The Role of Transformational Leadership in Enhancing Team Reflexivity

Team reflexivity, or the extent to which teams reflect upon and modify their functioning, has been identified as a key factor in the effectiveness of work teams. As yet, however, little is known about the factors that play a role in enhancing team reflexivity, and it is thus important to develop theorizing around the determinants of reflexivity. From an applied perspective, leadership is a very relevant factor. The current study is a first step in the development of such a theory, and addresses this important gap in our understanding of team reflexivity by focusing on the role of leader behavior. We examined the extent to which transformational leadership influences team reflexivity and, in turn, team performance in a field study conducted among 32 intact work teams from nine organizations. Team members rated reflexivity and leadership, while external managers rated team performance. We hypothesized and tested a mediational model proposing that transformational leadership is related to the adoption of a shared vision by the team. This in turn relates to team reflexivity, which leads to higher team performance. Results support this model.team reflexivity;transformational leadership;team performance;shared vision;team learning

The interactive effects of belongingness and charisma on helping and compliance

This study tests the main and interactive effects of belongingness and perceived charismatic leadership on 2 forms of organizational citizenship behavior (helping and compliance). In line with expectations, a study of 115 manager-subordinate dyads demonstrates that employees show more helping (manager rated) when they have a stronger sense of belongingness at work and more helping as well as compliance when they perceive their leader to be more charismatic (subordinate rated). Belongingness partially mediates the relationship between charisma and helping. Also, as hypothesized, belongingness and charisma have interactive effects on employees' helping and compliance. The impact of perceived charisma on these behaviors is stronger for employees with a low sense of belongingness at work than for individuals with a higher sense of belongingness. © 2007 American Psychological Association

Remote measurement of temperature distribution using an optical fibre

A new fibre sensor which measures temperature-distribution is proposed. The sensor uses optical-time-domain reflectometry to determine temperature-induced changes in the levels of the backscatter signal. Experiments using liquid-core fibres have demonstrated a sensitivity of 0.018 dBk over distances of more than 100m. The proposed sensor is able to monitor the temperature of over 100 points simultaneously. Solid core fibres have also been used; they exhibit a wide temperature range, but somewhat reduced sensitivity

A fibre-optic temperature-distribution sensor

The development of all-optical fibre-sensors for monitoring a wide range of physical parameters is currently of considerably interest. It is attractive to consider an optical measurement of temperature, pressure, strain and vibration at a remote location situated in a hazardous environment or which suffers from severe electrical interference. In many cases it is desirable to determine the spatial distribution of the sensed quantity. For example, in certain applications it is necessary to monitor the variation of temperature within a machine, pipe or oven, or within a reservoir