Estimating the reliability of composite scores

In situations where multiple tests are administered (such as the GCSE subjects), scores from individual tests are frequently combined to produce a composite score. As part of the Ofqual reliability programme, this study, through a review of literature, attempts to: look at the different approaches that are employed to form composite scores from component or unit scores; investigate the implications of the use of the different approaches for the psychometric properties, particularly the reliability, of the composite scores; and identify procedures that are commonly used to estimate the reliability measure of composite scores

Discharge Teaching, Readiness for Discharge, and Post-discharge Outcomes in Parents of Hospitalized Children

Purpose This study explored the sequential relationships of parent perceptions of the quality of their discharge teaching and nurse and parent perceptions of discharge readiness to post-discharge outcomes (parental post-discharge coping difficulty, readmission and emergency department visits). Design/methods In this secondary analysis of data from a longitudinal pilot study of family self-management discharge preparation, the correlational design used regression modeling with data from a convenience sample of 194 parents from two clinical units at a Midwest pediatric hospital. Data were collected on the day of discharge (Quality of Discharge Teaching Scale; Readiness for Hospital Discharge Scale), at 3 weeks post-discharge (Post-Discharge Coping Difficulty Scale), and from electronic records (readmission, ED visits). Results Parent-reported quality of discharge teaching delivery (the way nurses teach), but not the amount of content, was positively associated with parent perception (B = 0.54) and nurse assessment (B = 0.16) of discharge readiness. Parent-reported discharge readiness was negatively associated with post-discharge coping difficulty (B = − 0.52). Nurse assessment of discharge readiness was negatively associated with readmission; a one point increase in readiness (on a 10 point scale) decreased the likelihood of readmission by 52%. Conclusion There is a sequential effect of quality of discharge teaching delivery on parent discharge readiness, which is associated with parent coping difficulty and child readmission. Practice Implications Efforts to improve discharge outcomes should include strategies to build nurse teaching skills for high-quality delivery of discharge teaching. In addition, routine nurse assessment of discharge readiness can be used to identify children at risk for readmission and trigger anticipatory interventions

Development and the interaction of enforcement institutions

We examine how institutions that enforce contracts between two parties, producers and consumers, interact in a competitive market with one-sided symmetric information and productivity shocks. We compare an informal enforcement mechanism, reputation, the efficacy of which is enhanced by consumers investing in “connectedness,” with a formal mechanism, legal enforcement, the effectiveness of which can be reduced by producers by means of bribes. When legal enforcement is poor, consumers connect more with one another to improve informal enforcement; in contrast, a well-connected network of consumers reduces producers’ incentives to bribe. In equilibrium, the model predicts a positive relationship between the the frequency of productivity shocks, bribing, and the use of informal enforcement, providing a physical explanation of why developing countries often fail to have efficient legal systems. Firm-level estimations confirm the partial equilibrium implications of the model

Mediation Effect of Lean: A Bidirectional Synergetic Relationship with SCM for Higher Operational Performance

Competitive plants focus their efforts on reducing manufacturing costs and waste along their production chains. Hence, manufacturing programs with important practices and methodologies such as lean, JIT, TPM, and Kaizen have been embraced. However, an empirical investigation of simultaneous use of several manufacturing programs representing multiple facets of lean is lacking in the literature. Various studies have found that some supply chain management practices are bi-directionally related to lean, but its holistic measurement in relation to supply chain management is still lacking. Thus, this paper provides an evidence of mediation effect of lean from high performance manufacturing (HPM) project perspective in relation to supply chain management

Who wears the trousers? A semiparametric analysis of decision power in couples

Decision processes among couples depend on the balance of power between the partners, determining the welfare of household members as well as household outcomes. However, little is known about the determinants of power. The collective model of household behavior gives an operational definition of decision power. We argue that important aspects of this concept of power are measurable through self-assessments of partners' say. Using such a measure, we model balance of power as an outcome of the interplay between both partners' demographic,socioeconomic, and health characteristics. Advancing flexible, yet parsimonious empirical models is crucial for the analysis, as both absolute status as well as relative position in the couple might potentially affect the balance of power, and gender-asymmetries may be important. Appropriately, we advance semiparametric double index models that feature one separate index for each spouse, which interact nonparametrically in the determination of power.Based on data from the Mexican Health and Aging Study (MHAS), we find education and employment status to be associated with more individual decision power,especially for women. Moreover, health and income have independent effects on the distribution of power. We also show that contextual factors are important determinants of decision power, with women in urban couples featuring more decision power than their rural counterparts.

