bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Space and personal contacts: Cross-group interaction between mainland and local university students in Hong Kong
Authors: Tian Xiaoli
Published: December 2017

Despite sharing physical space that supports contact with out-group members and institutional arrangements that encourage cross-group interaction, many university students still congregate within their own groups. To explain this phenomenon, this study examines the micro-level social processes that prevent or facilitate intergroup interaction. A qualitative study of Mainland Chinese and local university students in Hong Kong reveals that students lack opportunities for mutually engaging experiences across multiple points in time due to fragmented daily living space, defended interpersonal space, and politicized online space, which contribute to the absence of cross-group interactions. Cross-group friendships depend on external forces to remove inhibitions, which then allow emotional bonding. This study contributes to the understanding of cross-group interaction by pointing out the importance of daily routine activities and mutually engaging experiences in influencing cross-group interaction among students.
The development of EFL examinations in Haiti: Collaboration and language assessment literacy development
Authors: Baker Beverly A. , Riches Caroline
Published: December 2017

Research was conducted during the delivery of a series of workshops on language assessment with Haitian teachers in the spring of 2013. The final products of these workshops were several revised national English examinations presented to the Haitian Ministry of Education and Professional Training (MENFP). The research goal was to examine the language assessment literacy (LAL) development of both teachers and language assessment specialists during this collaboration. Data included the compiled feedback from Haitian teachers on draft examinations during the workshops, as well as survey and interview responses immediately following the workshops. Results reveal the complementary expertise of teachers and specialists, which facilitated LAL development by both parties. Results also identified challenges in collaborative decision making and consensus building to be addressed in future projects.
Entelechy revisited: On the generative specification of John Portman’s architectural language
Authors: Ligler Heather , Economou Athanassios
Published: December 2017

John Portman’s work attracts significant commentary, although the focus is typically on the commercial and social aspects of his work as opposed to the actual designs and their related architectural implications. The obvious place to start unpacking his contribution is in his widely recognized and published commercial portfolio, yet he maintains that his design principles are found in his personal domestic work. Here, his 1964 residence Entelechy I is analyzed to inform the development of a parametric shape grammar that generates the original design as well as a series of variations. The goal of this research is to engage Portman’s architectural philosophy and constructively assess his claims of its implicit relationship to his work to date. Key rules suggesting his principles and anticipating his ongoing architectural contribution are outlined. The structure provided by shape computation, involving both shape rules and rule schemas, is positioned as the theoretical basis for an ongoing study of transformations within Portman’s language.
Integrating climate change adaptation into community planning using a participatory process: The case of Saebat Maeul community in Busan, Korea
Authors: Kim Donghyun , Kang Jung Eun
Published: December 2017

Climate change is certain, given the sufficient evidence for it. Thus, it needs to be integrated into the process of spatial and community planning to empower communities so they can adapt to it. This study addresses the critical gap in the literature on community planning and climate change adaptations by creating planning methodologies based on the participatory method, and simulating application of the process to the Saebat Maeul community in Busan, Korea. In the Saebat Maeul community, the study area, people have struggled with urban flooding, which is related to the poor sewer system and heat waves. Green infrastructures were used as the main tools to mitigate the negative impacts of climate change. The suggested community plan includes physical and socioeconomic measures, such as new parking structures with green roofs and pervious pavement, drainage facilities that reduce flooding, repairs to homes with cool roofs, and installation of rainwater harvesting facilities to lower the impact of heat waves. If planners have proper knowledge about climate change and if they guide the participatory planning process (thus reflecting local knowledge and suggestions), we concluded that it is possible to consider climate change adaptations within the context of spatial and community planning.
Understanding the perception towards using mHealth applications in practice
Authors: Sezgin Emre , Özkan-Yildirim Sevgi , Yildirim Soner
Published: December 2017

The objective of this study was to investigate physicians’ perceptions to use mobile health applications in practice, and to identify influencing factors to use the technology. An mHealth technology acceptance model was proposed (M-TAM), and a cross-sectional survey was implemented using structured questionnaire to collect data. Online tools were used for inviting participants (physicians) and data collection from Turkey. The data was analyzed using Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). A total of 128 physicians participated in the survey. The model explained the perception of physicians towards mHealth application use by 51% of total variance. The influential factors were identified as Effort Expectancy, Mobile Anxiety, Perceived Service Availability and Technical Training and Support. The study provided a new model to the literature of health information technology. Findings of the research contributed by unveiling latent constructs and their influence on physicians’ perceptions towards a new healthcare technology: mHealth applications.
Assessing the impact of readiness factors on e-government outcomes
Authors: Keramati Abbas , Behmanesh Iman , Noori Hamid
Published: December 2017

