Texas A&M International University: Research Information Online (RIO)
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Using WarpPLS in e-collaboration studies: Descriptive statistics, settings, and key analysis results
No full textThis is a follow-up on a previous article (Kock, 2010b) discussing the five main steps through which a nonlinear structural equation modeling analysis could be conducted with the software WarpPLS (warppls.com). Both this and the previous article use data from the same e-collaboration study as a basis for the discussion of important WarpPLS features. The focus of this article is on specific features related to saving and analyzing grouped descriptive statistics, viewing and changing analysis algorithm and resampling settings, and viewing and saving the various minor and major results of the analysis. Even though its focus is on an e-collaboration study, this article contributes to the broad literature on multivariate analysis methods, in addition to the more specific research literature on e-collaboration. The vast majority of relationships between variables, in investigations of both natural and behavioral phenomena, are nonlinear; usually taking the form of U and S curves. Structural equation modeling software tools, whether variance- or covariance-based, typically do not estimate coefficients of association based on nonlinear analysis algorithms. WarpPLS is an exception in this respect. Without taking nonlinearity into consideration, the results can be misleading; especially in complex and multi-factorial situations such as those stemming from e-collaboration in virtual teams. © 2011, IGI Global
A new feature selection method based on support vector machines for text categorization
No full textAs a machine intelligence paradigm, the support vector machines (SVMs) have tremendous potential for helping people to classify text document into a fixed number of predefined categories. The purpose of this paper is to discuss a new method of feature selection combined with principal component analysis and class profile-based feature as an input vector for SVMs classifier, and to demonstrate the effectiveness of this process. This paper also demonstrates that an applied method with SVMs improves categorisation performance and reduces the amount of time required to configure a learning machine. Copyright © 2011 Inderscience Enterprises Ltd
Organizational citizenship behavior: The role of value/identity-based motivation
No full textThis study is one of the very limited empirical research efforts on the value/identity-based motivation (VIM) theory proposed by Shamir. In this research, the authors tested the relationships between VIM and the five dimensions of organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) as well as the moderating effects of individualistic/collectivistic orientation on the relationships between VIM and OCB dimensions. Data were collected from employees and their immediate supervisors in organizations located in the Midwestern and Southwestern United States. The results supported the hypothesized relationships between VIM and sportsmanship, civic virtue, courtesy, and altruism but failed to support the expected relationship between VIM and conscientiousness and the moderating effects. The findings of this study provide evidence for the validity of VIM as a theory of motivation for organizational behaviors, particularly in weak situations, and contribute to the body of knowledge regarding the antecedents of OCB. © Baker College 2011
Policing terror threats and false positives: Employing a signal detection model to examine changes in national and local policing strategy between 2001 and 2007
No full textThis paper presents a theory of agency decision-making regarding homeland security policy over the last decade in the United States and inquires about appropriate modes of study to test its potential effectiveness. The key hypothesis is that the staple strategy of agency decision-making during the last decade has been hypervigilance; defined here as: a state in which agency policy is rationally structured to maximize the pursuit of false positives and gravitate aggressively toward security threats. The related research question is How can we study hypervigilance and false positives in all matters regarding policing terror threats? We argue that increased security measures tend to err toward pursuing false positives. However, we do not claim to understand the overall economic costs and benefits of recent homeland security policy decisions, in tangible financial or other realms. We contend that such an understanding is presently unattainable, considering the lack of raw data availability of how many terrorist attacks have been halted by increased security measures within the last decade. We do argue however, that the signal detection model is an appropriate starting methodology for study of such policing strategies. © 2011 Macmillan Publishers Ltd
El encuadre como factor de eficacia persuasiva en los mensajes publicitarios de las ONG destinados a recaudar dinero.
Get PDFEsta investigación estudia la publicidad audiovisual de las ONG, precisamente aquella destinada a recaudar donativos para la financiación de sus proyectos de desarrollo. Para ello, sobre la base de los postulados del ELM se llevaron a cabo dos estudios cuasi-experimentales con un diseño factorial 2x2 de medidas independientes para evaluar la influencia del encuadre del mensaje y del nivel de implicación de los sujetos en el impacto persuasivo de estos anuncios. Los resultados demuestran que el encuadre positivo o de ganancia, que hace hincapié en las consecuencias positivas de donar dinero, es más eficaz que el encuadre de pérdida que recalca las consecuencias negativas de no hacerlo. AbstractThis study analyzes NGO audiovisual advertising designed to raise donations to fund its projects. Based on the ELM postulates, we conducted two quasi-experimental studies with a 2x2 factorial design, aimed to evaluate the influence of message framing and subjects’ involvement level on the persuasive impact of these ads. The results show that the positive or gain frame that emphasizes the positive consequences of donating money is more effective than the loss frame that stresses the negative consequences of not doing so
La institucionalización de los estudios de comunicación en Argentina y Chile en los niveles de pregrado y posgrado: evidencias y preguntas.
No full textEl trabajo es una síntesis de la preocupación de los autores por la institucionalización de los estudios de comunicación en Argentina y Chile. En él se caracterizan algunas tendencias de su proceso de institucionalización en los niveles formativos de grado y posgrado, a partir de las cuales se formulan algunas “preguntas detonantes” sobre la investigación, la perspectiva del conocimiento y la legitimación social del campo académico promovida desde los programas
Sociedad y espectadores: investigando la televisión desde la ciencia social. El caso español.