Who wears the trousers? A semiparametric analysis of decision power in couples

Decision processes among couples depend on the balance of power between the partners, determining the welfare of household members as well as household outcomes. However, little is known about the determinants of power. The collective model of household behavior gives an operational definition of decision power. We argue that important aspects of this concept of power are measurable through self-assessments of partners’ say. Using such a measure, we model balance of power as an outcome of the interplay between both partners’ demographic, socioeconomic, and health characteristics. Advancing flexible, yet parsimonious empirical models is crucial for the analysis, as both absolute status as well as relative position in the couple might potentially affect the balance of power, and gender-asymmetries may be important. Appropriately, we advance semiparametric double index models that feature one separate index for each spouse, which interact nonparametrically in the determination of power. Based on data from the Mexican Health and Aging Study (MHAS), we find education and employment status to be associated with more individual decision power, especially for women. Moreover, health and income have independent effects on the distribution of power. We also show that contextual factors are important determinants of decision power, with women in urban couples featuring more decision power than their rural counterparts.

Student Perceptions of Teacher-Student Relationships in General and Special Education

Teacher-student relationships (TSRs) have largely been found to significantly impact student performance and achievement (Roorda, Koomen, Spilt, & Oort, 2011). The purpose of this investigation was to identify differences between the TSRs experienced by students in special education (SPED) and their typically developing peers, and analyze how these differences impacted academics (i.e., math achievement). Secondary analysis of data from the Measures of Effective Teaching (MET) project indicated no statistical or practical differences between the TSRs reported by SPED students and their peers in general education. Furthermore, teacher caring was found to predict math achievement for non-SPED students. However, student-perceived TSRs were not found to be related to math achievement for SPED students. Implications of these findings are discussed. Keywords: teacher-student relationships, math, special educatio

Development and the Interaction of Enforcement Institutions

We examine how institutions that enforce contracts between two parties, producers and consumers, interact in a competitive market with one-sided asymmetric information and productivity shocks. We compare an informal enforcement mechanism, reputation, the efficacy of which is enhanced by consumers investing in “connectedness,” with a formal mechanism, legal enforcement, the effectiveness of which can be reduced by producers by means of bribes. When legal enforcement is poor, consumers connect more with one another to improve informal enforcement; in contrast, a well-connected network of consumers reduces producers’ incentives to bribe. In equilibrium, the model predicts a positive relationship between the the frequency of productivity shocks, bribing, and the use of informal enforcement, providing a physical explanation of why developing countries often fail to have efficient legal systems. Firm-level estimations confirm the partial equilibrium implications of the modelContracts, Institutions, Corruption, Reputation, Uncertainty.

Does participation improve project performance : establishing causality with subjective data

Development practitioners are coming to a consensus that participation by the intended beneficiaries improves project performance. But is there convincing evidence that this is true? Skeptics have three objections: 1)"Participation is not objective -- project rankings are subjective; 2) this subjectivity leads to"halo effects"; 3) better project performance may have increased beneficiary participation rather than the other way around -- a statistical association is not proof of cause and effect. The authors show methodologically how to answer each of these objections. Subjectivity does not preclude reliable cardinal measurement. Halo effects do not appear to induce a strong upward bias in estimating the effect of participation. Finally, instrumental variables estimation can help establish a structural cause and effect relationship between participation and project performance -- at least in the rural water supply projects they studied.Governance Indicators,ICT Policy and Strategies,Health Economics&Finance,Statistical&Mathematical Sciences,Poverty Monitoring&Analysis