Optimism and the Boundaryless Career: The Role of Developmental Relationships

This research explores an important psychological capacity in the current boundaryless career environment—optimism. Optimism has been associated with flexibility and adaptability amidst stressful situations (Shifren & Hooker, 1995), which, we argue here may be particularly useful in the current unpredictable career environment. We explore the relationship between optimism and the structure and quality of individuals‘ developmental networks in a sample of young adults. Analyses are based upon a 10-year longitudinal study (1996-2006) of a cohort of 136 individuals who graduated from business school in 1996. Cross-sectional analyses show that the amount of psychosocial support received by individuals, but not career support, is positively associated with optimism. Then, considering the longer-term nature of help-giving, longitudinal relational data suggest that the greater one‘s early-career psychosocial and career support, the greater one‘s optimism many years hence. In addition, we examined how the rate of change in developmental network support over time is associated with optimism. Findings show that increasing amounts of career and psychosocial support over time were associated with greater optimism later in career. Implications for future research on the boundaryless career, optimism, and developmental relationships are discussed

Implementation teams: A new lever for organizational change.

This paper introduces a team form called an “implementation team”—a team charged with designing and leading the implementation of an organization-wide change strategy—and investigates this teamtype in a context ripe for change, U.S. public school systems. Unlike prior teams research that has focused on teams as diagnostic collectives or strategic decision-making bodies, this study forwards the notion that teams can be used to implement organizational change. In this study, we examined how positional and tenure diversity and work context relate to team member learning, a critical factor in sustaining organizational change. Results from 25 school district instructional improvement strategy teams over two years challenge some basic assumptions regarding what constitutes a “real team.” We find that some taken-for-granted aspects of teams, such as team member stability, may not be central or even appropriate when considering “real teams” in this change context; rather than stability of team membership, the stability of members’ roles may matter most. We conclude by suggesting that scholars further investigate this team form and reframe, reconsider, and renew their conceptualizations of “real teams,” especially for teams engaged in implementing organizational change.https://digitalcommons.usmalibrary.org/books/1057/thumbnail.jp

Leading teams of leaders: What helps team member learning?

A study of Connecticut leadership teams finds that they are more effective when team members, not team leaders, coach other members and when coaching focuses on accomplishing their task.https://digitalcommons.usmalibrary.org/books/1058/thumbnail.jp

A Rooftop Revolution? A Multidisciplinary Analysis of State-Level Residential Solar Programs in New Jersey and Massachusetts

The success of alternative energy policies is usually measured in terms of energy capacity. By this metric, state-level policies to promote solar installations in New Jersey and Massachusetts have been a success. To fully evaluate these policies, however, it is necessary to consider how these policy programs are structured and funded, who participates in these programs, and the complete life-cycle consequences of \u27clean\u27 energy technologies. This paper focuses specifically on residential solar installations, which represent more than half of the total U.S. rooftop solar capacity potential. It takes a multidisciplinary approach that draws on policy analysis, spatial and demographic analyses, and life-cycle assessment. The analyses reveal three key conclusions: First, state-level policies have shifted from subsidies for solar installations to incentive-based support based on system performance, which have reduced the payback period for residential solar to less than ten years and have contributed to the growth of third-party leasing companies. Second, communities with low median income and/or a high percentage of non-white residents generally remain at lower than expected levels of participation. Third, while residential solar installations significantly offset greenhouse gas emissions and compounds that harm human respiratory health after 18 months, switching to photovoltaic panels generates a net increase in the production of ecotoxic chemicals. Drawing on these observations we recommend policy changes to encourage broader geographic and demographic participation, to recognize the importance of solar leasing companies and landlords, and to promote the use of solar panels with lower environmental impacts across the lifecycle

Environmental Assessment of In situ Groundwater Remediation with Reduced Iron Reactive Media.

Advancements in groundwater remediation technologies increasingly rely on in situ treatment approaches and reactive nanoparticle materials. Environmental assessments of both trends were conducted for applications where reduced iron media, zero valent iron (ZVI) and iron monosulfide (FeS), are employed. In situ technologies, such as permeable reactive barriers (PRBs), eliminate the need for energy-intensive plume extraction but require greater material resources. The environmental impacts of a PRB and an ex situ pump-and-treat system were compared using life cycle assessment. While the ZVI PRB has better environmental performance in some categories, an alternative reactive media may give significant improvements in global warming potential. The environmental benefits of PRBs are sensitive to the longevity of the reactive medium. The PRB was preferable in all categories when design-life exceeded ten years. Injection of nanosized reactive media can allow installation of PRBs at greater depths than direct emplacement of granular media, but release of engineered nanoparticles may affect soil microbial communities. The effect of nano ZVI (nZVI) on Escherichia coli was investigated under anaerobic conditions in a chemically-defined growth medium buffered at pH 7. E. coli growth was reduced in the presence of 2.9 E-05 M to 5.7 E-03 M nZVI relative to a negative control, and relative growth was a bimodal function of nZVI concentration. Equilibrium speciation modeling of the growth medium in the presence of nZVI predicts low electron activity and high ferrous iron concentrations, which may be related the reduction in growth. FeS nanoparticles are an alternative to nZVI for in situ remediation, and may have similar effects on microorganisms. The effect of FeS on E. coli under anaerobic growth conditions was investigated. E. coli growth was reduced in the presence of 2.6 E-05 M to 5.3 E-3 M FeS. Below the solubility limit, 6.0 E-04 M FeS, relative growth in the presence of FeS was similar to growth in the presence of dissolved sulfide. Relative growth did not decrease with FeS concentration above the solubility. Speciation modeling predicts the formation metal sulfide precipitates as FeS or dissolved sulfide is added, which may be related to the reduction in growth.Ph.D.Environmental EngineeringUniversity of Michigan, Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studieshttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/89676/1/mrhig_1.pd

