Individual differences in cognitive style and their effects on task and social orientations of self-managed work teams

When assembling self-managing work teams, the personalities of team members are often overlooked. One personality variable known to be critical for effective decision making in teams is cognitive style. This study sought to examine how differences and similarities in analytic/intuitive cognitive styles affected the behavior of team members on the task/emotionally expressive dimension identified by Bales. As hypothesized, intuitive individuals and homogeneous intuitive teams were found to initiate more social-emotional acts. Contrary to expectations, intuitive rather than analytic individuals and homogeneous intuitive rather than analytic teams engaged in more task-oriented behaviors. Teams also tended to select intuitive individuals as leaders. The possibility that different combinations of styles may be important for overall team effectiveness was subsequently discussed, and it was suggested that this may depend on whether the nature of the work environment is relatively well structured and mechanistic or relatively unstructured and organic.

Group work and cognitive style:a discursive investigation

This article investigates the relationship between work-group members’ cognitive style (as measured by Allinson and Hayes’s Cognitive Style Index), the group’s task and setting, and the way in which group members behave in the group. Behavior of a homogeneous analytic, a homogeneous intuitive, and a heterogeneous group was observed in a mechanistic setting and analyzed using discourse analysis. This study is discussed in light of a previous study in which homogeneous analytic and homogeneous intuitive groups worked in an organic setting. These two studies use different methodologies (quantitative approach versus qualitativediscursive). The benefits of methodological eclecticism are discussed.

An iterative-style approach to constructing intelligent tutoring systems in mathematics

Mathematics is highly structured and also underpins most of science and engineering. For this reason, it has proved a very suitable domain for Intelligent Tutoring System (ITS) research, with the result that probably more tutoring systems have been constructed for the domain than any other. However, the literature reveals that there still exists no consensus on a credible approach or approaches for the design of such systems, despite numerous documented efforts. Current approaches to the construction of ITSs leave much to be desired. Consequently, existing ITSs in the domain suffer from a considerable number of shortcomings which render them 'unintelligent'. The thesis examines some of the reasons why this is the case. Following a critical review of existing ITSs in the domain, and some pilot studies, an alternative approach to their construction is proposed (the 'iterative-style' approach); this supports an iterative style, and also improves on at least some of the shortcomings of existing approaches. The thesis also presents an ITS for fractions which has been developed using this approach, and which has been evaluated in various ways. It has, demonstrably, improved on many of the limitations of existing ITSs; furthermore, it has been shown to be largely 'intelligent', at least more so than current tutors for the domain. Perhaps more significantly, the tutor has also been evaluated against real students with, so far, very encouraging results. The thesis thus concludes that the novel iterative-style approach is a more credible approach to the construction of ITSs in mathematics than existing techniques.

The nature of cognitive style and its relationship to educational performance

A survey is made of the literature relating to a number of dimensions of cognitive style, from which it is concluded that cognitive style has a strong theoretical potential as a predictor of academic performance. It is also noted that there have been few attempts to relate co gnitive style to academic performance, and that these have met with limited success. On the assumption that theories of individual differences should be congruent with theories of general functioning, an examination is made of the model of cognition presupposed by ,dimen sions of cognitive style. A central feature of this model is the distinction between cognitive content and cognitive structure. The origins of this distinction are traced back to the normative and experimental or quasi-experimental characteristics of research in psychology. The validity of the distinction is examined with reference to modern research findings, and the conclusion is drawn that the norma~ive experimental method is an increasingly inappropriate tool of research when applied to higher levels of cognitive functioning, as it cannot handle subject idiosyncracy or patterns of interaction. An examination of the presuppositions of educational research leads to the complementary conclusion that the research methods imply an oversimplified model of the educational situation. Two empirical studies are reported: (1) An experiment using conventional cognitive style dimensions as predictors of performance under two teaching methods (2) An attempt to predict individual differences in overall academic performance by means of a research technique which uses a questionnaire, intra-individual scoring, and an analysis of patterns of responses, and which attempts to take some account of subject idiosyncracy. The implifications of these studies for fUrther research are noted.

Breast clinic and life style study BLLISS

Background: Independent, strong and unequivocal evidence suggests that life style factors such as obesity and lack of physical activity along with certain reproductive choices can increase the risk of breast cancer. There are no studies measuring the effectiveness of guidelines from the Department of Health regarding life style choices made by women presenting to breast clinics. The aim of this audit was to study the prevalence of obesity, physical activity and reproductive factors in women referred to breast clinic. Patients and methods: All patients attending the Breast clinic as new referrals were invited to complete a life style questionnaire. The data was analysed for prevalence of various risk factors for breast cancer. Three hundred and 73 patients completed the questionnaire. Results: Final analyses of 373 patients demonstrated that 42% of women performed no exercise and only 24% of patients met Department of Health guideline of 30 minutes of exercise for 5 days a week. Overall 50% of patients were either obese or overweight and 22% of patients had BMI of > 30 kg/m. The median age of menarche was 13 and 18% of women started their period below the age 12. Twenty one percent of women were nulliparous and 14% had their first live birth after the age of 30. Fourteen percent of patients were on the hormone replacement therapy of which 57% have used hormones for more than 5 years. Twenty two percent of women smoked and 9% of women consumed alcohol 5 days a week of which 13% had more than 4 glasses of alcohol in a day. Conclusion: There is preponderance of high risk life style choices in women attending breast clinic. If these life style options are not modified, there could potentially be a significant rise in the number of breast cancer in West Midlands.

Thomas, Howard, O'Neal, Don and Ghertman, Michael (Eds). Strategy, structure and style. Chichester: John Wiley, 1997

Book review

Leadership and style in the French Fifth Republic:Nicolas Sarkozy’s presidency in historical and cultural perspective

This article contributes to the body of the developing theoretical research in leadership and presidential studies by adding analysis of what I have termed ‘comportmental style’ as a factor in leader/follower relations. Within institutionalism and the wider structure/agency debate in political science, one of the challenges as regards the study of leadership is to identify factors that offer scope to or else militate against leaders’ performance. The comportmental style of Nicolas Sarkozy (President of the French Republic 2007–2012), deployed in the context of the – changing – institution of the presidency, was a major factor in his extreme unpopularity, and contributed to his defeat in 2012. What this tells us about the nature of the changing French presidency and the role of style will be discussed in the conclusion.

Marine Le Pen and the 'New' FN:a change of style or of substance?

The electoral challenge of the far right is an enduringly problematic feature of contemporary French politics. In the first rounds of the 2012 presidential and parliamentary elections, the Front National (FN) under new leader Marine Le Pen attracted a combined total of ten million votes, bringing its ultra-nationalist policies to the centre of national political debate. This article examines the FN's impact on these elections and its implications for French politics. Drawing on official FN programmes, detailed election results and a range of opinion polling data, it assesses the strength of support for Le Pen and her party and seeks to explain their electoral appeal. In particular, it subjects to analysis the claim that the new leader has ‘de-demonised’ the FN, transforming it from perennial outsider to normal participant in mainstream French politics; and it reflects on the strategic dilemma posed for the centre-right by this newly invigorated far-right challenge.