Workplace spirituality in indian organisations: construction of reliable and valid measurement scale

The purpose of the paper was to develop and validate a comprehensive tool for measuring workplace spirituality. On the basis of literature, feedback from academic and industry professionals, a heuristic framework along with a scale on workplace spirituality was proposed and a questionnaire was developed. The instrument obtained empirical views from experts on its dimensions and statements. Content validity ratio (CVR) of the instrument was carried out and the retained items were taken for field survey. Three hundred and sixty one executive respondents employed in manufacturing and service organisations in Indian subcontinent responded to the 44 items scale assessing different facets of spirituality at workplace. This helped to validate the factors of workplace spirituality and optimize the contents of the proposed instrument with the help of structural equation modelling. Exploratory factor analysis revealed four distinct factors that constitute the new instrument of workplace spirituality: spiritual orientation, compassion, meaningful work, and alignment of values. Reliability analysis reported high level of internal consistency of the total scale (α = .78) and the five subscales (α's ranging from .75 to .87). Finally, 30 items were retained with four important factors of Workplace Spirituality Scale

Validación Estructural de la Escala Básica de Empatía (Basic Empathy Scale) Modificada en Adolescentes: un Estudio Preliminar

Se hizo un estudio preliminar para verificar la estructura de una versión de 9 ítems de la Escala Básica de Empatía (EBE), un instrumento que evalúa la empatía afectiva y cognitiva. Los participantes fueron 135 adolescentes entre 11 y 18 años (M=14, DE=1.4) de educación regular, en una región urbana de Lima Metropolitana. Se usó metodología de ecuaciones estructurales para confirmar la estructura, y la transformación Schmid-Leiman para evaluar el modelo bi-dimensional. Los resultados indican que un modelo oblicuo de dos factores es satisfactorio para los datos, la confiabilidad es superior a .70, y no se justifica la interpretación de un solo puntaje tal como anteriormente se hacía. Se discuten las diferencias en la interpretación de los modelos y la valoración de la metodología factorial

Validez sustantiva en el marco de la validez de contenido: Aplicación en la escala de Carga de Trabajo

The aim of the study was to use the substantive validity strategy to evaluate the content of the UNIPSICO’s workload scale. 30 workers from Lima (Perú) with undergraduate or graduate studies and with one year of work experience participated. Participants judged the correspondence of the workload items with their construct, and it was also contrasted with other constructs (role conflict, coping and labor self-efficacy); additionally, the clarity of the items was evaluated. High levels of item’s clarity was found; and substantive validity of all items was satisfactory to evaluate the divergence with other constructs. We discuss the importance of including non-expert participants in content validity methods, conceptual differentiation of items, and in constructs associated with psychosocial factors.La validez de contenido requiere evaluar la claridad y relevancia de los ítems, pero el contenido sustancial del mismo también. El objetivo del estudio fue utilizar la estrategia de validez sustantiva para evaluar el contenido de una Escala de Carga de Trabajo. Participaron 30 trabajadores (Lima, Perú), de instrucción superior y con experiencia laboral mayor a un año. Los participantes juzgaron la correspondencia de los ítems con su constructo, y fue también contrastado con otros constructos (conflicto de rol, afrontamiento y autoeficacia laboral); adicionalmente, se evaluó la claridad de los ítems. Se halló niveles elevados de claridad de los ítems; y la validez sustantiva fue satisfactoria para evaluar la divergencia con otros constructos en todos los ítems. Se discute la inclusión de los participantes no-expertos en los métodos de validez de contenido, para la diferenciación conceptual de los ítems, y en constructos asociados a los factores psicosociales

Resilience measurement scale in family caregivers of children with cancer: Multidimensional item response theory modeling

BackgroundCurrently, information about the psychometric properties of the Resilience Measurement Scale (RESI-M) in family caregivers of children with cancer according to item response theory (IRT) is not available; this information could complement and confirm the findings available from classical test theory (CTT). The objective of this study was to test the five-factor structure of the RESI-M using a full information confirmatory multidimensional IRT graded response model and to estimate the multidimensional item-level parameters of discrimination (MDISC) and difficulty (MDIFF) from the RESI-M scale to investigate its construct validity and level of measurement error.MethodsAn observational study was carried out, which included a sample of 633 primary caregivers of children with cancer, who were recruited through nonprobabilistic sampling. The caregivers responded to a battery of tests that included a sociodemographic variables questionnaire, the RESI-M, and measures of depression, quality of life, anxiety, and caregiver burden to explore convergent and divergent validity.ResultsThe main findings confirmed a five-factor structure of the RESI-M scale, with RMSEA = 0.078 (95% CI: 0.075, 0.080), TLI = 0.90, and CFI = 0.91. The estimation of the MDISC and MDIFF parameters indicated different values for each item, showing that all the items contribute differentially to the measurement of the dimensions of resilience.ConclusionThat regardless of the measurement approach (IRT or CTT), the five-factor model of the RESI-M is valid at the theoretical, empirical, and methodological levels