Many have studied different factors affecting e-government performance, but there is little research on the role of readiness factors, which may impact e-government outcomes indirectly. This study presents a conceptual model with the aim of determining the role of readiness factors in the relationship between e-government factors and e-government outcomes. E-government factors are comprised of citizens, businesses, and government itself. Also, readiness factors are categorized into three main groups, namely governing, technical, and organizational. A questionnaire was designed and completed by 90 e-government senior managers at multiple government agencies of Iran expressing their opinions on several factors impacting e-government outcomes within their organizations. The results of hierarchical regression analysis strongly support the appropriateness of the proposed model and prove that readiness factors play a moderating role in the relationship between e-government factors and e-government outcomes. Also, the results of latent moderated structuring (LMS) technique show that ‘organizational’ readiness factors have the most important effect on e-government outcomes. Finally, some policy implications are provided for better understanding of the role and importance of readiness factors in theory and practice.
Effects of sense of control and social presence on customer experience and e-service quality
Authors: Kang Youn Jung , Lee Won Jun
Published: December 2017

This study considers sense of control and social presence as major design attributes and explores their influence on customers’ affective responses and cognitive evaluations of e-services. In an experimental study, we constructed a hypothetical news portal offering varying levels of user control and social presence. Statistical analyses of the data indicate that websites designed to provide a greater sense of control and social presence result in greater pleasure and arousal among users, more positive evaluations of e-service quality, and stronger revisit intentions for the e-service platform. A well-designed website interface with an appropriate social presence and customizable interface appears to create an optimal online environment for offering desirable service experiences and thereby retaining customers.
Shared-operation models for institutional repositories
Authors: Cho Jane
Published: December 2017

The institutional repositories of most university libraries in Korea are not activated due to the lack of finance, operation ability, technology, etc., and this phenomenon is especially noticeable in small–medium sized university libraries. Thus, as in other countries, a shared repository that multiple libraries share, based on a library network, is required. This study categorizes the typology of shared repositories, after analyzing the operational methods of managing roles, expenses and system sharing among participants in shared repositories in Japan, the UK and the USA. Based on the findings, two models that could be applied in Korea are suggested. The first is a centralized-operation model that involves a shared-system infrastructure in which the host institution takes full charge of the digitization and registration of contents, etc. This model has the potential to be developed into a regional archive center. The second model is a decentralized-operation model that also features a shared-system infrastructure but the participating institutions customize the system individually. Here, the individual institutions perform digitization of all content, daily registration, etc., which can be applied as a test bed for the creation of new technology, considering the potential for independent operation in the future.
Strategies used in improving and assessing the level of reporting of implementation fidelity in randomised controlled trials of palliative care complex interventions: A systematic review
Authors: Ang Kexin , Hepgul Nilay , Gao Wei , Higginson Irene J
Published: December 2017

Background:

Implementation fidelity is critical in evaluating effectiveness of interventions.

Aim:

Identifying and summarising strategies to improve and assess the level of reporting of implementation fidelity in randomised controlled trials of palliative care complex interventions.

Design:

Systematic review.

Data sources:

Published and completed randomised controlled trials from 2000 to current evaluating effectiveness of specialised palliative care services on patient-centred outcomes in adult patients were examined. MEDLINE was searched from 2008 to 29 September 2015 and supplemented by randomised controlled trials identified in a 2008 systematic review.

Results:

Altogether, 20 randomised controlled trials involving 8426 patients were reviewed using 40 subcomponents of five elements of implementation fidelity (resulting in 20 × 40 = 800 items). Over 88 strategies were identified, classified under the following elements: ‘treatment design’, ‘training providers’, ‘delivery of treatment’, ‘receipt of treatment’ and ‘enactment of treatment skills’. No single overarching strategy was discovered. Strategies under ‘treatment design’ aimed to ensure equivalent treatment dose between and within intervention and control groups, and delivery of necessary ingredients. Ongoing ‘training (of) providers’ included supervision and ensuring skill acquisition. Use of treatment manuals and implementation checklists aimed to aid ‘delivery of treatment’. Research teams aimed to improve ‘receipt of treatment’ by transmitting clear information and verifying understanding, while improving ‘enactment of treatment skills’ by reviewing and reinforcing prior content. Only 26% of the items received sufficient reporting; 34% were either not used or reported on.

