The Influence of Interpersonal Behaviors and Population Density on Grip Strength of Elderly People: An Analysis of the Direct vs. Indirect Effects via Social Participation

The impact of social participation (SP) on the health of the elderly has been widely recognized, and urban-rural differences in social participation have attracted attention. However, few studies discussed the impact of social participation on specific health indicators and the further subdivision of urban-rural differences. This research aims to use the dimensions of interpersonal behaviors and population density rather than simple urban-rural distinctions to justify community differences and compare these differences' direct and indirect effects on grip strength. This study used 15,871 respondents aged over 50 years from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS). An SEM (Structural Equation Modeling) analysis was used to explore the joint effect of interpersonal behavior and population density on social participation and the consequent impact on changes in grip strength and compare the differences among different genders, ages, wealth levels, and family relationships. The results indicated that community differences characterized by interpersonal behavior and population density have direct effects on grip strength and indirect effects on it through social participation. The conclusion is that the frequency of social activities, such as mah-jong and dancing in the Metropolitan Fringe and county-level cities is higher than that in Metropolitan centers. The high frequency of these activities has a positive and indirect impact on grip strength, and community differences have a more significant impact on women's social participation than men. However, the direct effect of community differences as defined by interpersonal communication and population density on grip strength is greater than the indirect effect of other factors through social participation.

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Measuring the effectiveness of managerial action in SMEs

Management Research News ◽

10.1108/01409170710833330 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 30 (12) ◽

pp. 892-914 ◽

Cited By ~ 13

Author(s):

Glenn A. Metts

Keyword(s):

Indirect Effects ◽

Equation Modeling ◽

Direct And Indirect Effects ◽

Manufacturing Companies ◽

Automotive Manufacturing ◽

Content Type ◽

Managerial Action ◽

The Impact ◽

Competitive Forces ◽

Strategy Making

PurposeThe paper's purpose is to investigate the direct and indirect effects of industry competitive forces on strategy‐making and performance in small‐to‐medium‐sized manufacturing companies.Design/methodology/approachThe paper's approach is a survey design with structural equation modeling used for hypotheses testing.FindingsThe findings provide strong support for the mitigating role of managerial action through the strategy‐making process and indications that this is true regardless of small‐to‐medium‐sized enterprise (SME) size. Also, automotive‐manufacturing SMEs seem to exhibit higher levels of competitive factors compared with non‐automotive manufacturing SMEs.Research limitations/implicationsThe major limitation of this research is that the survey was taken in the Mid‐western USA and involved only SME manufacturing organizations. The research should be extended to other geographic regions, industry types, and larger organizations.Practical implicationsMany small company managers feel that they have little impact on industry‐wide macro‐economic and industry‐specific forces. This research indicates that managers in SMEs can mitigate some of the negative effects of industry competitive factors through strategy‐making activities.Originality/valueThis research is unique in several ways. It is the only research that has clearly identified and successfully measured the impact of managerial action in SMEs. It demonstrates that managerial action can be measured by comparing the direct and indirect effects of industry competitive forces on performance. It further identifies the need for a self‐assessment tool to measure the effectiveness of managerial action of top managers in SMEs.

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Migration Status, Internet Use, and Social Participation among Middle-Aged and Older Adults in China: Consequences for Depression

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph17166007 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 17 (16) ◽

pp. 6007

Author(s):

Qian Liu ◽

Haimin Pan ◽

Yuanyuan Wu

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Older Adults ◽

Social Participation ◽

Indirect Effects ◽

Regression Models ◽

Structural Equation ◽

Internet Use ◽

Equation Modeling ◽

Middle Aged ◽

Migration Status

This study aimed to examine the underlying relationship between migration status and depressive symptoms among middle-aged and older adults in China. Data were derived from three waves of panel data (2011, 2013, and 2015) from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study. Two-level regression models and generalized structural equation modeling were run to fit the data. The results showed that migration status of the respondents could ameliorate their depression (β = −0.02, p < 0.01), so did internet use (β = −0.02, p < 0.001), and social participation (β = −0.06, p < 0.001). The indirect effects of migration status on depression through internet use and of internet use on depression through social participation existed. The effects of migration status, internet use, and social participation in decreasing depression were discussed. Provided the associations among migration status, internet use, social participation, and depression, attention should be paid on increasing protective aspects of migration among middle-aged and older adults, such as internet use and social participation, to enhance their mental health.

