The relationships of organizational web site information and job seeker characteristics with perceptions of and attraction to the organization

Title from PDF of title page (University of Missouri--Columbia, viewed on Feb 25, 2010).The entire thesis text is included in the research.pdf file; the official abstract appears in the short.pdf file; a non-technical public abstract appears in the public.pdf file.Dissertation advisor: Dr. Thomas Dougherty.Vita.Ph. D. University of Missouri--Columbia 2008.Perceptions of web site information, including information specificity, navigability/usability, and web site orientation were hypothesized to be related to outcomes including perceived person-organization (P-O) fit, perceptions of the firm's culture, and attraction to the organization. The study also examined three individual difference variables--self-efficacy, computer self-efficacy, and motivation to reduce uncertainty (MRU)--as related to major predictor and outcome variables. Additional variables and their associated relationships with outcomes included organizational familiarity and industry desirability. Results indicated that job seekers who perceived a higher level f information specificity on the organization's web site and a higher level navigability/usability perceived higher levels of perceived P-O fit. In addition, findings indicate that two of the three individual difference variables, self-efficacy and computer self-efficacy, were significantly related to the job seeker's perception of P-O fit.Includes bibliographical reference

The Effects of Knowledge of Accrued Clinical Clock Hours on Supervisors\u27 Evaluations of Clinical Competence

Supervision in speech-language pathology is one facet of the field in which all speech-language pathologists have had to engage. The more that is known about the process of supervision the better future speech-language pathologists can be prepared to interact in a professional setting. Many variables are present in supervision related to the field of speech-language pathology. One variable which has received only minimal attention relates to the effect knowledge about a student clinician\u27s number of accrued clinical clock hours has on the evaluation of the clinician\u27s skills. The assumption is often made that a student clinician with more clinical clock hours will provide more efficacious services than a student clinician with fewer clinical clock hours. It has been found that during interactions with student clinicians, supervisors regularly regard all clinicians in a similar manner, and in evaluations, supervisors do not use the information of the amount of accrued clinical clock hours to determine the effectiveness of clinician\u27s interactions. The purpose of this study was, then, to determine if knowledge of student clinicians\u27 accrued clinical clock hours influenced supervisors\u27 evaluations of student clinicians. Subjects were 26 university supervisors from six midwestern states. Stimuli were videotapes of a beginning clinician with 19 accrued clinical clock hours interacting with a client and an advanced clinician with 225 accrued clinical clock hours interacting with a different client. Subjects rated the advanced and beginning clinicians\u27 performances on a nine-point Likert scale using the Cognitive Behavioral System (Leith, 1989). All data were group analyzed according to one of six treatment conditions by information versus no information and by one order effect versus the second order effect. Response similarities and response differences were calculated by using Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and Multiple Analysis of Variance (MANOVA) procedures. The data revealed no significant difference in evaluations based on knowledge of accrued clinical clock hours. Implications for future research were reviewed

The FX/90: A proposal in response to a low Reynolds Number station keeping mission

The FX/90 is a remotely piloted vehicle designed to fly at Reynolds numbers below 2 x 10 to the 5th power. Several applications exist for this type of flight, such as low altitude flight of very small aircraft. The design presented here allows investigation into the unique problems involved in low Reynolds number flight, which will, in turn, further understanding of this flight regime. The aircraft will operate in a steady flight environment, free from significant atmospheric turbulence and weather effects. The F-90 has a 39 in. fuselage which is constructed of balsa and plywood. The landing gear for the aircraft is a detachable carriage on which the aircraft rests. The aerodynamic planform is a rectangular wing (no taper or sweep) with a chord of 9 in., a wingspan of 72 in., and is constructed entirely out of styrofoam. The propulsion system is a puller configuration mounted on the front of the fuselage. It consists of an Astro 05 engine and a 10-6 two bladed propeller. Control of the aircraft is accomplished through the use of two movable control surfaces: elevators for pitch control, and a rudder for yaw control. The aircraft is soundly constructed, highly maneuverable, and adequately powered. Furthermore, the investigation into alternative technologies, most notably the styrofoam wing and the detachable landing gear, holds promise to improve the performance of the aircraft