Conclusion:

Implementation fidelity in palliative care is under-recognised. A table to collate these strategies to improve implementation fidelity in palliative care research and clinical practice is proposed.
Investigating the Association Between Home-School Dissonance and Disruptive Classroom Behaviors for Urban Middle School Students
Authors: Tyler Kenneth M. , Burris Jennifer L. , Coleman Sean T.
Published: December 2017

Disruptive classroom behaviors are a major schooling dilemma in urban schools. While several contextual and motivational factors have been statistically associated with disruptive classroom behaviors, one overlooked factor has been home-school dissonance. The current study examined the relationship between 260 middle school students’ reports of perceived home-school dissonance, several motivational antecedents of academic performance, and disruptive classroom behaviors. Six hundred sixty middle school students completed six subscales of the Patterns of Adaptive Learning Scales (PALS), including the Home-School Dissonance subscale, Mastery Goal, Performance Approach, and Performance Avoidance Goal Orientations, and the Disruptive Classroom Behavior subscales. Home-school dissonance scores were significantly associated with lower mastery goal orientation and lower academic efficacy scores. Home-school dissonance scores were also significantly associated with higher disruptive classroom behavior scores and higher performance approach and performance avoidance goal orientation scores. In addition, structural equation modeling with multiple mediators showed that mastery goal orientation and performance approach goal orientation mediated the relationship between home-school dissonance and disruptive classroom behavior.
Who Decides: Me or We? Family Involvement in Medical Decision Making in Eastern and Western Countries
Authors: Alden Dana L. , Friend John , Lee Ping Yein , Lee Yew Kong , Trevena Lyndal , Ng Chirk Jenn , Kiatpongsan Sorapop , Lim Abdullah Khatijah , Tanaka Miho , Limpongsanurak Supanida
Published: December 2017

Background. Research suggests that desired family involvement (FI) in medical decision making may depend on cultural values. Unfortunately, the field lacks cross-cultural studies that test this assumption. As a result, providers may be guided by incomplete information or cultural biases rather than patient preferences. Methods. Researchers developed 6 culturally relevant disease scenarios varying from low to high medical seriousness. Quota samples of approximately 290 middle-aged urban residents in Australia, China, Malaysia, India, South Korea, Thailand, and the USA completed an online survey that examined desired levels of FI and identified individual difference predictors in each country. All reliability coefficients were acceptable. Regression models met standard assumptions. Results. The strongest finding across all 7 countries was that those who desired higher self-involvement (SI) in medical decision making also wanted lower FI. On the other hand, respondents who valued relational-interdependence tended to want their families involved – a key finding in 5 of 7 countries. In addition, in 4 of 7 countries, respondents who valued social hierarchy desired higher FI. Other antecedents were less consistent. Conclusion. These results suggest that it is important for health providers to avoid East–West cultural stereotypes. There are meaningful numbers of patients in all 7 countries who want to be individually involved and those individuals tend to prefer lower FI. On the other hand, more interdependent patients are likely to want families involved in many of the countries studied. Thus, individual differences within culture appear to be important in predicting whether a patient desires FI. For this reason, avoiding culture-based assumptions about desired FI during medical decision making is central to providing more effective patient centered care.
An Adaptive Approach to Locating Mobile HIV Testing Services
Authors: Gonsalves Gregg S. , Crawford Forrest W. , Cleary Paul D. , Kaplan Edward H. , Paltiel A. David
Published: December 2017

Background. Public health agencies suggest targeting “hotspots” to identify individuals with undetected HIV infection. However, definitions of hotspots vary. Little is known about how best to target mobile HIV testing resources. Methods. We conducted a computer-based tournament to compare the yield of 4 algorithms for mobile HIV testing. Over 180 rounds of play, the algorithms selected 1 of 3 hypothetical zones, each with unknown prevalence of undiagnosed HIV, in which to conduct a fixed number of HIV tests. The algorithms were: 1) Thompson Sampling, an adaptive Bayesian search strategy; 2) Explore-then-Exploit, a strategy that initially draws comparable samples from all zones and then devotes all remaining rounds of play to HIV testing in whichever zone produced the highest observed yield; 3) Retrospection, a strategy using only base prevalence information; and; 4) Clairvoyance, a benchmarking strategy that employs perfect information about HIV prevalence in each zone. Results. Over 250 tournament runs, Thompson Sampling outperformed Explore-then-Exploit 66% of the time, identifying 15% more cases. Thompson Sampling’s superiority persisted in a variety of circumstances examined in the sensitivity analysis. Case detection rates using Thompson Sampling were, on average, within 90% of the benchmark established by Clairvoyance. Retrospection was consistently the poorest performer. Limitations. We did not consider either selection bias (i.e., the correlation between infection status and the decision to obtain an HIV test) or the costs of relocation to another zone from one round of play to the next. Conclusions. Adaptive methods like Thompson Sampling for mobile HIV testing are practical and effective, and may have advantages over other commonly used strategies.
When Need Meets Opportunity: Expanding Local Air Networks
Authors: Fowler Luke
Published: December 2017

Although the Clean Air Act (CAA) relies on a traditional inter-government partnership, new initiatives from local governments that fall outside of the conventional implementation strategy have created a unique public service delivery network by adding layers to the implementation scheme. Using both logistic and multinomial logistic models and a data set of 497 Metropolitan (MSA) and Micropolitian (µSA) areas, this research tests a model of network membership for local governments based on internal organizational and external network factors. Findings indicate policy problems, perceptions of resource availability, network density and structure, and socio-economic and political factors affect local initiative to expand networks.
Increasing Competition: Measuring the Impact of Policy Prescription in Hospice Provision
Authors: Eger Robert J. , Mendieta Maximiliano G.
Published: December 2017

