Social Emotion Mining Techniques for Facebook Posts Reaction Prediction

As of February 2016 Facebook allows users to express their experienced emotions about a post by using five so-called `reactions'. This research paper proposes and evaluates alternative methods for predicting these reactions to user posts on public pages of firms/companies (like supermarket chains). For this purpose, we collected posts (and their reactions) from Facebook pages of large supermarket chains and constructed a dataset which is available for other researches. In order to predict the distribution of reactions of a new post, neural network architectures (convolutional and recurrent neural networks) were tested using pretrained word embeddings. Results of the neural networks were improved by introducing a bootstrapping approach for sentiment and emotion mining on the comments for each post. The final model (a combination of neural network and a baseline emotion miner) is able to predict the reaction distribution on Facebook posts with a mean squared error (or misclassification rate) of 0.135.Comment: 10 pages, 13 figures and accepted at ICAART 2018. (Dataset: https://github.com/jerryspan/FacebookR

Explicating the South African psychological ownership questionnaire’s confirmatory factor analysis model fit : a Bayesian structural equation modelling approach

ORIENTATION : The rigid application of conventional confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) techniques, the overreliance on global model fit indices and the dismissal of the chi-square statistic appear to have an adverse impact on the research of psychological ownership measures. RESEARCH PURPOSE : The purpose of this study was to explicate the South African Psychological Ownership Questionnaire’s (SAPOS’s) CFA model fit using the Bayesian structural equation modelling (BSEM) technique. MOTIVATION FOR THE STUDY : The need to conduct this study derived from a renewed awareness of the incorrect use of the chi-square statistic and global fit indices of CFA in social sciences research. RESEARCH APPROACH/DESIGN AND METHOD : The SAPOS measurement model fit was explicated on two study samples consisting, respectively, of 712 and 254 respondents who worked in various organisations in South Africa. A Bayesian approach to CFA was used to evaluate if local model misspecifications were substantive and justified the rejection of the SAPOS model.MAIN FINDINGS: The findings suggested that a rejection of the SAPOS measurement model based on the results of the chi-square statistic and global fit indices would be unrealistic and unfounded in terms of substantive test theory. PRACTICAL/MANAGERIAL IMPLICATIONS : BSEM appeared to be a valuable diagnostic tool to pinpoint and evaluate local CFA model misspecifications and their effect on a measurement model. CONTRIBUTION/VALUE-ADD : This study showed the importance of considering local misspecifications rather than only relying the chi-square statistic and global fit indices when evaluating model fit.http://www.sajip.co.za/index.php/sajippm2020Human Resource Managemen

Measurement equivalence of the South African Psychological Ownership Questionnaire for Diverse South African Cultural Groups

This study determined the measurement equivalence of the South African Psychological Ownership Questionnaire (SAPOS) for black and white South African employees. Participants were a non-probability sample of 645 professional level employees from both the private and the public sector (59.4% were females, 35.2% were black and 52% were over the age of 40. Over 90% of the participants have college education qualifications and nearly 41.7% had been working in their current organisations for a period of less than 5 years). Confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modelling were used to analyse the data. The results indicated that factor variances appeared to be equal for the two groups although differences existed in factor loadings and covariances.http://www.elliottfitzpatrick.com/jpa.htmlhb201

Leerpotensiaal en akademiese geletterdheidstoetse as voorspellers van ingenieurstudente se akademiese prestasie

Students who obtain senior certificates in the South African schooling system cannot be assumed to be adequately prepared to meet the demands of tertiary education. This study aims to determine the criterion-related validity of a mathematical proficiency test from the Academic Aptitude Test Battery (AAT-maths), an English language proficiency test (ELSA) and a learning potential test (LPCAT) as predictors of the academic performance of engineering bursary students at tertiary institutions. The findings indicate that these tests have significant criterion-related validity and can improve the likelihood of selecting the most promising bursary students. However, the findings point towards the possibility that the tests or the criterion measure are differentially valid for different race groups.Daar kan nie bloot aangeneem word dat studente wat in die Suid-Afrikaanse skolestelsel senior sertifikate verwerf het voldoende voorbereid is om aan die eise van tersiêre onderwys te voldoen nie. Die doel van hierdie studie is om die kriteriumverwante geldigheid van ’n wiskundige vaardigheidstoets wat deel vorm van die Akademiese Aanleg Toets battery (AAT-maths), ’n Engelse taalvaardigheidstoets (ELSA) en ’n leerpotensiaaltoets (LPCAT) as voorspellers van die akademiese prestasie van ingenieursbeursstudente aan tersiêre instellings te bepaal. Daar is bevind dat die toetse beduidende kriteriumverwante geldigheid toon en die kanse verbeter om die mees belowende beursstudente te keur. Die bevindinge dui egter ook op die moontlikheid dat die toetse of die kriteriummaatstaf differensieel geldig is vir verskillende rasgroepe.http://www.ufs.ac.za/ActaAcademicaam201

Student Engagement and Learning Approaches during COVID-19: The Role of Study Resources, Burnout Risk, and Student Leader–Member Exchange as Psychological Conditions

Objectives: The primary objective of this study was to explore the interplay of psychological conditions that influenced personal engagement among university students. As a theoretical lens through which to investigate this, the study used the job demands-resources model, the study demands-resources model, and the leader–member exchange theory. This study further aimed to explore outcomes that supported students in becoming lifelong learners (i.e., deep-learning approach). Method: Participants were undergraduate students registered at a South African university. We used a purposive, non-probability sampling strategy and employed a cross-sectional survey research design. This study used Mplus version 8.6 for the statistical analyses. Results: Results showed that the psychological conditions of meaningfulness (study resources), availability (burnout risk), and safety (student–leader–member exchange) influenced student engagement. In addition, the results showed that study demands were positively associated with student engagement, although this association can be regarded as small. Furthermore, study resources and student engagement were associated with a deep approach to learning. Conclusions: Findings from the present study demonstrated that Kahn’s theory carried implications beyond the workplace and held true in a student learning environment. Further, an exploration of the psychological conditions that led to engagement showed that the job demands-resources model and the study demands-resources model could be used to operationalise study resources as psychological meaningfulness and burnout risk as availability. Similarly, in the context of exploring the student-lecturer relationship, student leader–member exchange could be operationalised as psychological safety. Implication for Practice: Leaders in higher education are encouraged to focus not only on ensuring that students receive adequate support in terms of structures and physical resources during periods of uncertainty, such as the global COVID-19 pandemic, but to adopt a holistic approach that includes considering all the psychological conditions that encourage and promote students’ engagement

The structural validity of the experience of Work and Life Circumstances Questionnaire (WLQ)

ORIENTATION : Best practice frameworks suggest that an assessment practitioner’s choice of an assessment tool should be based on scientific evidence that underpins the appropriate and just use of the instrument. This is a context-specific validity study involving a classified psychological instrument against the background of South African regulatory frameworks and contemporary validity theory principles. RESEARCH PURPOSE : The aim of the study was to explore the structural validity of the Experience of Work and Life Circumstances Questionnaire (WLQ) administered to employees in the automotive assembly plant of a South African automotive manufacturing company. MOTIVATION FOR THE STUDY : Although the WLQ has been used by registered health practitioners and numerous researchers, evidence to support the structural validity is lacking. This study, therefore, addressed the need for context-specific empirical support for the validity of score inferences in respect of employees in a South African automotive manufacturing plant. RESEARCH DESIGN, APPROACH AND METHOD : The research was conducted using a convenience sample (N = 217) taken from the automotive manufacturing company where the instrument was used. Reliability and factor analyses were carried out to explore the structural validity of the WLQ. MAIN FINDINGS : The reliability of the WLQ appeared to be acceptable, and the assumptions made about unidimensionality were mostly confirmed. One of the proposed higher-order structural models of the said questionnaire administered to the sample group was confirmed, whereas the other one was partially confirmed. PRACTICAL/MANAGERIAL IMPLICATIONS : The conclusion reached was that preliminary empirical grounds existed for considering the continued use of the WLQ (with some suggested refinements) by the relevant company, provided the process of accumulating a body of validity evidence continued. CONTRIBUTION/VALUE-ADD : This study identified some of the difficulties that assessment practitioners might face in their quest to comply with South Africa’s regulatory framework and the demands of contemporary test validity theory.http://www.sajip.co.zaam2016Human Resource Managemen

Learning potential and academic literacy tests as predictors of academic performance for engineering students

Students who obtain senior certificates in the South African schooling system cannot be assumed to be adequately prepared to meet the demands of tertiary education. This study aims to determine the criterion-related validity of a mathematical proficiency test from the Academic Aptitude Test Battery (AAT-maths), an English language proficiency test (ELSA) and a learning potential test (LPCAT) as predictors of the academic performance of engineering bursary students at tertiary institutions. The findings indicate that these tests have significant criterion-related validity and can improve the likelihood of selecting the most promising bursary students. However, the findings point towards the possibility that the tests or the criterion measure are differentially valid for different race groups

The impact of coaching on the emotional and social intelligence competencies of leaders

BACKGROUND : The development of the emotional intelligence of leaders has become an exceptionally popular enterprise. However, the empirical research conducted by practitioners to date does not provide convincing evidence of the effectiveness of emotional intelligence development interventions. Robust and informative research on the effectiveness of coaching to develop the emotional intelligence of leaders is lacking. AIM : The purpose of this study was to determine, describe and evaluate the impact of a theoretically substantiated coaching intervention on the emotional and social intelligence competencies of leaders in a financial services company. Setting: The setting of the study is a financial services company in South Africa. METHODS : A mixed method approach using a quantitative and qualitative research design was considered appropriate. The quantitative research method consisted of a quasi-experimental design using a non-equivalent pre- and post test control group to measure the impact of the coaching intervention on a sample of 30 leaders. The Bar-On EQ-i scale was selected as a reliable and valid measure of emotional and social intelligence competencies. Wilcoxon’s statistic was calculated to determine the statistical significance of score differences between the experimental (N = 30) and control (N = 30) groups. The qualitative research method was comprised of semi-structured interviews with six of the leaders and their supervisors. RESULTS : The statistical results indicated that coaching significantly impacted the emotional and social intelligence competencies of leaders in terms of their overall emotional quotient (EQ), intrapersonal competency, interpersonal skills, stress management, self-regard and empathy. The semi-structured interviews provided rich descriptive themes and evaluations that corroborated the quantitative findings. CONCLUSION : This research provided convincing empirical evidence of the positive impact of a long-term, spaced and goal-focused coaching intervention on the emotional and social intelligence competencies of leaders in a financial services institution. The finding suggests that a theoretically well substantiated coaching intervention and a robust empirical study can be effective in demonstrating the impact of coaching on the emotional and social intelligence competencies of leaders. However, the implications of the limitations pointed out in this study could have influenced the findings, and future research aimed at improving relevant research models should take these into account.http://www.sajems.orgam2017Human Resource Managemen

Relationships between employee retention factors and attitudinal antecedents of voluntary turnover : an extended structural equation modelling approach

ORIENTATION : Gaining a full understanding of employee retention (ER) management requires studying multiple retention factors in tandem. Many empirical studies that use conventional structural equation modelling (SEM) include only a single retention factor or a subset of factors, making it impossible to assess the relative embeddedness of these factors in ER practices. RESEARCH PURPOSE : The purpose was to gain a better understanding of the relationships between multiple ER factors and attitudinal antecedents of voluntary turnover. MOTIVATION FOR THE STUDY : This research aimed to address the need for more comprehensive latent multivariate approaches to studying ER by using extended SEM techniques. RESEARCH APPROACH/DESIGN AND METHOD : The researchers used a cross-sectional survey design and obtained a convenience sample of 272 skilled employees from public and private organisations. The first stage of the study entailed using the exploratory structural equation model (ESEM) within the confirmatory factor analysis to test a model measuring ER factors. The second stage involved using plausible values for latent variables in an SEM analysis of the relationship between attitudinal antecedents of voluntary turnover (i.e. affective commitment, job satisfaction and turnover intention) and ER factors. MAIN FINDINGS : The findings indicated that affective commitment and job satisfaction differentially mediated the relationship between ER factors and turnover intention, partially supporting existing research and providing new insights into ER. PRACTICAL/MANAGERIAL IMPLICATIONS : This study suggested that in order for management to effectively manage ER, they must understand the relative embeddedness of a range of ER factors and prioritise motivational and empowerment-enhancing bundles of practice (e.g. compensation, job characteristics, work–life balance and career opportunities) to impact on attitudinal antecedents of voluntary turnover. CONTRIBUTION/VALUE-ADD : This study indicated that the use of extended SEM modelling techniques could provide valuable insights into the multivariate relationships between ER factors and attitudinal antecedents of voluntary turnover.http://www.sajhrm.co.zaam2021Human Resource Managemen

The structural validity of the experience of Work and Life Circumstances Questionnaire (WLQ)

ORIENTATION : Best practice frameworks suggest that an assessment practitioner’s choice of an assessment tool should be based on scientific evidence that underpins the appropriate and just use of the instrument. This is a context-specific validity study involving a classified psychological instrument against the background of South African regulatory frameworks and contemporary validity theory principles. RESEARCH PURPOSE : The aim of the study was to explore the structural validity of the Experience of Work and Life Circumstances Questionnaire (WLQ) administered to employees in the automotive assembly plant of a South African automotive manufacturing company. MOTIVATION FOR THE STUDY : Although the WLQ has been used by registered health practitioners and numerous researchers, evidence to support the structural validity is lacking. This study, therefore, addressed the need for context-specific empirical support for the validity of score inferences in respect of employees in a South African automotive manufacturing plant. RESEARCH DESIGN, APPROACH AND METHOD : The research was conducted using a convenience sample (N = 217) taken from the automotive manufacturing company where the instrument was used. Reliability and factor analyses were carried out to explore the structural validity of the WLQ. MAIN FINDINGS : The reliability of the WLQ appeared to be acceptable, and the assumptions made about unidimensionality were mostly confirmed. One of the proposed higher-order structural models of the said questionnaire administered to the sample group was confirmed, whereas the other one was partially confirmed. PRACTICAL/MANAGERIAL IMPLICATIONS : The conclusion reached was that preliminary empirical grounds existed for considering the continued use of the WLQ (with some suggested refinements) by the relevant company, provided the process of accumulating a body of validity evidence continued. CONTRIBUTION/VALUE-ADD : This study identified some of the difficulties that assessment practitioners might face in their quest to comply with South Africa’s regulatory framework and the demands of contemporary test validity theory.http://www.sajip.co.zaam2016Human Resource Managemen