Higher education amid COVID-19 pandemic: contributions from resilience, positive orientation and grit

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Afsaneh Ghanizadeh

PurposeThe major purpose of the present study is to investigate the contribution of academic resilience in accounting for two motivational and attitudinal constructs ? Grit and positive orientation and also probe the predictive power of all these constructs in academic achievement of university students in the midst of the pandemic COVID-19.Design/methodology/approach521 university students participated in an online survey. To measure academic resilience, a scale designed and validated by Kim and Kim (2016) comprising 26 items was employed. The scale contains five sub-factors: perceived happiness, empathy, sociability, persistence and self-regulation. Grit was assessed via an 8-item scale comprising two facets: perseverance of effort (PE) and consistency of interest (CI). It was designed by Duckworth and Gross (2014). Positive orientation was determined through positivity scale developed by Caprara et al. (2010), consisting of eight items.FindingsThe results of structural equation modeling (SEM) revealed that resilience positively and significantly predicted both grit (β = 0.56, t = 6.41) and positive orientation (β = 0.54, t = 6.35). Resilience also predicted academic achievement directly (β = 0.71, t = 9.12) and indirectly via its impact on grit and positive orientation. It was also found that positive orientation and grit are positively and highly associated (β = 0.77, t = 9.28).Originality/valueThe pandemic COVID-19 brought about substantial changes in university students' education and their overall life style. Many university students around the globe experienced virtual education. Balancing personal and academic roles in these unprecedented conditions seems to be a tough challenge for every university student.

Author(s):  
Nuh Yavuzalp ◽  
Eralp Bahcivan

AbstractThe aim of this study is to examine the relationships of readiness for e-learning with self-regulation skills, satisfaction, and academic achievement in university students taking campus-based courses via distance learning. In this context, a structural equation model is proposed by taking studies in the literature into consideration. The proposed model is analyzed and discussed in the light of the literature. A total of 749 university students from a state university in Turkey participated voluntarily in the study. A scale of readiness for e-learning, a self-regulated online learning scale, and a satisfaction survey were used as data collection tools in the study. The fit index values obtained from the analysis were observed to be χ2/df = 4.11, CFI = .90, and RMSEA = .06, which were at an acceptable level. The research results reveal that the university students’ readiness for e-learning was effective on their self-regulation skills, satisfaction, and academic achievement. Implementation suggestions are made in line with the research findings and conclusions.


2015 ◽  
Vol 20 (5) ◽  
pp. 446-463 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wilmar B. Schaufeli

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to integrate leadership into the job demands-resources (JD-R) model. Based on self-determination theory, it was argued that engaging leaders who inspire, strengthen, and connect their followers would reduce employee’s levels of burnout and increase their levels of work engagement. Design/methodology/approach – An online survey was conducted among a representative sample of the Dutch workforce (n=1,213) and the research model was tested using structural equation modeling. Findings – It appeared that leadership only had an indirect effect on burnout and engagement – via job demands and job resources – but not a direct effect. Moreover, leadership also had a direct relationship with organizational outcomes such as employability, performance, and commitment. Research limitations/implications – The study used a cross-sectional design and all variables were based on self-reports. Hence, results should be replicated in a longitudinal study and using more objective measures (e.g. for work performance). Practical implications – Since engaged leaders, who inspire, strengthen, and connect their followers, provide a work context in which employees thrive, organizations are well advised to promote engaging leadership. Social implications – Leadership seems to be a crucial factor which has an indirect impact – via job demands and job resources – on employee well-being. Originality/value – The study demonstrates that engaging leadership can be integrated into the JD-R framework.


Author(s):  
Angel M. Dzhambov ◽  
Peter Lercher ◽  
Drozdstoy Stoyanov ◽  
Nadezhda Petrova ◽  
Stoyan Novakov ◽  
...  

