Do family and peer academic social supports predict academic motivations and achievement of first-year college students?

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Scott C Marley ◽  
M Jean Wilcox

PurposeThis study examines family and peer academic social supports as correlates of academic motivation and first-semester GPA.Design/methodology/approachUsing a correlational design, 468 first-semester college students completed an online survey. Demographic characteristics, high school GPA and first-semester GPA were gathered from institutional data and linked to student survey responses.FindingsBivariate and multiple regression analyses revealed that family and peer academic social supports are predictive of academic motivation and first-semester GPA. The relationships identified were small- to medium-sized and of theoretical and substantive interest.Research limitations/implicationsThe main limitations of the study are the measures are self-reported and the study is correlational, the latter limiting the strength of causal inferences. However, the study provides further understanding of the importance of college students' family and peer social supports in relationship to academic motivation and achievement.Practical implicationsThe research has practical implications for higher educators developing programs to improve family and peer social support. If future research establishes causal relationships, interventions to enhance family and peer academic supports may prove beneficial in promoting academic motivation. Further, encouraging families to broadly discuss academic topics may be ineffective in terms of academic self-efficacy and achievement for historically underrepresented students.Originality/valueThis study makes a unique contribution to the literature by establishing relationships between family and peer supports with academic motivation. Statistical interactions between family and peer supports and with demographic characteristics in predicting academic motivation were identified. If the interactions are replicable, the findings provide avenues for future correlational and intervention research.

2019 ◽  
Vol 48 (2) ◽  
pp. 324-341 ◽  
Author(s):  
Helen De Cieri ◽  
Cathy Sheehan ◽  
Ross Donohue ◽  
Tracey Shea ◽  
Brian Cooper

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to apply the concept of power imbalance to explain workplace and demographic characteristics associated with bullying by different perpetrators in the healthcare sector. Design/methodology/approach All 69,927 members of the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation (Victoria) were invited to participate in an online survey in 2014; 4,891 responses were received (7 per cent response rate). Participants were asked about their exposure to workplace bullying (WPB) by different perpetrators. The questionnaire addressed demographic characteristics and perceptions of workplace characteristics (workplace type, leading indicators of occupational health and safety (OHS), prioritisation of OHS, supervisor support for safety and bureaucracy). Analysis involved descriptive statistics and regression analyses. Findings The study found that the exposure of nurses and health workers to bullying is relatively high (with 42 per cent of respondents experiencing WPB in the past 12 months) and there are multiple perpetrators of bullying. The research revealed several demographic predictors associated with the different types of perpetrators. Downward and horizontal bullying were the most prevalent forms. Workplace characteristics were more important predictors of bullying by different perpetrators than were demographic characteristics. Research limitations/implications There are limitations to the study due to a low response rate and the cross-sectional survey. Practical implications Practical implications of this study emphasise the importance of focussed human resource strategies to prevent bullying. Originality/value The key contribution of this research is to draw from theoretical explanations of power to inform understanding of the differences between perpetrators of bullying. The study highlights the workplace characteristics that influence bullying.


2019 ◽  
Vol 33 (2) ◽  
pp. 91-105 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeremy Whaley ◽  
Jinha Lee ◽  
Youn-Kyung Kim

