The Use of Affinity Groups by Fortune 100 Firms

We found that 66 of the Fortune 100 firms mentioned affinity groups on their websites. The most frequently mentioned themes were professional development (68%) and diversity (66%). The vast majority represent protected classes. Fifty-eight percent fell into the “legal” category; 30% fulfilled a business function in that they were targeted at people from different countries which could benefit marketing, recruiting, and retention efforts; and 13% fell into the “other” category. We present possible reasons why firms may not have them listed. We conclude by discussing SMART goals and how they can be used to make affinity groups more effective

Teaching Innovation and Creativity: Turning Theory into Practice

Innovation and creativity are the lifeblood of organizations. As such, businesses expect college graduates to exhibit the skills necessary to engage in these behaviors. This research explores the concept of innovation, whether it is innate, or if the skill can be taught within the university setting, and how universities are addressing the need for, and teaching innovation. A search of the word “innovation” within educational courses found that most courses are theoretically-oriented or are efforts to cultivate entrepreneurs and/or new inventions, though some appear more practical in nature. A sampling of 50 ACBSP and AACSB accredited universities offering courses in innovation found that approximately half the universities reviewed offered courses in innovation but most courses appeared theoretical. This work contributes to the discussion of business education regarding innovation and the importance of aligning business education with organizational needs

Business Inferences and Risk Modeling with Machine Learning; The Case of Aviation Incidents

Machine learning becomes truly valuable only when decision-makers begin to depend on it to optimize decisions. Instilling trust in machine learning is critical for businesses in their efforts to interpret and get insights into data, and to make their analytical choices accessible and subject to accountability. In the field of aviation, the innovative application of machine learning and analytics can facilitate an understanding of the risk of accidents and other incidents. These occur infrequently, generally in an irregular, unpredictable manner, and cause significant disruptions, and hence, they are classified as high-impact, low-probability (HILP) events. Aviation incident reports are inspected by experts, but it is also important to have a comprehensive overview of incidents and their holistic effects. This study provides an interpretable machine-learning framework for predicting aircraft damage. In addition, it describes patterns of flight specifications detected through the use of a simulation tool and illuminates the underlying reasons for specific aviation accidents. As a result, we can predict the aircraft damage with 85% accuracy and 84% in-class accuracy. Most important, we simulate a combination of possible flight-type, aircraft-type, and pilot-expertise combinations to arrive at insights, and we recommend actions that can be taken by aviation stakeholders, such as airport managers, airlines, flight training companies, and aviation policy makers. In short, we combine predictive results with simulations to interpret findings and prescribe actions

From Enrollment to Employment: A DACUM Approach to Information Systems and Information Security and Assurance Curriculum Design

Issues associated with information security are numerous and diverse. Since the majority of organizational actions rely greatly on information and communication technologies, Information Systems (IS) security is now a main concern for firms, governments, institutes, and society as a whole. As a result, a plethora of graduate programs have been created, covering nearly every aspect of IS security. The authors review the current state of the IS industry presented in the literature, and identify a panel of IS experts in which to explore current job skill needs using a “Developing a Curriculum,” DACUM, process to support curriculum design for two graduate degrees in IS and Information Security and Assurance (ISA) through the eyes of a university that has a unique relationship with Microsoft and an active Industry Advisory Board (IAB)

From Enrollment to Employment: A DACUM Approach to Information Systems and Information Security and Assurance Curriculum Design

Issues associated with information security are numerous and diverse. Since the majority of organizational actions rely greatly on information and communication technologies, Information Systems (IS) security is now a main concern for firms, governments, institutes, and society as a whole. As a result, a plethora of graduate programs have been created, covering nearly every aspect of IS security. The authors review the current state of the IS industry presented in the literature, and identify a panel of IS experts in which to explore current job skill needs using a “Developing a Curriculum,” DACUM, process to support curriculum design for two graduate degrees in IS and Information Security and Assurance (ISA) through the eyes of a university that has a unique relationship with Microsoft and an active Industry Advisory Board (IAB)

Cyber Insurance Effects on Cyber Hygiene: Does the Homeostatic Effect Apply?

