The impact of talent management practices on employee retention: The moderator effect of leader-member exchange and role modeling

Organizations are undergoing serious difficulties to retain talent. Authors argue that Talent Management (TM) practices create beneficial outcomes for individuals and organizations. However, there is no research on the leaders’ role in the functioning of these practices. This study examines how LMX and role modeling influence the impact that TM practices have on employees’ trust in their organizations and retention. The analysis of two questionnaires (Nt1=175; Nt2=107) indicated that TM only reduced turnover intentions, via an increase in trust in the organization, when role modeling was high and not when it was low. Therefore, we can say that leaders are crucial in the TM context, and in sustaining a competitive advantage for organizations.

The female coach as a role model for personal growth and development to the female adolescent athlete

Research interest on the topic of female coaches as role models has recently emerged in the coaching literature. Social learning theory (Bandura, 1963; 1977; 1986) has also emerged as an essential framework in explaining learning through modeling. Previous research has examined the coach as a role model, as well as gender differences between coaches. Several authors, with several different conclusions, have studied the significance of gender as an influencer in role modeling. Whitaker and Molstad in 1988 conducted a study focusing on the coach as a role model. What they found was when they combined the results of high school and college aged athletes; the female coach was considered to be a superior role model. The current research used a social learning theory framework to examine the benefits and intricacies of the modeling relationship between female adolescent athletes and influential female coaches. To accomplish this task, the formative experiences of thirteen adolescent female athletes were examined. Each athlete was interviewed, with each semi-structured interview focusing on extracting the salient features of a coach that the athlete identified as being the most influential in her personal development. The data from these interviews were quaHtatively analyzed using case studies. From case studies, a template emerges in which the coach/athlete relationship can be seen as an essential construct in which caring and strong role models can have lasting effects on the lives, values, and successes of adolescent female athletes.

Incorporating social role theory into topic models for social media content analysis

In this paper, we explore the idea of social role theory (SRT) and propose a novel regularized topic model which incorporates SRT into the generative process of social media content. We assume that a user can play multiple social roles, and each social role serves to fulfil different duties and is associated with a role-driven distribution over latent topics. In particular, we focus on social roles corresponding to the most common social activities on social networks. Our model is instantiated on microblogs, i.e., Twitter and community question-answering (cQA), i.e., Yahoo! Answers, where social roles on Twitter include "originators" and "propagators", and roles on cQA are "askers" and "answerers". Both explicit and implicit interactions between users are taken into account and modeled as regularization factors. To evaluate the performance of our proposed method, we have conducted extensive experiments on two Twitter datasets and two cQA datasets. Furthermore, we also consider multi-role modeling for scientific papers where an author's research expertise area is considered as a social role. A novel application of detecting users' research interests through topical keyword labeling based on the results of our multi-role model has been presented. The evaluation results have shown the feasibility and effectiveness of our model.

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Starting from the mid-1960s, family and fertility patterns in Europe underwent fundamental changes. Social scientists have increasingly turned to intergenerational models to explain such changes. This paper deals with one important intergenerational dimension of fertility, namely the transmission of normative beliefs about childbearing choices. Normative beliefs are important determinants of fertility behavior. While norms are learnt and internalized throughout the life course, primary socialization of children within the family and role modeling are important mechanism to ensure norm transmission. Interaction with family members in adult life may reinforce the effects of early socialization and role modeling. The paper focuses on the ways in which mothers and daughters make sense of normative beliefs about childbearing. I draw on set of semi-structured interviews with childless women in reproductive ages and their mothers, collected in Italy between 2004 and 2006. First, I provide a micro-level descriptive analysis of normative beliefs about childbearing norms in mother-daughter dyads. Second, linking these descriptive analyses to the biography of specific dyads, I identify patterns of continuity and discontinuity in the social meaning of children and their fertility outcomes.

A Phenomenological Study Exploring the Experiences of Men Who Work in Maternal-Newborn Nursing Positions

The aim of this study was to explore the experiences of men who choose to work in maternal-newborn nursing roles. Using a qualitative phenomenological approach, interviews were conducted with a purposeful sample of six male nurses who worked in maternal-newborn settings using a semi-structured guide. Four themes emerged: Motivation and Influences in Career Choice, Barriers to Developing Caring Confidence as Maternal-Newborn Nurses, Surviving as Men in Maternal-Newborn Nursing, and The Invisible Norms Associated with Men in Maternal-Newborn Nursing. The study generated meaning surrounding career selection and addressed motivating factors such as role modeling, life experience, and passion for the area of specialization or convenience. There is importance in understanding the experiences of men who choose to work in maternal-newborn nursing roles. Thus, this research has implications for nursing, practice, education, and research, particularly with nursing leadership, policy makers, educators, guidance counselors, and men considering maternal-newborn nursing roles.

