Early-stage entrepreneurial activity in the European Union: some issues and challenges

In this paper the authors present the levels of Total early-stage Entrepreneurial Activity (TEA) across 16 Member States of the European Union participating in the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM - 2004 research 2). They also compare the average TEA rate for these 16 EU-countries participating in GEM with the average for some other OECD-countries, further referred to as 'Anglo'-countries: the United States of America, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Next, they relate the striking differences in TEA across countries to underlying cultural and institutional differences. And also they examine some other current issues associated with entrepreneurial activity in Europe, such as ageing of the population, and technology-based start-ups.

Pathways into homelessness among post 9/11 era veterans

This article may not exactly replicate the final version published in the APA journal. It is not the copy of record.Despite the scale of veteran homelessness and government–community initiatives to end homelessness among veterans, few studies have featured individual veteran accounts of experiencing homelessness. Here we track veterans’ trajectories from military service to homelessness through qualitative, semistructured interviews with 17 post-9/11-era veterans. Our objective was to examine how veterans become homeless—including the role of military and postmilitary experiences—and how they negotiate and attempt to resolve episodes of homelessness. We identify and report results in 5 key thematic areas: transitioning from military service to civilian life, relationships and employment, mental and behavioral health, lifetime poverty and adverse events, and use of veteran-specific services. We found that veterans predominantly see their homelessness as rooted in nonmilitary, situational factors such as unemployment and the breakup of relationships, despite very tangible ties between homelessness and combat sequelae that manifest themselves in clinical diagnoses such as posttraumatic stress disorder. Furthermore, although assistance provided by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and community-based organizations offer a powerful means for getting veterans rehoused, veterans also recount numerous difficulties in accessing and obtaining VA services and assistance. Based on this, we offer specific recommendations for more systematic and efficient measures to help engage veterans with VA services that can prevent or attenuate their homelessness

Providing Evidence of a Multiple-Process Model of Trust in Automation

This study focuses on the effects of human responses to computer automation aids. Previous research has shown that different types of automation errors (false alarms and misses) affect human trust in different ways. False alarms tend to negatively affect operator compliance, whereas misses tend to negatively affect operator reliance. Participants were asked to determine whether an enemy target was present or absent in a series of images, a task similar to what a UAV operator might be asked to perform. A diagnostic aid provided recommendations before participants viewed each image. Reliability and type of automation error were manipulated in order to provide data to determine which of four theoretical models is most accurate. Analyses provided conclusive evidence that a multiple-process theory of operator trust is the only model which accurately explains behavior outcomes in this type of situation. A discussion of theoretical and practical implications of this finding is included

The Alpha Course and Its Critics: An Overview of the Debates

Abstract This paper considers the theology and praxis that is discernible in the highl

Effective Pre-school and Primary Education 3-11 Project (EPPE 3-11): influences on children’s attainment and progress in Key Stage 2 : cognitive outcomes in Year 6

These reports forms part of a set of two reports that examine key influences on children’s Maths, English and social behavioural outcomes (self-regulation, pro-social behaviour, hyperactivity and anti-social behaviour) in Year 6 and on their progress across Key Stage 2. The sister report describes the results of analyses on children’s social/behavioural outcomes (ref: DCSF-RR049). The report is from the effective pre-school and primary education 3 to 11 project (EPPE 3 to 11) which is longitudinal study using multi-level modelling investigating the effects of home background, pre-school and primary education on pupils’ attainment and social / behavioural development. Around 3,000 children were recruited from 141 pre-school settings in 6 English LEAs at the age of 3+ between 1996 and 1999. The study followed these children through pre-school and into more than 900 primary schools in 100 local authorities

Expressive writing and posttraumatic growth: an Internet-based study

This study examined the effects of Internet-based expressive writing on posttraumatic growth. Expressive (n = 14) and control writing (n = 10) participants wrote for 15 min on 3 occasions spaced 3 days apart. Measures of intrusive and avoidant thoughts and posttraumatic growth were administered at baseline and 2- and 8-week postintervention follow-ups. Results showed that posttraumatic growth significantly increased from baseline to 8-week follow-up in the expressive writing group, while there was no significant change in levels of posttraumatic growth in the control group. Intrusive and avoidant cognitions did not differ between writing groups. Analyses of language use showed that greater use of insight words was associated with an increase in posttraumatic growth. Findings are consistent with cognitive processing models of expressive writing and have implications for Internet-administered expressive writing

Rethinking Evaluation Strategies for Student Participation

Basic communication course instructors encourage student participation in the classroom by employing a variety of strategies, including graded participation. The present study examined the methods that basic course instructors use to facilitate and assess student participation in the classroom through focus groups interviews exploring how students perceive graded participation in the basic course. The findings suggest that while there are conditions in which the focus group students enjoy participation, there are also conditions in which they perceive such strategies as a power issue for instructors and reject the notion that participation accurately measures their level of involvement and learning in the classroom. Moreover, results indicate that students perceive instructor immediacy to be a significant factor in their willingness to participate. Finally, the focus group members offered several suggestions for instructors to better facilitate student participation in the classroom