Estudio iberoamericano sobre la influencia de la educación universitaria en la responsabilidad social

El estudio desde la psicología sobre la influencia de la educación superior para generar, junto con la formación académica, un sentido de responsabilidad social en el alumnado, es objeto de análisis en esta investigación desarrollada en población universitaria de diferentes países y áreas de estudio. Participan equipos de investigación de las universidades españolas de Valencia, Valladolid y Zaragoza; de la Universidad de Concepción (Chile), de la Universidad de San Buenaventura-Medellín (Colombia) y de la Universidad San Martín de Porres (Perú). Este trabajo presenta un marco teórico, entendiendo como responsabilidad social de la educación superior, la orientación en materia de valores hacia el bien común, favorecer el desarrollo de toma de decisiones y comportamientos socialmente responsables, así como competencias empáticas, consiguiendo así formar a excelentes profesionales comprometidos con la sociedad. Igualmente, ofrece un modelo de metodología colaborativa innovadora que permite afrontar los retos que supone para la investigación universitaria la creación de un espacio iberoamericano de conocimiento, enmarcado en la globalización de nuestras sociedades.The study from psychology on the influence of higher education on social responsibility is analyzed in this research developed in student population from different countries and areas of study. Research teams from Spanish universities of Valencia, Valladolid and Zaragoza, University of Concepción (Chile), Universidad de San Buenaventura, Medellín (Colombia) and Universidad San Martin de Porres (Peru). In this paper it is proposed a theoretical framework, understanding the social responsibility of higher education, in focusing the academic teaching on values for the common good, promote the development of socially responsible behavior and provide empathic abilities to understand other people, thus forming excellent professionals committed to society. Also, we encourage the promotion of innovative methods of research in order to meet the challenges posed by the creation of an Iberoamerican context of knowledge

Albiglutide and cardiovascular outcomes in patients with type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease (Harmony Outcomes): a double-blind, randomised placebo-controlled trial

Background: Glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists differ in chemical structure, duration of action, and in their effects on clinical outcomes. The cardiovascular effects of once-weekly albiglutide in type 2 diabetes are unknown. We aimed to determine the safety and efficacy of albiglutide in preventing cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, or stroke. Methods: We did a double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trial in 610 sites across 28 countries. We randomly assigned patients aged 40 years and older with type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease (at a 1:1 ratio) to groups that either received a subcutaneous injection of albiglutide (30–50 mg, based on glycaemic response and tolerability) or of a matched volume of placebo once a week, in addition to their standard care. Investigators used an interactive voice or web response system to obtain treatment assignment, and patients and all study investigators were masked to their treatment allocation. We hypothesised that albiglutide would be non-inferior to placebo for the primary outcome of the first occurrence of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, or stroke, which was assessed in the intention-to-treat population. If non-inferiority was confirmed by an upper limit of the 95% CI for a hazard ratio of less than 1·30, closed testing for superiority was prespecified. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT02465515. Findings: Patients were screened between July 1, 2015, and Nov 24, 2016. 10 793 patients were screened and 9463 participants were enrolled and randomly assigned to groups: 4731 patients were assigned to receive albiglutide and 4732 patients to receive placebo. On Nov 8, 2017, it was determined that 611 primary endpoints and a median follow-up of at least 1·5 years had accrued, and participants returned for a final visit and discontinuation from study treatment; the last patient visit was on March 12, 2018. These 9463 patients, the intention-to-treat population, were evaluated for a median duration of 1·6 years and were assessed for the primary outcome. The primary composite outcome occurred in 338 (7%) of 4731 patients at an incidence rate of 4·6 events per 100 person-years in the albiglutide group and in 428 (9%) of 4732 patients at an incidence rate of 5·9 events per 100 person-years in the placebo group (hazard ratio 0·78, 95% CI 0·68–0·90), which indicated that albiglutide was superior to placebo (p<0·0001 for non-inferiority; p=0·0006 for superiority). The incidence of acute pancreatitis (ten patients in the albiglutide group and seven patients in the placebo group), pancreatic cancer (six patients in the albiglutide group and five patients in the placebo group), medullary thyroid carcinoma (zero patients in both groups), and other serious adverse events did not differ between the two groups. There were three (<1%) deaths in the placebo group that were assessed by investigators, who were masked to study drug assignment, to be treatment-related and two (<1%) deaths in the albiglutide group. Interpretation: In patients with type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, albiglutide was superior to placebo with respect to major adverse cardiovascular events. Evidence-based glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists should therefore be considered as part of a comprehensive strategy to reduce the risk of cardiovascular events in patients with type 2 diabetes. Funding: GlaxoSmithKline

Semaglutide and cardiovascular outcomes in patients with obesity and prevalent heart failure: a prespecified analysis of the SELECT trial

Background: Semaglutide, a GLP-1 receptor agonist, reduces the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) in people with overweight or obesity, but the effects of this drug on outcomes in patients with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and heart failure are unknown. We report a prespecified analysis of the effect of once-weekly subcutaneous semaglutide 2·4 mg on ischaemic and heart failure cardiovascular outcomes. We aimed to investigate if semaglutide was beneficial in patients with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease with a history of heart failure compared with placebo; if there was a difference in outcome in patients designated as having heart failure with preserved ejection fraction compared with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction; and if the efficacy and safety of semaglutide in patients with heart failure was related to baseline characteristics or subtype of heart failure. Methods: The SELECT trial was a randomised, double-blind, multicentre, placebo-controlled, event-driven phase 3 trial in 41 countries. Adults aged 45 years and older, with a BMI of 27 kg/m2 or greater and established cardiovascular disease were eligible for the study. Patients were randomly assigned (1:1) with a block size of four using an interactive web response system in a double-blind manner to escalating doses of once-weekly subcutaneous semaglutide over 16 weeks to a target dose of 2·4 mg, or placebo. In a prespecified analysis, we examined the effect of semaglutide compared with placebo in patients with and without a history of heart failure at enrolment, subclassified as heart failure with preserved ejection fraction, heart failure with reduced ejection fraction, or unclassified heart failure. Endpoints comprised MACE (a composite of non-fatal myocardial infarction, non-fatal stroke, and cardiovascular death); a composite heart failure outcome (cardiovascular death or hospitalisation or urgent hospital visit for heart failure); cardiovascular death; and all-cause death. The study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03574597. Findings: Between Oct 31, 2018, and March 31, 2021, 17 604 patients with a mean age of 61·6 years (SD 8·9) and a mean BMI of 33·4 kg/m2 (5·0) were randomly assigned to receive semaglutide (8803 [50·0%] patients) or placebo (8801 [50·0%] patients). 4286 (24·3%) of 17 604 patients had a history of investigator-defined heart failure at enrolment: 2273 (53·0%) of 4286 patients had heart failure with preserved ejection fraction, 1347 (31·4%) had heart failure with reduced ejection fraction, and 666 (15·5%) had unclassified heart failure. Baseline characteristics were similar between patients with and without heart failure. Patients with heart failure had a higher incidence of clinical events. Semaglutide improved all outcome measures in patients with heart failure at random assignment compared with those without heart failure (hazard ratio [HR] 0·72, 95% CI 0·60-0·87 for MACE; 0·79, 0·64-0·98 for the heart failure composite endpoint; 0·76, 0·59-0·97 for cardiovascular death; and 0·81, 0·66-1·00 for all-cause death; all pinteraction>0·19). Treatment with semaglutide resulted in improved outcomes in both the heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HR 0·65, 95% CI 0·49-0·87 for MACE; 0·79, 0·58-1·08 for the composite heart failure endpoint) and heart failure with preserved ejection fraction groups (0·69, 0·51-0·91 for MACE; 0·75, 0·52-1·07 for the composite heart failure endpoint), although patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction had higher absolute event rates than those with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction. For MACE and the heart failure composite, there were no significant differences in benefits across baseline age, sex, BMI, New York Heart Association status, and diuretic use. Serious adverse events were less frequent with semaglutide versus placebo, regardless of heart failure subtype. Interpretation: In patients with atherosclerotic cardiovascular diease and overweight or obesity, treatment with semaglutide 2·4 mg reduced MACE and composite heart failure endpoints compared with placebo in those with and without clinical heart failure, regardless of heart failure subtype. Our findings could facilitate prescribing and result in improved clinical outcomes for this patient group. Funding: Novo Nordisk