This study sheds light on the effects of policies that introduce competition into the marketplace of the provision of government services. The outcomes indicate that both nonprofit and government market share in a state are negatively affected by for-profit entry, a substitution relationship. The framing of the article in the New Public Management era and the Balanced Budget Act (BBA) of 1997 provides context in which to assess the policy consequences in hospice care. Given the budgetary challenges and growing cost of health care, this analysis begins a discussion of the effects of for-profit entry into the provision of government services, providing a glimpse into what the future holds for hospice care in the reforms of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) of 2010.
Networking and Crisis Management Capacity: A Nested Analysis of Local-Level Collaboration in Sweden
Authors: Nohrstedt Daniel
Published: December 2017

Studies of how actors collaborate across organizational boundaries to prepare for and respond to extreme events have traditionally focused on describing network structure whereas fewer studies empirically investigate how network relationships influence crisis management capacities. Using survey data on crisis management work in Swedish municipalities, this study considers how the number of collaboration partners and venues for collaboration (networking) influence organizational goal attainment. Given managerial costs associated with increasingly complex collaboration networks, the study explores the diminishing returns hypothesis, which predicts a positive relationship between networking and goal attainment up to a certain point when payoffs do not increase. Results support a nonlinear relationship; networking at low levels had a positive effect on goal attainment whereas no relationship was found at moderate or high levels. To identify characteristics of collaboration conducive to performance, the study undertakes a comparative case study of two low-residual cases where the relationship between networking and performance follow the predicted nonlinear curve and one deviant case where high levels of networking had a positive effect on performance. The cases show that stable interpersonal relationships, clarification of the terms of collaboration, shared problem perceptions, and coordination of joint decision making constitute important assembly mechanisms for overcoming collective action problems.
Non-enhanced versus low-dose contrast-enhanced renal magnetic resonance angiography at 7 T: a feasibility study
Authors: Laader Anja , Beiderwellen Karsten , Kraff Oliver , Maderwald Stefan , Ladd Mark E , Forsting Michael , Umutlu Lale
Published: December 2017

Background

Considering the currently reported association between a repetitive application and cumulative dosage of Gadolinium (Gd)-based contrast agents and Gd-deposition in brain tissue as well as the risk for the advent of nephrogenic systemic fibrosis (NSF), techniques allowing for a dose reduction become an important key aspect aside from non-enhanced magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) techniques. Thus, this study was focused on the reduction and/or complete omission of contrast agent for renal MRA at 7T.

Purpose

To evaluate the performance of time-of-flight MRA versus low-dose contrast-enhanced (CE) renal MRA at 7T.

Material and Methods

Ten healthy volunteers were examined on a 7T MR system comprising a TOF MRA and three-dimensional (3D) fast low angle shot spoiled gradient-echo sequence (FLASH) MRA after administration of one-quarter of clinical dose of gadobutrol. Qualitative image analysis was performed including overall image quality, artery delineation and presence of artifacts. Contrast ratio (CR), signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) of the renal arteries were calculated.

Results

TOF MRA and low-CE MRA achieved comparable overall ratings, with slightly superior delineation of the main renal arteries in TOF MRA (TOF = 3.10 ± 0.75, low-CE = 2.95 ± 0.75). Segmental branches outside and inside the parenchyma were delineated significantly better on TOF MRA. Quantitative analysis demonstrated the superiority of TOF MRA, yielding higher scores for CR, SNR, and CNR.

Conclusion

The initial results of our study demonstrate the feasibility and comparable diagnostic performance of TOF and low-dose CE renal MRA at 7T.
Depressive symptoms in Parkinson’s disease are related to decreased left hippocampal volume: correlation with the 15-item shortened version of the Geriatric Depression Scale
Authors: Goto Masami , Kamagata Koji , Hatano Taku , Hattori Nobutaka , Abe Osamu , Aoki Shigeki , Hori Masaaki , Gomi Tsutomu
Published: December 2017

Background

The relationship between hippocampal and amygdaloid volumes and depression in patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a controversial issue.

Purpose

To investigate the correlation between the 15-item shortened version of the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15) and gray matter volume in PD.

Material and Methods

In the present study, 46 participants with PD were scanned with 3 T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to obtain three-dimensional (3D) T1-weighted (T1W) images. Neurologists specializing in movement disorders performed clinical evaluations of the participants (e.g. GDS-15, Mini-Mental State Examination, PD duration, age, sex). Statistical Parametric Mapping 8 software was used for image gray matter segmentation and for a correlation analysis between gray matter volume and GDS-15 score.

Results

The results showed a significant negative correlation between GDS-15 score and left hippocampal volume, and between GDS-15 score and right parahippocampal gyrus volume. No significant positive correlations were found in the whole brain.

Conclusion

The current results provide new evidence regarding the relationship between depression in PD and hippocampal volume.
Lipid management among individuals with inflammatory arthritis in the national REasons for Geographic And Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) cohort
Authors: Navarro-Millán Iris , Gamboa Christopher M. , Curtis Jeffrey R. , Safford Monika M.
Published: December 2017

Objective

Hyperlipidemia guidelines do not currently identify inflammatory arthritis (IA) as a cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factor. We compared hyperlipidemia treatment of individuals with and without IA (rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, or ankylosing spondylitis) in a large national cohort.

Methods

Participants from the REasons for Geographic And Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) study were classified as having IA (without diabetes or hypertension); diabetes (but no IA); hypertension (but no diabetes or IA); or no IA, diabetes, or hypertension. Multivariable logistic regression models examined the odds of medical treatment among those with hyperlipidemia.

Results

Thirty-nine participants had IA, 5423 had diabetes, 7534 had hypertension, and 5288 had no diabetes, hypertension, or IA. The fully adjusted odds of treatment were similar between participants with IA and those without IA, hypertension, or diabetes. Participants with diabetes and no IA and participants with hypertension and no IA were twice as likely to be treated for hyperlipidemia as those without IA, diabetes, or hypertension.

Conclusion

Despite their higher CVD risk, patients with IA were as likely to be treated for hyperlipidemia as those without diabetes, hypertension, or IA. Lipid guidelines should identify IA as a CVD risk factor to improve CVD risk optimization in IA.
Prediction of the requirement of open reduction for developmental dysplasia of the hip
Authors: Alassaf Nabil
Published: December 2017

Objective

Closed reduction (CR) is a noninvasive treatment for developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH), and this treatment is confirmed intraoperatively. This study aimed to develop a preoperative estimation model of the probability of requiring open reduction (OR) for DDH.

Methods

The study design was cross-sectional by screening all patients younger than 2 years who had attempted CR between October 2012 and July 2016 by a single surgeon. Potential diagnostic determinants were sex, age, side, bilaterality, International Hip Dysplasia Institute (IHDI) grade, and acetabular index (AI). An intraoperative arthrogram was the reference standard. A logistic regression equation was built from a reduced model. Bootstrapping was performed for internal validity.

Results

A total of 164 hips in 104 patients who met the inclusion criteria were analysed. The prevalence of CR was 72.2%. Independent factors for OR were older age, higher IHDI grade, and lower AI. The probability of OR = 1/[1 + exp − (−2.753 + 0.112 × age (months) + 1.965 × IHDI grade III (0 or 1) + 3.515 × IHDI grade IV (0 or 1) − 0.058 × AI (degrees)]. The area under the curve was 0.79.

Conclusion

This equation is an objective tool that can be used to estimate the requirement for OR.
The Ritual of Beer Consumption as Discursive Intervention: Effigy, Sensory Politics, and Resistance in Everyday IR
Authors: Saunders Robert A. , Holland Jack
Published: December 2017

We draw on work on popular culture, critical geopolitics, visual politics, affect and the everyday in order to develop a framework for the analysis of the ritual of beer consumption as discursive intervention. Specifically, we argue the need for International Relations to expand theories of visual politics to a broader ‘sensory politics’, incorporating taste, smell, and touch. For our case study, we explore the empirical contestation of dominant geopolitical discourses, critically analysing the production and consumption of two explicitly and intentionally political beers: Norwegian brewery 7 Fjell’s release of ‘The Donald Ignorant IPA’; and Scottish BrewDog’s production of ‘Hello, My Name is Vladimir’. Conceptualising the ritual of these beers’ consumption as affective, effigial, and corporeal discursive interventions, we encourage a move beyond the visual to the sensory, in order to make sense of beers’ (limited) potential for resistance within everyday IR.
Becoming International: On Symbolic Capital, Conversion and Privilege
Authors: Basaran Tugba , Olsson Christian
Published: December 2017

The ‘international’ can be conceived of as a highly sought after symbolic capital. People seek to internationalise their curriculum vitae or resumes, study international subjects, get international diplomas, travel internationally, obtain international jobs. As symbolic capital the ‘international’ can be converted into ‘profit’ complementing other forms of capital (economic, cultural and social capital), deployed in struggles for social domination. It is used as a strategy of social positioning and social domination quasi-globally, but it is not recognised everywhere in the same way. We are particularly interested in the unequal distribution of this symbolic capital, the way differential conversion rates and social boundaries operate in the generation of social inequalities. For this, we will work with and against Bourdieu, in analysing the ‘international’ as a source of a highly contextual form of symbolic power, deployed in a variety of social group formations, but with uneven, differential effects, a naturalised and disguised form of domination. Ultimately, this article problematises how claims to ‘internationality’ operate in social relations and power-struggles and provides an analytical framework hereof.
Not a Big Deal? Examining Help-Seeking Behaviors of Sexually Victimized Women on the College Campus
Authors: Wood McKenzie , Stichman Amy
Published: December 2017

The sexual assault and coercion of women on university campuses continues to be an ongoing problem. It is estimated that more than 15% of women attending college experience some type of sexual assault or coercion each year. As universities and other social institutions begin to acknowledge the prevalence of sexual victimization, an increased emphasis has been placed on helping victims of sexual crimes. The current study uses results from 378 surveys completed by females at a midwestern university to examine the help-seeking behaviors of those who have been victimized. This study specifically focuses on formal and informal reporting, identifying help agents, and reasons for not reporting. Results reveal that 1% of women who were victimized reported their experience to a formal entity, whereas 45% told an informal agent, such as a friend or roommate. Reasons for not reporting included not identifying the experience as rape, wanting to keep the experience private, and feeling ashamed.
Quantitative methods III
Authors: Brunsdon Chris
Published: December 2017

Stevens’ scales of measurement are often used in texts outlining statistical approaches for geographers. However, it is sometimes overlooked that these are not universally accepted, and indeed the theory surrounding them is contested. This progress report reviews the key ideas of these scales, and discusses a number of the problems they raise – most notably the fact that certain kinds of data are omitted. The value of an axiomatic approach to measurement scales and appropriate statistical techniques is then considered. The report concludes by considering further areas where these ideas may be developed.
Labour geography 1
Authors: Strauss Kendra
Published: December 2017

This progress report examines the relationship between continued growth in the sub-field of labour geography, especially in research on migration, and the concept of precarity. An increasingly dominant frame in critical studies of labour and the employment relation, and resonant in the political sphere within (and now beyond) Europe, precarity has seen slower uptake by geographers. However, research on migrant labour and emerging work on technological change, flexibilization, restructuring and insecurity is employing precarity as a multi-dimensional conceptual framework. In this sense, I argue that the distinction between notions of precarity grounded in political economy and those grounded in political philosophy is increasingly – and productively – blurred. As I illustrate, this blurring is apparent in labour geography’s ongoing and deepening engagement with precarity, yet our distinctive contribution to a spatialized theorization of precarity remains, I argue, an open question.
The career impacts of women managing women
Authors: Hurst Jane , Leberman Sarah , Edwards Margot
Published: December 2017

Our study examines the interconnection between women’s workplace hierarchical relationships and their career decisions using relational cultural theory (RCT) and the kaleidoscope career model (KCM). The findings suggest that the quality of these relationships directly and indirectly affect women’s careers, particularly when the relationship is perceived as negative. This research critiques and extends the KCM by adding an important relational component. Balance is extended to include the impact women’s hierarchical relationships have on personal and family wellbeing, particularly where it is viewed as negative, disempowering and lacking in mutuality. Challenge is extended to include the additional demands presented by a negative hierarchical relationship, along with the opportunity it provides for learning and growth. Our research makes the case for greater personal and organisational awareness of the connection between women’s hierarchical relationships and potential career impacts as one mechanism to support the careers of women.
Understanding Collective Impact in Australia: A new approach to interorganizational collaboration
Authors: Salignac Fanny , Wilcox Tracy , Marjolin Axelle , Adams Sarah
Published: December 2017

Countries around the world spend substantial amounts of money on programmes designed to address social issues such as place-based disadvantage, health and aged care. Despite such huge investments, evidence shows that many of these social problems are complex and remain far from being resolved, and in some situations, they are worsening. To face these challenges, many organizations have turned to interorganizational collaboration as a more effective means of dealing with social issues. This exploratory qualitative study investigates a relatively new framework for tackling complex social challenges – Collective Impact. We show that while the interpretation and application of the Collective Impact framework varies, broad similarities can be found. We conclude that Collective Impact is best conceptualized as a method for network-based collaboration rather than a distinct methodology or philosophy, and emphasize the importance of the relational aspects of interorganizational collaboration.
From Challenging the Text to Constructing It in a Large Economics Classroom: Revealing the Not-So-Common Sense of the Capitalist Mode of Production
Authors: Spotton Visano Brenda
Published: December 2017

This paper recounts a large class teaching process designed to encourage student critique, debate, and engagement. It focuses on an example of one in-class, small group exercise of negotiating ownership claims on a capital good and its output. The communal outcomes that students themselves negotiate contradict their prior taken-for-granted belief in the “rightness” of the capitalist mode of production and offer the class an opportunity to reflect on principles of fairness in resource distribution.

