Factors Influencing Voting Results of Local Transportation Funding Initiatives with a Substantial Transit Component: Case Studies of Ballot Measures in Eleven Communities, MTI Report 01-17

This publication is a follow-up study to MTI publication 00-01, Why Campaigns for Local Transportation Funding Initiatives Succeed or Fail: An Analysis of Four Communities and National Data. The earlier publication was case studies of four local ballot tax measures for transportation packages. The current study, Factors Influencing Voting Results of Local Transportation Funding Initiatives with a Substantial Rail Transit Component: Case Studies of Ballot Measures in Eleven communities, uses the same case study methodology as the prior study, and is expanded to 11 communities from the past four years. Some of the important conclusions identified by the study are as follows: 1) The combination of an energetic and credible opposition and a questionable reputation of the transit agency or transit system make it extremely difficult for a ballot measure to be successful; 2) When a community has no prior rail transit system, a comprehensive rail-only package is unlikely to be successful; 3)Without $1 million or more to spend on a combination of direct mail and television advertising it is difficult for proponents to be successful; 4) Developing a consensus transportation package depends on the specific details of the package and it is very difficult to generalize about the needed details; and 5) Under certain circumstances, voters do not appear to place significant importance on the existence or length of the expiration date of the tax used to fund the transportation package

Lessons Learned in Attempting to Survey Hard-to-Reach Ethnic Segments Along with the Presentation of a Comprehensive Questionnaire, Research Report WP-10-02

A survey questionnaire was developed and administered to transit users in the Sacramento Metropolitan Area to analyze the degree to which global satisfaction with transit is impacted by ethnicity and other relevant independent variables. Although the data collected was not analyzed because the sample size was substantially smaller than required, the questionnaire used, which is included in its entirety in an appendix, has some uncommon variables and measurement approaches that can be used in a number of other survey questionnaires used in transit studies. Options involving sampling methodology and methods of administering the questionnaire that would have generated an acceptable sample size also are discussed

Why Campaigns for Local Transportation Initiatives Succeed or Fail: An Analysis of Four Communities and National Data, MTI Report 00-01

As funding from state and national sources has dwindled and demands for relief from traffic and congestion have grown, local governments and transportation agencies are increasingly left to develop their own sources of enhanced revenues. Frequently the bid to increase available revenues comprises a local ballot measure, enabling the citizens served by these governments and agencies to express their preferences for or against increased taxation in support of an improved transportation system. What determines the success of campaigns in support of such ballot measures? To answer this question, this report includes the use of two different approaches and data sources. 1) A statistical analysis of community-level characteristics. Data from localities across the nation, as well those within the state of California, that have conducted elections for transportation tax increase are analyzed to determine what factors seem to affect the outcome of such elections. 2) Case studies of four communities that recently conducted elections for transportation tax increases (Santa Clara and Sonoma Counties in California, and the Denver and Seattle metropolitan areas). The case studies allow for in-depth, qualitative understanding of what election strategies and other campaign elements comprise successful or unsuccessful efforts to raise local revenues. Among the most significant findings from the statistical analysis of local elections were the following: Efforts to fund transportation with taxes where the proportion of elderly is greater than 9 percent are more likely to succeed In communities where the percentage of elderly is greater than 9 percent, the analysis indicates that voters may be more willing to accept local transportation taxes. However, in communities where the percentage of elderly is less than 9 percent, transportation measures may require significantly more determined marketing to enhance the probability of passage. Efforts to increase sales taxes for transportation programs will be less successful in communities with higher sales taxes. A relatively strong and negative relationship between sales tax and support for transportation tax initiatives was identified in the national election data. This suggests that communities with relatively higher sales taxes will be hard pressed to convince citizens to support additional increases

Different views of trust and relational leadership : supervisor and subordinate perspectives

Purpose – The purpose of the study is to investigate how the conditions of trust differ between supervisors and subordinates. By understanding these differences, it may be possible to improve the quality of a leader-member exchange (LMX). Design/methodology/approach – This is a quantitative study using supervisor and subordinate dyads from Portugal. Findings – Supervisors reported that receptivity, availability, and discreteness were perceived to be more important in building a quality vertical dyad linkage as represented by LMX. Subordinates reported that availability, competence, discreteness, integrity, and openness were more important for building a quality vertical dyad linkage as represented by LMX. Research limitations/implications – Status differences between supervisors and subordinates appear to influence conditions of trust. Supervisors are more concerned about conditions of trust that deal with supervisory delegation. Subordinates are more concerned about the conditions of trust based on interactional justice. Originality/value – This research implies that trust is different between supervisors and subordinates. The research is important in building supervisor and subordinate relationships as both need to act in manners that engenders trust from the other side. The difference in conditions of trust may create conflicting expectations about how to effectively build trust.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Leader's human capital as alternative for relational leadership

