Inferior or superior:social comparison in Dutch and Spanish organizations

SUMMARY Social comparison is an automatic and daily process through which individuals acquire information about themselves. Since Festinger (1954) postulated his assumptions on social comparison, extensive research has focused on understanding and explaining the social comparison process. In particular, the motives for social comparison direction have been widely investigated by researchers. When a motive for self-improvement is activated, individuals tend to prefer to engage in comparisons with others who are doing better, assumedly because they may learn from such others. Nevertheless, when individuals are threatened on a particular dimension, they may prefer to compare themselves with others who are thought to be worse than themselves on that dimension, presumably to feel better about themselves. In addition, in line with the identification-contrast model, we assume that upward as well as downward comparisons may be interpreted in a positive or negative way, depending on whether an individual contrasts or identifies oneself with the comparison target. The purpose of this dissertation was twofold: 1) to deepen our understanding of the relationship between social comparison from an identification-contrast perspective and specific psychological processes in the academic and work areas; and 2) to contribute to the literature exploring cultural differences in the identification and contrast processes, and expanding not only cultural, but also context and gender differences in basic aspects of social comparison including direction, dimensions and target choice of comparison. In Chapter 2, in a study among university students, we examined how goal orientation, social comparison responses, self-efficacy and academic performance were related. In this chapter, the data were analyzed by employing structural equation modeling. The results showed that individuals with a promotion goal orientation had positive self-efficacy perceptions, whereas individuals with a prevention goal orientation had negative self-efficacy perceptions. In addition, individuals who contrasted themselves with better-off others had negative self-efficacy perceptions. Finally, the results revealed that upward contrast was a mediator between prevention goal orientation and self-efficacy, and next, that self-efficacy was positively related to academic performance. These findings support the idea that goal prevention orientation may directly influence self-efficacy perceptions, and also indirectly through an upward contrast process, and next this may undermine academic performance. In Chapter 3, we examined the independent role of social comparison responses and coping styles with respect to burnout over time. We conducted a longitudinal study among 558 teachers in primary and secondary schools. The results showed that identifying oneself with worse-off others and contrasting oneself with better-off others was positively related to burnout. Identification with worse-off was also associated with an increase in burnout over time. In addition, individuals with a more direct coping style experienced less burnout, whereas individuals with a palliative coping style experienced more burnout. Moreover, the results showed that a direct coping style was associated with more downward identification, more upward contrast, and less upward identification. These findings suggest that there is an independent relationship between social comparison responses and coping styles with respect to burnout. In Chapter 4, we investigated among Dutch and Spanish workers the relationship between social comparison responses and organizational commitment and identification. Data were collected in private and public organizations with 404 respondents from The Netherlands and Spain. The results showed cultural differences in the social comparison responses. In particular, compared to the Dutch, the Spanish engaged more in upward and downward identification, whereas the Dutch engaged more in downward contrast. In addition, there was a relationship between social comparison responses and organization commitment and identification. However, culture moderated this relationship. That is, upward identification was related to organizational commitment and identification among the Spanish, but not among the Dutch. In addition, upward contrast was negatively related to organizational commitment among the Dutch, and positively related to organizational commitment and identification among the Spanish. In Chapter 5, we focused on studying not only cultural, but also organizational context and gender differences in basic aspects of social comparison such as direction, dimension and target choice. The results showed that the Spanish compared themselves more often upward than the Dutch, that workers in private organizations compared themselves more often downward and upward than workers from public organizations, that Spanish women compared themselves upward more often than men, and that Dutch men compared themselves upward more often than women. Men in private organizations engaged more frequently in upward comparison, whereas women in public organizations engaged more often in upward comparison. Regarding the social comparison dimensions, we found that workers in private organizations were the most focused on both inputs (e.g., performance) and outcomes (e.g., salary) dimensions of comparison, and that compared to the Dutch, the Spanish compared more often their outcomes than their inputs. Particularly, Spanish women in the private organization were the most focused on outcomes dimension of comparison. Finally, the results evidenced that women in private organizations compared themselves more often with men than women in public organizations, and that Spanish women compared themselves more often with men than Dutch women. Thus, these results support the idea that individuals may present differences in social comparison depending on which culture individuals live in, which context they work in and if they are men or women. In the last chapter, we highlighted that identification and contrast responses in social comparison are relevant in the academic and work areas. After discussing the major weaknesses and strengths of the present dissertation, we conclude that we have shown how the positive and negative responses derived from identification and contrast are related to functional processes as self-efficacy, coping, organizational commitment and identification; and to dysfunctional processes as burnout. Further, we suggest that the present dissertation contributes to the literature on social comparison by showing evidence for cultural, context and gender differences in the direction of social comparison, the dimensions of social comparison, and the choice of comparison targets. Finally, we conclude on the basis of the identification-contrast model, that social comparison is a relevant factor to explain individuals’ interaction with the social world

