The Role of Visuospatial Ability in the Raven’s Progressive Matrices

2017 ◽  
Vol 38 (4) ◽  
pp. 241-255 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicolette A. Waschl ◽  
Ted Nettelbeck ◽  
Nicholas R. Burns

Abstract. Debate surrounding the role of visuospatial ability in performance on the Raven’s Progressive Matrices (RPM) has existed since their conception. This issue has yet to be adequately resolved, and may have implications regarding sex differences in scores. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the relationship between RPM performance, visuospatial ability and fluid ability, and any sex differences in these relationships. Data were obtained from three samples: two University samples completed the Advanced RPM and one population-based sample of men completed the Standard RPM. All samples additionally completed an alternative measure of fluid ability, and one or more measures of visuospatial ability. Structural equation modeling was used to examine the relationships between performance on the visuospatial and fluid ability tests and performance on the RPM. Visuospatial ability was found to significantly contribute to performance on the RPM, over and above fluid ability, supporting the contention that visuospatial ability is involved in RPM performance. No sex differences were found in this relationship, although sex differences in visuospatial ability may explain sex differences in RPM scores.

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 568-591
Author(s):  
Alice Chaves ◽  
Leonardo Flach ◽  
Jonatas Dutra Sallaberry

Purpose – The research analyzed the determinants (Performance Expectation, Expectation of Effort, Social Influence, Facilitating Conditions, Hedonic Motivation, Value and Habit) of the intention and the behavior of using online discount coupons, through UTAUT2 in the Brazilian context. Design/methodology/approach – The survey was adopted with an instrument adapted from Yang (2010) and Christino et al. (2019) validated by experts. Made available online, the instrument collected 309 responses for analysis using the structural equation modeling technique. Findings – The results validated the positive relationships for Facilitating Conditions, Hedonic Motivation, Perceived Value, Habit and Performance Expectation - the highest’s coefficients. The influence of Expectation on Effort and Social Influence has not been validated. Research limitations/implications – The results cannot be generalized to all Brazilian individuals, in addition to considering recognized determinants of international literature. For this reason, suggestions are made for continuing and deepening the research. Practical implications – The results contribute by indicating the main perceptions that lead to the intention and use of discount coupons, which are the performance expectation and the habit. Thus, managers can develop their sales strategies considering such factors while society can establish strategies to more sustainable purchases. Originality/value – The research discusses the determinants of UTAUT2 in the Brazilian context to explain the intention and behavior of using online discount coupons, which are grouped together are unprecedented in Brazilian literature.


2021 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 16-32
Author(s):  
Titi Laras ◽  
Rutha Mathilde Santana ◽  
Bambang Jatmiko ◽  
Tiyas Puji Utami

Research aims: This study aims to examine the role of career development in mediating the relationship between intellectual capital and organizational culture on employee performance.Design/Methodology/Approach: This study used a proportional stratified random sampling method with 126 permanent employees of local banks in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, as research respondents. The respondents included Head Office, Main Branch Office, and Senopati Branch Office. The data were collected by distributing a questionnaire, and the secondary data were in the form of data or documents that supported and strengthened the primary information from books, magazines, journals, and other documents. Then, the analytical tool utilized in this study was SEM (Structural Equation Modeling) to test the research hypotheses.Research findings: The results showed that intellectual capital and organizational culture had a positive and significant effect on career development and performance, but career development had no positive and significant effect on performance. Meanwhile, career development could not mediate the effect of intellectual capital and organizational culture on performance.Theoretical contribution/Originality: The study results contribute to the literature (body of knowledge), especially as additional discussion toward theory and literature related to intellectual capital, organizational culture, career development, and performance in local banks, which is still very limited.


2021 ◽  
Vol 49 (3) ◽  
pp. 1-15
Author(s):  
Jian-Li Gao ◽  
Dong-Sheng Li ◽  
Mary-Louise Conway

Entrepreneurial passion is seen as a valuable predictor of entrepreneurs' behavior and performance. We explored what makes entrepreneurs passionate by adopting a qualitative research method from a social support perspective. To test our hypotheses we conducted a survey with 287 young entrepreneurs in China. Using structural equation modeling we studied the impact of three types of support from the family on entrepreneurial passion. The results show that financial support and social capital support had a stronger influence on entrepreneurial passion than did emotional support. Further, psychological capital played a partial mediating role in the relationship between family support and entrepreneurial passion. This study enhances the integrity of previous research conclusions on entrepreneurial passion and, in particular, provides further insight into the development of nascent entrepreneurs and their new businesses.


2019 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 296-310 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thi Hong Nguyen ◽  
Angelina Nhat-Hanh Le

Purpose The paper aims to explore the role of climate for creativity and innovation as the situational variable to lead to both expected and unexpected consequences (e.g. performance and unethical behavior), by discovering the relationships among task characteristics (e.g. difficulty, clarity and performance pressure), individual psychological aspects (e.g. mindfulness and self-justification) and work environmental conditions (e.g. peer behavior and climate for creativity and innovation). In this study, task characteristics are proposed to positively associate with unethical behavior via mindfulness. Moreover, climate for creativity and innovation is proposed to moderate the relationship between self-justification and unethical behavior. Finally, unethical behavior is predicted to positively influence on performance. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected from the sample of salespeople, who are working for variety of companies in Vietnam. Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) and SmartPLS 3 are implemented to test the path model. Findings Emphasizing both bright and dark sides of promoting creativity and innovation, the study highlights the role of climate for creativity and innovation in strengthening the positive relationship between self-justification and unethical behavior. In turn, unethical behavior positively influences performance. Further, the findings indicate that mindfulness contributes in explaining unconscious unethical behavior. Originality/value Exploring the relationships among climate for creativity and innovation, unethical behavior and performance, this paper contributes for deeper understanding of variety aspects of innovation. Demands for an intelligent management in modern workplaces are suggested.


