title: Comfort zone: Model or metaphor?

authors: Brown, Mike

subjects: adventure education

abstract: The comfort zone model is widespread within adventure education literature. It is based on the belief that when placed in a stressful situation people will respond by overcoming their fear and therefore grow as individuals. This model is often
presented to participants prior to activities with a highly perceived sense of risk and challenge which arouses strong emotional and physical responses to novel tasks (e.g., ropes courses or rock climbing activities). Students are encouraged to think about
‘stretching themselves’ by moving outside their comfort zone, to expand their preconceived limits and by inference learn (and become better people). This paper explores theories from cognitive and social psychology, based on the work of Piaget
and Festinger respectively, that underpin the comfort zone model. The perpetuation of this model which uses risk to promote situations of disequilibrium/dissonance does not find strong support in educational literature. It is therefore suggested that the comfort zone model be reframed as a metaphor, for possible discussion post activity, rather than being used as a model to
underpin programming and pedagogy in adventure education settings.

text: Comfort zone: Model or metaphor? The comfort zone model is widespread within adventure education literature. It is based on the belief that when placed in a stressful situation people will respond by overcoming their fear and therefore grow as individuals. This model is often
presented to participants prior to activities with a highly perceived sense of risk and challenge which arouses strong emotional and physical responses to novel tasks (e.g., ropes courses or rock climbing activities). Students are encouraged to think about
‘stretching themselves’ by moving outside their comfort zone, to expand their preconceived limits and by inference learn (and become better people). This paper explores theories from cognitive and social psychology, based on the work of Piaget
and Festinger respectively, that underpin the comfort zone model. The perpetuation of this model which uses risk to promote situations of disequilibrium/dissonance does not find strong support in educational literature. It is therefore suggested that the comfort zone model be reframed as a metaphor, for possible discussion post activity, rather than being used as a model to
underpin programming and pedagogy in adventure education settings.

year: 2008

title: The Relationship Between Individual Personality Characteristics and Person-Job Fit Among Primary and Secondary School Teachers in New Zealand

authors: Chan, Jing Yi (Daphne)

abstract: Research has shown that individual personality characteristics are strongly related to an employee’s affective and behavioural responses to the job and/or workplace (Barrick & Mount, 1991; Judge & Bono, 2001, Kumar & Bakhshi, 2010). The perception of positive person-job fit was proposed as a favourable employee response in this research, and hypotheses that are relevant to individual personality characteristics and person-job fit were examined. The concept of person-job fit refers to the degree which an individual’s knowledge, skills, abilities (KSAs), preferences, needs and values align with his/her job requirements (Brkich, Jeffs & Carless, 2002). The two types of person-job fit are the match between the KSAs of an individual and the demands of the job, also known as demands-abilities fit, and the match between the preferences, needs and values of an individual, and what is supplied by the job, also known as needs-supplies fit (Lauver & Kristof-Brown, 2001). The relationship of person-job fit, both demands-abilities fit and needs-supplies fir with a number of affective and behavioural responses, such as job satisfaction, turnover intention and organisational commitment, was also explored.

A total of 179 teachers from 88 primary and secondary schools completed an online self-report questionnaire. The results revealed that extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness and emotional stability were positively and significantly correlated with demands-abilities fit, while extraversion, agreeableness and emotional stability were positively and significantly correlated with needs-supplies fit. Both demands-abilities fit and needs-supplies fit were positively and significantly correlated with job satisfaction, turnover intention, affective commitment and normative commitment. Mediation analysis revealed an indirect effect for conscientiousness on the relationship between demands-abilities fit and job satisfaction, as well as for emotional stability on the relationship between demands-abilities fit and continuance commitment.  Emotional stability mediated the relationship between demands-abilities fit and job satisfaction, and needs-supplies fit and job satisfaction. The practical implications from these findings, as well as recommendations for future research, are discussed

text: The Relationship Between Individual Personality Characteristics and Person-Job Fit Among Primary and Secondary School Teachers in New Zealand Research has shown that individual personality characteristics are strongly related to an employee’s affective and behavioural responses to the job and/or workplace (Barrick & Mount, 1991; Judge & Bono, 2001, Kumar & Bakhshi, 2010). The perception of positive person-job fit was proposed as a favourable employee response in this research, and hypotheses that are relevant to individual personality characteristics and person-job fit were examined. The concept of person-job fit refers to the degree which an individual’s knowledge, skills, abilities (KSAs), preferences, needs and values align with his/her job requirements (Brkich, Jeffs & Carless, 2002). The two types of person-job fit are the match between the KSAs of an individual and the demands of the job, also known as demands-abilities fit, and the match between the preferences, needs and values of an individual, and what is supplied by the job, also known as needs-supplies fit (Lauver & Kristof-Brown, 2001). The relationship of person-job fit, both demands-abilities fit and needs-supplies fir with a number of affective and behavioural responses, such as job satisfaction, turnover intention and organisational commitment, was also explored.