Accompaniment in Times of Suffering: Liberating Images of God

Atonement theologies of salvation are problematic for suffering victims, which calls for a change in how we imagine God and view salvation today. A distorted image of God and God\u27s salvation deprives those in distress of finding consolation, healing, and agency through their faith. I apply a feminist critical hermeneutic of liberation that reveals that the application of CDH can accommodate violence and other forms of evil against the marginalized, women, and the natural world. It is necessary to find metaphors for God that can offer spiritual sustenance to those who suffer and reimagine an alternate idea of God\u27s salvation. Understanding God\u27s deliverance as accompaniment, mediated through a loving community, is one pastoral approach to responding to the suffering in our world today

Development of a Visual Odometry System as a Location Aid for Self-Driving Cars

Conocer la posición exacta que ocupa un robot y la trayectoria que describe es esencial en el ámbito de la automoción. Durante años se han desarrollado distintos sensores y técnicas para este cometido que se estudian a lo largo del trabajo. En este proyecto se utilizan dos cámaras a bordo del vehículo como sensores de percepción del entorno. Se propone un algoritmo basado únicamente en odometría visual, es decir, analizando la secuencia de imágenes captadas por las cámaras, sin conocimiento previo del entorno y sin el uso de otros sensores, se pretende obtener una estimación real de la posición y orientación del vehículo. Dicha propuesta se ha validado en el dataset de KITTI y se ha comparado con otras técnicas de odometría visual existentes en el estado del arteKnowing the exact position occupied by a robot and the trajectory it describes is essential in the automotive field. Some techniques and sensors have been developed over the years for this purpose which are studied in this work. In this project, two cameras on board the vehicle are used as sensors for the environment perception. The proposed algorithm is based only on visual odometry, it means, using the sequence of images captured by the cameras, without prior knowledge of the environment and without the use of other sensors. The aim is to obtain a real estimation of the position and orientation of the vehicle. This proposal has been validated on the KITTI benchmark and compared with other Visual Odometry techniques existing in the state of the art.Grado en Ingeniería en Electrónica y Automática Industria

Proyecto de instalaciones del nuevo bloque quirúrgico del Hospital Sant Joan de Déu (Barcelona)

El objeto de este proyecto es el estudio de redistribución del bloque quirúrgico infantil del Hospital Sant Joan de Déu (Esplugues de Llobregat) y el diseño y cálculo de las instalaciones de climatización, agua caliente sanitaria (ACS), agua fría (AFCH) y electricidad, siendo condicionante la ocupación de la misma superficie actual del bloque quirúrgico.Para la planificación y diseño de las instalaciones se realizará: Redistribución del bloque quirúrgico infantil Cálculo de cargas climáticas Cálculo de cargas eléctricas Cálculo de consumo de agua Cálculo y diseño de la instalación de la climatización Cálculo y diseño de la instalación eléctrica Cálculo y diseño de la instalación de aguas de consumo (AFCH y ACS) Planos de las instalaciones descritas Planos actuales de las producciones de calor y frío Estado de mediciones de las instalaciones diseñadas Pliego de condiciones técnicas de la instalación Presupuesto del proyect

Decision : the space between the code of ethics and ethical behaviour

The financial crisis and frauds that have occurred in the last decade have inspired an extraordinary wave of regulatory reforms, changes in corporate governance structures, adoption of codes of ethics, and implementation committees (Dominguez, Alvarez and Sanchez, 2009). However, despite these clear efforts that promote ethical behaviour in the financial world, the fact is that the link between preventive solutions and a reduction in the number of scandals is not clear. (Huse, 2005; Roberts et to the, 2005; Hans et to the, 2009; Schwartz, 2005; Bonn and Fisher 2005). There is still a gap between what it is said and what it is done