JEL Classification: A13, A22, B51
The “About Me” Questionnaire: Factorial Structure and Measurement Invariance
Authors: Maras Pam , Thompson Trevor , Gridley Nicole , Moon Amy
Published: December 2017

The “About Me” Questionnaire (AMQ) has been used to measure components of social identity, academic self-concept and self-worth in children and adolescents in the United Kingdom and abroad. Studies have reported simple reliability statistics but a comprehensive assessment of the scale’s psychometric properties has not been conducted. Confirmatory factor analysis, using a sample of 5,082 children aged 6 to 18 years from combined datasets of five cross-sectional research studies, was used to establish the psychometric soundness of the 29-item AMQ. Analysis revealed generally adequate reliability with the seven-factor structure confirmed in a replication sample. Results provide evidence of adequate psychometric properties, optimized with the omission of reverse-coded item and selected items, suggesting it is suitable for assessing social identity and academic self-concept of children and adolescents in applied settings. Tests for measurement invariance showed that the assessment of parallel constructs was strongly supported across males and females and partially supported across primary and secondary school–age groups.
School Climate and School Achievement in the Romanian Secondary Education
Authors: Cocoradă Elena , Cazan Ana-Maria , Orzea Ioana Emanuela
Published: December 2017

This article presents a tool that provides reliable scores for studying the school climate from the students’ perspective, created for the Romanian context. The main aim of the article is to present the psychometric properties of the instrument. The participants were 605 students, enrolled in four secondary schools and four high schools, from an urban area. The exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses revealed a seven-factor structure: student–teacher relationships, headmaster’s involvement in school life, student–student relationships, school satisfaction, achievement motivation, student–form teacher relationship, and perceived safety. The results revealed that gender, school location, and parents’ educational level could significantly predict school performances.
A Multilevel MTMM Approach to Estimating the Influences of Contextual Factors on Trait and Informant-Based Method Effects in Assessments of School Climate
Authors: Konold Timothy
Published: December 2017

School-level contextual factors have been found to influence reports of school climate. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the extent to which these associations are related to the school climate traits being measured or the methods (i.e., informants) used to obtain them. Data from a multilevel multitrait–multimethod (MTMM) design in which structurally different and interchangeable students ( n = 45,641) and teachers ( n = 12,808), residing within 302 high schools, responded to items measuring four dimensions of school climate were evaluated through a multilevel correlated trait–correlated method (CT-CM) latent analysis that allowed for the estimation of both school-level trait and informant-based method factors. The resulting trait and method factors were regressed on several school-level contextual variables. Results indicated that the percentage of students receiving free and reduced-price meals (FRPM) in schools was associated with both school climate traits and informant-based method factors, school size and the percentage of minority students in schools were associated with some traits, and school size was associated with student method effects. Findings support the use of controlling for school-level contextual factors in school climate research.
Simulation of LD Identification Accuracy Using a Pattern of Processing Strengths and Weaknesses Method With Multiple Measures
Authors: Miciak Jeremy , Taylor W. Pat , Stuebing Karla K. , Fletcher Jack M.
Published: December 2017

We investigated the classification accuracy of learning disability (LD) identification methods premised on the identification of an intraindividual pattern of processing strengths and weaknesses (PSW) method using multiple indicators for all latent constructs. Known LD status was derived from latent scores; values at the observed level identified LD status for individual cases according to the concordance/discordance method. Agreement with latent status was evaluated using (a) a single indicator, (b) two indicators as part of a test–retest “confirmation” model, and (c) a mean score. Specificity and negative predictive value (NPV) were generally high for single indicators (median specificity = 98.8%, range = 93.4%-99.7%; median NPV = 94.2%, range = 85.6%-98.7%), but low for sensitivity (median sensitivity = 49.1%, range = 20.3%-77.1%) and positive predictive value (PPV; median PPV = 48.8%, range = 23.5%-69.6%). A test–retest procedure produced inconsistent and small improvements in classification accuracy, primarily in “not LD” decisions. Use of a mean score produced small improvements in classifications (mean improvement = 2.0%, range = 0.3%-2.8%). The modest gains in agreement do not justify the additional testing burdens associated with incorporating multiple tests of all constructs.
Translation, Adaptation, and Validation of the Need for Cognition Scale–Short Form in the Greek Language for Secondary School Students
Authors: Georgiou Yiannis , Kyza Eleni A.
Published: December 2017

The purpose of the present study was to adapt and validate the Need for Cognition Scale–Short Form (NfC-SF) in the Greek language. A multistep process was followed, including (a) the translation and adaptation of the questionnaire, (b) a reliability analysis of the instrument’s items in combination with an exploratory factor analysis with 177 secondary school students, and (c) a confirmatory factor analysis for defining the underlying structure of the scale, using a sample of 532 secondary school students. The statistical analyses validated a 14-item version of the NfC-SF for measuring the cognitive motivation of secondary school, Greek-speaking students. The present study also extends previous research about the underlying structure of the NfC by suggesting that method effects should be considered in measurement models for improving scale validity.
Measurement Invariance Across Gender for the Metacognitive Self-Regulation Revised Scale
Authors: Tock Jamie L. , Moxley Jerad H.
Published: December 2017