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether guests’ tipping motivations (i.e. server quality, social norm and food quality) and demographic characteristics (i.e. gender, age and income) influence loyalty to the server in a restaurant. Design/methodology/approach Based on a national online survey consumer panel comprised of 468 participants, the authors utilized decision tree using R statistical software. Predictor variables were tipping motivations and demographic characteristics (age, gender and income). Target variable was loyalty to the server. Findings The findings suggest that social norm, food quality and income influence customers’ loyalty toward the same server on future visits. Social norm turned out to be the strongest predictor. If consumers did not have high social norm on tipping, their loyalty toward a particular server was affected by the combination of determinants such as server quality, social norm, income and food quality. Research limitations/implications Future research can identify or develop scales of tipping motivations with stronger reliabilities in the context of restaurants. Future research can also explore other demographic differences (e.g. ethnicity and sexual orientation) in tipping motivations and server loyalty. Practical implications Servers are indeed the primary contact point and they are in the most influential position with consumers. Overall, results of this study provide an interesting insight in that restaurant guests’ experience can be ruined by bad quality of food or can be mitigated by server quality. Thus, this research highlights a step-by-step process as to the actions that a server may perform and manage in order to enhance server loyalty. Originality/value Loyalty has been examined in the context of products, brands or service providers. This study focuses on loyalty toward a specific server, because the consideration of server–guest relationship provides both a compelling and timely area of study in that restaurants continue to look for unique ways to drive server–guest rapport and customer loyalty.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Payyazhi Jayashree ◽  
Valerie Lindsay ◽  
Grace McCarthy

PurposeTaking a career capital approach, this paper addresses the issue of “pipeline block” frequently experienced by women seeking career advancement. Focusing on the Arab Middle East (AME) region, the authors take a contextually relevant multi-level approach to examine these issues.Design/methodology/approachThe study uses a qualitative, interview-based approach, drawing on data obtained from women leaders from the AME region. Drawing on Bourdieu's capital-field-habitus framework, we explore how women in the AME developed career capital in particular organisational fields.FindingsThe findings show the importance of human and social capital, as well as the influence of habitus for women's career advancement in specific fields. The study also highlights the unique contribution of cultural capital in helping women to navigate organisational fields where it is necessary to both challenge, and conform to, traditional norms.Research limitations/implicationsLimitations of the study include assumptions of homogeneity across countries of the AME, whereas differences are known to exist. Future research should consider these contextual differences, and also include a study of women who were not successful in gaining career advancement.Practical implicationsThe study’s multi-level approach highlights practical implications for women, organisations and society. For organisations, the authors propose some context-relevant coaching strategies that can help women to attain leadership positions.Social implicationsThe study’s multi-level approach highlights practical implications for women, organisations,and society. Focusing on organisations, the authors propose some context-relevant coaching strategies that can help women to attain advancement in their careers.Originality/valueThe study demonstrates originality in the findings by showing how women overcome the pipeline block in relation to their career advancement. The use of the Bourdieusian framework, an in-depth qualitative approach, and the AME context also add to the study's originality.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kendall Goodrich ◽  
Mark Benden ◽  
James Munch ◽  
Wakiuru Wamwara

Purpose This study aims to examine the impact of college students’ health and wellness orientations on the perceived importance of health benefits for an innovative new brand of standing desk, which is hypothesized to positively affect students’ attitudes and intentions. Research in this domain for the college student market is sparse. Design/methodology/approach An online survey was conducted among business students at a large Midwestern US University, with class credit offered for completion. Of the 325 students given the opportunity to participate, 210 completed the survey. Findings Health motivation is positively related to calorie reduction importance, whereas wellness orientation is positively related to back health and cognitive enhancement. Calorie reduction and potential cognitive benefits significantly affect attitudes toward standing desks, which positively impact intentions to use, pay a school usage fee and buy the product. Research limitations/implications Different health orientation factors are associated with specific health benefits, providing greater insight into consumer attitudinal motivations for health-related products. Future research can further evaluate the generalizability of the results. Practical implications Marketers can tailor more effective communications based on underlying consumer motivations for health-related product benefits, resulting in better marketing outcomes. Social implications Obesity is a growing societal issue, which could be ameliorated by improved daily behaviors, including the use of standing desks to assist in countering sedentarism. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, neither academic research has yet examined standing desk purchase decision factors for the college student market, nor the effects of different health orientations on perceived health benefits.


