills focus on very specific micro-skill components, largely on an inductive basis; the conceptualization underlying the micro skills is introduced later as needed to help in providing cognitive understanding of the previously performed micro skills. In performing the skills, the micro-skill components are combined in various ways across the skills and are useful in helping to integrate the skill set. The authors conclude by considering assessment of the approach and its integrative role in a revised MBA at their institution. They also examine the approach’s contribution to innovation in competency-based management education.
The Effects of Time of Day on Student Teaching Evaluations: Perception versus Reality
Authors: Hinkin Timothy Robert
Published: March 2007

The quality of one's teaching is a major criterion for tenure and promotion at most universities, and concern exists regarding the potential effect of early morning classes on student teaching evaluations. A survey of students and faculty found that very different perceptions exist on this matter, and neither perception was accurate. Only 30% of faculty, compared to 60% of students, felt that time of day did not impact teaching evaluations. A within-instructor, within-semester, within-course, within-day design using actual evaluation data found that the time of day a class is taught has no effect on student evaluation of teaching. Implications of the findings are discussed.
Self-Directed Learning in Introductory Management
Authors: Akin Gib
Published: March 2007

A self-directed learning format, grounded in Malcolm Knowles's concept of andragogy, was used in an introductory management course for upper division undergraduates. The rationale for use, along with the detailed design of the course and its conduct are described. The outcomes are presented in terms of student reactions, typical learning outcomes, and new issues facing the instructor. Suggestions for improvements to the design and for the application of self-directed learning practices are offered.
We who Come to Teach are the Ones who Learn
Authors: Murphy Kathleen M.
Published: March 2007

This is a personal account of what can be learned from asking students to write a sentence or two—no more than a paragraph—on the person they most admire. As management educators strive to bridge the gap between the realities of the workplace and the often sterile world of management texts and classrooms, perhaps the greatest lesson learned from this reflective experience is not to gear up for expected results, but try, as in life, to leave ourselves open to the humanity of others. In fact, the lessons gleaned could become countless as evidenced by the responses generated and reported in this article.
Beyond Organizational Rationality: Toward a more Relevant Image of Organizations
Authors: Moussavi Farzad
Published: March 2007

A simple and general model of organizations is proposed as the foundation for a course in which the organization is not treated as an all-rational entity. The model defines organizations as probability distributions of decisions along a rational-political continuum, achieving a balance between the simple but inadequate rational metaphor and the rich but complicated multimetaphor approach. The management course on which this model is superimposed, in turn, achieves a balance between convenience and relevance.
Critical Theory in the Management Classroom: Engaging Power, Ideology, and Praxis
Authors: Prasad Pushkala , Caproni Paula J.
Published: March 2007

In this article, the authors discuss the relevance of critical theory for management education. They begin by distinguishing critical theory from critical thinking and then highlight the main features of critical theory: social construction, power and ideology, totality, and praxis. The article then introduces the remaining articles that constitute the special segment on critical theory and management education.
Building Bridges between Critical Theory and Management Education
Authors: Frost Peter J.
Published: March 2007

This article reflects on the five articles that comprise the special segment on "Critical Thinking in Management Education" in this issue of Journal of Management Education. The article underscores both the challenges and benefits of integrating critical thinking into the management classroom and suggests ways of building better bridges between critical thinking scholarship and management pedagogy.
Cinematography and Case Videos: Some Observations on Selection and Teaching
Authors: Rappaport Allen , Cawelti G. Scott
Published: March 2007

An understanding of how cinematography can enhance the pedagogical impact of video cases is presented. We contend that the video medium has unique advantages for the case method that have only been partially developed. This article examines three means of judging effective case videos: "percepts and concepts," "erotetic narration," and "variable framing." We also discuss cinematic techniques that are related to the implementation of these ideas. Guidelines to assist in case selection are presented.
Equal Opportunity in the Classroom: Test Construction in a Diversity-Sensitive Environment
Authors: Ghorpade Jai , Lackritz James R.
Published: March 2007

Although civil rights groups have successfully challenged the fairness of tests used in admission decisions by universities from an equal opportunity perspective, testing practices used by professors in the classroom have gone largely unquestioned. In this study, levels of performance of a sample of 231 students in six human resource management classes were compared on two multiple-choice tests and one essay test. Comparisons of scores between men and women and between Whites and minorities over the multiple-choice tests yielded statistically insignificant results. In the essay test comparisons, females scored significantly higher than males, and Whites scored significantly higher than minority students. Implications of the findings are discussed and suggestions are offered for test construction to meet the diversity challenge in the classroom.
Answering the Challenge: Developing the Management Action Skills of Business Students
Authors: McEvoy Glenn M.
Published: March 2007