The Metacognitive Self-Regulation scale (MSR) was recently improved after subjecting the scale to a comprehensive reanalysis and replacing it with the Metacognitive Self-Regulation Revised scale (MSR-R). However, up to this point, researchers have made no attempts to determine if the MSR or MSR-R performs equivalently for males and females. The first goal of the current study was to examine the MSR-R measurement model for invariance across groups. Second, we examined structural invariance by regressing grade performance on the MSR-R latent factor. The results indicated support for invariance across groups for the MSR-R measurement model, but revealed predictive validity issues when structural invariance was found to be untenable.
The Role of Financial Performance in Motivating Polish Municipal Employees
Authors: Prysmakova Palina , Tantardini Michele , Potkański Tomasz
Published: December 2017

This article explores the relationship between employees’ public service motivation (PSM) and public administrations’ financial performance from the perspective of human resource management (HRM). The purpose of this article is twofold: first, we seek to understand the relationship between organizational financial performance and individual-level PSM by focusing on how financial performance is associated with PSM. Second, while acknowledging previous findings on the impact of employees’ work attitudes on performance, we explore the possibility of an opposite causality. After assessing several theoretical and empirical propositions that support an additional direction of causality, we use a sample of municipal employees from Poland to test how financial performance affects individual PSM. By analyzing five financial indicators, we find that financial performance might predict individuals’ PSM. We also propose that a negative relationship occurs when organizations achieve financial goals through HRM practices that negatively affect employees, such as worsening of work conditions, increased workload, and inadequate remuneration.
Beyond Representation: Gender, Authority, and City Managers
Authors: Alkadry Mohamad G. , Bishu Sebawit G. , Bruns Ali Susannah
Published: December 2017

For the last 50 years, the U.S. government has worked to address the sex pay gap in the workforce. Nevertheless, the pay gap remains persistent across sectors and organizational hierarchies. This study investigates the direct and indirect effects of sex and authority profile on the pay gap of city managers in the United States. The study uses ordinary least squares (OLS) regression analysis to predict the relationship between a city manager’s sex and authority profile variables as well as the relationship between authority profile variables and a city manager’s annual salary. Our OLS analysis shows that sex (being a male city manager) along with workplace authority variables are all positive and significant predictors of pay. The study also finds that, on average, female city managers earn 73% of what male city managers earn. They also manage 60% of the number of employees and oversee 62% of the annual budget compared with male city managers.
Validating a Model of Motivational Factors Influencing Involvement for Parents of Transition-Age Youth With Disabilities
Authors: Hirano Kara A. , Shanley Lina , Garbacz S. Andrew , Rowe Dawn A. , Lindstrom Lauren , Leve Leslie D.
Published: December 2017

Parent involvement is a predictor of postsecondary education and employment outcomes, but rigorous measures of parent involvement for youth with disabilities are lacking. Hirano, Garbacz, Shanley, and Rowe adapted scales based on Hoover-Dempsey and Sandler model of parent involvement for use with parents of youth with disabilities aged 14 to 23. This study assessed the psychometric properties of the Motivators of Parent Involvement (MPI) scales. A confirmatory factor analysis tested an 11-factor model, three parent involvement factors, and eight motivators of involvement factors for parents of transition-age youth (ages 14–25) with disabilities. Using a sample of 288 parents and caregivers, the model was determined to have acceptable fit. The MPI can be used to assess motivators of parent involvement and guide interventions.
Considering Identity and Meaning Constructions for Vulnerable Young People
Authors: Noble-Carr Debbie , Woodman Elise
Published: December 2017

Identity and meaning are fundamental to human experience and are particularly pertinent during adolescence and times of adversity. While identity development and meaning making can be different for vulnerable young people, who experience multiple adverse life events, there is currently little evidence of how these young people construct identity and make meaning from their experiences. This article reports on a phenomenological study, which allowed young people to start from their own understandings of identity and meaning and explore the ways they constructed their sense of self and place in the world. Interviews were conducted with 24 young people from Canberra, Australia. The study found identity constructions were profoundly influenced by an entrenched sense of autonomy, a longing to be the opposite of what they had experienced, and the expectation of living up to their own constructions of an ideal self. The findings strengthen our understanding of identity construction for this group, highlight the value of adopting narrative approaches to identity exploration, and demonstrate the value of incorporating knowledge from the field of loss and grief. Strategies to support vulnerable young people to develop positive, coherent, and achievable identity and meaning constructions are provided.