2019 ◽  
Vol 39 (3) ◽  
pp. 319-335
Author(s):  
Shanna Daniels ◽  
LaDonna M. Thornton

Purpose Drawing upon theories of modern discrimination, the present study focuses on cyber incivility and interpersonal incivility as mechanisms through which race leads to perceived discrimination. Participants included 408 full-time working adults who responded to an online survey. The results indicate that Non-White employees experience subtle forms of discrimination through the use of e-mail, which accentuate the need for organizations to eradicate workplace mistreatment so that their employees can avoid the adverse outcomes associated with experiencing cyber incivility. The purpose of this paper is to extend the understanding of selective incivility and concludes with directions for future research and practical implications. Design/methodology/approach Participants included 408 full-time working adults who responded to the survey online. Findings The results indicate that race was indirectly associated with discrimination through cyber incivility. The results indicate that Non-White employees experience subtle forms of discrimination through the use of technology and cyber space which accentuate the need for organizations to eradicate workplace incivility so that their employees can evade the adverse outcomes associated with experiencing incivility at work. Research limitations/implications This study extends the understanding of selective incivility and concludes with directions for future research and practical implications. Originality/value This paper is the first to explore the relationship between race, cyber incivility and discrimination.


2015 ◽  
Vol 23 (5) ◽  
pp. 302-312 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jane Lewis ◽  
Jane Greenstock ◽  
Kim Caldwell ◽  
Beth Anderson

Purpose – The wider research literature indicates that health professionals’ ability to identify possible child maltreatment varies, and that this can lead to under-reporting of possible maltreatment to local authority (LA) statutory child protection agencies. The purpose of this paper is to understand how acute trust paediatric and LA services work together in suspected cases of child maltreatment, and what is viewed locally as good practice. Design/methodology/approach – A mixed-method approach, consisting of an online survey, qualitative case studies and good practice examples, was used to describe key features of current practice in joint working between acute trusts and LA services, and to generate insights that could help improve practice. Findings – Holistic assessment and information gathering, supported by training and expert input, were identified as being critical to a comprehensive approach to identifying maltreatment. Both in-hospital and community-based social work arrangements can be effective bases for joint working in respect of child maltreatment. Effective joint working relies on shared vision and values, and investment in, and commitment to, collaborative working. Research limitations/implications – This study covered arrangements in emergency departments (EDs) and maternity departments only, so future research could usefully look more broadly within acute care settings. Study respondents were also limited to safeguarding leads so, in future, there would be real value in exploring the experiences, practices and views of frontline practitioners. Practical implications – The study includes practical implications for hospital and social work teams working to safeguard children. Originality/value – The study highlights the characteristics of effective liaison between acute trust maternity and EDS and social work teams.


2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 353-377 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph Mbawuni ◽  
Simon Gyasi Nimako

PurposeThis study aims to examine consumer perception of introduction of Islamic banking (IB) in Ghana, which is a new and emerging form of banking in many non-Islamic countries. Design/methodology/approachEmpirical field data were collected from a sample of 975 respondents using self-administered structured questionnaire. Descriptive analysis was conducted using SPSS version 16. FindingsMuslim respondents have significantly positive perceptions of IB compared to non-Muslims and have stronger intentions to adopt IB in Ghana than non-Muslims. Non-Muslims have high perceived benefit of IB. Non-Muslim respondents do not perceive potential threat of violence associated with the introduction of IB in Ghana. Although non-Muslims perceive IB that would make Islam popular, they do not perceive it as a means of Islamizing bank customers. Relatively, non-Muslims appear to have low knowledge of IB, unfavourable attitude towards IB, are reluctant to comply with Sharia law and consequently have weaker intentions to adopt IB. Research limitations/implicationsThis study was limited to descriptive analysis and to only Ghana. Future research should quantitatively model IB adoption and switching factors using samples from other developing countries. Practical implicationsIB institutions could focus on attracting a niche of Muslim consumers at its initial stages. Moreover, to facilitate the introduction of IB, the Bank of Ghana and other relevant stakeholders, in addition to establishing effective governance structures, must promote consumer education to enhance consumer knowledge of IB and correct misconceptions about IB among consumers, particularly non-Muslim customers. Originality/valueOne unique contribution of this study is that it provides an initial empirical exploration of consumers’ attitude and perceptions of IB in Ghana, which is an under-researched area.