Rearranging equations: (concepts – misconceptions) × peer discussion

Transposition of formulae (also known as rearranging equations and changing the subject) is a skill vital for professionals in many fields of science and engineering. It is however a topic with which many students, and particularly students of weaker algebraic competency, struggle and often do not master sufficiently. This paper proposes an intervention strategy for improved teaching and learning of transposition of formulae at third level. The intervention aims to address three key issues thought to inhibit students’ understanding of the topic: (1) a lack of conceptual understanding of equations and equality, (2) prior misconceptions and (3) a fast paced learning environment that does not account for diversity in knowledge and aptitude. The strategy consists of three hour-long lesson plans that emphasise conceptual understanding while also dispelling the relevant misconceptions, using a peer discussion teaching model as a vehicle for consolidating and propagating the right concepts. To account for diversity in prior knowledge and aptitude an online tutorial on the topic of transposition has been developed using an online e-assessment platform that allows students to practice at their own pace and receive instant feedback as they progress

Shake It Off: Journal of eScience Librarianship Edition

This case study explores the evolution of the library published Journal of eScience Librarianship (JeSLIB), as it evolves to continue to serve librarians faced with the many challenges of a data driven environment. JeSLIB is an open access, peer-reviewed journal published by the Lamar Soutter Library at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. The library publishes JeSLIB through its eScholarship@UMMS repository on the bepress Digital Commons platform. JeSLIB was at the forefront of thinking about the “library as scholarly publisher” and sought to fill a need for librarians to learn about new challenges related to scientific research data. The journal’s team of librarian editors has acquired new skills and expertise in all facets of scholarly publishing to the benefit of the library. Running a publishing program can serve as a critical tool to help librarians cultivate new partnerships and roles. In response to the changing scholarly communication landscape and developments in open access publishing, the Journal of eScience Librarianship must react accordingly in order to remain relevant. JeSLIB is proactively responding to shifts in community needs including reworking its scope, updating journal policies, acknowledging peer-reviewers, and changing the default Creative Commons Licensing terms. Through this presentation, the editors will share their experiences supporting open access of research, rethinking scholarly publishing, and advancing scientific communication

Best Practices for Data Sharing and Deposit for Librarian Authors

Sharing data is now encouraged by major funding agencies, and many journals require it as a prerequisite for publication. While many of the hard science journals have implemented ‘Data Deposit Requirements’ and ‘Policies’, in the Library Science literature, publishers are beginning to move titles into open access journals, but data deposit requirements are just beginning to be addressed. Librarian authors will increasingly find themselves having to comply with data sharing policies. In this webinar, we look at examples from the Journal of the Medical Library Association and the Journal of eScience Librarianship and discuss best practices in data deposit

Coaching for Teachers

The Purpose of this Booklet This booklet is intended to provide succinct guidance to teachers, leaders and other practitioners in schools on current research and methodologies related to coaching. Coaching is increasingly seen as an important, key element in practitioner professional learning. The Welsh Government’s recent publication ‘Investing in excellence: Our national workforce development plan 2019–21’ (Welsh Government, 2019) includes commitments to: • a dedicated programme of coaching and mentoring and a set of standards for mentor support along with a programme of common professional learning for mentors. (designed for) practitioners in the early career stages • the introduction of an enhanced programme that includes coaching, mentoring and a high-level development programme (to support leadership and succession planning) The national professional learning model (NAPL) is the government’s vehicle for the design and delivery of professional learning (https://gov.wales/national-approach-professional-learning-napl ). In the context of practitioner coaching and mentoring, the following design features are particularly pertinent: The professional learner is near the centre of our national approach. Professional Learning should be intended and designed to be a personalised response to individual professional learners’ needs, taking into account their experience, expertise and aspirations. (Welsh Government, 2019) There are clearly links to effective teaching and learning also, and hence to the Welsh Government’s professional standards for teaching and leadership (Welsh Government, 2018). Whilst the focus in this booklet is on the teaching profession, coaching has already been shown to be truly beneficial for the development of a wide range of professions, and for activities both inside and outside work (Passmore & Fillery-Travis, 2011). Photo by Toa Heftiba on Unsplas