A total of 179 teachers from 88 primary and secondary schools completed an online self-report questionnaire. The results revealed that extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness and emotional stability were positively and significantly correlated with demands-abilities fit, while extraversion, agreeableness and emotional stability were positively and significantly correlated with needs-supplies fit. Both demands-abilities fit and needs-supplies fit were positively and significantly correlated with job satisfaction, turnover intention, affective commitment and normative commitment. Mediation analysis revealed an indirect effect for conscientiousness on the relationship between demands-abilities fit and job satisfaction, as well as for emotional stability on the relationship between demands-abilities fit and continuance commitment.  Emotional stability mediated the relationship between demands-abilities fit and job satisfaction, and needs-supplies fit and job satisfaction. The practical implications from these findings, as well as recommendations for future research, are discussed

year: 2012

title: Sovereignty and nation-building: The development challenge in Indian country today

authors: Crombie, Winifred

subjects: Native American economic development

abstract: In Sovereignty and Nation-Building: The Development Challenge in Indian Country Today, Cornell and Kalt (1998) argue that economic success, and the reduction of unemployment and welfare dependency, is more likely in the case of American Indian tribes if governance is characterised by five principles. In a number of articles and talks on Maori nation building projects in Aotearoa/New Zealand, reference has recently been made to Cornell and Kalt and to one or more of these five principles. Thus, for example, Dodd, in an article published in the Journal of Maori and Pacific Development in 2000, argues that Iwi governance structures should involve a separation of governance and management and should be consistent with indigenous ideas about the location and exercise of authority (2000, p.7). She refers, in this context, to the work of Cornell and Kalt, and quotes Eade who observes that “it is doubtful that an organisation that itself maintains oppressive social structures can be a reliable vehicle for transforming these in a liberating way, whatever the rhetoric” (Eade 1997, p. 26). More recently in this Journal, Tiakiwai and Bishop (2002, p. 36), note that Cornell and Kalt (1998, p.2) found a “positive correlation between self-determination and successful development as defined by the tribe”, and observe that what they refer to as the ‘decade of Maori development’ provides concrete Maori examples of development theorizing in line with Eade (1997) and the assertions of Cornell and Kalt (1998). The article by Cornell and Kalt which appears to be most often quoted in the context of Maori nation building projects first appeared in 1998. The extent of its current influence in Aotearoa/New Zealand suggests that a careful re-examination of it at this point could prove useful.

text: Sovereignty and nation-building: The development challenge in Indian country today In Sovereignty and Nation-Building: The Development Challenge in Indian Country Today, Cornell and Kalt (1998) argue that economic success, and the reduction of unemployment and welfare dependency, is more likely in the case of American Indian tribes if governance is characterised by five principles. In a number of articles and talks on Maori nation building projects in Aotearoa/New Zealand, reference has recently been made to Cornell and Kalt and to one or more of these five principles. Thus, for example, Dodd, in an article published in the Journal of Maori and Pacific Development in 2000, argues that Iwi governance structures should involve a separation of governance and management and should be consistent with indigenous ideas about the location and exercise of authority (2000, p.7). She refers, in this context, to the work of Cornell and Kalt, and quotes Eade who observes that “it is doubtful that an organisation that itself maintains oppressive social structures can be a reliable vehicle for transforming these in a liberating way, whatever the rhetoric” (Eade 1997, p. 26). More recently in this Journal, Tiakiwai and Bishop (2002, p. 36), note that Cornell and Kalt (1998, p.2) found a “positive correlation between self-determination and successful development as defined by the tribe”, and observe that what they refer to as the ‘decade of Maori development’ provides concrete Maori examples of development theorizing in line with Eade (1997) and the assertions of Cornell and Kalt (1998). The article by Cornell and Kalt which appears to be most often quoted in the context of Maori nation building projects first appeared in 1998. The extent of its current influence in Aotearoa/New Zealand suggests that a careful re-examination of it at this point could prove useful.

year: 2003-02