Efectos de la granada (Punica granatum L.) en las enfermedades inflamatorias autoinmunes

Las enfermedades inflamatorias autoinmunes son cada vez más comunes en nuestra sociedad, afectando a un elevado número de personas y empeorando su calidad de vida. La ausencia de tratamientos que conduzcan a la cura de estas enfermedades, así como la agresividad de los tratamientos actuales que permiten controlar los síntomas, ha aumentado el interés por la búsqueda en la naturaleza de nuevos productos eficaces en su tratamiento, como es el caso de la granada (Punica granatum). En los últimos años se han llevado a cabo un elevado número de estudios que ponen de manifiesto el potencial terapéutico de la granada y/o sus compuestos bioactivos en la inflamación y sistema inmune. Es por ello, que el objetivo de este trabajo es recopilar las investigaciones científicas más notables del papel que desempeñan Punica granatum y sus compuestos en las enfermedades inflamatorias autoinmunes más prevalentes, así como profundizar en los mecanismos moleculares y su posible potencial terapéutico. Tanto la granada como sus compuestos bioactivos han demostrado poseer un potencial terapéutico en los estudios preclínicos de enfermedad inflamatoria intestinal, artritis reumatoide y esclerosis múltiple disminuyendo los niveles de múltiples parámetros inflamatorios, con la consiguiente atenuación de la inflamación, característica común en todas estas patologías. Entre los compuestos bioactivos de la granada, cabe destacar la acción del ácido elágico, el ácido púnico, las urolitinas y las punicalaginas, polifenoles con una alta capacidad antioxidante y antiinflamatoria. Por otro lado, los ensayos clínicos disponibles son muy limitados, sobretodo en la esclerosis múltiple (EM), pero resultan prometedores. La puesta en marcha de ensayos clínicos adicionales que refuerzan el potencial terapéutico de Punica granatum y/o sus compuestos bioactivos descrito en los estudios preclínicos resultan claves para la incorporación de éstos hoy día a la terapia convencional y/o prevención de la la enfermedad inflamatoria intestinal (EII), artritis reumatoide (AR) y EM.Universidad de Sevilla. Grado en Farmaci

Proyectos de trabajo. Una experiencia en la universidad.

Este artículo pretende cumplir dos objetivos: Por un lado, exponer las ideas básicas que cumplen las programaciones de aula llamadas Proyectos de trabajo; y, por otro, presentar la experiencia que llevamos a cabo un grupo de estudiantes de 3º de Magisterio y yo en nuestras aulas

Exploring sustainable technical alternatives for Dutch dairy systems by integrating agro-economic modelling and public preferences assessment

Theoretical discussions on the joint consideration of multiple (economic, social and environmental) functions when assessing the sustainability of human actions are increasing. However few studies exist that integrate the social demand for multifunctional agriculture in the evaluation of the sustainability and the global welfare of society. This paper presents a methodology to answer to these questions: Which are the social demands for the multiple functions of agriculture and how can they be quantified?; Which are the feasible technical alternatives of land management to satisfy these demands?; What is the value of the land use alternatives according to social preferences and which alternatives optimally satisfy the social preferences?. The net utility of alternatives for society, and therefore their sustainability, will be measured as the sum of market and non-market net changes compared to the current situation. The proposed methodology combines economic valuation, integrated modelling, stakeholder analysis, and multi-criteria evaluation. In particular, different multi-criteria methods (QFD/ANP) and agro-economic modelling and optimizing tools (Landscape IMAGES) were used. The methodology will be fully illustrated through the case study of dairy farming landscapes in the Northern Friesian Woodlands, The Netherlands. Results show that for the case study it is possible to change current farming techniques and achieve more sustainable farming systems. The more sustainable alternatives are beneficial for farmers, obtaining higher gross margin, and for government, decreasing the current levels of subsidies in agri-environmental programs. Even current environmental restrictions can be slightly relaxed without compromising social demands to the analysed Dutch dairy farming systems.Land-use planning, public preferences, agro-economic models, Environmental Economics and Policy, Livestock Production/Industries,