Organizational Climate and Perceived Manager Effectiveness: Influencing Perceived Usefulness of Knowledge Sharing Mechanisms

In this study, we examine how perceptions of organizational climate and manager effectiveness influence individuals’ perceived usefulness of three types of knowledge sharing mechanisms (KSMs): (1) informal personalization KSMs, (2) formal codification KSMs, and (3) formal personalization KSMs. We collected survey data from 1036 employees from five different subsidiaries of an organization to test our hypotheses. We found that having a warm and cooperative climate has a positive influence on individuals’ perceptions of all KSMs. A competitive climate, on the other hand, increases individuals’ preference for using formal codification and personalization mechanisms relative to informal personalization mechanisms. Finally, individuals who perceive their managers to be more effective tend to be more supportive of top-down initiatives provided by senior management; thus, these individuals have a significantly more positive opinion of formal mechanisms compared to informal mechanisms. This study provides an extended and more nuanced perspective of how knowledge sharing can be enabled in different social contexts. The results will help managers to customize a portfolio of knowledge management mechanisms based on the climate of their organizational unit

Mergers and acquisition, from an acquirer's view

http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/96879/1/BBA_Wong_Helen_Fin399_Final.pd

Sensegiving não intencional dos administradores e resultados da reforma do sistema

One popular diagnosis for the problem of inequitable educational opportunities is the need for schools and schooling systems to undergo systemic change. While research shows that leadership support is essential for implementing system reforms, critical questions remain about how leaders help shift other’s understandings and practices. Employing the theory of sensegiving, this longitudinal, multiple-case study examines how administrators help teachers and other administrators make sense of a system reform during the first two years of implementation. I found that administrator’s unintentional sensegiving complicated others’ understandings of the new system reform, which complicated implementation. Based on these findings, I introduce the concept of unintentional sensegiving to theorize how leaders can give sense in ways they do not intend, yet have large impacts on how others understand and respond to a reform. Before championing a system reform, leaders deserve opportunities to (a) become familiar with the details of that reform and system reforms in general; (b) carefully study their existing systems, including their local contexts, and consider what dynamics might be created when they implement the new reform; (c) explore how their existing systems could shift to match the design of the system reform; and (d) practice drawing on their wells of knowledge to help others shift their understandings about their practice.Un diagnóstico popular para el problema de oportunidades educativas injustas es la necesidad de escuelas y sistemas de enseñanza que sufren cambios sistémicos. Aunque las investigaciones demuestran que el apoyo al liderazgo es esencial para implementar las reformas del sistema, todavía hay cuestiones cruciales sobre cómo los líderes ayudan a cambiar el entendimiento y las prácticas de los demás. Usando la teoría de sensegiving, el estudio longitudinal de varios casos examina cómo los administradores ayudan a los profesores y otros administradores a comprender la reforma del sistema durante los dos primeros años de implementación. Descubrí que el sensegiving no intencional de los administradores complicó la comprensión de los demás sobre la nueva reforma del sistema, lo que complicó la implementación. Con base en estos resultados, presento el concepto de sensegivingno intencional para teorizar cómo los líderes pueden dar sentido de maneras que no pretenden, pero aún tener grandes impactos sobre cómo los demás entienden y responden a una reforma. Antes de defender una reforma del sistema, los líderes merecen oportunidades para (a) familiarizarse con los detalles de esa reforma y reformas del sistema en general; (b) estudiar cuidadosamente sus sistemas existentes, incluyendo sus contextos locales, y considerar qué dinámicas pueden crearse cuando implementan la nueva reforma; (c) explorar cómo los sistemas existentes podrían cambiar para adaptarse al proyecto de reforma del sistema; y (d) practicar el diseño de conocimiento para ayudar a otros a cambiar sus entendimientos sobre su práctica. Um diagnóstico popular para o problema de oportunidades educacionais injustas é a necessidade de escolas e sistemas de ensino sofrerem mudanças sistêmicas. Embora as pesquisas mostrem que o apoio à liderança é essencial para implementar as reformas do sistema, ainda há questões cruciais sobre como os líderes ajudam a mudar o entendimento e as práticas dos outros. Empregando a teoria do sensegiving, esse estudo longitudinal de vários casos examina como os administradores ajudam os professores e outros administradores a compreenderem a reforma do sistema durante os dois primeiros anos de implementação. Descobri que sensegiving não intencional dos administradors complicou a compreensão dos outros sobre a nova reforma do sistema, o que complicou a implementação. Com base nesses resultados, apresento o conceito de sensegiving não intencional para teorizar como os líderes podem dar sentido de maneiras que não pretendem, mas ainda assim ter grandes impactos sobre como os outros entendem e respondem a uma reforma. Antes de defender uma reforma do sistema, os líderes merecem oportunidades para (a) familiarizar-se com os detalhes dessa reforma e reformas do sistema em geral; (b) estudar cuidadosamente seus sistemas existentes, incluindo seus contextos locais, e considerar quais dinâmicas podem ser criadas quando elas implementam a nova reforma; (c) explorar como os sistemas existentes poderiam mudar para se adequar ao projeto de reforma do sistema; e (d) praticar o desenho de conhecimento para ajudar os outros a mudarem seus entendimentos sobre sua prática