Favoriser le développement du rôle des infirmières chefs afin d'accroître les pratiques basées sur des résultats probants en centre hospitalier

Travail dirigé présenté à la Faculté des sciences infirmières en vue de l'obtention du grade de maître ès Sciences (M.Sc.)

Interventions infirmières de stratégies de transfert de connaissances pour prévenir et dépister le délirium chez la clientèle âgée

Rapport de stage présenté à la Faculté des sciences infirmières en vue de l’obtention du grade Maître ès sciences (M.Sc.) en sciences infirmières option expertise-conseil

Attitudes of dental students to hand hygiene practices at a dental school

Objectives. The purpose of this study was to elucidate behavioral determinants (prevailing attitudes and beliefs) of hand hygiene practices among undergraduate dental students in a dental school. ^ Methods. Statistical modeling using the Integrative Behavioral Model (IBM) prediction was utilized to develop a questionnaire for evaluating behavioral perceptions of hand hygiene practices by dental school students. Self-report questionnaires were given to second, third and fourth year undergraduate dental students. Models representing two distinct hand hygiene practices, termed "elective in-dental school hand hygiene practice" and "inherent in-dental school hand hygiene practice" were tested using linear regression analysis. ^ Results. 58 responses were received (24.5%); the sample mean age was 26.6 years old and females comprised 51%. In our models, elective in-dental school hand hygiene practice and inherent in-dental school hand hygiene practice, explained 40% and 28%, respectively, of the variance in behavioral intention. Translation of community hand hygiene practice to the dental school setting is the predominant driver of elective hand hygiene practice. Intended elective in-school hand hygiene practice is further significantly predicted by students' self-efficacy. Students' attitudes, peer pressure of other dental students and clinic administrators, and role modeling had minimal effects. Inherent hand hygiene intent was strongly predicted by students' beliefs in the benefits of the activity and, to a lesser extent, role modeling. Inherent and elective community behaviors were insignificant. ^ Conclusions. This study provided significant insights into dental student's hand hygiene behavior and can form the basis for an effective behavioral intervention program designed to improve hand hygiene compliance.^

The influence of parent's body mass index on peer selection: An experimental approach using virtual reality

Relatively little is known about the influence of psychosocial factors, such as familial role modeling and social network on the development and maintenance of childhood obesity. We investigated peer se- lection using an immersive virtual reality environment. In a virtual schoolyard, children were confronted with normal weight and overweight avatars either eating or playing. Fifty-seven children aged 7–13 participated. Interpersonal distance to the avatars, child's BMI, self-perception, eating behavior and parental BMI were assessed. Parental BMI was the strongest predictor for the children's minimal distance to the avatars. Specifically, a higher mothers' BMI was associated with greater interpersonal distance and children approached closer to overweight eating avatars. A higher father's BMI was associated with a lower interpersonal distance to the avatars. These children approached normal weight playing and overweight eating avatar peers closest. The importance of parental BMI for the child's social approach/ avoidance behavior can be explained through social modeling mechanisms. Differential effects of pa- ternal and maternal BMI might be due to gender specific beauty ideals. Interventions to promote social interaction with peer groups could foster weight stabilization or weight loss in children.

Modelling context information with ORM

Context-aware applications rely on implicit forms of input, such as sensor-derived data, in order to reduce the need for explicit input from users. They are especially relevant for mobile and pervasive computing environments, in which user attention is at a premium. To support the development of context-aware applications, techniques for modelling context information are required. These must address a unique combination of requirements, including the ability to model information supplied by both sensors and people, to represent imperfect information, and to capture context histories. As the field of context-aware computing is relatively new, mature solutions for context modelling do not exist, and researchers rely on information modelling solutions developed for other purposes. In our research, we have been using a variant of Object-Role Modeling (ORM) to model context. In this paper, we reflect on our experiences and outline some research challenges in this area.

Transformação de modelos ORM-UML

Dissertação de Mestrado, Engenharia Informática, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade do Algarve, 2014

Une comparaison des journaux non structurés et des journaux structurés rédigés par les étudiants en hygiène dentaire