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Twelve Choices: A Framework For Interpersonal Process And Strategy

Journal of Business & Economics Research (JBER) ◽

10.19030/jber.v3i1.2737 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 3 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Rajendra P. Khandekar

Keyword(s):

Group Dynamics ◽

The Other ◽

Interpersonal Behavior ◽

Interpersonal Process ◽

Font Size ◽

Four Dimensions ◽

Interpersonal Behaviors ◽

Task Component ◽

Control Dimension ◽

The Impact

The Twelve Choices framework integrates theories by William Schutz and W.R. Bion to offer a way to visualize our choices of emotive overtones in relating to others.  Every interpersonal behavior can have one or both of a task component and an emotive component.  The emotive overtones in interpersonal behavior can be categorized on four dimensions, with two extremes and a midpoint on each dimension resulting in twelve major labels for emotive overtones.  The four emotive dimensions are Control, Affection, Aggression, and Flight.   Control dimension has “Pre-emptive (or controlling)” behaviors at one extreme, “Interdependence” in the middle, and “Dependence (or submissive / compliant)”at the other extreme.  Affection dimension has “Love” at one extreme, “Empathy” in the middle, and “Apathy” at the other extreme. Aggression dimension has “Aggression towards the other” at one extreme, “Confrontation” in the middle, and “Self-flagellation” at the other extreme.  Flight dimension has “Escape” at one extreme, “Humor” in the middle, and “Withdrawal” at the other extreme.  Managers may utilize this framework to understand their own and others’ patterns of emotive responses, and to learn about the impact of individual and interpersonal behaviors on group dynamics, and to visualize their options for interpersonal behavior.

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Examining the Direct and Indirect Effects of Climatic Variables on Plague Dynamics

Atmosphere ◽

10.3390/atmos11040388 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 11 (4) ◽

pp. 388 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Ricci P.H. Yue ◽

Harry F. Lee

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Indirect Effects ◽

Disease Ecology ◽

Structural Equation ◽

Equation Modeling ◽

Economic Systems ◽

Direct And Indirect Effects ◽

Economic Changes ◽

Climatic Impacts ◽

The Impact

Climate change can influence infectious disease dynamics both directly, by affecting the disease ecology, and indirectly, through altering economic systems. However, despite that climate-driven human plague dynamics have been extensively studied in recent years, little is known about the relative importance of the direct and indirect effects of climate change on plague outbreak. By using Structural Equation Modeling, we estimated the direct influence of climate change on human plague dynamics and the impact of climate-driven economic change on human plague outbreak. After studying human plague outbreak in Europe during AD1347–1760, we detected no direct climatic effect on plague dynamics; instead, all of the climatic impacts on plague dynamics were indirect, and were operationalized via economic changes. Through a series of sensitivity checks, we further proved that temperature-induced economic changes drove plague dynamics during cold and wet periods, while precipitation-induced economic changes drove plague dynamics during the cold periods. Our results suggest that we should not dismiss the role of economic systems when examining how climate change altered plague dynamics in human history.

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Attitude Toward Family Involvement in End-of-Life Care Among Older Chinese Americans: How Do Family Relationships Matter?