Business schools are under increasing pressure to demonstrate that they can improve behavioral (action) as well as cognitive management skills in their students. A new genre of skills-based management texts is now on the market to assist instructors in this endeavor. Most of these new texts rely on an approach to skill development grounded in social learning theory (SLT). This study examines whether an SLT-based approach to management skill development is indeed superior to a more traditional experiential education (EE) approach. Results show that the SLT-based approach out-performed the EE approach on two of three learning criteria with no significant differences in student preferences between the two. These results suggest considerable promise for the current genre of textbooks for answering the action skills development challenge.
The Emotional Reaction to Classroom Visitation and Peer Coaching
Authors: Eisenbach Regina , Curry Renée R.
Published: March 2007

Classroom visitation and peer coaching are methods used to help faculty improve their teaching. Unfortunately, many faculty equate classroom visitation with the evaluation process necessary for tenure and promotion. This article argues that methods to improve teaching also can be developmental in nature. The authors' personal experience with such a program is used to help show that (a) having colleagues from other disciplines visit a class is an effectiveway to improve pedagogical technique, (b) feelings of fear and vulnerability are a natural part of classroom visitation, and (c) overcoming these fears and establishing a supportive relationship with a peer coach is an effective long-term strategy to improve the quality of teaching.
Lessons from the Best and Worst Student Team Experiences: How a Teacher can make the Difference
Authors: Bacon Donald R. , Stewart Kim A. , Silver William S.
Published: March 2007

This study empirically identifies which teacher-controlled (contextual) variables have the greatest impact on whether the student will have a great team experience or a miserable one. The results indicate that the clarity of instructions to the team, the longevity of the team experience, and self-selection of teammates all positively affect team experiences. The level of management education, the team size, and the percentage of the course grade associated with team performance did not differ across best and worst team experiences. Contrary to previous empirical findings and conventional wisdom, the use of peer evaluations was negatively associated with good team experiences. Further insights from the data and implications for the use of student teams are discussed.
Use of A Student Ombudsperson to Enhance Communication in University Classes
Authors: Herring Robert A. , Mendleson Jack L.
Published: March 2007

The article reviews the concept of an ombudsperson, shows how it can be adapted to classroom usage, and summarizes the authors’experiences over a 10-year period. The student ombudsperson (SO) is selected by classmates to enhance communication between the instructor and class. Using an SO helps produce the following: better upward communication, a psychologically safe classroom environment, another set of eyes and ears for the instructor, and an early warning system for identifying problems. The SO concept is compared with that of the workplace ombudsperson. Guidelines are provided for classroom usage of an SO.
Patient-Controlled Analgesia for Older Adults
Authors: Duggleby Wendy , Lander Janice
Published: March 2007

Use of patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) was compared with nurse-administered intermittent intramuscular (NM) Injections of morphine in older adults during their postoperative recovery. Data analyses indicated that the PCA and IM groups did not dyfer in pain intensity, pain distress, and satisfaction. The PCA group had significantly less sleep disturbance from pain than the IM group. Neither group was considered to have acceptable pain management.
Bedside Nursing Research
Authors: Hinds Pamela S. , Gattuso Jami S. , Norville Robbie , Oakes Linda , Prichard Lisa
Published: March 2007

A new category of clinical nursing research, labeled "bedside nursing research," is proposed and described in this article. Justification for this research category is based on its particular characteristics, such as its narrow focus on direct care procedures that have well-defined parameters and the patient outcomes of those procedures. Findings from this type of research have high clinical relevance and can directly influence nursing practice at the study site.
The Impact of Critical Injury as Described by a Spouse
Authors: Leske Jane Stover
Published: March 2007

This descriptive study explored the initial experience of critical injury from a spouse's perspective. A case study was used to examine the Lazarus stress and coping paradigm. The subject was 43-year-old Caucasian woman, with three young children. Semistructured interviews were conducted i month following critical injury. Analysis of data confirmed the cognitive, behavioral, and emotional coping processes as suggested by Lazarus. From the spouse's description, three distinct phases of the critical care experience also emerged. notification, arrival at the hospital. and waiting periods. Cognitive, behavioral. and emotional coping processes were clustered according to the spouse's distinct phases of this experience. A 3 x 3 matrix provides a description of the coping processes during the initial critical care period and offers direction for nursing interventions.
A Measurement of Self-Esteem in Pregnant Teenagers
Authors: Bolden Lois , Williams Barbara G.
Published: March 2007

