112 research outputs found
Transformative cornerstones of social science research for global change
Given the urgency to compromise the social sciences with the research on global environmental change, the International Social Science Council designed in 2011 the âClimate and Global Environmental Change Design Projectâ to promote the production of knowledge that may help resolve the crisis associated to climate change in the development of inter and trans-disciplinary initiatives. This article presents a frame of knowledge for the agenda of the project, which the Council has titled âTransformative Cornerstonesâ that aims to identify the priority objectives to understand the process of global environmental change as social processes and to carry out a deliberate transformation on the policies, institutions, infrastructure, practices and lifestyles. It seeks an alliance between the natural and social sciences to put global environmental change at the center of the concerns of the social sciences and to promote global efforts to improve human wellbeing.Dada la urgencia de comprometer a las ciencias sociales con la investigaciĂłn sobre el cambio ambiental global, el Consejo Internacional de Ciencias Sociales diseñó en el 2011 el âProyecto de Diseño para el Cambio Ambiental ClimĂĄtico y Globalâ, con el fin de promover la producciĂłn de conocimiento que pueda ayudar a resolver las crisis asociadas al cambio climĂĄtico en el desarrollo de iniciativas inter- y trans-disciplinares. Este artĂculo expone un marco de conocimiento para la agenda del proyecto que el Consejo ha denominado âpiedras angulares transformativasâ y que pretende identificar los objetivos prioritarios para comprender los procesos del cambio ambiental global como procesos sociales y efectuar una transformaciĂłn deliberada en las polĂticas, instituciones, infraestructuras, prĂĄcticas y estilos de vida. Se propende por una alianza entre las ciencias naturales y las sociales para que el cambio ambiental estĂ© en el centro de las preocupaciones de estas Ășltimas y para que haya esfuerzos globales que mejoren el bienestar humano
How authentic leadership influences team performance:the mediating role of team reflexivity
This study examines how authentic leadership influences team performance via the mediating mechanism of team reflexivity. Adopting a self-regulatory perspective, we propose that authentic leadership will predict the specific team regulatory process of reflexivity, which in turn will be associated with two outcomes of team performance; effectiveness and productivity. Using survey data from 53 teams in three organizations in the United Kingdom and Greece and controlling for collective trust, we found support for our stated hypotheses with the results indicating a significant fully mediated relationship. As predicted the self-regulatory behaviors inherent in the process of authentic leadership served to collectively shape team behavior, manifesting in the process of team reflexivity, which, in turn, positively predicted team performance. We conclude with a discussion of how this study extends theoretical understanding of authentic leadership in relation to teamwork and delineate several practical implications for leaders and organizations
Qualitatively and quantitatively similar effects of active and passive maternal tobacco smoke exposure on in utero mutagenesis at the HPRT locus
BACKGROUND: Induced mutagenesis in utero is likely to have life-long repercussions for the exposed fetus, affecting survival, birth weight and susceptibility to both childhood and adult-onset diseases, such as cancer. In the general population, such exposures are likely to be a consequence of the lifestyle choices of the parents, with exposure to tobacco smoke one of the most pervasive and easily documented. Previous studies attempting to establish a direct link between active smoking and levels of somatic mutation have largely discounted the effects of passive or secondary exposure, and have produced contradictory results. METHODS: Data from three studies of possible smoking effects on in utero mutagenesis at the HPRT locus were compiled and reanalyzed, alone and in combination. Where possible, passive exposure to environmental tobacco smoke was considered as a separate category of exposure, rather than being included in the non-smoking controls. Molecular spectra from these studies were reanalyzed after adjustment for reported mutation frequencies from the individual studies and the entire data set. RESULTS: A series of related studies on mutation at the X-linked HPRT locus in human newborn cord blood samples has led to the novel conclusion that only passive maternal exposure to tobacco mutagens has a significant effect on the developing baby. We performed a pooled analysis of the complete data from these studies, at the levels of both induced mutation frequency and the resulting mutational spectrum. CONCLUSION: Our analysis reveals a more commonsensical, yet no less cautionary result: both active maternal smoking and secondary maternal exposure produce quantitatively and qualitatively indistinguishable increases in fetal HPRT mutation. Further, it appears that this effect is not perceptibly ameliorated if the mother adjusts her behavior (i.e. stops smoking) when pregnancy is confirmed, although this conclusion may also be affected by continued passive exposure
Is classroom noise always bad for children? The contribution of age and selective attention to creative performance in noise.
Creativity is considered an important skill in learning but little is known about the environmental factors affecting it in classroom settings. Extending adult findings, this study assessed whether moderate multi-talker noise promotes childrenâs creativity, and whether this is moderated by childrenâs age, working memory, and selective attention. Forty-four elementary school children between 5 and 11 years of age, divided into younger and older age groups, participated in this within-subjectsâ study. The children completed two idea generation tasks; each participant performed the task both in silence and in moderate (64dB) classroom noise. Selective attention skills, verbal and visuospatial working memory were assessed with behavioural tasks. Results showed that there were no conditions in which classroom noise promoted childrenâs creativity whilst some negative effects of noise were observed. Younger children (between 5 and 8 years of age) with low selective attention skills were especially at risk: they gave fewer ideas in the presence of noise, and these ideas were rated as less original. Children with good selective attention skills were globally protected against the effects of noise, performing similarly in silence and noise. Future studies about childrenâs specific creative strategies might help shed light on the mechanisms underlying these effects
The role of leadership in salespeopleâs price negotiation behavior
Salespeople assume a key role in defending firmsâ price levels in price negotiations with customers. The degree to which salespeople defend prices should critically depend upon their leadersâ influence. However, the influence of leadership on salespeopleâs price defense behavior is barely understood, conceptually or empirically. Therefore, building on social learning theory, the authors propose that salespeople might adopt their leadersâ price defense behavior given a transformational leadership style. Furthermore, drawing on the contingency leadership perspective, the authors argue that this adoption fundamentally depends on three variables deduced from the motivationâabilityâopportunity (MAO) framework, that is, salespeopleâs learning motivation, negotiation efficacy, and perceived customer lenience. Results of a multi-level model using data from 92 salespeople and 264 salespersonâcustomer interactions confirm these predictions. The first to explore contingencies of salespeopleâs adoption of their transformational leadersâ price negotiation behaviors, this study extends marketing theory and provides actionable guidance to practitioners
The impact of societal cultural values and individual social beliefs on the perceived effectiveness of managerial influence strategies: a meso approach
This paper reports the findings of a 12-nation study designed to test empirically the relationships between societal cultural values, individual social beliefs, and the perceived effectiveness of different influence strategies. The relationships between three types of broad influence strategy (persuasive, assertive, and relationship based) and four dimensions of individual beliefs (cynicism, fate control, reward for application, and religiosity) were examined. Three of Project GLOBE's cultural values (in-group collectivism, uncertainty avoidance, and future orientation) were selected to investigate their direct effects on the rated effectiveness of influence strategies, and their possible interaction with dimensions of individual beliefs. Results showed that different dimensions of individual social beliefs predict the perceived effectiveness of the three types of influence strategy, and that cultural values can moderate the strength of the relationship between these dimensions of individual social beliefs and the perceived effectiveness of influence strategies
Association of polymorphisms in genes of factors involved in regulation of splicing of cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator mRNA with acute respiratory distress syndrome in children with pneumonia
Team Dynamics Theory: Nomological network among cohesion, team mental models, coordination, and collective efficacy
I put forth a theoretical framework, namely Team Dynamics Theory (TDT), to address the need for a parsimonious yet integrated, explanatory and systemic view of team dynamics. In TDT, I integrate team processes and outputs and explain their relationships within a systemic view of team dynamics. Specifically, I propose a generative nomological network linking cohesion, team mental models, coordination, collective efficacy, and team outcomes. From this nomological conceptualization, I illustrate how myriad alternative models can be derived to account for variance in different working teams, each comprised of unique members, and embedded in singular contexts. I outline TDTâs applied implications for team development, the enhancement of team functioning, and the profiling of team resilience. I conclude by discussing how TDTâs ontological and nomological propositions can be tested through various theoretical inquiries, methodological approaches, and intervention-based studies
The contribution from psychological, social, and organizational work factors to risk of disability retirement: a systematic review with meta-analyses
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