Multiculturality as an antecedent to work well-being and work passion

Within the workplace, promoting positive feelings in regard to work well-being and work passion has become essential to an increase in health, motivation, and consequently to an increase in productivity. This study aims to assess cultural values, cultural intelligence and multicultural personality as predictors of work well-being and work passion. Based on a sample of 240 workers aged 20 to 64 years (M = 36.78, SD = 10.22), multiple linear regression was carried out. The results of the multiple linear regression analysis show that the dimensions of power distance and uncertainty avoidance have a negative influence on work well-being and work passion, whereas emotional stability is the dimension with the highest predictive value for both constructs. On the other hand, cultural intelligence has no significant predictor effect. As organisations must invest in enhancing work well-being and work passion, the identification of their predictors is of the utmost importance

Expatriates and Non-Expatriates: Effects of Cultural Intelligence and Multicultural Personality on Passion for Work and Satisfaction With Life

The objective of this study is to compare the levels of cultural intelligence (CQ) and multicultural personality (MP) of expatriates and non-expatriates, according to the degree of intercultural contact, and to observe the predictive effect of CQ and MP in passion for work and satisfaction with life. Through a sample of 97 participants, a study with one-factor design 3 (intercultural contact degree: expatriates, non-expatriates with maximum intercultural contact and non-expatriates with minimum intercultural contact) was conducted. CQ and MP levels were compared, according to the degree of intercultural contact resorting to ANOVA one-way. The predictive effect of CQ and MP in passion for work and satisfaction with life was also evaluated by means of regression analysis. Expatriates, compared to the non-expatriates had higher levels of CQ, MP, passion for work and satisfaction with life. Multicultural skills such as CQ and MP were predictors of passion for work and satisfaction with life. As limitations, we can point out the small size of the samples and the fact that there is no control of individual variables. Passion for work and satisfaction with life are essential to promote individuals’ positive functioning, so the identification of their predictors is of utmost importance, both at individual and organizational levels. Understanding the impact of intercultural contact, CQ and MP on the performance of individuals, teams and organizations in multicultural contexts is an asset to global organizations and societies

Avaliação dos efeitos de um programa de intervenção motora no desenvolvimento motor e percepção de competência física em crianças do pré-escolar.

Este estudo avalia os efeitos de um programa de intervenção motora no desenvolvimento de competências motoras fundamentais (competências de estabilidade, locomoção e manipulação) e na perceção de competência física aprendida em crianças do pré-­‐escolar. Foi aplicado um programa de 8 sessões semanais de 60 min., a 9 crianças (N=9) entre os 4 e os 6 anos, com neurodesenvolvimento normativo, a frequentar um estabelecimento do pré-­‐escolar. Os resultados foram obtidos com a comparação dos dados de duas avaliações realizadas no momento pré e pós-­‐ intervenção

A global model study of natural bromine sources and the effects on tropospheric chemistry using MOZART4

Halogens in the atmosphere chemically destroy ozone. In the troposphere, bromine has higher ozone destruction efficiency than chlorine and is the halogen species with the widest geographical spread of natural sources. We investigate the relative strength of various sources of reactive tropospheric bromine and the influence of bromine on tropospheric chemistry using a 6-year simulation with the global chemistry transport model MOZART4. We consider the following sources: short-lived bromocarbons (CHBr3, CH2BrCl, CHBr2Cl, CHBrCl2, and CH2Br2) and CH3Br, bromine from airborne sea salt particles, and frost flowers and sea salt on or in the snowpack in polar regions. The total bromine emissions in our simulations add up to 31.7Gmol(Br)/yr: 63% from polar sources, 24.6% from short-lived bromocarbons and 12.4% from airborne sea salt particles. We conclude from our analysis that our global bromine emission is likely to be on the lower end of the range, because of too low emissions from airborne sea salt. Bromine chemistry has an effect on the oxidation capacity of the troposphere, not only due to its direct influence on ozone concentrations, but also by reactions with other key chemical species like HO x and NO x . Globally, the impact of bromine chemistry on tropospheric O3 is comparable to the impact of gas-phase sulfur chemistry, since the inclusion of bromine chemistry in MOZART4 leads to a decrease of the O3 burden in the troposphere by 6Tg, while we get an increase by 5Tg if gas-phase sulfur chemistry is switched off in the standard model. With decreased ozone burden, the simulated oxidizing capacity of the atmosphere decreases thus affecting species associated with the oxidation capacity of the atmosphere (CH3OOH, H2O2

