It's who you are and what you do: explaining the IT industry wage premium

The information technology (IT) boom dramatically boosted the rapid growth of the U.S. economy during the 1990s, contributing 1.4 percentage points of the 4.6 percent national average real gross domestic product growth from 1996 to 2000. As the IT boom went bust in 2001, however, the IT sector’s influence on the economy dwindled. ; But a lingering effect of the IT boom may still be apparent in the wages of IT workers. This article explores the extent to which variations in wages between IT-producing and non-IT industries can be accounted for by differences in wages paid to IT-related occupations. ; Using data for 1996 to 2002 from the Current Population Survey’s Earner Study, the authors study a sample of more than 845,000 U.S. workers aged eighteen to sixty-four. The sample is categorized according to individuals’ primary job and is divided into nine industry groups—three IT-related and six non-IT-related. ; The analysis shows that the average wage of IT occupations is greater than for non-IT occupations irrespective of industry. Individual worker characteristics such as years of education may account for some of this wage differential. But even after such characteristics and occupational differences are controlled for, workers in IT-producing industries still enjoy a wage premium over workers in other sectors.

“On Here, I’m Team Jacob: Exploring Feelings of Belongingness in Virtual Communities

Virtual communities have become important for enthusiasts to meet, share, and express their affection for a wide range of products, ideas, and brands. While virtual communities have been studied previously, the literature is lacking a perspective on virtual communities surrounding products, ideas and brands that users are embarrassed to admit they care about (that is, that they have a negative public affiliation towards), but that nonetheless are a representation of the user’s identity (brand congruity). This study presents a research model positing that, within a virtual community environment, feelings of negative affiliation and brand congruity will influence users’ feelings of belonging to the virtual community, and negative public affiliation will also moderate the relationship between brand congruity and belongingness. Our results indicate significant relationships between negative public affiliation and brand congruity with feelings of belongingness. Our study has implications for the field, as well as for practitioners

Tyrosine-Based Signals Regulate the Assembly of Daple⋅PARD3 Complex at Cell-Cell Junctions.

Polarized distribution of organelles and molecules inside a cell is vital for a range of cellular processes and its loss is frequently encountered in disease. Polarization during planar cell migration is a special condition in which cellular orientation is triggered by cell-cell contact. We demonstrate that the protein Daple (CCDC88C) is a component of cell junctions in epithelial cells which serves like a cellular "compass" for establishing and maintaining contact-triggered planar polarity. Furthermore, these processes may be mediated through interaction with the polarity regulator PARD3. This interaction, mediated by Daple's PDZ-binding motif (PBM) and the third PDZ domain of PARD3, is fine-tuned by tyrosine phosphorylation on Daple's PBM by receptor and non-receptor tyrosine kinases, such as Src. Hypophosphorylation strengthens the interaction, whereas hyperphosphorylation disrupts it, thereby revealing an unexpected role of Daple as a platform for signal integration and gradient sensing for tyrosine-based signals within the planar cell polarity pathway

Advanced Gun System (AGS) Backfit

U.S. Navy, Naval Sea Systems Command and Program Executive Office SHIPS, PMS 500 DD X Progra

Business leadership and management development - A continual educational approach

Develop leadership and management skills for business success

An Examination of Sport Fans’ Perceptions of the Impact of the Legalization of Sport Wagering on Their Fan Experience

Over the years, professional and collegiate organizations have fought attempts to increase the legalization of sport wagering. One argument presented by those in opposition is that increased legalization would negatively alter the manner in which fans and spectators follow, consume, and react to sporting events (Tuohy, 2013). The current research was designed to examine possible changes in fandom by investigating fans’ perceptions of the impact of increasing legalized sport wagering on their fan experience, interest in sport, and sport consumption. Participants (N = 580) completed a questionnaire packet assessing demographics, economic fan motivation, fandom, and perceptions of the impact of increased access to legalized sport gambling. Data and analyses indicated that expected impacts were small and generally positive (e.g., a modest increase in interest in sport and consumption) and that these effects were greatest among groups historically active in sport gambling (e.g., persons higher in economic motivation and sport fandom)

A Great Escape: The Effect of Negative Public Affiliation on Belongingness to Virtual Communities

In this study, we study negative public affiliation, which we define as discomfort with being publicly linked to a potentially socially stigmatized group or interest. We investigate how users who feel negative public affiliation form feelings of belonging to a virtual community. We also consider the impact that brand congruity (how much a user identifies with an interest or brand) has on feelings of belonging. To investigate negative public affiliation, we drew a sample from members of Twilight-themed virtual communities and evaluated the interrelationship between negative public affiliation, brand congruity, and belongingness (how well users feel they fit in virtual communities). Our results indicate that high negative public affiliation and high brand congruity with Twilight positively impacted feelings of belonging: users who felt Twilight reflected their identity but felt uncomfortable publicly discussing their interest felt a stronger sense of belonging in relation to their virtual communities. Our study offers practical implications for firms seeking to design and maintain virtual communities that support the broadest possible group of users. Of equal importance, our study provides a new direction for information systems research on virtual communities and suggests a need to study users who participate in socially uncomfortable, stigmatized, or unacceptable communities

A Qualitative Exploration of Student Spiritual Development in a Living-Learning Community

The purpose of this study is to examine the spiritual development of eight participants in a living-learning community at Abilene Christian University. Using a qualitative methodology, this study attempted to capture the voices of participants as they concluded a year together in a Barrett Hall living-learning community (LCC). Data were collected over a period of 2-3 weeks through individual semi-structured interviews, as well as one focus group comprised of all eight community members. Data were analyzed to capture meaningful themes and categories. Implications for practice are discussed

Ageing playfully: advancing research on games for older adults beyond accessibility and health benefits

Games for older adults have previously been explored with a focus on improving older adults’ well-being by fostering social interaction, and providing cognitive and physical stimulation, suggesting that they are a means of encouraging older adults to better themselves and introducing an overly functionalist perspective on play. In this workshop, we aim to shift perspectives on games for older adults on hedonic aspects that extend beyond benefits they provide. We will explore challenges and opportunities in the design and development of games for older adults that primarily focus on entertainment to create empowering and engaging experiences, and we will explore how to consolidate efforts that aim to deliver benefits of games with a purpose beyond entertainment to older adults