Background: Online education became mandatory for many students during the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and blurred the distinction between settings where processes of stress and restoration used to take place. The lockdown also likely changed perceptions of the indoor acoustic environment (i.e., soundscape) and raised its importance. In the present study, we seek to understand how indoor soundscape related to university students’ self-rated health in Bulgaria around the time that the country was under a state of emergency declaration caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: Between 17 May and 10 June 2020, we conducted a cross-sectional online survey among 323 students (median age 21 years; 31% male) from two universities in the city of Plovdiv, Bulgaria. Self-rated health (SRH) was measured with a single-item. Participants were asked how frequently they heard different types of sounds while at home and how pleasant they considered each of those sounds to be. Restorative quality of the home (the “being away” dimension of the Perceived Restorativeness Scale) was measured with a single-item. A priori confounders and effect modifiers included sociodemographics, house-related characteristics, general sensitivity to environmental influences, and mental health. Our analysis strategy involved sequential exploratory factor analysis (EFA), multivariate linear and ordinal regressions, effect modification tests, and structural equation modeling (SEM). Results: EFA supported grouping perceived sounds into three distinct factors—mechanical, human, and nature sounds. Regression analyses revealed that greater exposure to mechanical sounds was consistently associated with worse SRH, whereas no significant associations were found for human and nature sounds. In SEM, exposure to mechanical sounds related to lower restorative quality of the home, and then to poorer SRH, whereas nature sounds correlated with higher restorative quality, and in turn with better SRH. Conclusions: These findings suggest a role of positive indoor soundscape and restorative quality for promoting self-rated health in times of social distancing.


2018 ◽  
Vol 52 (5/6) ◽  
pp. 1154-1184 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tom Chen ◽  
Judy Drennan ◽  
Lynda Andrews ◽  
Linda D. Hollebeek

PurposeThis paper aims to propose user experience sharing (UES) as a customer-based initiation of value co-creation pertaining to service provision, which represents customers’ level of effort made for the direct benefit of others in their service network. The authors propose and empirically examine a user experience sharing model (UESM) that explicates customer-to-customer (C2C) UES and its impacts on firm-desired customer-based outcomes in online communities.Design/methodology/ApproachBased on an extensive review, the authors conceptualize UES and UESM. By using online survey data collected from mobile app users in organic online communities, the authors performed structural equation modeling analyses by using AMOS 24.FindingsThe results support the proposed UESM, showing that C2C UES acts as a key driver of both firm-desired customer efforts and customer insights. The results also confirmed that service-dominant (S-D) logic-informed motivational drivers exert a significant impact on C2C UES. Importantly, C2C UES mediates the relationship between S-D logic-informed motivational drivers and firm-desired customer-based outcomes.Originality/valueThis study offers a pioneering attempt to develop an overarching concept, UES, which reflects customers’ initiation of value co-creation, and to empirically examine C2C UES. The empirical evidence supports the key contention that firms should proactively facilitate C2C UES.


2013 ◽  
Vol 16 ◽  
Author(s):  
Enrique Merino-Tejedor ◽  
Joan Boada-Grau ◽  
José C. Sánchez-García ◽  
Pedro Miguel Hontangas-Beltrán

AbstractThe objective of this study was to verify the factor validity and structure of the “Irritation Scale” in a sample of 578 Spanish university students. At the same time, the study aimed to verify the criterion-related validity of the scale, analyzing the results obtained through correlation with other variables, such as general self-efficacy, self-regulation, depression, and certain personality dimensions. The results obtained through the Exploratory Structural Equation Modeling approach (ESEM) using Mplus confirmed the presence of two factors in the Irritation Scale, as observed in other international studies within a workplace setting. The significant correlations obtained between the Irritation Scale and the variables considered in the study confirmed the construct validity and verified that irritation is significantly and positively associated with depression and academic burnout, and is negatively associated with general self-efficacy and self-regulation.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Eugene Okyere-Kwakye ◽  
Khalil Md Nor

Purpose Electronic library (E-library) is a form of computer mediated system that uses electronic media, such as Web/internet devices and distributes resources to improve on the quality of teaching and learning. Students’ use of e-library for learning is essential and as such the government has invested hugely into its subscription for several university libraries in Ghana. However, most university students feel reluctant to use the e-library resources for their studies. The purpose of this paper is therefore to examine the factors that influence students’ intention to use e-library resources for their studies. Design/methodology/approach Questionnaire was used to collect data from 200 students from one Technical University in Ghana. Structural equation modeling (SmartPLS) was used to analyze the data. Findings The study found that accessibility, attitude, perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness and relevance to studies have positive significant effect on students’ attitude to use e-library. In addition, self-efficacy, subjective norm and attitude have positive significant influence on students’ intention to use e-library. Research limitations/implications Although the sample frame used for this study may be unique, but the total amount of data collected was limited to providing the general representative of the Ghanaian students in one particular university. Other researchers may consider collecting data from other universities to extend the sample frame for a larger sample size of students. Practical implications Academic administrators need to organize training and workshops on how to use the e-library portal for their search and other didactic assignments. Most importantly, students should be given IT or internet tutorials as foundation for the use of the e-library portal. Social implications Universities have to provide internet access such as hotspot and network routers at the labs, classrooms and other vantage points. It is believed that with these in place, adequate access to the internet would promote students’ engagement on the e-library facility. Originality/value The study examines the factors that influence students’ intention to use e-library resources for their studies in Ghana.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ibrahim Al Nawas ◽  
Shadi Altarifi ◽  
Nabil Ghantous