2014 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nele De Cuyper ◽  
Bert Schreurs ◽  
Tinne Vander Elst ◽  
Elfi Baillien ◽  
Hans De Witte

Impression management is typically seen as a means to achieve success. Little is known about potential side effects for the self, or about impression management aimed at prevention of loss. Here, we probe the relationship between exemplification (impression management aimed at acquiring the image of model employee) and performance and emotional exhaustion, accounting for the moderating role of job insecurity. We use the Resource Model of Self-regulation and the Conservation of Resources Theory to propose that the association of exemplification with performance and emotional exhaustion is more positive with increased job insecurity. Hypotheses were tested in a sample of 603 Peruvian workers using structural equation modeling (SEM). The pattern of results supported our hypotheses: Exemplification has unintended effects when workers feel insecure.


2017 ◽  
Vol 23 (6) ◽  
pp. 1167-1195 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andres Ramirez-Portilla ◽  
Enrico Cagno ◽  
Terrence E. Brown

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the influence that adopting open innovation (OI) has on the innovativeness and performance of specialized small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). This paper also examines the adoption of OI within a firm’s practices and models, and within the three dimensions of firm sustainability. Design/methodology/approach Survey data from 48 specialized SMEs manufacturing supercars were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling. SmartPLS software was used to conduct a path analysis and test the proposed framework. Findings The findings suggest that high adoption of OI models tends to increase firm innovativeness. Similarly, the adoption of OI practices has a positive effect on innovativeness but to a lesser extent than OI models. The moderation results of innovativeness further show that OI models and practices can benefit the performance of SMEs. Specifically, two dimensions of performance – environmental and social performance – were found to be greatly influenced by OI. Research limitations/implications Due to parsimony in the investigated model, this study only focuses on OI adoption as practices and models without considering its drivers or other contingency factors. Practical implications This paper could help practitioners in SMEs better understand the benefits of adopting OI to be more innovative but also more sustainable. Originality/value This study contributes to the literature on the role of OI practices and models regarding the dimensions of firm sustainability performance by being the first paper to investigate this relationship in the context of small and medium manufacturers of supercars.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shpresim Domi ◽  
Fabjola Domi

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the interplay of skill-enhancing human resources practices, customer orientation (CO) and tourism small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) performance indicators. Design/methodology/approach Data for 194 valid cases are gathered through face-to-face techniques in Albanian tourism SMEs. Structural equation modeling is implemented to analyze data and test the hypothesis proposed. Findings Overall, both skill-enhancing human resources (HR) practices (i.e. recruitment/selection and training) are not associated with SMEs performance. Results suggest that using HR selection/recruitment practices are not associated to SME’s CO. Contrary, implementing skill-enhancing HR training practices is significant for SMEs strategy to focus and address customers’ wants and needs. Finally, it was found that the CO mediates the relationship between skill-enhancing HR training practices and performance, but this was not true on the skill-enhancing HR recruitment/selection practices-performance relationship. Originality/value This study makes contributions by further informing the debate about the direct and indirect link between skill-enhancing HR practices and performance. Additionally, it examines the precise role of the skill-enhancing HR practice on SMEs’ culture and or strategy to create value for customers.


2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 954 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jawad Karamat ◽  
Tong Shurong ◽  
Naveed Ahmad ◽  
Sana Afridi ◽  
Shahbaz Khan ◽  
...  

Knowledge management (KM) adoption is crucial to integrating sustainable development within the healthcare sector. Different barriers, enablers, and drivers affect KM adoption. Identifying these barriers, enablers, and drivers and their role in KM adoption is the core of successful KM adoption. However, there is scarcity of studies applying quantitative models and combing barriers, enablers and drivers to check their effect on KM adoption, especially form a developing country’s perspective such as Pakistan. Therefore, this study explores the role of barriers, enablers and drivers on KM adoption in Pakistan. Healthcare professionals participated in the data collection process, and results were analyzed using structural equation modeling. The findings described that: (1) organizational and strategic barriers have significant negative association with KM adoption; (2) government related enablers have significant positive association with KM adoption; (3) healthcare related drivers, and performance-based drivers have significant positive association with KM adoption. This study concludes that government intervention to promote KM adoption is necessary especially in developing countries. These findings will be helpful for the healthcare professionals and policy makers to promote KM adoption in healthcare sector. Current study contributes to the healthcare literature and body of knowledge by providing the empirical evidence of checking the quantitative effect of barriers, enablers and drivers on KM adoption.


2018 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 236-249 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jurgita Lazauskaite-Zabielske ◽  
Ieva Urbanaviciute ◽  
Rita Rekasiute Balsiene

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of work engagement in the relationship between job and personal resources and performance results. Design/methodology/approach Two samples from public (n=250) and private sector (n=475) organizations were surveyed. The hypotheses were tested through AMOS using structural equation modeling. Findings The results of the study confirmed the assumptions of the Job Demands-Resources Model. Specifically, job resources and personal resources predicted performance results via work engagement in both samples. Moreover, in alignment with previous studies (e.g. Bakker et al., 2004), work engagement was moderately related to job performance. Originality/value The present study expands previous research by investigating how job and personal resources facilitate engagement and performance expressed in terms of annual performance appraisal results.


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