No full textLa relevancia del medio televisivo en las dinámicas postindustriales se refleja en el creciente interés que despierta en los investigadores. Aunque en torno a este objeto se viene construyendo un espacio de investigación crecientemente sólido, lo cierto es que requiere todavía de presupuestos teóricos así como de herramientas metodológicas que permitan hacer de éste un área de trabajo institucionalizado y con entidad propia.El presente trabajo responde al intento de visibilizar el objeto televisivo, señalando las líneas de trabajo más relevantes, así como las dificultades a las que se enfrentan este área de investigación. A partir de ahí, en primer lugar, se señalan, los problemas de legitimidad científica asociados a este objeto de estudio, así como las dificultades materiales propias de este campo. En segundo lugar, se plantea una revisión de las principales líneas de investigación, así como de algunas de las aportaciones más relevantes en su estudio para el caso español. El ejercicio de compilación de estos trabajos permitirá, por un lado, señalar los pilares teóricos y metodológicos en torno a los que dar una forma más nítida a este campo de análisis. Por otro, posibilita apuntar posibles líneas de continuidad así como de innovación en torno a este objeto. AbstractThe importance of television in postindustrial dynamics is reflected in the increasing interest awakened in researchers. Although around this object it is being building a research field more and more solid, it requires of theoretical assumptions and methodological instruments that allow to make this an institutionalized and self-.entity area of work. This work tries to make visible television object, pointing at the most important research lines, and also the difficulties this area of research faces to. In this way, first of all we point at the problems of scientific legitimacy related to this field of study, and so the material difficulties of working in television. Secondly, we try to give it an academic importance that is nearer to its social presence. In this way, we show a revision of main research lines, and some of the most relevant works in Spanish case. On one hand, this review will let us point at some of the theoretical and methodological axels for defining this field of research. On the other hand, we also show some guides of continuity and innovation around this object
Los umbrales semióticos en las dinámicas interactivas de las prisiones: miradas y aproximaciones al caso de la unidad penitenciaria No. 3 de la ciudad de Rosario.
No full textEl presente trabajo se propone indagar en torno a los continuos desplazamientos de sentido que se establecen en las dinámicas interactivas de las prisiones. Para ello, y a partir de un trabajo empírico realizado en la Unidad Penitenciaria nº 3 de la ciudad de Rosario (Santa Fe, Argentina), reflexionamos sobre los umbrales semióticos carcelarios y su relación con la construcción subjetiva de la población detenida. En ese sentido, presentamos aquí los primeros avances de investigación sobre dicha problemática en la que identificamos cuatro umbrales carcelarios en las interacciones que el preso establece con el resto de los actores sociales de la prisión. Entendemos que allí se encuentra una de las dimensiones constitutivas de la conflictividad en las prisiones argentinas que, mayoritariamente, se “resuelve” aumentando, por parte de la institución penitenciaria, la violencia física y simbólica.AbstractThe present work sets out to investigat the continual displacements of sense that are constructed in the interactive dynamics of prisons. To that end, and starting from an empirical work undertaken in Penitentiary Unit Nº 3 of Rosario (Santa Fe, Argentina), we have reflected about the semiotic thresholds of prisons and their relationship with the subjective construction of the prisoners. In this sense, and taking care that these are the premieres avants of research on this problematic, we have identified four prison thresholds in the interactions that the prisoner establishes with the rest of the social actors in the prison. We conclude that here can be found one of the constitutive dimensions of conflict in the Argentine prisons which, mostly, “resolves” itself through the increase, by the penitentiary institution, of the physical and symbolic violence on the imprisoned subject
Predicting case conviction and domestic violence recidivism: Measuring the deterrent effects of conviction and protection order violations
No full textPrevious research offered little guidance on sentencing outcomes for protection order (PO) violations in cases of domestic assault and whether PO violation charges affected offender recidivism rates. Using data from local court records, this study examined the effect of PO violation charges on the odds of case conviction relative to dismissal, and whether case conviction or a PO violation charge results in lower domestic violence rearrest rates compared to offenders not receiving these sanctions. The models indicate that PO violation charges has no significant effect on the odds of conviction or recidivism rates, and these trends were not significantly different for convicted versus dismissed offenders. Findings are discussed in relation to previous research with recommendations for future areas of study. © 2011 Springer Publishing Company
Trafficking in humans: The TIP report
No full textHuman trafficking occurs throughout the world and is considered to be \u27modern day slavery\u27. To end such victimization, the United States began to take an aggressive stance against human trafficking by enacting the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA) in 2000. Pursuant to the TVPA, the US government has attempted to assess the nature and extent of human trafficking. Since 2001, the US Department of State has compiled data on various forms of international human trafficking and published an annual Trafficking in Persons (TIP) report. Within the report, countries are designated as Tier 1, Tier 2, Tier 2 Watch List, or Tier 3 depending upon whether they are taking active measures articulated in the TVPA to create strong laws, assist victims, and punish traffickers. Until this past year, 2010, the United States did not include itself within the report. Such an omission enabled other nations to challenge the objectivity of the tiered system. In June 2010, for the first time, the TIP Report included the United States in its analysis. This paper will review the positive and negative aspects of the TIP Report and indicate what the potential impact of the US\u27s self-analysis could be on future efforts to end worldwide human trafficking. © 2011 The Authors. Sociology Compass © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd