The Modal Status of Kant\u27s Postulate of God\u27s Existence

Kant is traditionally read as arguing that moral agents are rationally required to postulate the actual existence of God, but contemporary commentators\u27 reconstructions of the argument only seem sufficient to warrant postulating the merely possible existence of God. There have been three attempts to address this seeming lacuna between what the argument is supposed to justify and what it does justify. Allen Wood defends the traditional interpretation - that Kant postulated the actual existence of God. M Jamie Ferreira proposes a revisionary interpretation - that Kant postulated the possible existence of God. Finally, Paul Guyer simply criticizes Kant for postulating the actual existence of God when his argument only justifies postulating the possible existence of God. I argue that Allen Wood\u27s defense is insufficient to ground the appropriate propositional attitude toward the postulates while M Jamie Ferreira\u27s proposal cannot pass as a reading of Kant. Nonetheless, I argue that Kant need not be criticized because the seeming lacuna does not arise if we are sufficiently sensitive to the modality of the judgment Kant takes to be required for rational pursuit of the highest good

Comparative Job Satisfaction and Its Determinants in For-Profit and Nonprofit Employees Across the Globe

Beneficial outcomes of job satisfaction include greater productivity, higher work quality, increased company competitiveness, less turnover, and decreased workplace conflict. Understanding the variables that impact job satisfaction is critical to improving organizational effectiveness. The current research compares job satisfaction factors among for-profit and nonprofit employees globally, using International Social Survey Program data on work orientations. As such, this study contributes new insights from a large-scale international data set to inform employers and researchers about factors that contribute to job satisfaction on a global basis. Findings indicate more commonalities than differences in job satisfaction factors across the two groups

The Perceived Value of Using a Team Charter in Business Education

Schools of business seek to prepare students for the workplace with employer-valued skills such as communication, teamwork, and application of knowledge. As such, a common practice for business and management educators is to involve students in collaborative team-based assignments and community projects. To facilitate the development of teamwork skills, faculty members may have students create a team charter, which involves student teams identifying goals, roles, and norms. However, empirical evidence of the value of team charters is limited. This study examined student perceptions of team charters to determine if they played a role in effective teamwork or if other variables accounted for team success. The study entailed an analysis of a mid-semester team evaluation survey and an end-of-semester team charter survey. Findings indicated that overall, the inclusion of the development and application of student charters in student group projects leads to several important benefits and learning outcomes. However, the perceived usefulness of charters varies among students by level of experience and year in school

The basic science of bone marrow aspirate concentrate in chondral injuries

There has been great interest in bone marrow aspirate concentrate (BMAC) as a cost effective method in delivering mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) to aid in the repair and regeneration of cartilage defects. Alongside MSCs, BMAC contains a range of growth factors and cytokines to support cell growth following injury. However, there is paucity of information relating to the basic science underlying BMAC and its exact biological role in supporting the growth and regeneration of chondrocytes. The focus of this review is the basic science underlying BMAC in relation to chondral damage and regeneration

Supervisory Status and Job Satisfaction: A Global Comparative Analysis

Although previous studies have indicated that supervisory status positively impacts job satisfaction, studies comparing supervisors with non-supervisors in different work contexts are limited. The current global comparative study examines the balance between work and home life, motivational rewards, and worker interactions to determine their impact on job satisfaction based on supervisory status. The study analyzes job satisfaction factors across 37 nations using International Social Survey Program data. The current research was based on a job satisfaction model based on evidence from theory and research. A range of descriptive analytics and regression analyses based on the model were conducted. Findings confirm a statistically significant difference in reported levels of job satisfaction for supervisors versus non-supervisors. Additionally, job autonomy, a job useful to society, and scheduling flexibility were not statistically significant for supervisors but non-supervisors. The overall model fit was slightly better for supervisors than non-supervisors. Given that supervisors have greater job satisfaction than non-supervisors, the former may overestimate job satisfaction among their workers. This could be an issue if supervisors assume that their employees are as satisfied as they are. Awareness of differences in job satisfaction based on supervisory status, then, is critical for help managers support their workers. In terms of the question of whether supervisors and non-supervisory differ in their satisfaction levels and the determinants of their satisfaction, this study supports that conclusion. This suggests that the benefits of taking on a supervisory role outweigh the additional demands. And while we did find variables that affect non-supervisors that don’t affect supervisors, most variables were important to both. This suggests that things that contribute to job satisfaction will impact employees regardless of whether they are in a supervisory position

Job satisfaction factors for housekeepers in the hotel industry: a global comparative analysis

Purpose: This study offers a global comparative analysis of variables associated with job satisfaction, specifically work-life balance, intrinsic and extrinsic rewards, and work relations on job satisfaction for hotel housekeepers. Design/methodology/approach: The study analyzes these variants across 29 countries using International Social Survey Program data. Findings: Findings indicate significant differences in job satisfaction for hotel housekeepers across countries, lower job satisfaction for hospitality occupations compared to all other occupational categories, lower job satisfaction for hotel housekeepers than employees in other hospitality occupations, and a statistically significant positive impact of some elements of work-life balance, intrinsic and extrinsic rewards, and coworker relations on job satisfaction. Originality/value: The hospitality industry is characterized by poor work-life balance, high turnover rates and limited rewards. Hotel housekeepers report lower levels of satisfaction than other hospitality workers in terms of work-life balance, pay, relationships with managers, useful work and interesting work. Housekeepers play an important role in hotel quality and guest satisfaction. As such, understanding and addressing factors contributing to job satisfaction for hotel housekeepers is critical for managers

Work Flexibility and Job Satisfaction: Shifting Workplace Norms

Family-friendly policies promoting work-life balance contribute to desirable outcomes such as job satisfaction and organizational commitment. However, additional information is needed about the impact of various flexible work options. While flexible work may increase job satisfaction due to the autonomy it provides, it can also create work-life imbalance. This study examined work flexibility variables. A clear relationship was found between work flexibility and job satisfaction; additionally, job satisfaction increases with greater flexibility to deal with family matters. Participants indicated that the greatest job satisfaction came from the opportunity to work often from home, but not always work from home

Job Satisfaction and Gender

Previous studies of job satisfaction and gender have had mixed results, with some finding that women enjoy greater satisfaction than men, and others no difference once other factors were accounted for. This study used data from the 2015 International Social Survey Programme to investigate if gender, country and work-based factors make a difference on employees’ level of job satisfaction. Extrinsic rewards, intrinsic rewards, work relations and work-life balance rewards were examined. Overall there were no differences between women’s and men’s job satisfaction. In only one country was women’s job satisfaction was significantly higher. Extrinsic outcomes were significantly lower for women

The isotope geochemistry of abyssal peridotites and related rocks

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, 1993.Includes bibliographical references.by Jonathan Edward Snow.Ph.D

Feeding ecology of juvenile turtles (Chrysemys) under experimental conditions /

A foraging model that predicts the net energy intake for juvenile turtles feeding on a range of Callibaetis nymph sizes is also examined. Those nymph sizes that miximize the net energy intake in the model are considered against nymph sizes in actual diets of four turtle size classes (C. picta and C. scripta hatchlings and yearlings). Search, pursuit, and handling times, and capture probabilities of different-size Callibaetis nymphs were measured in laboratory experiments. Regression equations, based on these measurements, were used to derive estimates of the model parameters. C. picta and C. scripta were not statistically different in search, pursuit, and handling times, nor in capture probabilities. Consequently, data from both species were pooled. The model predicts that diets that maximize net energy intake will overlap considerably among the turtle size-classes considered. But, small turtles should select slightly smaller nymph sizes than larger turtles. The breadth of prey sizes eaten should be narrower than the breadth of available prey sizes for each turtle size considered. Diets of turtles feeding under the same resource regime considered in the model are qualitatively similar to predictions.The enclosure contained two distinct habitats: an open area dominated by the submergent plant Najas and an area dominated by cattails (Typha). C. scripta were hand caught more often in the Typha stand than in the open Najas habitat. C. picta captures were distributed throughout the enclosure.Diet and habitat distributions of hatchling and yearling painted (Chrysemys picta) and red-eared (C. scripta) turtles are examined to detect phylogenetic and ontogenetic variations. Young turtles, hatched from eggs incubated in the laboratory, were released into a large pond-enclosure, recaptured at a later date, and stomach contents analyzed. Diet breadth, overlap, and selectivity indices were calculated. Overlap values in this study reflect the general similarity in diets across an extensive array of food categories. A consequence is that interspecific overlap values are statistically indistinguishable from complete dietary overlap despite notable differences in consumption of some major food categories (e.g., C. scripta ate plant matter while C. picta did not feed upon vegetation). Intraspecific (hatchling vs. yearling) overlap values were also indistinguishable from complete overlap. However, prey size appears correlated with juvenile turtle size, and negates the likelihood of a complete diet overlap between hatchlings and yearlings. Measures of diet breadth suggested diverse and non-random feeding