Journal of Applied Gerontology ◽

10.1177/0733464821996865 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 073346482199686

Author(s):

Kaipeng Wang ◽

Fei Sun ◽

Yanqin Liu ◽

Dexia Kong ◽

Carson M. De Fries

Keyword(s):

End Of Life ◽

Family Involvement ◽

Family Relationships ◽

Indirect Effects ◽

Chinese Americans ◽

Equation Modeling ◽

Care Plans ◽

Older Chinese ◽

Eol Care ◽

Older Chinese Americans

Family involvement is critical to end-of-life (EOL) care among older adults. This study aims to examine the association and pathways between family relationships and older Chinese Americans’ attitude toward family involvement in EOL care discussions. Data were collected from 260 Chinese Americans aged 55 years and above. Structural equation modeling was used to examine the total and indirect effects of family relationships on attitude toward family involvement in discussing EOL care plans. Family relationships had a significant positive total effect on attitude toward family involvement in EOL care. Indirect effects of family relationships on attitude toward family involvement in EOL care through self-efficacy, perceived benefits, and perceived barriers of discussing EOL care with family members were all significant. Findings provide empirical evidence of how family relationships affect older Chinese Americans’ attitude toward family involvement in EOL care and underline the need for family-centered EOL interventions for this population.

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Exercise Promotion: Reviewing the Importance of Health Professionals’ Interpersonal Behaviors on Exercisers’ Basic Psychological Needs

Perceptual and Motor Skills ◽

10.1177/0031512520983078 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 003151252098307

Author(s):

Filipe Rodrigues ◽

Rita Macedo

Keyword(s):

Health Professionals ◽

Exercise Adherence ◽

Psychological Needs ◽

Basic Psychological Needs ◽

Interpersonal Behavior ◽

Interpersonal Interaction ◽

Interpersonal Behaviors ◽

Need Thwarting ◽

Exercise Promotion ◽

The Impact

Previous studies have investigated the impact of exercisers’ perceptions of health professionals’ interpersonal behaviors on exercisers’ exercise adherence. From these studies, there is increased interest in developing and evaluating programs to improve health professionals’ communication skills and interpersonal behavior. In this narrative review, we provide examples of self-determination theory and newer modifications to it, discuss the empirical conditions that foster optimal exerciser motivation, consider the antecedent factors influencing health professionals’ behaviors, and offer practical suggestions to health professionals seeking to promote regular exercise practice. Since exercisers perceive and differentiate health professionals’ need-supportive, need-thwarting, and need-passive behaviors, health professionals who can critically and consciously distinguish these different types of behavior are more likely to foster supportive climates and suppress the use of need-thwarting and need-indifferent behaviors. The interpersonal interaction between health professionals and exercisers strongly influences how exercisers will regulate their behavior toward persistent exercise.

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Employee Empowerment and Turnover Intention in the U.S. Federal Bureaucracy

The American Review of Public Administration ◽

10.1177/0275074015583712 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 47 (1) ◽

pp. 4-22 ◽

Cited By ~ 40

Author(s):

Sun Young Kim ◽

Sergio Fernandez

Keyword(s):

Federal Government ◽

Indirect Effects ◽

Turnover Intention ◽

Intention To Leave ◽

Employee Empowerment ◽

Equation Modeling ◽

Direct And Indirect Effects ◽

Federal Bureaucracy ◽

The Impact ◽

The U.S

Reducing employee turnover in the U.S. federal government has been an ongoing goal of policymakers in Washington, D.C. A large literature emerging during the last three decades has identified a range of antecedents of turnover intention and actual turnover, including individual characteristics, employee attitudes, organizational conditions, and managerial practices. Little research has been done, however, on the impact of employee empowerment as a multifaceted managerial approach on turnover options in the public sector. This study proposes a theoretical model of the direct and indirect effects of employee empowerment on turnover intention in the U.S. federal bureaucracy. The model is tested using structural equation modeling (SEM) and data from the U.S. Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey (FEVS). The empirical results support the hypothesized model. Employee empowerment has negative direct and indirect effects on turnover intention. In addition, the negative effect is greater on the likelihood of intention to leave to another federal agency and intention to leave the federal government than on the intention to retire.