Low self-esteem is often viewed as an important factor in unprotected sexual activity and pregnancy in adolescents. The purpose of this pilot study was to determine the level of self-esteem in single pregnant teenagers. The Culture-Free Self-Esteem Inventory (CFSEI) and a researcher-developed demographic questionnaire were used to measure self-esteem in 19 pregnant teenagers and to gather demographic information about them The mean score for total self-esteem was 16.4, which is an intermediate level of self-esteem according to Battle's classification of scores. Mean scores for general self-esteem (6.31), academic self-esteem (3.68), parental self-esteem (3.37), and social self-esteem (3. 15) were also at intermediate levels. The pregnant teenagers in this study did not have low self-esteem according to Battle's general population norms. Suggestions for further research include replication of this study with a larger sample and comparison of self-esteem in pregnant and nonpregnant teenagers.
Managing Human Resources
Authors: Mendonca Manuel , Kanungo Rabindra N.
Published: March 2007

The issue of culture fit is explored through the use of a model that identifies the characteristics of the internal work culture of organizations in developing countries. The context of their sociocultural environment and the manner in which the cultural characteristics are likely to facilitate or hinder the effective use of the state-of-the-art human resource management practices and techniques are discussed. The problems and prospects associated with the uncritical adoption in developing countries of human resource management practices relating to work design, performance management, and reward systems are analyzed.
Commentary: Separating Play and Critique
Authors: Lawrence Thomas B. , Phillips Nelson
Published: March 2007

Christian De Cock's article contributes to organization studies by exploring the usefulness of a postmodern perspective for understanding the dynamics, and especially the frequent failure, of Total Quality Management (TQM) and Business Process Re-engineering (BPR). In this article, the authors extend his argument by exploring two theoretical questions that we feel are confused in his paper: (a) what can postmodernism tell us about the dynamics of TQM/BPR; and (b) what role do power and politics play in TQM/BPR and how can critical theory be used in their analysis. The authors conclude with a discussion of the role of postmodernism and critical theory in organization and management studies more generally.
A Study of the Opening Displacement of Transverse Cracks in Cross-Ply Laminates
Authors: Varna J. , Berglund L.A. , Talreja R. , Jakovics A.
Published: March 2007

Transverse cracks in cross-ply laminates are investigated experimentally to reveal the essential characteristics of their opening displacement under tensile loads. The average crack opening displacement is studied as a function of the longitudinal overall strain and the effects of matrix toughness and transverse ply thickness on this parameter are examined. The interactive effects between closely spaced transverse cracks are also ex amined and found to be significant. Implications of the experimentally observed features on the micromechanics and continuum damage type models are discussed.
An Upper Bound on Damage of Elastic-Plastic Structures at Shakedown
Authors: Feng Xi-Qiao , Yu Shou-Wen
Published: March 2007

In this paper, a shakedown theory for plastic-damaged structures is pre sented. Damage mechanics and shakedown theory are closely related to each other in some aspects. The damage of materials may change their mechanical properties and as well as the shakedown load domains of structures. Here the damage variable is proposed as the failure criterion of ductile structures at shakedown. Based on an elastic perfect ly—plastic damage model, an upper bound on local damage of structures is given via a mathematical programming. The suggested method is illustrated by an example of thick- walled cylindrical tube.
A Comparative View of Aids in Prisons: Mexico and the United States
Authors: Olivero J. Michael , Clark Amelia , Morgado Arminda I. , Mounce Gary
Published: March 2007

Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) has become a serious problem in U.S. prisons. There appear to be large numbers of infected incarcerated persons in these facilities, and they may be spreading the infection through widespread male homosexual contact. In contrast, the extent of AIDS infection among inmates in Mexican prisons is largely unknown. This paper compares and contrasts issues surrounding AIDS in Mexican and U.S. prisons, with a specific emphasis on the presence of AIDS-related policies. The findings suggest that Mexico may experience a pattern of infection among inmates similar to that in the United States. However, the spread of AIDS through homosexual activity may be reduced in Mexico by the presence of women and conjugal visits.
Prostitution and Public Policy in the People's Republic of China: An Analysis of the Rehabilitative Ideal
Authors: Anderson Allen F. , Gil Vincent E.
Published: March 2007

The far-reaching changes that have taken place in mainland China since the end of isolation have served as catalysts for the return of many social problems that were thought to have been controlled or eliminated following the revolution. Of these problems, prostitution and associated activity are sources of particular consternation for the Chinese authorities. The present article analyzes urban prostitution on the mainland (in general and through analysis of prison data from Sichuan Province) and the legal and public security responses to it. Implicit within those responses is a rehabilitative ideal that has deep historical roots in the Chinese philosophy of social control and corrections. Special emphasis is placed upon analysis of this normative philosophy, its application to the process of prostitute reeducation and rehabilitation, and the impact of continued social change on its use.
Opposing Outcomes of the Industrial Prison: Japan and the United States Compared
Authors: Johnson Elmer H.
Published: March 2007

The industrial prison first emerged in the early 1820s as the Auburn system in New York State, combining the characteristics of the machine-based factory and the custodial prison. Unprecedented demands were placed on the skills and dedication of both prison staff and inmates. Political opposition gradually deprived the industrial prison of its early prominent place in American penology. In Japan, the model appeared later and today continues to flourish with easy access to the open market. Whereas the industrial prison and the contracting of prison labor suffered political attack in the United States, they are tolerated in Japan. Japanese prison personnel benefit from sound recruitment and a long history of in-service training. The American public debated whether priority was to be given to the rehabilitation of criminals or to the concept of the industrial prison, but in Japan, where the policy of diversion greatly reduces the proportion of offenders who end up in prison, and those who are imprisoned have been selected asbeing especially "unworthy," the industrial prison is seen as an appropriate means of managing such offenders.
The International Crime (Victim) Survey: Issues of Comparative Advantages and Disadvantages
Authors: Zvekic Ugljesa
Published: March 2007

Difficulties in making international comparisons based on official national and international criminal justice statistics (United Nations Crime Surveys, INTERPOL) prompted the launching of the International Crime (Victim) Survey, which used a standard methodology and involved in two sweeps (1989 and 1992-1994) more than 30 industrialized and developing countries and countries in transition. Selected key findings are presented, and these basically highlight that, on an international comparative level, the developing world and countries in transition exhibit higher victimization rates for almost all selected types of crime, less satisfaction with law enforcement, and a more punitive orientation. The main advantages of the IC(V)S lie in the higher level of data comparability as well as in the comparative evaluation of police-community relations, attitudes toward punishment, and various crime prevention mechanisms. However, with its focus on households and individuals and selected crime types, the IC(V)S presents only a partial picture of the crime story. Other problems faced by the IC(V)S are discussed, such as what constitutes a proper sampling in countries that lack reliable population and other statistical information. Particular emphasis is placed on the tension between standardization to increase comparability on the one hand and cultural specificity on the other. Although the IC(V)S will prove to be instrumental in promoting alternative criminal justice information, particularly in the less advanced parts of the world, and in providing for more internationally comparable information, the limits of the study with respect to cultural interpretation should be clearly recognized.
Social Production of Crime Data: A Critical Examination of Chinese Crime Statistics
Authors: He Ni , Marshall Ineke H.
Published: March 2007

The primary focus of this article is a critical examination of Chinese crime statistics. The problems related to the production as well as the comparative use of Chinese national crime statistics are tackled by means of an organizing framework that includes macro-level characteristics of Chinese society, factors that affect the quality and quantity of Chinese crime statistics, and specific problems related to the comparative use of Chinese crime statistics. It is argued that Chinese crime statistics are suspect as a measure of criminal misconduct, more so than in Western countries, but that they nevertheless can be quite useful when applied as a measure of organizational processes reflecting social control.
Small Towns and the Big City: Examining Differences in the Work of Croatian Mixed Tribunals
Authors: Ivkovie Sanja Kutnjak
Published: March 2007

This paper examines differences in perceptions about the work of mixed tribunals with respect to city size. Mixed tribunals are decision-making bodies in which professional and lay judges jointly decide criminal cases. Detailed questionnaires were distributed to 56 professional judges, 175 lay judges, 40 state attorneys, and 102 attorneys in two different regions of Croatia in 1993. Because the respondents' role in the criminal justice system and legal education (or lack thereof) were related to the selection of the answers, the data were separately analyzed with respect to the size of the city for each category of respondents. Some differences were found in perceptions of the work of the tribunals (e.g., the reported frequency of reading the case file) and in general opinions about mixed tribunals. No differences were found, for example, in the reported frequency of lay judges' questions or comments during proceedings.
Emotion during Organizational Transformations
Authors: Mossholder Kevin W. , Settoon Randall P. , Armenakis Achilles A. , Harris Stanley G.
Published: March 2007

Researchers have begun to incorporate emotion as an explanatory construct in organizational studies. The present study sought to determine how the expressed emotion of top-level managers in a Fortune 500 organization undergoing a major transformation effort was associated with their assessments of change activities and job attitudes. Computer aided text analysis and the Dictionary of Affect in Language were used to assess the emotional content of responses to open-ended questions along two theoretically grounded dimensions of emotion: pleasantness and arousal. Results indicated that a hypothesized interaction between the two emotion dimensions explained significant variance in attitudes dealing directly with the managers’ jobs. Reasons for assessing emotion in transformation contexts are discussed.
Self-Actualizing: Myth or Reality?
Authors: Butler Robert R.
Published: March 2007

The Personal Orientation Inventory (POI) was used to assess the impact of a semester-long encounter-group, personal-growth experience on stu dents seeking degrees in counseling. Both the experimental and control groups showed gains in self-actualization. The groups differed signifi cantly only on the Spontaneity Scale. Design procedures and selection artifacts associated with obtaining participants for research are dis cussed, especially as these relate to the nature of the control-group studies cited by Knapp and Shostrom (1976).
Growth Groups and Alienation: A Comparative Study of Rogerian Encounter, Self-Directed Encounter, and Gestalt
Authors: Anderson Joseph D.
Published: March 2007

Recent group approaches have evolved in response to increasing inter personal alienation in our society. Symbolic interaction theory suggests that the antidote to alienation is development of a sense of self through experiences in intensive small groups. This theory, and research on growth-group approaches, indicate that empathic member-to-member processes in the group decrease feelings of alienation and increase sense of autonomy for members. This research compares short-term variants of three such approaches-Rogerian encounter, Gestalt sensory awareness, and self-directed encounter-in relation to intermember empathy and cohesiveness and outcomes of decreased feelings of alienation and in creased sense of self-autonomy. The "Solomon four-group experimental design" was used. All growth-group experiences significantly decreased feelings of alienation and increased sense of self-autonomy. The order of efficacy on outcomes was (1) self-directed encounter, (2) Rogerian en counter, and (3) Gestalt sensory awareness. Increases in intermember empathy, feelings of being understood by group members, and cohesive ness were found in the same order. The differences in approaches are thought to be in their focus upon member-to-member interaction and the influence of this focus on members' feelings of being understood and the group's cohesiveness as experienced by members. Among the implica tions for practice are the need to respect the natural curative factors of the intensive small-group experience; the need to focus on member-to- member interaction; the need to gather feedback about important process variables during group facilitation; the need to make legitimate human relations training per se in the helping professions' work with groups; and the need to consider further symbolic interaction theory as a guide to group research and practice.
Motivating Human Productivity in the People's Republic of China
Authors: Blake Robert R. , Mouton Jane Srygley
Published: March 2007

The authors were part of a group touring the People's Republic of China in the fall of 1978, before the startling news that China and the United States had established diplomatic relations. This provided an opportu nity for them to participate in a number of industrial and business projects and to learn how Chinese management seeks to motivate pro ductivity. Business contacts were made in four major cities, and a number of discussions were held with third-country nationals engaged in busi ness in China on a day-by-day basis. Different facets of the motivation effort were examined: the ideology of hard work, the manner of evaluat ing it, techniques of exerting pressure to increase it, and the approaches used to reward the greater productivity of one person over another. A number of factors are similar to motivational practices in the United States and Western Europe, and some are strikingly different from what would be regarded as acceptable in the Western World.
Effective Psychological Education: A Sample Program with Evaluation
Authors: Bergeson Roland G.
Published: March 2007

College student personnel and mental health workers need psycholog ical-education programs whose effectiveness can be empirically verified. This report describes such a program in sufficient detail to give profes sionals a clear model for study and application to their particular popu lations. Shostrom's (1963) Personal Orientation Inventory, an instrument specifically designed to measure growth during therapy, was used to evaluate pre- to post-training change. Data gathered give strong support of the effectiveness of this program in promoting actualizing behavior.
The Effects of an Intergroup Development OD Intervention as Conditioned by the Life Cycle State of Organizations: A Laboratory Experiment
Authors: Randolph W. Alan , Posner Barry Z.
Published: March 2007

This study took an exploratory look at the effectiveness of an intergroup development OD intervention at different stages of an organization's life cycle. Four simulated organizations were used in the study: one with the intervention in the very early life of the organization (the birth phase), one with the intervention in the growth (or midlife) phase, one with the intervention in the mature (or later life) phase, and a comparison organization with no interven tion. Results suggest that intergroup development interventions can be effective at any life stage, but the impact will be felt in different outcome measures and perceptual measures of organizational processes. Further research in this area should lead to a better understanding of the life cycle influence on the effectiveness of intergroup development and other OD interventions.
Organizational Structure and Communication Processes: A Study of Change
Authors: Greenbaum Howard H. , Holden Ellsworth J. , Spataro Lucian
Published: March 2007