2019 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 378-396 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arian Razmi-Farooji ◽  
Hanna Kropsu-Vehkaperä ◽  
Janne Härkönen ◽  
Harri Haapasalo

Purpose The purpose of this paper is twofold: first, to understand data management challenges in e-maintenance systems from a holistically viewpoint through summarizing the earlier scattered research in the field, and second, to present a conceptual approach for addressing these challenges in practice. Design/methodology/approach The study is realized as a combination of a literature review and by the means of analyzing the practices on an industry leader in manufacturing and maintenance services. Findings This research provides a general understanding over data management challenges in e-maintenance and summarizes their associated proposed solutions. In addition, this paper lists and exemplifies different types and sources of data which can be collected in e-maintenance, across different organizational levels. Analyzing the data management practices of an e-maintenance industry leader provides a conceptual approach to address identified challenges in practice. Research limitations/implications Since this paper is based on studying the practices of a single company, it might be limited to generalize the results. Future research topics can focus on each of mentioned data management challenges and also validate the applicability of presented model in other companies and industries. Practical implications Understanding the e-maintenance-related challenges helps maintenance managers and other involved stakeholders in e-maintenance systems to better solve the challenges. Originality/value The so-far literature on e-maintenance has been studied with narrow focus to data and data management in e-maintenance appears as one of the less studied topics in the literature. This research paper contributes to e-maintenance by highlighting the deficiencies of the discussion surrounding the perspectives of data management in e-maintenance by studying all common data management challenges and listing different types of data which need to be acquired in e-maintenance systems.


2014 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 17-30 ◽  
Author(s):  
Niklas Eriksson

Purpose – This study aims to identify user categories of mobile travel services and analyze the differences between the categories based on individual characteristics, the individuals' perceived barriers to use internet-/mobile services during a trip and the individuals' preferred channel strategies. Design/methodology/approach – An extensive online survey in Finland was conducted to collect the data and a cluster analysis is used to identify the user categories. Findings – The study indicates that there are four user categories of mobile travel services: “info-seekers”, “checkers”, “bookers” and “all-rounders” and one group of “non-users”. Research limitations/implications – Due to the online data collection method and the self-selective process, the sample may be biased towards respondents finding electronic travel services important. It would be of value to conduct similar studies on a representative sample of the total population of different countries. Practical implications – The identified categories can be seen as consumer segments for which travel service providers can target mobile services. Originality/value – This study contributes with a categorization of mobile travelers and provides insights on the diffusion of mobile travel services.


2015 ◽  
Vol 36 (2) ◽  
pp. 216-235 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carlos Gradín ◽  
Olga Cantó ◽  
Coral del Río

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to analyze the different dynamic characteristics of unemployment in a selected group of European Union countries during the current Great Recession, which had unequal consequences on employment depending on the country considered. Design/methodology/approach – The paper follows Shorrocks’s proposal of a duration-sensitive measure of unemployment, and uses cross-sectional data reported by Eurostat coming from European Labour Force Surveys. Findings – The results add some evidence on the relevance of incorporating spells’ duration in measuring unemployment, finding remarkable differences in unemployment patterns in time among European countries. Research limitations/implications – In this paper unemployment is analyzed for all the labor force. Future research should investigate patterns across specific groups such as young people, women, immigrants or the low skilled. Practical implications – It is generally accepted that the negative impact of unemployment on individual welfare can be very different depending on its duration. However, conventional statistics on unemployment do not adequately capture to what extent the recession is not only increasing the incidence of unemployment but also its severity in terms of duration in time of ongoing unemployment spells. The paper shows an easy and practical way to do it in order to improve the understanding of the unemployment phenomenon, using information usually reported by statistical offices. Originality/value – First, the paper provides a tool for dynamic analysis of unemployment based on reported cross-sectional data. Second, the paper demonstrates the empirical relevance of considering spells’ duration when assessing differences in unemployment across countries or in unemployment trends. This is usually neglected or only partially addressed by most conventional measures of unemployment.


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