Age,work experience,and the psychological contract

The purpose of the current paper is to examine the ways in which age and work experience shape how individuals experience psychological contract breaches. We first introduce the concepts of contract malleability (the degree to which individuals can tolerate deviations from contract expectations) and contract replicability (the degree to which individuals believe that their psychological contracts can be replicated elsewhere). Next, we discuss the variety of reasons why contract malleability and replicability become greater with age and work experience and how contract malleability and replicability may temper negative reactions to psychological contract breaches. We also address the different ways contract malleability and replicability mediate the relationships between age and work experience, on one hand, and exit, voice, loyalty, and neglect behaviors on the other. We consider the moderating effects of age similarity and dissimilarity here as well. The paper concludes with a discussion of the implications for future research designs and for managing older and more experienced workers. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Comparative metabolism of phenanthrene in the rat and guinea pig.

In the present study the biotransformation of phenanthrene in the rat and guinea pig was investigated. 14C-labelled phenanthrene was administered by gavage in corn oil to Sprague-Dawley rats (10 mg/kg b.w./day) and guinea pigs (10 mg/kg b.w./day). Urine and feces were separately collected for the determination of the radioactivity content, and pooled urine was used for the analysis of metabolites. Phenanthrene was metabolized by the rat and guinea pig to free hydroxylated phenanthrenes and their conjugates. The percentages of conjugates, expressed as the total urinary radioactivity, were 39% glucuronides, 24% sulfates and 18% cysteinylglycine for rats; and 39% glucuronides, 23% sulfates and 28% cysteinylglycine for guinea pigs. Enzymatic hydrolysis of glucuronides and sulfates resulted in the formation of free 1,2-, 3,4- and 9,10-dihydrodiols of phenanthrene and 1-, 2-, 3-, and 4-hydroxyphenanthrene in both species.     

Age and innovation‐related behavior: The joint moderating effects of supervisor undermining and proactive personality

Previous research has yielded mixed results regarding the effects of age on innovation‐related behavior (IRB; i.e., generating, disseminating, and implementing new ideas). This paper hypothesizes that the relationship of age with IRB is jointly moderated by undermining behavior on the part of the supervisor and the extent to which the employee possesses a proactive personality. We collected data from 196 employees at three points in time over a one‐year period. Results supported the hypothesized 3‐way interaction of age, supervisor undermining, and proactive personality on IRB. As predicted, highly proactive older workers responded to high supervisor undermining with more IRB, whereas older workers low on proactive personality responded to high supervisor undermining with less IRB. On the other hand, when supervisor undermining was low, proactive personality did not moderate the relationship of age with IRB. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Dimensions,antecedents, and consequences of workaholism: a conceptual integration and extension

While the concept of workaholism has received a good deal of attention in the popular press, theoretical and empirical research have lagged behind. In part, the lack of a formal, agreed upon definition of the construct and its dimensions has hampered research on this topic. The purpose of this review is to offer a cohesive definition of workaholism, discuss its underlying dimensions, and identify its key antecedents and consequences. Measurement issues, directions for future research, and implications for management practice are discussed as well. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Assessment of personal integrated exposure to fine particulate matter of urban residents in Hong Kong

Metropolitan residents are concerned about their exposure to airborne pollutants. But establishing these exposures is challenging. A compact personal exposure kit (PEK) was developed to evaluate personal integrated exposure (PIE) from time-resolved data to particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter less than 2.5 μm (PM_2.5) in five microenvironments, including office, home, commuting, other indoor activities (other than home and office), and outdoor activities experienced both on weekdays and weekends. The study was conducted in Hong Kong. The PEK measured PM_2.5, reported location and several other factors, stored collected data, as well as reported the data back to the investigators using global system for mobile communication (GSM) telemetry. Generally, PM_2.5 concentrations in office microenvironment were found to be the smallest (13.0 μg/m³), whereas the largest PM_2.5 concentration microenvironments were experienced during outdoor activities (54.4 μg/m³). Participants spent more than 85% of their time indoors, including in offices, homes, and other public indoor venues. On average, 42% and 81% of the time were spent in homes, which contributed 52% and 79% of PIE (during weekdays and weekends, respectively), suggesting that improvement of air quality in homes may reduce overall exposures and indicating the need for actions to mitigate possible public health burdens in Hong Kong. This study also found that various indoor/outdoor microenvironments experienced by urban office workers cannot be accurately represented by general urban air quality data reported from the regulatory monitoring. Such personalized air quality information, especially while in transit or in offices and homes, may provide improved information on population exposures to air pollution.

Implications: A newly developed personal exposure kit (PEK) was used to monitor PM_2.5 exposure of metropolitan citizens in their daily life. Different microenvironments and time durations caused various personal integrated exposure (PIE). The stationary monitoring method for PIE was also compared and evaluated with PEK. Positive protection actions can be taken after understanding the major contribution to PM_2.5 exposure.     

Debromination of 1,4-Dibromobenzene and 4,4′-Dibromobiphenyl: A Model for Cleansing of PCBs

The aim of this study is to develop a catalytic method which has advantages over current method to detoxify and degrade environmentally harmful polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). A variety of catalysts have been employed in a preliminary study on 1,4-dibromobenzene and 4,4-dibromobiphenyl which may be considered to represent simple analogues of PCBs. The most satisfactory catalysts are those involving [Pd(dppf)] [dppf = 1,1-bis(diphenylphosphino)ferrocene], generated in situ from PdCl2(dppf) or Pd(dppf)2. In the presence of the reducing reagent, namely NaBH4, debromination has been achieved at relative mild conditions with high product yields (> 70%). Thus, our results indicate the possibility of dechlorination of PCBs with such catalysts.     

Analysis of priority substituted phenols by micellar electrokinetic chromatography

The use of micellar electrokinetic capillary chromatography (MECC) for the separation of eleven substituted phenols listed by the United States Environmental Protection Agency as priority pollutants was demonstrated. The effects of the pH and ionic strength of the buffer, and the length of the separation column on resolution were investigated. The retention characteristics of the eleven phenols in MECC are discussed.