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The Role of the Digital Economy in Rebuilding and Maintaining Social Governance Mechanisms

Frontiers in Public Health ◽

10.3389/fpubh.2021.819727 ◽

2022 ◽

Vol 9 ◽

Author(s):

Fengjuan Niu

Keyword(s):

Indirect Effects ◽

Structural Equation ◽

Digital Economy ◽

Equation Modeling ◽

Governance Mechanism ◽

Governance Mechanisms ◽

Social Reforms ◽

Social Governance ◽

The Social ◽

The Impact

The digital transformation has impacted society at different levels, mainly on the economic and governance levels. This paper investigates the impact of the digital economy on social governance mechanisms. Additionally, it captures the indirect effects or mediating forces such as social reforms and a sustainable digital economy. The study followed a positivism philosophy, and it is survey research influencing cross-sectional study. The unit of analysis in the current paper was employees from four different professions as economists, financial analysts, managers, and teachers. The random sampling technique was used as a sampling type, and a questionnaire was used for data collection. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was carried out as a data analysis technique. The research findings revealed that the digital economy has a favorable impact on the social governance mechanism. Likewise, the digital economy positively affects social reforms and a sustainable digital economy. Social reforms also proved to link with a sustainable digital economy positively. The output of the indirect effects and structural model confirmed that social reform played a partial mediation role between the digital economy and sustainable digital economy. Moreover, a sustainable digital economy confirmed a partial mediation between the digital economy and the social governance mechanism. Finally, analysis confirmed a serial mediation among digital economy, social reforms, sustainable digital economy, and social governance mechanism. Therefore, policymakers and government agents should improve the digital economy to have a strong social governance mechanism.

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Assessment of the “Faiths and Social cohe-sion” Project: What one can learn in the fight against discrimination

MIGRATION LETTERS ◽

10.33182/ml.v2i3.43 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 2 (3) ◽

pp. 366-382

Author(s):

Dina Sensi

Keyword(s):

Social Cohesion ◽

Social Participation ◽

Religious Difference ◽

Muslim Communities ◽

The Impact

The European action named “Faiths and Social cohesion”. Building up Social Participation in Religious Difference: Local Muslim Communities inEurope» was assessed during the last six months of the project. The objective was to assess the impact of the actions taken.

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ADOLESCENTS' PERCEPTIONS OF STRESSORS CONTRIBUTING TO SUICIDAL BEHAVIOUR

SOUTHERN AFRICAN JOURNAL OF SOCIAL WORK AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT ◽

10.25159/2415-5829/2243 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 26 (2) ◽

pp. 192-213

Author(s):

Henriëtte Van den Berg ◽

Hester Tancred ◽

Dap Louw

Keyword(s):

South African ◽

Family Environment ◽

Family Relationships ◽

Suicidal Behaviour ◽

Stressful Life Events ◽

Qualitative Content Analysis ◽

Peer Group ◽

Conservation Of Resources ◽

Western Cape ◽

The Impact

South African adolescents show increased levels of suicidal behaviour. This article explores the perceptions of adolescents at risk of suicide regarding the psychosocial stressors they believe contribute to suicidal behaviour among South African adolescents. This study was conducted on 214 adolescents from the Western Cape Province with a high suicide risk. The group was selected on the basis of their high scores on the Suicidal Ideation Questionnaire. A qualitative content analysis was performed with their responses on a question about the reasons for adolescent suicide. The analysis highlighted risk factors relating to substance abuse, negative emotional experiences, lack of self-esteem, problem-solving ability and hope for the future; negative family environment and conflict in family relationships; peer group and romantic relationships; stressful life events; and socioeconomic factors. Guided by the Conservation of Resources (COR) theory suggestions were made for adolescent resource development to counter-act the impact of the various stressors they experience.

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