Neurodevelopmental outcomes of children born preterm: analyses into the validity of data collection and outcome reports

Background and aims: Information on the neurodevelopmental outcomes of children born very preterm is required for multiple purposes. Reliable and up-to-date data sources are lacking. The overall aim of this thesis is to evaluate the validity and usability of the neurodevelopmental outcome data of very preterm children available from current data sources. The specific objectives were: 1) to examine the validity of outcome data recorded during routine follow-up assessment 2) to explore early childhood social-communication difficulties exhibited by very preterm children 3) to assess the stability over time of neurodevelopmental diagnoses made in early childhood. Methods: Three studies were conducted to meet the objectives. For studies 1 and 2, I recruited children born at <30 weeks’ gestation at 2 years corrected age (age corrected for prematurity) from 13 participating study sites. In study 1, I compared the agreement between the neurodevelopmental outcomes of 190 children recorded at their routine NHS assessments and data obtained by a research assessment using the Bayley Scales of Infant Development, 3rd edition. In study 2, the social-communication skills of 141 children were determined using the parent-completed Quantitative Checklist of Autism in Toddlers (Q-CHAT) questionnaire and compared to published results from the general population. In study 3, I conducted a systematic review and using meta-analytic methods, I calculated the pooled sensitivity and specificity of early developmental assessment in identifying school-age cognitive deficit from 24 studies. Conclusions: 1) Compared with research assessment, routine NHS follow-up assessment had a low sensitivity but high specificity for identifying children with neurodevelopmental impairment. 2) Very preterm children display greater early childhood social-communication difficulties and autistic behaviour than the general population as measured by their parents on the Q-CHAT. 3) Early neurodevelopmental assessment has high specificity but low sensitivity for identifying later school-age cognitive deficits.Open Acces

A Tale of Passion: Linking Job Passion and Cognitive Engagement to Employee Work Performance

We propose a model of job passion that links two types of passion, harmonious and obsessive passion, to employees’ work performance, via the mediating mechanism of cognitive engagement (comprising attention and absorption). Results from a survey conducted with 509 employees from an insurance firm indicate that employees with harmonious passion performed better at work, and that this relationship was mediated primarily by cognitive absorption, that is, the intensity of focus and immersion experienced by the employees when working. However, even though obsessive passion was negatively related to cognitive attention (i.e., the amount of cognitive resources spent thinking about work), it did not have a significant relationship to work performance overall. We identify and discuss research and practical implications for job passion and performance management

My internship experience at Merrill Lynch, New York: stock option scenario analysis

http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/96878/1/BBA_Wong_Helen_Fall_1998Final.pd

The Potential Of Lawin Tuff For Generating A Portland Fly Ash Cement To Be Used In Oil Well Cementing

The current Portland Fly Ash cement is widely used in both construction and oil well cementing process. This paper will focus on cement for oil well cementing process only. Volcanic tuff, which is consolidated volcanic ash largely made up of silicon dioxide and calcium oxide, can be used as a substitute for Portland cement, or as a supplement to it. The materials which make up fly ash are pozzolanic, meaning that they can be used to bind or cement materials together. It will increase the long term compressive strength, reduce fluid loss, good resistance to sulphate attack , less C02 emission ,less permeable and more environmental friendly compare to coal fly ash. This project is about doing research using tuff in La win, Perak to generate Portland Flyash cement. Lawin Tuffis a type of volcanic rock consisting of consolidated volcanic ash ejected from vents during a volcanic eruption. The current fly ash use in Portland cement is from industrial burning of coal and it contains heavy metals and radioactive mineral. Thus, this project is hoped to use natural fly ash from tuff to generate Portland Fly Ash cement that can be used in oil well cementing. Several tests are carried out to determine the best proportion of tuff used to mix with Portland cement and generate best results

Case study on the singing languages and music learning of six years old foochow children in Sarikei

The choice of language used in singing has an effect on children’s response towards music. As multiple languages are used among the Foochow community in Sarikei, which is located in Sarawak, East Malaysia, they provide the researcher an opportunity to observe the influence of different languages, namely Mandarin, Malay, English, and Foochow dialect in the song learning process of 16 six year-old children. It was found that children are more musical singing in the Mandarin and Foochow dialect as compared to singing in the languages of Malay and English. The process of urbanization has also caused the vanishing of traditional arts as well as the decline in the usage of Foochow dialects, in which the change of community and environment have affected the enculturation process of language among Foochow children

Electrochemical and scanning probe microscopic characterizations of spontaneously adsorbed organothiolate monolayers at gold

A host of significant processes in the life and physical sciences (e.g., biological recognition, heterogeneous catalysis, corrosion, and mechanical lubrication) are controlled by interfacial architectures. The origins of many of these macroscopic interfacial processes are controlled by the molecular level interactions at condensed phase interfaces. The development of methods that can detect differences in the composition and orientational disposition of these architectures at high spatial resolution is therefore technologically important. With the invention and the development of a range of techniques commonly called scanning probe microscopy (SPM), probing details of the interfaces at a molecular length scale has now become a reality. SPM is extensively used in the field of organothiolate monolayers. The relatively convenient manipulation of surface architectures and control of the interfacial properties of the monolayers have allowed many variants of SPM to map the chemical distribution of surface functional groups, exploiting a range of interfacial properties (e.g., friction and adhesion) as contrast mechanisms at nanometer length scale. In an attempt to develop a better understanding of the monolayer formation process, the spatial distribution of differing chemical functional groups within the monolayer, and the orientation of the end-groups, this dissertation described the insights gained from SPM with those from macroscopic characterization techniques such as infrared spectroscopy, contact angle measurements, and electrochemistry. Four studies are presented. Common to the body of this work is the use of voltammetric reductive desorption and variants of SPM to gain insight into the nature of the monolayer formation process as well as the resulting interface

A study of cultural orientation and attitudes and meaning toward play: A cross cultural investigation among emerging adulthood in the People Republic of China, Hong Kong, and United States

The purpose of this study was to examine play among emerging adults in the People Republic of China, Hong Kong, and the United States. The primary purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between the respondents\u27 perceptions of play and their personal cultural orientation. The study also explored the relationship between respondents\u27 perceptions of play\u27s importance and their cultural orientation. Respondents\u27 frequency of play was also studied to determine whether there were relationships between frequency of play, countries of origin, and personal cultural orientation. Finally, the study considered the interactive effects among perceptions of play, play\u27s importance, personal cultural orientation, and countries of origin. The study was organized as a non-experimental research design. Written questionnaires were distributed to 322 respondents. A total of 301 completed instruments were return, which yielded a 93.4 % response rate. Data were collected from students who were enrolled in physical education, recreation and leisure courses during the 2010-2011 academic years at the University of Northern Iowa in the U.S. (n=139), Zhejiang University in the PRC (n=70), and the Community College of City University of Hong Kong in HK (n=92). The research instrument in the present study was a self-reported questionnaire that was divided into six main sections: (a) perceptions of play; (b) frequency of play; (c) frequencies of play; (d) personal cultural orientation; (e) criteria for reaching adulthood; and (f) demographics. Play was important for emerging adults in this study for the following reasons: (a) for socialization, (b) for relaxation, (c) to challenge skill and ability, (d) to express emotion, (e) to expend energy, (f) to establish identity, (g) to develop mature interpersonal relationships, and (h) for development. This study demonstrated that personal cultural orientations have significant effects on perceptions of play and play\u27s importance. Moreover, more females than males perceived play as creativity, expression, and learning. Female emerging adults were: (a) more focused on social status, respect, wealth, rights, and privileges (POW); (b) unwilling to take risks (RSK); and (c) tolerant of ambiguity and uncertain situations (AMB) than were male respondents. This research found that emerging adults identified perceptions of play within four categories: (a) intrinsic goal/outcome benefits; (b) intrinsic non goal/outcome benefits; (c) relationship non goal/outcome benefits; and (d) relationship non goal/outcome benefits. Emerging adults perceived play\u27s importance within four categories: (a) for development and socialization; (b) for relaxation; (c) to establish identity; and (d) for expression. Emerging adults in HK perceived team sports, social activities, and card games as the most frequent activities they engaged in during play. Emerging adults in HK indicated that all activities they engaged in during play involved other people. In addition, emerging adults in the PRC perceived team sports, entertainment, and travel as the most frequent activities they engaged in during play. The results of this study have added to the body of knowledge related to Chinese definitions of play and play benefits for emerging adults. The study suggest the need for additional research to gain a greater understanding of Chinese definitions of play and the benefits of play for emerging adults in different countries