The chief executive in local government information systems: Catalyst or barrier to innovation?

This study develops a construct of executive support for technological innovation and explores the correlates of its components. The context involves the perceptions of local government chief executives regarding the current and expected utility of computing technology. The findings suggest that executive support for the adoption of computing is flawed by unrealistic expectations and might contribute to overadoption of the technology. © 1977

Chief executive support and innovation adoption

This article tests a model of the influence of chief executive support on innovation outcomes in local government organizations. Propositions taken from the literature are causally ordered and tested using path analysis. The model is weakly supported by the analysis. Several explanations are offered for the results. © 1980, Sage Publications. All rights reserved

Mentally tough athletes are more aware of unsupportive coaching behaviours: Perceptions of coach behaviour, motivational climate, and mental toughness in sport

In this study, we tested an a priori model that included coach behaviour, motivational climate, and mental toughness among 290 athletes. Structural equation modelling demonstrated that supportive coach behaviours were related to a task-involving climate, and that task-involving climates positively associated with mental toughness. The path between supportive coach behaviours and mental toughness was insignificant. When task-involving climate was taken into account, however, supportive coach behaviours were positively associated with task-involving climates, which in turn was positively associated with mental toughness. This study illustrates the importance of coach behaviour in relation to shaping the motivational climate, which in turn may impact on the development of mental toughness among athletes

The Model of Motivational Dynamics in Sport: Resistance to Peer Influence, Behavioral Engagement and Disaffection, Dispositional Coping, and Resilience

The Model of Motivational Dynamics (MMD; Skinner and Pitzer, 2012) infers that peers influence behavioral engagement levels, which in turn is linked to coping and resilience. Scholars, however, are yet to test the MMD among an athletic population. The purpose of this paper was to assess an a priori model that included key constructs from the MMD, such as resistance to peer influence, behavioral engagement and disaffection, coping, and resilience among athletes. Three hundred and fifty-one athletes (male n = 173, female n = 178; Mage = 16.15 years) completed a questionnaire that measured each construct. Our results provide support for the model. In particular, there were positive paths between resistance to peer influence and behavioral engagement, behavioral engagement and task-oriented coping, and task-oriented coping with resilience. There was also a positive path between resilience and resistance to peer influence, but a negative path from resistance to peer influence to behavioral disaffection. Due to the reported benefits of enhancing resistance to peer influence and behavioral engagement, researchers could devise sport specific interventions to maximize athletes’ scores in these constructs

Dispositional Coping, Coping Effectiveness, and Cognitive Social Maturity Among Adolescent Athletes

It is accepted among scholars that coping changes as people mature during adolescence, but little is known about the relationship between maturity and coping. The purpose of this paper was to assess a model, which included dispositional coping, coping effectiveness, and cognitive social maturity. We predicted that cognitive social maturity would have a direct effect on coping effectiveness, and also an indirect impact via dispositional coping. Two hundred forty-five adolescent athletes completed measures of dispositional coping, coping effectiveness, and cognitive social maturity, which has three dimensions: conscientiousness, peer influence on behavior, and rule following. Using structural equation modeling, we found support for our model, suggesting that coping is related to cognitive social maturity. This information can be used to influence the content of coping interventions for adolescents of different maturational levels

The operationalized psychodynamic diagnostics system. Clinical relevance, reliability and validity

In this paper, we present a multiaxial system for psychodynamic diagnosis, which has attained wide usage in Germany in the last 10 years. First we will discuss the 4 operationalized psychodynamic diagnostics (OPD) axes: illness experience and treatment assumptions, relationships, mental conflicts, and structure, then clinical applications will be outlined. Focus psychodynamic formulations can be employed both with inpatients and with outpatients. Studies show good reliability in a research context and acceptable reliability for clinical purposes. Validity will be separately summarized as content, criterion, and construct validity. Validity studies indicate good validity for the individual axes. Numerous studies on the OPD indicate areas of possible improvement, for example for clinical purposes the OPD should be more practically formulated

The influence of mental toughness on responses to feedback in snooker: A real-time examination

Two experiments investigated whether mental toughness (MT) is associated with the ability to respond to and/or overcome unwanted information during real-time sport performance. Participants were male snooker players ranging from club to professional level, and MT was measured using the MTQ48 (Clough et al., 2002). In experiment 1, players performed five break-off shots and received deceptive feedback (either positive or negative) from the researcher about their performance relative to other players. Then they performed another five break-offs. Results showed a significant decline in performance following feedback, but no interaction with the nature of feedback or MT variables. In experiment 2, feedback was delivered by a coach and yielded a significant effect on performance. Specifically, negative feedback improved performance while positive feedback impaired performance. The Life Control subscale of the MTQ48 was a significant covariate. The results suggest that negative feedback, delivered constructively by a respected figure, may act as a catalyst for performance enhancement in snooker and that this is moderated by MT