The Canadian Dental Hygienists Association (CDHA) has indicated that there is a need for research in education in the field of dental hygiene. It seems that when compared to the nursing profession, the profession of dental hygiene is only in the earliest stages of investigating ways of teaching critical thinking. The faculty of the dental hygiene program at John Abbott College has always valued the skill of self-assessment in the students, yet there are few specific learning activities provided whereby the students can learn how to perfect and work on this invaluable skill of self-reflection in order to better self-assess. Although self-assessment is required of the students upon the completion of each clinical experience in Clinic 1, 2 and 3, a modest amount of clinical time is allotted to reflect upon this most important skill. It appears that more could be done to prepare our students to assess their learning and clinical practice. Self-reflection as an essential element of practice has a valid place in professional education. The purpose of conducting this study was to find out whether unstructured or structured self-reflective journal writing is a sound pedagogical technique to encourage dental hygiene students’ self-assessment through self-reflection. The research design for the project was a single case study. The paradigm for the study was chosen with a purposeful selection of participants, involving twenty-seven, third-year dental hygiene students at John Abbott College. The students were arbitrarily enrolled in two sections, which for the purpose of this study were referred to as Group A and Group B. Three duplicated coded anonymous journal entries from each student were collected over a ten-week period during the Fall 2009 semester. To examine the students’ level of self-reflection, two methods were used. First a content analysis of reflective journals was used to ascertain the level and substance of the reflections from their clinical experiences with the intent of looking more specifically at the students’ self-assessment. The journal entries were coded and analyzed after the grades were submitted at the end of the school term. This was followed by the distribution of an anonymous questionnaire to the students in both sections. The responses of the questionnaire were tabulated and analyzed. An analysis was done on the data collected in order to determine whether age, education and or mother tongue of the students in both Groups A and B had an influence on their perceptions of journal writing, as well as the student’s opinions about the value of journal writing. This questionnaire included two open-ended questions to assist in gathering additional data on the student’s thoughts on writing journals. A content analysis of the qualitative data collected from the open-ended questions in the questionnaire was also analyzed. Results indicated there were very few differences in the level of self-reflection leading to self-assessment. However, students in Group B who were assigned structured journals showed more evidence of deeper learning. Taken as a whole, the journal entries clearly showed the students were involved in ‘reflection-on-action’ of their clinical experiences (Schon 1987, as cited in Asadoorian & Batty, 2005). The quality of the responses for the most part indicated the students took the time and effort to record their perceptions of their clinical experiences. It is important to note that the results do indicate that students did show a need to self-reflect and assess. The students did in fact validate the importance of reflection through journal writing, even though they did not particularly like it as an added assignment. The journals were found to be very helpful to the research in getting to know what the issues were that held the students’ attention. They explained how and to what extent the students developed relationships with their clients. It was obvious that clinicians have an impact and influence on student learning. The students value the help, role modeling, patience, encouraging words and or gestures, positive reinforcement, and understanding provided by their clinicians. This research provides some evidence that students do believe that self-reflection through structured journal writing helped them better prepare for future clinical sessions with their clients. Our goal as educators should be to encourage dental hygiene students to self-assess through written self-reflection as an established practice for deeper learning.

Valuation of marine and coastal ecosystems: The role of ecological-economic modeling

A Work Project, presented as part of the requirements for the Award of a Masters Degree in Economics from the NOVA – School of Business and Economics

Functional analysis and structural modeling of human APOBEC3G reveal the role of evolutionarily conserved elements in the inhibition of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 infection and Alu transposition.

Retroelements are important evolutionary forces but can be deleterious if left uncontrolled. Members of the human APOBEC3 family of cytidine deaminases can inhibit a wide range of endogenous, as well as exogenous, retroelements. These enzymes are structurally organized in one or two domains comprising a zinc-coordinating motif. APOBEC3G contains two such domains, only the C terminal of which is endowed with editing activity, while its N-terminal counterpart binds RNA, promotes homo-oligomerization, and is necessary for packaging into human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) virions. Here, we performed a large-scale mutagenesis-based analysis of the APOBEC3G N terminus, testing mutants for (i) inhibition of vif-defective HIV-1 infection and Alu retrotransposition, (ii) RNA binding, and (iii) oligomerization. Furthermore, in the absence of structural information on this domain, we used homology modeling to examine the positions of functionally important residues and of residues found to be under positive selection by phylogenetic analyses of primate APOBEC3G genes. Our results reveal the importance of a predicted RNA binding dimerization interface both for packaging into HIV-1 virions and inhibition of both HIV-1 infection and Alu transposition. We further found that the HIV-1-blocking activity of APOBEC3G N-terminal mutants defective for packaging can be almost entirely rescued if their virion incorporation is forced by fusion with Vpr, indicating that the corresponding region of APOBEC3G plays little role in other aspects of its action against this pathogen. Interestingly, residues forming the APOBEC3G dimer interface are highly conserved, contrasting with the rapid evolution of two neighboring surface-exposed amino acid patches, one targeted by the Vif protein of primate lentiviruses and the other of yet-undefined function.

The Role of the Delay Time in the Modeling of Biological Range Expansions

The time interval between successive migrations of biological species causes a delay time in the reaction-diffusion equations describing their space-time dynamics. This lowers the predicted speed of the waves of advance, as compared to classical models. It has been shown that this delay-time effect improves the modeling of human range expansions. Here, we demonstrate that it can also be important for other species. We present two new examples where the predictions of the time-delayed and the classical (Fisher) approaches are compared to experimental data. No free or adjustable parameters are used. We show that the importance of the delay effect depends on the dimensionless product of the initial growth rate and the delay time. We argue that the delay effect should be taken into account in the modeling of range expansions for biological species