Flexibility in Faculty Work-Life Policies at Medical Schools in the Big Ten Conference

Purpose: Women lag behind men in several key academic indicators, such as advancement, retention, and securing leadership positions. Although reasons for these disparities are multifactorial, policies that do not support work-life integration contribute to the problem. The objective of this descriptive study was to compare the faculty work-life policies among medical schools in the Big Ten conference. Methods: Each institution's website was accessed in order to assess its work-life policies in the following areas: maternity leave, paternity leave, adoption leave, extension of probationary period, part-time appointments, part-time benefits (specifically health insurance), child care options, and lactation policy. Institutions were sent requests to validate the online data and supply additional information if needed. Results: Each institution received an overall score and subscale scores for family leave policies and part-time issues. Data were verified by the human resources office at 8 of the 10 schools. Work-life policies varied among Big Ten schools, with total scores between 9.25 and 13.5 (possible score: 0–21; higher scores indicate greater flexibility). Subscores were not consistently high or low within schools. Conclusions: Comparing the flexibility of faculty work-life policies in relation to other schools will help raise awareness of these issues and promote more progressive policies among less progressive schools. Ultimately, flexible policies will lead to greater equity and institutional cultures that are conducive to recruiting, retaining, and advancing diverse faculty

The assessment and appraisal of regenerative medicines and cell therapy products : an exploration of methods for review, economic evaluation and appraisal

BACKGROUND: The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) commissioned a 'mock technology appraisal' to assess whether changes to its methods and processes are needed. This report presents the findings of independent research commissioned to inform this appraisal and the deliberations of a panel convened by NICE to evaluate the mock appraisal. METHODS: Our research included reviews to identify issues, analysis methods and conceptual differences and the relevance of alternative decision frameworks, alongside the development of an exemplar case study of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy for treating acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. RESULTS: An assessment of previous evaluations of regenerative medicines found that, although there were a number of evidential challenges, none was unique to regenerative medicines or was beyond the scope of existing methods used to conceptualise decision uncertainty. Regarding the clinical evidence for regenerative medicines, the issues were those associated with a limited evidence base but were not unique to regenerative medicines: small non-randomised studies, high variation in response and the intervention subject to continuing development. The relative treatment effects generated from single-arm trials are likely to be optimistic unless it is certain that the historical data have accurately estimated the efficacy of the control agent. Pivotal trials may use surrogate end points, which, on average, overestimate treatment effects. To reduce overall uncertainty, multivariate meta-analysis of all available data should be considered. Incorporating indirectly relevant but more reliable (more mature) data into the analysis can also be considered; such data may become available as a result of the evolving regulatory pathways being developed by the European Medicines Agency. For the exemplar case of CAR T-cell therapy, target product profiles (TPPs) were developed, which considered the 'curative' and 'bridging to stem-cell transplantation' treatment approaches separately. Within each TPP, three 'hypothetical' evidence sets (minimum, intermediate and mature) were generated to simulate the impact of alternative levels of precision and maturity in the clinical evidence. Subsequent assessments of cost-effectiveness were undertaken, employing the existing NICE reference case alongside additional analyses suggested within alternative frameworks. The additional exploratory analyses were undertaken to demonstrate how assessments of cost-effectiveness and uncertainty could be impacted by alternative managed entry agreements (MEAs), including price discounts, performance-related schemes and technology leasing. The panel deliberated on the range of TPPs, evidence sets and MEAs, commenting on the likely recommendations for each scenario. The panel discussed the challenges associated with the exemplar and regenerative medicines more broadly, focusing on the need for a robust quantification of the level of uncertainty in the cost-effective estimates and the potential value of MEAs in limiting the exposure of the NHS to high upfront costs and loss associated with a wrong decision. CONCLUSIONS: It is to be expected that there will be a significant level of uncertainty in determining the clinical effectiveness of regenerative medicines and their long-term costs and benefits, but the existing methods available to estimate the implications of this uncertainty are sufficient. The use of risk sharing and MEAs between the NHS and manufacturers of regenerative medicines should be investigated further. FUNDING: The National Institute for Health Research Health Technology Assessment programme