Relationship between estimation and real motor performance in school-age children

The relationship between estimated and real motor competences was analyzed for several tasks. Participants were 303 children (160 boys and 143 girls), which had between 6 and 10 years of age (M=8.63, SD=1.16). None of the children presented developmental difficulties or learning disabilities, and all attended age-appropriate classes. Children were divided into three groups according to their age: group 1 (N= 102; age range: 6.48-8.01 years); group 2 (N= 101; age range: 8.02-9.22 years); and group 3 (N=100; age range: 9.24-10.93 years). Children were asked to predict their maximum distance for a locomotor, a manipulative, and a balance task, prior to performing those tasks. Children’s estimations were compared with their real performance to determine their accuracy. Children had, in general, a tendency to overestimate their performance (standing long jump: 56.11%, kicking: 63.37%, throwing: 73.60%, and Walking Backwards (WB) on a balance beam: 45.21%), and older children tended to be more accurate, except for the manipulative tasks. Furthermore, the relationship between estimation and real performance in children with different levels of motor coordination (Köperkoordinationstest für Kinder, KTK) was analyzed. The 75 children with the highest score comprised the Highest Motor Coordination (HMC) group, and the 78 children with the lowest score were placed in the Lowest Motor Coordination (LMC) group. There was a tendency for LMC and HMC children to overestimate their skills at all tasks, except for the HMC group at the WB task. Children with the HMC level tended to be more accurate when predicting their motor performance; however, differences in absolute percent error were only significant for the throwing and WB tasks. In conclusion, children display a tendency to overestimate their performance independently of their motor coordination level and task. This fact may be determinant to the development of their motor competences, since they are more likely to engage and persist in motor tasks, but it might also increase the occurrence of unintended injuries.O objetivo principal deste estudo foi analisar a relação entre a estimativa e a competência motora real, para várias tarefas envolvendo habilidade motoras fundamentais, em 303 crianças (160 rapazes e 143 raparigas) com idades compreendidas entre os 6 e os 10 anos (M=8.43, DP=1.16). As crianças frequentavam o 1.º ciclo e não apresentavam alterações no desenvolvimento e na aprendizagem. As crianças foram divididas em três grupos de acordo com a sua idade: grupo 1 (N= 102; 6.48-8.01 anos); grupo 2 (N= 101; 8.02-9.22 anos) e grupo 3 (N=100; 9.24-10.93 anos). Foi solicitado às crianças para estimarem a distância máxima que julgavam conseguir antes de executar uma tarefa: locomotora (saltar em comprimento), manipulativa (lançar e chutar uma bola para uma baliza) e estabilizadora (caminhar à retaguarda numa trave de equilíbrio com 6 cm de largura, 3 cm de altura e 3 m de comprimento). As suas estimativas foram comparadas com o seu desempenho motor real para determinar a precisão nas tarefas. As crianças deste estudo mostraram uma tendência para sobrestimar as suas habilidades motoras (saltar: 56.11%, chutar: 63.37%, lançar: 73.60%, caminhar à retaguarda numa trave: 45.21%) e as crianças mais velhas foram mais precisas nas suas estimativas, com exceção das tarefas manipulativas. Adicionalmente, este estudo pretendeu explorar se as estimativas das crianças, para as mesmas tarefas motoras, estavam relacionadas com o seu nível de coordenação motora. Com base no teste de coordenação motora Köperkoordinationstest für Kinder, as 75 crianças com a pontuação mais alta (quartil superior) e as 78 crianças com a pontuação mais baixa (quartil inferior) foram selecionadas para este objetivo; formaram, respectivamente, o grupo das crianças com alta coordenação motora (ACM) e o grupo das crianças com baixa coordenação motora (BCM). As crianças sobrestimaram as suas competências, exceto o grupo com ACM na tarefa de caminhar à retaguarda, e o grupo das crianças com BCM apresentou um erro percentual absoluto superior para todas as tarefas, mas apenas significativo para o lançamento e caminhar na trave. Em conclusão, as crianças tendem a sobreestimar as suas reais competências motoras independentemente da tarefa e do seu nível de coordenação. Esta constatação pode ser determinante no que respeita ao desenvolvimento das competências motoras, uma vez que as crianças serão mais propensas a se envolver e persistir em tarefas motoras, no entanto, e por outro lado, poderá levar a criança a colocar-se em situações de risco e originar a ocorrência de lesões não intencionais

