1,720,985 research outputs found
Problematic donation procedures vs. futuristic research and treatment applications: A dichotomous social representation of stem cells in Italy
No full textIntroduction
Currently, stem cells (SC) are one of the most studied issues of medical research as well as a widespread, complex, socially and ethically relevant issue.
Objective
The general aim of the present study is to explore how social representations (SR) of SC is different for people more or less willing to donate SC, also comparing bone marrow SC (BMSC) donation and umbilical cord blood SC (UCBSC) donation.
Method
A paper-and-pencil survey was administrated to 78 Italian respondents. A structural analysis of SC-SRs (prototypical and co-occurrence analysis) was conducted comparing people with a high/low intention to donate UCBSC/BMSC.
Results
Similarly to other bioethically relevant issues, SR of SC seems to be ambivalent and dichotomously organized, with the donation procedure been a barrier.
Conclusion
These results are in line with studies finding two sets of dichotomies: on the one hand, a gift-of-life/replacement-of-body-parts dichotomy coexisting within people's SR of organ donation; on the other hand, a help/pain and needle dichotomy within blood donation's SR. Directions for future research are suggested
Injunctive and descriptive norms regarding Corporate Environmental Responsibility influence workers' attitudes toward pro-environmental behaviors.
No full textCoping with organizational crisis: buffering effects of organization sector prototypicality and employee organizational identification
Full text linkWe explored the interactive role of an organization’s sector prototypicality (the extent to which the organization
embodies the prototype of its market sector) and employees’ identification with their organization
in buffering crises’ negative effects on perceived organizational performance. We propose (1) that highly
prototypical organizations are perceived as more able to cope with organizational crisis, because of their
capacity to reduce the threat associated with crisis, and (2) that this effect is augmented when employees
more strongly identify with their organization, presumably because of a higher trust in the organization’s
capacity to efficiently cope with crisis. Findings from two studies confirmed the hypotheses, by manipulating
(study 1) and measuring (study 2) organizational crisis and the organization’s sector prototypicality,
and by focusing on potential employees (study 1) and on employees of a company facing a financial crisis
(study 2). Theoretical and applied implications of results are discussed
The Normative Influence in Corporate Environmental Responsibility: Creating a Sense of Organizational Belonging in Promoting Pro-Environmental Attitudes
No full textOrganizations play a pivotal role in ecological transition and the promotion of pro-environmental behaviors. Corporate Environmental Responsibility (CER) encompasses voluntary actions undertaken by companies to minimize environmental impact during production and promote these efforts through effective internal and external communication. Grounded in the Focus Theory of Normative Conduct, this research explores how injunctive and descriptive norms related to CER contribute to creating a collective sense of efficacy and commitment to organizational environmental issues, positively influencing attitudes toward both simple (e.g., recycling, sustainable mobility) and collectively challenging behaviors (e.g., acceptance of the company's new energy technologies). Experimental Study 1 involved 439 Italian workers from public and private organizations, utilizing a 2x2 between-subject design to manipulate the intensity of injunctive and descriptive norms. Analyses revealed significant main effects of both norms on collective efficacy and affective commitment but not on pro-environmental attitudes. No interaction effects emerged. To analyze the relationships between the variables, correlational Study 2, with 371 Italian workers, employed a path analysis model. Injunctive and descriptive norms served as independent variables, while collective efficacy and affective commitment acted as sequential mediators. Attitudes toward simple or challenging pro-environmental behaviors were dependent variables. No direct effects of norms, both injunctive and descriptive, on attitudes, were observed, confirming the result from Study 1; instead, the relationship was mediated by collective efficacy and subsequent affective commitment. In both studies, the organization's emphasis on environmental issues did not directly impact workers' favorable attitudes toward pro-environmental matters but indirectly fostered it via a sense of belonging and community within workgroups. This underscores that an organization can establish environmental standards to cultivate a green organizational culture, shaping corresponding attitudes among employees
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Variations on the Author
Full text link“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
Appropriate Similarity Measures for Author Cocitation Analysis
Full text linkWe provide a number of new insights into the methodological discussion about author cocitation analysis. We first argue that the use of the Pearson correlation for measuring the similarity between authors’ cocitation profiles is not very satisfactory. We then discuss what kind of similarity measures may be used as an alternative to the Pearson correlation. We consider three similarity measures in particular. One is the well-known cosine. The other two similarity measures have not been used before in the bibliometric literature. Finally, we show by means of an example that our findings have a high practical relevance.information science;Pearson correlation;cosine;similarity measure;author cocitation analysis
Measuring Career Adaptability in a Sample of Italian University Students: Psychometric Properties and Relations with the Age, Gender, and STEM/No STEM Courses
Full text linkThe continuous transformation of the labor market, characterized by great instability and uncertainty, and by rapid technological changes, has strongly influenced the construction and management of career paths. Nowadays, individuals are faced with careers that are fluid and boundaryless, characterized by discontinuity and a variety of organizations to deal with. In this scenario, the ability to adapt and react to continuous changes in the labor market and in organizations is now a priority for workers. This study presents the psychometric properties of the construct of Career Ability measured through Proactive Personality and Boundaryless Mindset as proxy variables in a sample of 579 adults enrolled at the University of Cagliari (Italy), or recently graduated therein. We aim to rate the factorial structure of the items and to evaluate their multi-group invariance regarding the gender variable. Moreover, the criterion and concurrent validity were assessed. The instrument shows good psychometric characteristics; factorial structure, factorial invariance in relation to the gender variable, concurrent, and criterion validities were confirmed
The Physical Environment in Remote Working: Development and Validation of Perceived Remote Workplace Environment Quality Indicators (PRWEQIs)
Full text linkAs a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, more and more organizations have implemented remote working, resulting in a partial overlap between home and work environments. This study aimed to develop a tool named Perceived Remote Workplace Environment Quality Indicators (PRWEQIs) to study the impact of the remote work environment on worker well-being. A preliminary 20-item version was developed. In Study 1, an Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) was conducted on a sample of remote students (N = 521); the results were confirmed in Study 2 through a Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) on a sample of remote workers (N = 463). The final 15-item PRWEQIs include five indicators, Acoustic comfort, Visual comfort, Quality of the furnishings, Safety, and Space usability, and a second-order factor referring to General perceived comfort. The scale constitutes an initial instrument for assessing the perception of the physical-spatial qualities of the remote working environment
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