The objective of this research was to examine the influence of a change in organizational structure on the functional communication processes and goals of an organization. The change in structure involved a modification of commun ication activities in an industrial organization by the institution of a work- group meeting program pursuant to six specific objectives of management. The functional communication processes were identified asfour major communica tion subsystems: (1) the regulative-task network, (2) the adaptive-innovative network, (3) the integrative-maintenance network, and (4) the informative- instructive network. As a study of workgroups in natural settings, this article represents a report on a change process, with data secured via attitudinal and behavioral instruments.
Survey Feedback as a Large-Scale Change Device: An Empirical Examination
Authors: Conlon Edward J. , Short Lawrence O.
Published: March 2007

The impact of a data-feedback intervention on organizational attitudes and perceptions was examined. Low, medium, and high levels of supervisory mediation of feedback were compared with a control condition across nine scales from the Air Force's Organizational Assessment Package. The scales measuring supervisory character istics, task perceptions, goal clarity, and opportunity for advancement were shown to be affected by the intervention. In addition, the effects occurred only in those situations where the work group supervisor was perceived, by group members, as having fed back the data. Finally, a significant relationship was obtained between preintervention mea sures of supervisory characteristics and the propensity of the supervisor to provide feedback to the work group. Practical implications are discussed.
Perceptions of Organizational Stress Among U.S. Military Officers in Germany
Authors: Rogers Rolf E. , Li Eldon Y. , Shani Abraham B.
Published: March 2007

This article reports the results of an exploratory study of perceptions of organizational stress among U.S. military officers stationed in Germany. The sample data were analyzed by item comparisons, factor analysis, and cluster analysis. Work load, work design, job qualifications, performance evaluation, and organization structure were identified as stress precipitators. The cluster analysis yielded three groups of individuals with different stress-frequency patterns. These groups were labeled achievement-centered, organization-centered, and self-actualization-centered. Directions for future research are discussed within the context of an increasing rate of change in military organizations.
Impression Management Concerns and Reinforcement Interventions
Authors: Giacalone Robert A. , Rosenfeld Paul
Published: March 2007

The study sought to determine the effect that impression management concerns would have on the perceptions of an intervention. Subjects were given the description of a reinforcement intervention and were asked to evaluate how employees involved might react. The description varied whether or not the reinforcing agent was the direct supervisor as well as whether the rei nforcement was delivered privately or publicly. Results showed that the means of delivering reinforcement affected how subjects perceived the intervention, regardless of the position of the reinforcing agent. The data were discussed in terms of their implication for organizational development specialists and human resource managers.
Situational Leadership Theory
Authors: Norris William R. , Vecchio Robert P.
Published: March 2007

In a test of Hersey and Blanchard's situational leadership theory, 91 full-time nurses and their supervisors provided data on employee performance, maturity, and affect as well as leader style. Although directional results were obtained that supported the theory in the low- and moderate-maturity conditions, the magnitude of these results was not significant. Further research in this area is encouraged, with a goal of overcoming the shortcomings of prior research and the obstacles that may be inherent in the study of the proposed processes.
Patterns of Influence Behavior for Managers
Authors: Yukl Gary , Falbe Cecilia M. , Youn Joo Young
Published: March 2007

This study involved analysis of incidents describing influence attempts from the perspective of an agent or a target. Influence behavior in the incidents was coded into nine influence tactics. A conceptual framework was presented to explain the selection and sequencing of tactics, and the model was used to derive specific hypotheses for individual tactics. Analysis of tactic combinations revealed that some tactics were used together much more often than others. Consistent with the model, some tactics were used more in initial influence attempts, and other tactics were used more in follow-up influence attempts. Differences in the use of tactics with subordinates, peers, and superiors were also consistent with the model, and the results verified directional differences found in earlier research with questionnaires.
Relationships between Person-Environment Congruence and Organizational Effectiveness
Authors: Ostroff Cheri
Published: March 2007

This study investigated the relationship between person-environment (P-E) congruence and organizational performance. Person factors were represented by personal orientations and environment factors by organizational climates. It was hypothesized that P-E congruence would be related to the effectiveness of organizations. Organizational effectiveness data were collected for 29 schools; personal orientations were assessed from 597 teachers and organizational climate from 581 teachers within these schools. Personal orientations and climates were aggregated to the organizational level, and P-E congruence was assessed. Results of correlational analyses between congruence and effectiveness generally supported the expected relationships.
The Effect of a Managing Diversity Policy on Organizational Attractiveness
Authors: Williams Margaret L. , Bauer Talya N.
Published: March 2007

An experimental design was employed to assess the impact of a managing diversity policy on participants' ratings of organizational attractiveness. Four hundred forty-eight upper level undergraduate management students were randomly assigned to either a g diversity or a control condition. Subjects were asked to read one of two forms of a recruitment brochure describing a fictitious company and then to rate the attractiveness of the company. As hypothesized, participants in the managing diversity condition rated the organization significantly more positively than did those in the control condition. There were also significant main effects for race and gender that accounted for more variance in the ratings of organizational attractiveness than did the managing diversity manipulation. Non-Whites and women had higher mean organizational attractiveness ratings than Whites and men, respectively. Managerial implications of the findings and future research directions are discussed.
Bridging the Gap between Procedural Knowledge and Positive Employee Attitudes
Authors: Schappe Stephen P.
Published: March 2007

Despite the intuitive assumption that effective organizational procedures induce favorable results for organizations and their employees, few studies have examined the effects of employees' knowledge of organizational procedures on employee attitudes. This study examined the extent to which employees' knowledge of their organization's procedures and their perceptions of the fairness of those procedures affected their evaluations of supervisors, job satisfaction, and organizational commitment. In a sample (n = 130) of employees, perceptions of procedural justice were found to mediate the relationships between employees' procedural knowledge and the three attitudes. That is, although procedural knowledge was significantly related to each of the three attitudes, these relationships were not direct. Rather, the relationships between procedural knowledge and each of the three attitudes were explained almost exclusively in terms of employees' fairness perceptions of their organization's procedures.
Evolving Dynamical Neural Networks for Adaptive Behavior
Authors: Beer Randall D. , Gallagher John C.
Published: March 2007

We would like the behavior of the artificial agents that we construct to be as well-adapted to their environments as natural animals are to theirs. Unfortunately, designing controllers with these properties is a very difficult task. In this article, we demonstrate that continuous-time recurrent neural networks are a viable mechanism for adaptive agent control and that the genetic algorithm can be used to evolve effective neural controllers. A significant advantage of this approach is that one need specify only a measure of an agent's overall performance rather than the precise motor output trajectories by which it is achieved. By manipulating the performance evaluation, one can place selective pressure on the development of controllers with desired properties. Several novel controllers have been evolved, including a chemotaxis controller that switches between different strategies depending on environmental conditions, and a locomotion controller that takes advantage of sensory feedback if available but that can operate in its absence if necessary.
Phase Transitions in Instigated Collective Decision Making
Authors: Numaoka Chisato
Published: March 2007

This article proposes a computational model for an emergent collective behavior that collectively changes strategy type, such as from attack to defense, as seen in any kind of battle. It describes the result of an experimental simulation with multiple autonomous robots based on the proposed model. Our model first defines payoff functions that create multiple equilibrium states, each of which corresponds to one strategy type. Subsequently, we attempt to model the dynamics that cause the robots to change their choice of strategy type collectively when a small number of robots change their chosen type. In these dynamics, we pay particular attention to how many robots, called instigators, are required to make all robots eventually change their strategy type. In addition, to make it easy for all robots to change their strategy type, we provide a mechanism by which the robots themselves reduce the utility of strategies.
Unsettling the Centralized Mindset
Authors: Todd Peter M.
Published: March 2007

Turtles, Termites, and Traffic Jams: Explorations in Massively Parallel Microworlds, by Mitchel Resnick. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press/Bradford Books, 1994, ISBN 0-262-18162-2, xx + 163 pages, $24.95 hardcover.
Capturing Social Embeddedness: A Constructivist Approach
Authors: Edmonds Bruce
Published: March 2007

A constructivist approach is applied to characterizing social embeddedness. Social embeddedness is intended as a strong type of social situatedness. It is defined as the extent to which modeling the behavior of an agent requires the inclusion of other agents as individuals rather than as an undif ferentiated whole. Possible consequences of the presence of social embedding and ways to check for it are discussed. A model of co-developing agents is exhibited which demonstrates the possi bility of social embedding. This is an extension of Brian Arthur's 'El Farol Bar' model, with added learning and communication. Some indicators of social embedding are analyzed and some possi ble causes of social embedding are discussed. It is suggested that social embeddedness may be an explanation of the causal link between the social situatedness of the agent and it employing a con structivist strategy in its modeling.
Principles of Individual and Small-Quantity Production Processes
Authors: Duhovnik Joze , Vrhovec Janez , Tavcar Joze
Published: March 2007

Processes in individual and mass production are governed by certain principles which need to be taken into account as early as the conceptual design phase. A comprehensive analysis of processes in tool production has shown that production also needs to be considered in remodeling or the introduction of concurrent engineering. The paper discusses the principles of the manufacturing pro cess which affect the conditions in concurrent engineering.

Computer simulation was used to analyze the process of tool production at a toolmaking shop. The model is based on the machine pool of the plant, the product structure and the machining procedure. The tool parts are machined on various machines and undergo various operations in Petri net based simulation. The parameters affecting the process were varied during the simulation, and the results, such as flow times, machine utilization and plant capacity were studied. These results were interpreted in terms of costs per product unit. The principles of manufacturing processes and the influence of the variation of machining times under different conditions were estab lished. The principles of production were taken into account in dividing projects into three levels.
A Concurrent Engineering Approach To Robust Product Design
Authors: Gadallah M.H. , Elmaraghy H.A.
Published: March 2007

An approach for robust design of mechanical systems using experimental design techniques is presented. Performance and achievement of functional requirements depend critically on variations on the geometry, dimensions, and positions of the system components. These variations arise due to limitations imposed by the capabilities of manufacturing processes, the tight control of which can be prohibitively expensive. This paper presents an approach for achieving robust designs which are less sensitive to these variations. Two formulations are used where manufacturing tolerances are considered as: (1) control variables; and (2) noise variables beyond the designer's control. Orthogonal arrays and analysis of variance are used to detect the most important design parameters to ensure performance robustness. The proposed design methodology is illustrated using a finger follower cam valve system. A comparison with other conventional design approaches is included.
Performance Evaluation for Concurrent Processing in Cyclic Systems
Authors: Zaremba Marek B. , Banaszak Zbigniew A.
Published: March 2007

A new technique for modelling and performance evaluation of a loosely synchronized system composed of a set of cyclic processes interacting via shared and reusable resources is presented Analytical models relating system dynamics to the behaviour of component pro cesses are considered Their application within a framework of self-synchronization is discussed The approach is applicable to cyclic concur rently interacting processes, the evolution of which depends on the complex interactions of various discrete events such as the arrival or depar ture of a job or the initiation and completion of a task The analysis is illustrated using the example of a robotized flexible assembly system, where one of the main concerns is optimization of a performance index related to the system steady-state behaviour
Organizational Systems Integration: Management Information Systems Perspective
Authors: Bajgoric Nijaz
Published: March 2007

In this paper a systems integration is considered in its broader sense as an integration of organizational management and its informa tion system A systems information engineering approach is proposed and three major groups of contingency factors defined
Towards a Computer-Supported Cooperative Environment for Concurrent Engineering
Authors: Prasad Biren , Fujun Wang  , Jiati Deng
Published: March 2007

Computer-supported cooperative work has been the focus of attention in a concurrent engineering environment for some time. This paper studies this cooperative team environment from three perspectives: (a) the infrastructure of communication and information model viewpoint; (b) the planning and control of workflow viewpoint, and (c) some implementation viewpoints Implementation viewpoints in- dude constraints' management, negotiation, and memory capture and management. A set of enabling technology in each perspective area and its rationale are discussed. Finally, a structure of the whole system environment including definitions of an architecture and a global user interface are introduced.
VisionManager: A Computer Environment for Design Evolution Capture
Authors: Fruchter R. , Reiner K. , Leifer L. , Toye G.
Published: March 2007

Computer-based design evolution capture in a multi-disciplinary project environment remains a difficult problem. This paper de scribes VisionManager, a prototype for design evolution capture, visualization, and reuse in support of multi-disciplinary collaborative team work Based on our research experience, our hypothesis is that one of the key factors in reducing life-cycle cost is improved communica tion, coordination and cooperation among team members. VisionManager accommodates and integrates many perspectives within a design and manufacturing enterprise It allows team members to: (1) augment shared graphic design models with the team members' design in tents, interests, and responsibilities, (2) capture versions at different levels of granularity, such as, feature, discipline perspective, and proj ect level, (3) create private, public, and consensus versions in a hierarchical archive, (4) infer shared interests and route change notifica tions with regard to a modified feature or perspective, (5) visualize the design evolution of features, discipline perspectives, and the overall project based on captured semantics, and (6) reuse previous alternatives VisionManager is distinguished from the state-of-the-art file- based document management systems and proposes a model-based and content-based approach for design evolution capture, visualiza tion, and reuse.