the ambiguities within concept, culture and evaluation

The ESG universe has expanded dramatically in recent years and it looks like it is here to stay. The sustainability motto proliferated very quickly and the various market participants eagerly embraced ESG integration, but its definition and consolidation lagged behind. The initial voluntarism brought out the subjectivities and nuances of each law, culture and national institutions resulting in enhanced heterogeneity and sometimes incompatibility between jurisdictions. In this context, it is especially noticeable that fiduciary law may represent an obstacle to the receipt of ESG factors according to the legal system in question. Alongside the diversity of approaches to sustainability issues, typical phenomena arise from the ESG framework's ambiguity and lack of planning, namely the contradictory corporate performance scores presented by distinct rating agencies and the greenwashing practices. In this sense, as more and more supporters of sustainable policies emerge, proportionally the skepticism among the dogmatic ones grows due to confusion and uncertainty which weaken the credibility of ESG practices. On top of that, only recently a concern to regulate the ESG market has arisen, so its real potential is yet to be explored

User Interface Design for AI-Based Clinical Decision-Support System

This paper presents a case study about the initial phases of the interface design for an artificial intelligence-based decision-support system for clinical diagnosis. The study presents challenges and opportunities in implementing a human-centered design (HCD) approach during the early stages of the software development of a complex system. These methods are commonly adopted to ensure that the systems are designed based on users' needs. For this project, they are also used to investigate the users' potential trust issues and ensure the creation of a trustworthy platform. However, the project stage and heterogeneity of the teams can pose obstacles to their implementation. The results of the implementation of HCD methods have shown to be effective and informed the creation of low fidelity prototypes. The outcomes of this process can assist other designers, developers, and researchers in creating trustworthy AI solutions

The effect of multicultural attitudes and perceived intergroup threat on attitudes towards immigrants in Portugal: a polynomial regression with response surface analysis

Supported by the Intergroup Threat Theory (ITT), this study analyzes the effect of multicultural ideology on attitudes towards immigrants mediated by realistic, symbolic, and zero-sum threats. With a sample of Portuguese participants (N = 404)), polynomial regression analysis with response surface methodology was used to test the effects of multicultural attitude (MA) and perceived intergroup threat (PIT) on attitudes towards immigrants (ATI). This study also tested a model in which positive MA leads to a lower PIT, and consequently to more favorable ATI. Four hypotheses were proposed; all of which were confirmed. The results further showed that the direction of discrepancy between MA and PIT can provide a more comprehensive understanding of the complex role of multicultural ideology in predicting ATI. Findings, limitations, and directions for future research are discussed.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Restorative effects of biophilic workplace and nature exposure during working time: A systematic review

The work environment plays a crucial role in the health and performance of employees. The growing interest in workers’ well-being has driven the inclusion of nature in workplaces, despite many employees spending most of their time indoors, away from nature. Studies show that biophilic design in offices can have positive effects and promote workers’ well-being. However, research on the beneficial effects of nature exposure in the workplace is limited and scattered. Thus, the aim of this systematic review was to consolidate current knowledge on the restorative effects of nature exposure on workers during work activities. Different types of exposure, both outdoors and indoors, were considered, with a focus on outcomes related to well-being, motivation, job satisfaction, and work performance. Out of the initially identified 1225 articles, only 16 met the criteria for analysis. Although the analysed studies provided compelling evidence regarding the restorative effects of nature exposure in the workplace, the review also points out gaps and limitations concerning the number of specific studies in this area and the need to adequately assess the sensory dimensions involved in these effects. Conducting more comprehensive and multidimensional investigations into the impacts of nature on the work environment could contribute to guiding more effective design strategies and creating healthier and more productive workplaces for employees.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Improving project management practices in architecture & design offices

"World Conference on Information Systems and Technologies (WorldCIST 2017)"This paper describes a study on improving project management (PM) practices in architecture & design offices, conducted through semi-structured interviews and focus group with professionals from seven different offices. Taking into account the best PM practices described in literature and the most used practices and problems identified in this particular organizational context, a set of key PM practices are proposed. The results show that there are common practices already used by the architecture & design offices, such as: project charter, kickoff meeting, budgeting document and progress meetings. The problems found are mainly related to communication, collecting requirements, schedule control and portfolio management. The set of key PM practices proposed is composed by well-known practices: kick-off meeting, budgeting document, project charter, milestone planning, work packages and deadlines document, communication plan, change request, progress meeting, progress report, meeting minutes, client acceptance form and project closure documentation.This work has been supported by COMPETE: POCI-01-0145-FEDER007043 and FCT – Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia within the Project Scope: UID/CEC/00319/2013.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio