Factors to Measure the Performance of Private Business Schools in South Africa

This article identifies the latent variables embedded within the model to measure the performance of private business schools. In the quantitative research design, 247 questionnaires, using a five-point Likert scale, were analysed after completion by private business school supervisors and managers. The data has high reliability with a Cronbach alpha coefficient of 0.974 and excellent sample adequacy with a KMO value of 0.926. The analysis identified ten latent variables (or factors), identified using exploratory factor analysis explaining a cumulative variance of 70.56%. These are Regulatory compliance, Strategic communication, Educational technology stack, Strategic finance, Organisational development, Customer orientation, Sales, Pricing, Socio-political influence and Market focus. The study also succeeded to simplify measuring performance by eliminating 26 questions with low factor loadings (<0.40) or those that are cross-loading highly onto more than one factor from the questionnaire while retaining a satisfactory level of reliability. The results are valuable to private business school managers and to the employees wanting to measure and improve the business performance of a private business school. Researchers and academia could also benefit from the contribution of the study to either build on business performance of private business schools or, alternatively, in adopting the methodology employed in this study for another application setting

Validity of the multidimensional fatigue symptom inventory-short form in an African-American community-based sample.

ObjectivesThis study examined the psychometric properties of the Multidimensional Fatigue Symptom Inventory-Short Form (MFSI-SF) in a community-based sample of African-Americans.DesignA sample of 340 African-Americans (116 men, 224 women) ranging in age from 18-81 years were recruited from the community (e.g., churches, health fairs, and beauty salons). Participants completed a brief demographic survey, the MFSI-SF and the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule.ResultsThe structural validity of the MFSI-SF for a community-based sample of African-Americans was not supported. The five dimensions of fatigue (General, Emotional, Physical, Mental, Vigor) found for Whites in prior research were not found for African-Americans in this study. Instead, fatigue, while multidimensional for African-Americans, was best represented by a unique four-four profile in which general and emotional fatigue are collapsed into a single dimension and physical fatigue, mental fatigue, and vigor are relatively distinct. Hence, in the absence of modifications, the MFSI-SF cannot be considered to be structurally invariant across ethnic groups. A modified four-factor version of the MFSI-SF exhibited excellent internal consistency reliability and evidence supports its convergent validity. Using the modified four-factor version, gender, and age were not meaningfully associated with MFSI-SF scores.ConclusionFuture research should further examine whether modifications to the MFSI-SF would, as the findings suggest, improve its validity as a measure of multidimensional fatigue in African-Americans

Validity of the multidimensional fatigue symptom inventory-short form in an African-American community-based sample

OBJECTIVES: This study examined the psychometric properties of the Multidimensional Fatigue Symptom Inventory-Short Form (MFSI-SF) in a community-based sample of African Americans. Design. A sample of 340 African Americans (116 men, 224 women) ranging in age from 18–81 years were recruited from the community (e.g., churches, health fairs, beauty salons). Participants completed a brief demographic survey, the MFSI-SF and the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule. RESULTS: The structural validity of the MFSI-SF for a community-based sample of African Americans was not supported. The five dimensions of fatigue (General, Emotional, Physical, Mental, Vigor) found for Whites in prior research were not found for African Americans in this study. Instead, fatigue, while multidimensional for African Americans, was best represented by a unique four-four profile in which general and emotional fatigue are collapsed into a single dimension and physical fatigue, mental fatigue, and vigor are relatively distinct. Hence, in the absence of modifications, the MFSI-SF cannot be considered to be structurally invariant across ethnic groups. A modified four-factor version of the MFSI-SF exhibited excellent internal consistency reliability and evidence supports its convergent validity. Using the modified four-factor version, gender and age were not meaningfully associated with MFSI-SF scores. CONCLUSION: Future research should further examine whether modifications to the MFSI-SF would, as the findings suggest, improve its validity as a measure of multidimensional fatigue in African Americans

Gross anatomy of the shoulder and arm intrinsic muscles in the white-footed tamarin (Saguinus leucopus – Günther, 1876): Inter- and intraspecific anatomical variations

Background: Saguinus leucopus is a Neotropical primate with an arboreal quadrupedal locomotion pattern, which requires wide movements of the shoulder and arm. This investigation studies the muscles of these regions in order to serve as a basis for clinical and surgical procedures and to compare with other primates. Methods: Gross dissections of twenty thoracic limbs were performed. Results: The muscles examined were the deltoid, supraspinatus, infraspinatus, subscapularis, teres major, teres minor, coracobrachialis longus, coracobrachialis brevis, biceps brachii, brachialis, triceps brachii, tensor fasciae antebrachii, and anconeus epitrochlearis. The anconeus was absent. The following variants were found: an accessory head of the biceps brachii, the unilateral absence of the short head of the biceps brachii, an accessory head of the coracobrachialis longus, and one infraspinatus muscle innervated by the axillary nerve. Conclusions: These muscles are adapted to quadrupedal locomotion and can have inter- and intraspecific variations in their attachments and innervatio