Examining organizational learning in schools: The role of psychological safety, experimentation, and leadership that reinforces learning

This study draws upon theory and methods from the field of organizational behavior to examine organizational learning (OL) in the context of a large urban U.S. school district. We build upon prior literature on OL from the field of organizational behavior to introduce and validate three subscales that assess key dimensions of organizational learning that build upon and extend prior education research: psychological safety, experimentation, and leadership that reinforces learning. Data from 941 teachers across 60 schools in this urban district suggest that organizational learning is an underlying condition which is expressed by teacher perceptions of subfactors of psychological safety, experimentation, and leadership that reinforces learning. Implications for adopting the conceptual framework and methods employed in this research for studying organizational learning and school change are discussed

The dynamics of developmental networks

This study explores the dynamics of developmental networks – the set of relationships a protégé names as taking an active interest in and action to advance his/her career. Although prior research has demonstrated the benefits of developmental networks, we know relatively little about how these networks change over time or the antecedents of developmental network dynamics. As research on career and adult development theory has suggested, professional development occurs within a dynamic, relational context; therefore, exploring network dynamics may enable future research to gain greater insight into how career trajectories unfold. In a 10-year, four-wave prospective longitudinal survey study of 136 U.S. business school students and their over 1600 relationships, we explore the dynamics of developmental networks, including the starting points (intercepts) and the rates of change (slopes) of the content of help provided (average career and psychosocial support) and the networks’ structure (network density, tie closeness, and communication frequency). Our multilevel longitudinal analyses show how these network characteristics change over time and how the content and structure of the support provided covary. Further, we explore individual-level and organizational/industry-level antecedents of network change trajectories. We conclude with implications of our discoveries for future theory-building and research on developmental networks, mentoring, and careers, and offer suggestions for consideration for practice

Inhaled PGE1 in neonates with hypoxemic respiratory failure: two pilot feasibility randomized clinical trials.

BackgroundInhaled nitric oxide (INO), a selective pulmonary vasodilator, has revolutionized the treatment of neonatal hypoxemic respiratory failure (NHRF). However, there is lack of sustained improvement in 30 to 46% of infants. Aerosolized prostaglandins I2 (PGI2) and E1 (PGE1) have been reported to be effective selective pulmonary vasodilators. The objective of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of a randomized controlled trial (RCT) of inhaled PGE1 (IPGE1) in NHRF.MethodsTwo pilot multicenter phase II RCTs are included in this report. In the first pilot, late preterm and term neonates with NHRF, who had an oxygenation index (OI) of ≥15 and <25 on two arterial blood gases and had not previously received INO, were randomly assigned to receive two doses of IPGE1 (300 and 150 ng/kg/min) or placebo. The primary outcome was the enrollment of 50 infants in six to nine months at 10 sites. The first pilot was halted after four months for failure to enroll a single infant. The most common cause for non-enrollment was prior initiation of INO. In a re-designed second pilot, co-administration of IPGE1 and INO was permitted. Infants with suboptimal response to INO received either aerosolized saline or IPGE1 at a low (150 ng/kg/min) or high dose (300 ng/kg/min) for a maximum duration of 72 hours. The primary outcome was the recruitment of an adequate number of patients (n = 50) in a nine-month-period, with fewer than 20% protocol violations.ResultsNo infants were enrolled in the first pilot. Seven patients were enrolled in the second pilot; three in the control, two in the low-dose IPGE1, and two in the high-dose IPGE1 groups. The study was halted for recruitment futility after approximately six months as enrollment targets were not met. No serious adverse events, one minor protocol deviation and one pharmacy protocol violation were reported.ConclusionsThese two pilot RCTs failed to recruit adequate eligible newborns with NHRF. Complex management RCTs of novel therapies for persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn (PPHN) may require novel study designs and a longer period of time from study approval to commencement of enrollment.Trial registrationCLINICALTRIALS.GOV: Pilot one: NCT number: 00598429 registered on 10 January 2008. Last updated: 3 February 2011. Pilot two: NCT number: 01467076 17 October 2011. Last updated: 13 February 2013