PurposeLimited knowledge exists on the difference in the antecedents and outcomes of relationship quality's cognitive and emotional aspects for e-retailers. This research tests how utilitarian and hedonic shopping values differentially affect “cognitive and emotional” relationship quality components and how the latter differentially affects word-of-mouth and brand evangelism.Design/methodology/approachOnline survey data were collected from 450 Jordanian online shoppers. Structural equation modeling (AMOS 24.0) was employed to analyze the data.FindingsFirst, e-retailer's informativeness and transaction convenience (i.e. utilitarian values), drive more strongly cognitive than emotional relationship quality, whereas e-retailer's escapism and social presence (i.e. hedonic values) drive more strongly emotional than cognitive relationship quality. Second, emotional relationship quality has a strong significant effect on brand evangelism, whereas cognitive relationship quality's effect is insignificant. Third, there are no statistically significant differences concerning the effect of cognitive and emotional relationship quality on word-of-mouth.Originality/valueThe findings of our research are expected to enhance our understanding of e-retailer relationship quality, its emergence and consequences. They would also provide e-retailers with guidance on how to execute growth strategies by focusing on specific types of brand relationship quality, on the other hand.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jakeun Koo

PurposeThe present study aims to examine how consumers evaluate the extended human brands of athlete celebrities beyond their unique brand personality associated with sports. Athlete celebrities' unique image in sports is used as a human brand, and attitude toward the athlete brand extensions is investigated when the athlete's name is included in a new non-sport brand. The concepts of brand extensions were employed to develop the ideas of human brand extensions.Design/methodology/approachIn total, 198 participants answered online survey questions before and after being informed of athlete brand extensions. Partial least squares structural equation modeling is utilized to test the hypotheses.FindingsThe survey results indicated that athlete–product fit and image transfer positively influenced attitude toward the extension. In addition, attitude toward the athlete brand extensions was significantly influenced by consumers' pre-existing attitude toward the celebrity; however, not by celebrity's expertise.Originality/valueThe research findings imply that some brand extension concepts are applicable to human brands to understand the effectiveness of athlete brand extensions for non-sport products.


2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 167-193 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yu-Hsin Chen ◽  
Ching-Jui Keng

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to develop an extended Push-Pull-Mooring-Habit (PPMH) framework in order to better understand users’ intention of switching from offline to an online real-person English learning platform service. Design/methodology/approach Based on 301 valid responses collected from an online survey questionnaire, structural equation modeling was employed to examine the research model. Findings The causal model was validated using SmartPLS 3.0, and all study hypotheses were supported. The results show that push effects (learning convenience, service quality and perceived price), pull effects (e-learning motivation, perceived usefulness), mooring effects (learning engagement, switching cost and social presences) and habit effects (relationship inertia) all significantly influence users’ switching intentions from offline to an online real-person English learning platform. Practical implications The findings should help online English learning service providers and marketers to understand the intention of offline English learning users to switch to an online real-person English learning platform, and develop related theories, services and regulations. Originality/value The present study extends the prior research of an online real-person English learning platform by providing PPMH as the general framework and demonstrating its efficacy in explaining user switching intentions.


2019 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 235-254 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mengdi Wang ◽  
Dong Li

PurposeIn accordance with Bagozzi’s self-regulation theory, the aim of this paper is to explore the enablers and inhibitors of continuance intention from the perspective of bullet curtain, a new form of commentary on online video websites.Design/methodology/approachA total of 350 questionnaires were collected for the final analysis (covering 101 questionnaires for the pilot test) from China’s bullet curtain website. To analyze the model, the authors adopted SmartPLS 3.2, a structural equation modeling software.FindingsAs the results suggest, there is a positive correlation between satisfaction and continuance intention and a negative association between social network fatigue and continuance intention. In addition, synchronicity between the comments and video content, a dimension of synchronicity proposed in this study, improves the satisfaction. Furthermore, information overload significantly intensify social network fatigue.Practical implicationsThe results help bullet curtain providers offer better interactive environment and improve websites’ functions to stimulate users.Originality/valueBy combining positive effect and negative effect of commentary, this study investigates Bagozzi’s theory in a context of bullet curtain. Besides, combinations of these factors help to gain insights in how the bullet curtain works in online video websites. These offer useful guidelines for managers to optimize a better system.


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