Leadership Characteristics Of Adult Educators

The purpose of this study was to assess self-perceived leadership behaviors and related leadership styles practiced in a sample of adult educators. Adopting transformational leadership theory embodied in the Full Range of Leadership Model the leadership characteristics of adult educators were examined using the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire Form 5x (Bass & Avolio, 2000). The possibility of significant differences between respondent gender, age, and their preferred leadership style was also explored. The entire membership (n = 199) of a regional professional association of adult educators was sent a mailed questionnaire. A total of 124 surveys were returned representing a 63% response rate. Results showed that transformational leadership was greater than the mean for transactional leadership which in turn was greater than the mean for laissez-faire leadership. An examination of gender differences in leadership profiles showed that females tended to be more transformational whereas males reported higher transactional scores. The laissez-faire leadership style tended to be higher for females but of the three leadership types only transactional produced a significant gender difference. No statistical significant difference was found with leadership and age. The findings are discussed for their implications for professional development and the future leadership of the adult education field

Understanding Organizational Creativity: Relationships among Cross-level Variables and Creativity in Research and Development Organizations

We examined the association of creativity with creative personality, domain expertise, non-controlling supervision, and organizational learning culture, as well as cross-level interactions in R&D organizations. Using HLM, domain expertise and non-controlling supervision were found to be positively associated with creativity. Practical implications and recommendations for further research are provide

Measuring the Costs of Employee Turnover in Illinois Public Park and Recreation Agencies: An Exploratory Study

Employee turnover is an unavoidable part of most public park and recreation agencies. Agencies must become increasingly concerned with understanding the repercussions of an employee leaving an agency as they attempt to strategically assess current and future economic and human resource plans. This exploratory study considers the issue of turnover within a cost analytical framework and proposes a model for park and recreation agencies to accurately quantify their employee turnover costs. Specifically, the study incorporates Cascio’s (2000) costing model of turnover to explore the costs associated with the departing employee and the placement of a new employee. Building upon Cascio’s (2000) model we include variables to examine the potential drop in performance and overtime payment required as a result of turnover. Using the proposed model, an exploratory study was conducted within the public park and recreation profession. Turnover data was collected from park and recreation professionals within the state of Illinois. Findings suggest that the separation costs are about two to three times larger than replacement costs making it increasingly important for managers to control unused vacation and sick pay, losses in production and overtime paid to existing staff. Significant differences in pre-employment testing and training costs were found between recreation staff and operations/support staff. The findings and application of the costing model are discussed with suggestions made for further development of turnover cost models that can be applied in public park and recreation settings

Measuring the Costs of Employee Turnover in Illinois Public Park and Recreation Agencies: An Exploratory Study

Employee turnover is an unavoidable part of most public park and recreation agencies. Agencies must become increasingly concerned with understanding the repercussions of an employee leaving an agency as they attempt to strategically assess current and future economic and human resource plans. This exploratory study considers the issue of turnover within a cost analytical framework and proposes a model for park and recreation agencies to accurately quantify their employee turnover costs. Specifically, the study incorporates Cascio’s (2000) costing model of turnover to explore the costs associated with the departing employee and the placement of a new employee. Building upon Cascio’s (2000) model we include variables to examine the potential drop in performance and overtime payment required as a result of turnover. Using the proposed model, an exploratory study was conducted within the public park and recreation profession. Turnover data was collected from park and recreation professionals within the state of Illinois. Findings suggest that the separation costs are about two to three times larger than replacement costs making it increasingly important for managers to control unused vacation and sick pay, losses in production and overtime paid to existing staff. Significant differences in pre-employment testing and training costs were found between recreation staff and operations/support staff. The findings and application of the costing model are discussed with suggestions made for further development of turnover cost models that can be applied in public park and recreation settings

A Comparative Study of Strategic HRD Approaches for Workforce Planning in the Tourism Industry

Human resource development (HRD) professionals are increasingly tasked to assist organizations with future focused strategic planning initiatives to create projections on the size, composition, and skill level of the workforce. Based on these projections a range of HRD policies, practices, and initiatives can be planned to ensure that the workforce has the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform. A number of different approaches are used in making workforce projections. For the purpose of this study two major approaches are reviewed and compared. The setting for this study is the increasingly important, dynamic, and global tourism and hospitality industry

Simulations and Measurements of the Background Encountered by a High-Altitude Balloon-Borne Experiment for Hard X-ray Astronomy

We have modelled the hard X-ray background expected for a high-altitude balloon flight of the Energetic X-ray Telescope Experiment (EXITE2), an imaging phoswich detector/telescope for the 20--600 keV energy range. Photon and neutron-induced contributions to the background are considered. We describe the code and the results of a series of simulations with different shielding configurations. The simulated hard X-ray background for the actual flight configuration agrees reasonably well (within a factor of $\sim$ 2) with the results measured on the first flight of EXITE2 from Palestine, Texas. The measured background flux at 100 keV is $\sim$ 4 $\times$ 10$^{-4}$ counts cm$^{-2}$ s$^{-1}$ keV$^{-1}$.Comment: 17 pages Latex (uses aaspp4.sty) plus 7 postscript figures: available in file figs.tar.g

Experts react: EU progress reports 2014

On 8 October, the European Commission released its annual reports on the progress achieved by EU candidate and potential candidate countries. Experts on the seven countries for which reports were issued give their responses below to the key points raised for each state. James Ker-Lindsay on Serbia: “It’s time to start building a new state” Krenar Gashi on Kosovo: “Same alarms, no surprises” Will Bartlett on Bosnia and Herzegovina: “Deep frustration at political stalemate” Kenneth Morrison on Montenegro: “The road to the EU may take longer than expected” Cvete Koneska on Macedonia: “The report’s criticism is unlikely to be taken seriously by the government” Joanna Hanson on Albania: “Moderate progress, but strong criticism of the parliament persists” Didem Buhari-Gulmez on Turkey: “Substantial problems with human rights, rule of law, corruption and governance” Can Karahasan on Turkey: “Economic development is hampered by political tensions

Workforce Planning and Human Resource Development Strategies for Minnesota's Public Transportation Agencies

This study explored and examined possible causes of the workforce shortage in Minnesota’s transportation industry. Appropriate human resource strategies were proposed in response. Four interrelated approaches were undertaken: 1) a literature review, 2) a questionnaire, 3) audio interviews, and 4) integration of data to generate recommendations for Minnesota’s public transportation agencies. The findings showed a general level of agreement for a shortage of qualified individuals. Generational differences in the context of the transportation industry appeared to operate differently than in other sectors. Additional investigation will be needed to further examine whether differences in perceptions are more prominent at the industry or organizational level. When asked about recruitment strategies implemented by their agency, 17.4% of respondents reported that nothing was being done. The stated benefits of working for public agencies included job stability, set work hours for some positions, and work-life balance. Constraints of working in the public sector largely dealt with inflexible regulations, politics, and the complex barriers to new employee integration. Interviewees expressed overall satisfaction with their agency, but several noted problems that reflected bureaucratic policies. Standard pay scales, preferences for seniority, and lack of transparency for job roles were believed to be significant issues. In this report, we recommended a holistic approach to developing Minnesota’s public transportation industry through purposive change that focuses on existing opportunities related to the state’s and the nation’s changing demographics, as well as significant shifts related to the meaning and purpose of work