Why perceived organizational and supervisory family support is important for organizations? Evidence from the field

Review of Managerial Science - The relationship between perceived organizational support and its work-outcomes were usually based on social exchange theories. By keeping the social exchange...     

Probability of Low‐Altitude Midair Collision Between General Aviation and Unmanned Aircraft

Unmanned aircrafts (UA) usually fly below 500 ft to be segregated from manned aircraft. However, while general aviation (GA) usually do fly above 500 ft in areas where UA are allowed to operate, GA will at times also fly below 500 ft. Consequently, there is a distinct risk of near‐miss encounters as well as actual midair collisions (MACs). This work presents a model for determining this risk based on physical parameters of the aircraft and actual figures for the numbers of GA in a given airspace, as well as the probability of having GA below 500 ft. The aim is to achieve a prediction with a precision better than one order of magnitude relative to the true MAC rate value. The model is applied to Danish airspace and the MAC rate for unmitigated operations of UA is found to be approximately 10^?6 MAC per flight hour. The model is particularly well suited for beyond visual line‐of‐sight operations, and is useful for UA operators for conducting risk assessment of planned operations as well as for regulators for determining appropriate operational requirements.     

I get by with a little help from my supervisor: Creative-idea generation,idea implementation,and perceived supervisor support

In two studies using both field (165 employees and their 24 direct supervisors from a manufacturing firm in Study 1) and experimental (123 second-year undergraduate student participants in lab Study 2) data, we explore how perceived supervisor support acts as a crucial contingency that enables higher levels of idea implementation from creative-idea generation. First, we suggest that excessive creative-idea generation (in terms of both frequency and creativity of ideas) can lead to diminished returns with regard to idea implementation. Drawing on a resource allocation framework, we hypothesize and find a curvilinear inverse U-shaped relationship between employee creative-idea generation and implementation. Second, we find that higher levels of perceived supervisor support dampen the curvilinear relationship between creative-idea generation and idea implementation. Accordingly, perceived supervisor support seems to provide employees with access to resources and support needed for idea implementation, making highly creative ideas more implementable.     

Should occupational codes be obtained from census data or from retrospective survey data in studies on occupational health?

The aim of this study was to assess the quality of occupational history information obtained via retrospective interview questions by comparison with occupational information for the same individuals obtained via a number of censuses. Moreover, morbidity patterns were investigated for different occupational exposure categories that were constructed either on occupational data gathered retrospectively or on data gathered longitudinally through censuses. The study population consisted of 6764 men and 2104 women who were interviewed within the Swedish Survey on Living Conditions. Census data on occupation from 1960, 1970 and 1975 were used for comparison. There was high level of agreement between the two data bases for occupational categories containing workers who were stable in their occupations. The correspondence was better for women. Prevalence rates for different long-term illnesses were almost the same for the categories, no matter which of the data bases was used for constructing the categories. Thus, we have found that self-reported work histories might be a useful way of controlling for occupational exposures in the past.     

Stair-ascent performance in elderly women: effect of explosive strength training

Explosive-type strength training may alter kinetics and neuromuscular activity during stair ascent in elderly women. This may improve functional ability. Nineteen women (69.7 ± 3.4 yr) were randomly allocated to strength training (TG; twice per wk, 12 wk) or a control group (CG). Stair ascent was assessed at self-chosen (AFV), standardized (ASV), and maximal velocity (AMV) pre- and posttraining. Ground-reaction force (GRF) and EMG quantified kinetics and neuromuscular activity. After training, TG increased AMV and AFV velocity by 8% (p = .02) and 17% (p= .007), respectively (TG vs. CG; p< .05). This was accompanied by elevated rectus femoris EMG (from 21% to 48%, p< .047). At AFV, TG increased GRF first peak force 4% (p= .047), and CG increased second peak force 5% (p = .036). Muscle coactivation remained unaltered in both groups. Explosive-type strength training led to enhanced stair-climbing performance at maximal and self-chosen speed, reflecting an improved functional ability.     

Fatigue effects of noise on aeroplane mechanics

Subjective fatigue and reaction time performance were measured in a group of 24 aeroplane mechanics, during 1 week of high noise exposure and 1 week of low noise exposure. Subjective ratings were collected before and after each work day. On the last day of each week subjects also completed a reaction time task before and after work. The mechanics felt more sleepy and less energetic during the high noise week. This effect was most evident towards the end of the day and there was a build-up of the effect during the week. Reaction times were prolonged during the high noise week. Possible confounding factors are discussed and found to be less likely explanations of the effects.     

How philanthropy can alter our view of the past: a look at Colonial Williamsburg

The restoration of Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia, serves as an important study in the history of philanthropy in the United States. Williamsburg demonstrates how the investments of philanthropists such as the Rockefeller family can be used to subtly alter Americans' perceptions of their past. This manipulation resulted in the promotion of the Rockefellers' ideological interpretation of history at Williamsburg. This history stressed the role of Williamsburg as a monument to the ideals of Americanism: democracy, republicanism and individual achievement. Through times of domestic and international crisis, from the Red Scare of the 1920s through the Cold War of the 1950s, the Rockefeller family held up Williamsburg as a beacon to which Americans could look as a steadying force. In doing so, the Rockefellers created a past which never truly existed. They downplayed the roles of women and blacks, who were all but ignored in the early presentation of the town, in favour of the aristocrats of the age: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and George Wythe. The presentation which emerged during the restoration's first half-century was one that failed to acknowledge the roles played by less prominent groups and over-accentuated the importance of a small minority of illustrious townspeople.     

Multiple input transfer function noise modelling in the time and frequency domain:empirical evidence from Monte Carlo simulations

In the present study we have evaluated two competing methods for estimation of the impulse response weights used in the identification of transfer function models:a time domain method involving biased regression techniques and a frequency domain method utilizing a discrete Fourier transform of the cross-covariance system of the transfer function model. The algorithms were implemented on a VAX-8800 computer at the Computing Center at Åbo Akademi. The evaluation of the competing methods was carried out by simulations of different transfer function noise model structures. The models are essentially the same as those of Edlund, but we have used a far greater number of replications in the cases tested. Furthermore, we have used actually identified and estimated autoregressive integrated moving-average models of the residuals in the identification procedure of impulse response weights, in contrast with Edlund who only used theoretical noise models in filtering the input and output series. After a shot discussion of the underlying theory, we present the procedures and results of the empirical testing.     

Risk Perception and New Age Beliefs

This is a study of risk perception in relation to New Age (NA) beliefs, including traditional folk superstition and belief in paranormal phenomena, as well as use of alternative healing practices. Data were also obtained on trust dimensions and on personality and psychopathology variables, as well as religious involvement. It was found that four factors accounted for the investigated NA beliefs, which were termed higher consciousness beliefs, denial of analytic knowledge, traditional superstition, and belief in the physical reality of the soul. NA beliefs were strongly and positively related to religious involvement, and negatively to educational level. These beliefs were also positively related to maladjustment and to concerns over tampering with nature. In regression analyses, it was found that NA beliefs explained about 15% of the variance of perceived risk, and that the most powerful explanatory factors were higher consciousness beliefs and beliefs in paranormal phenomena. Traditional superstition and use of healing practices did not contribute to explaining perceived risk.     

Bargaining over a finite set of alternatives

We analyze bilateral bargaining over a finite set of alternatives. We look for "good" ordinal solutions to such problems and show that Unanimity Compromise and Rational Compromise are the only bargaining rules that satisfy a basic set of properties. We then extend our analysis to admit problems with countably infinite alternatives. We show that, on this class, no bargaining rule choosing finite subsets of alternatives can be neutral. When rephrased in the utility framework of Nash (1950), this implies that there is no ordinal bargaining rule that is finite-valued. Professor Sertel passed away on January 25, 2003.