A theoretical framework and research strategy is proposed to gain insight into perceptions and decisions as to how SMBs make decisions regarding cybersecurity hygiene measures, which could lead to betterinformed decisions regarding insurance as part of an ISA program, as well as have a bearing on policy structures and pricing for such insurance. This is because the definition of “cybersecurity hygiene habits”(CHH) as a task appears to vary within the industry and makes the practice hard to measure and evaluate. Research suggests that there may be a poorly understood connection between CHHs undertaken by organizations and their perceptions and/or adoption of cybersecurity insurance as well, thus leading to gaps or holes within business security perimeters. Homeostatic Risk Theory (HRT) has been observed in other venues in which the use of risk mitigation measures (including insurance) leads to more risky behavior; this may have a bearing on why so many organizations, particularly Small and Medium Businesses (SMBs) are very slow to adopt Information Security Assurance (ISA) measures at all or do so minimally. This paper presents a theoretical framework and proposed research, which will provide greater clarity on these issues while highlighting areas where further research is required

Do Our Airmen Value Their CCAF Degree?

A recent article, “CCAF Continues to Provide Value to Air Force, Enlisted Members,” posted in the Community College of the Air Force (CCAF) alumni group on LinkedIn generated over 100 comments from CCAF graduates regarding the value of that college’s degree.1 Their perceptions of the worth of the CCAF degree ranged from no value at all to its having a tremendous impact on careers and goals.2The foregoing served as the catalyst for this two-phased research. Only by comparing both sides of the problem will we have truly answered the question regarding the value of the degree. Phase one consisted of the current research project, focused on the collection and analysis of CCAF graduates’ perceptions regarding the value of their degree. Phase two will involve the collection of data collected from hiring managers from various fields of industry regarding their perception of the CCAF degree and their estimation of it during a review of an applicant’s credentials

A cross-sectional investigation of the relationships education, certification, and experience have with knowledge, skills, and abilities among aviation professionals

The aviation industry is a complex system with many different segments and as such, makes hiring the right person a complicated endeavor. Previous research suggested that knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) are composed of elements that include education, certification, and experience (ECE). The relative importance of ECE is dependent on the type of job within the aviation sector. The objective of this mixed-methods concurrent triangulation study was to examine aviation industry professionals’ perceived relationship between their ECE and the development of their KSAs. The convenience sample consisted of 404 professionals in the aviation industry who completed the KSA Composite Measure (KCM). The study clarified relationships between ECEs and KSAs that managers in the aviation industry can apply when developing job openings, conducting interviews, reviewing applicant credentials, and building high-performance teams

Validating the Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities Composite Measure: An Aviation Industry Pilot Study

Recent research into the aviation management education paradigm shift indicated that education, certification, and experience (ECE) were all important in the aviation industry; however, the relative importance varied between managers depending on their field. Overall, the results identified experience as the most important factor, followed by certification, then education. Furthermore, the authors made a logical connection between the that study and knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs), which would ultimately lead managers to a hiring decision. The purpose of this mixed-methods sequential exploratory pilot study was to develop, validate, and test the reliability of the KSA composite measure (KCM), a data collection device to measure the connection between ECE and KSAs. The three phased approach consisted of (a) an expert panel review by eight research, aviation, and human resource professionals, (b) an institutional review board (IRB) review, and (c) a live pilot using 45 professionals from the aviation industry. The pilot proved to validate and confirm the reliability of the KCM for future use

Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor Use Is Associated with Right Ventricular Structure and Function: The MESA-Right Ventricle Study

PURPOSE:Serotonin and the serotonin transporter have been implicated in the development of pulmonary hypertension (PH). Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) may have a role in PH treatment, but the effects of SSRI use on right ventricular (RV) structure and function are unknown. We hypothesized that SSRI use would be associated with RV morphology in a large cohort without cardiovascular disease (N = 4114). METHODS:SSRI use was determined by medication inventory during the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis baseline examination. RV measures were assessed via cardiac magnetic resonance imaging. The cross-sectional relationship between SSRI use and each RV measure was assessed using multivariable linear regression; analyses for RV mass and end-diastolic volume (RVEDV) were stratified by sex. RESULTS:After adjustment for multiple covariates including depression and left ventricular measures, SSRI use was associated with larger RV stroke volume (RVSV) (2.75 mL, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.48-5.02 mL, p = 0.02). Among men only, SSRI use was associated with greater RV mass (1.08 g, 95% CI 0.19-1.97 g, p = 0.02) and larger RVEDV (7.71 mL, 95% 3.02-12.40 mL, p = 0.001). SSRI use may have been associated with larger RVEDV among women and larger RV end-systolic volume in both sexes. CONCLUSIONS:SSRI use was associated with higher RVSV in cardiovascular disease-free individuals and, among men, greater RV mass and larger RVEDV. The effects of SSRI use in patients with (or at risk for) RV dysfunction and the role of sex in modifying this relationship warrant further study