The current research attempts to revitalize contingency leadership theory. Instead of focusing on subordinate attributes as a substitute for leadership theory, this study examines leader’s human capital attributes as a leadership contingency variable. This paper offers a fresh perspective to contingency leadership literature by exploring a new set of variables. Addressing leader-member exchange (LMX) rather than the conventional focus on leader’s behaviors, this study examines previously untested contingency variables. Using a matched sample of leaders and employees from Portuguese firms, this study examines leader’s education and leader’s organizational tenure as alternatives for LMX with assessed job performance and organizational citizenship as dependent variables. Testing new independent variables sheds additional light on contingency approaches to leadership; as a result, this paper improves the current state of research on contingency leadership. Results seem to indicate that leader’s education is an alternative for LMX as well as suggesting that the leader’s organizational tenure improves LMX. This paper proposes that research focusing on the substitute for leadership may need to examine a different set of variables to determine the viability of contingency approaches to leadership.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Board of Director Diversity and Firm Financial Performance

This study examines the relationship between demographic diversity on boards of directors with firm financial performance. This relationship is examined using 1993 and 1998 financial performance data (return on asset and investment) and the percentage of women and minorities on boards of directors for 127 large US companies. Correlation and regression analyses indicate board diversity is positively associated with these financial indicators of firm performance. Implications for both strategic human resource management and future research are discussed

Reward Strategies for Franchising Organizations

Franchising   organizations   have  peculiar   characteristics   that   distinguish  them  from   other organizations. In view of this, incentive systems that are effective in some organizations may not be appropriate to franchising organizations. In this article, a model is developed for rewarding managers and executives of franchising organizations. This model is based upon the concept of the organization life cycle, and examines reward strategies from the perspective  of both the franchisor and   the franchisee

Strategies to Reduce Serious Infections in High-Risk Solid Organ Transplant Recipients

Solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients endure frequent serious infections owing to multifactorial immunosuppression. This population, however, contains subgroups with distinctive immunodeficiencies including persons with HIV (PWH) and those with poor vaccine responses for whom infection risks may differ. This dissertation focuses on identifying high-risk phenotypes and strategies to reduce infections including immunosuppressive optimization and targeted prophylaxis. The first work analyzes data from the HOPE in Action trials of HIV-donor-to-HIV-recipient SOT (Chapter 2) to elaborate the profile of donors with HIV. Certain coinfections (hepatitis B, syphilis, cytomegalovirus) were more prevalent among donors with HIV. Most donors were taking effective antiretroviral therapy (ART); 20% showed severe immunosuppression. Although HIV drug resistance mutations were frequent, resistance that might evade standard recipient ART was rare (2%). Overall, a minority of donors appeared high-risk for opportunistic infection transmission, though prophylaxis can be optimized. The second work analyzes a national registry of 1225 PWH undergoing kidney transplant (HIV+ KT) (Chapter 3) evaluating the relationship between corticosteroid maintenance and organ rejection, treatment of which predisposes to infection. Early steroid withdrawal (ESW) varied widely among centers (0-90%), and was associated with increased rejection (18.4% vs 12.3% at one year; aHR:1.02.1.39.1.90, p=0.03); graft failure and mortality were not increased. Tailoring ESW to lower alloimmune risk PWH may mitigate the HIV+ KT infection-rejection cycle. The final work (Chapter 4) is a clinical trial evaluating immunoprotection phenotypes following third SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccination in high-risk KT recipients. Preceding negative SARS-CoV-2-spike antibody (anti-RBD) after two-dose vaccination was strongly associated with poor responses to third doses; 45% remained seronegative, none showed Omicron variant neutralization. Immunogenicity varied considerably; 9% showed negative global (anti-RBD/T cell) responses, associated with high-dose mycophenolate use, while 40% showed global positive response; SARS-CoV-2-spike-specific CD4+ T cell expansion appeared necessary, but not sufficient for anti-RBD response. Breakthrough infections occurred in 16%, concentrated among poor anti-RBD responders, emphasizing need for alternative vaccine strategies to improve post-transplant COVID-19 immunoprotection. These findings reinforce complementary roles of observational and trials datasets in understanding infection risks in SOT subpopulations. The COVID-19 pandemic highlights needed rigor for evaluating immunodeficiencies in generating personalized strategies to prevent serious post-transplant outcomes