Speech genre of an expert report in the context of communicative goal-setting

The article studies a speech genre of an expert report. The study focuses on the realization of the most significant genre-forming feature – the communicative goal of an expert report. Scientific novelty is connected with the fact that an expert report is studied in the context of being a result of speech activity; within the theory of speech genres and communicative linguistics. The article focuses on the basic characteristics of the genre, its communicative goal-setting peculiarities, and the influence of an expert report type on the communicative goal realization. The analysis shows that the speech genre of an expert report is included into the terminological and actual boundaries of a wider and larger phenomenon, known as a speech event, which is realized by a set of speech genres and represents a form of organization of communication with certain participants. As a speech event, an expert report possesses a complex ritualized nature which makes it possible to define it as a complex speech event. The article studies the speech genre of an expert report as a leading genre of a speech event with the same name. The analysis has found out a dual trend of an expert report in communicative goal-setting, represented by: 1) information communication (informative objective) and 2) evaluation expression (evaluative objective). The balance between the two objectives is determined by an expert report type. Expert reports of traditional (special-purpose) type are found to appeal to consciousness and logic with the informative illocution being a predominant goal; while in case of humanitarian expert reports, subjective emotional experience and assessment serve the same purpose being applied in practice in the dominating evaluative illocution.

Perfectionism Moderates the Effects of Goal-Realization on Post-Competition Mood in Amateur Runners

Perfectionism impacts how athletes evaluate their performance. However, little is known about how perfectionistic strivings and perfectionistic concerns interplay with athletes’ anticipated and actual performance in predicting mood after the competition. Thus, we conducted a study with amateur runners [n = 152, (72 female, 80 male); Mean±SD age = 34.71 ± 9.57] taking part in a competitive 10-kilometer street run. Perfectionism was measured before the run, while the measurement of mood was taken during the post-competition week. Mood was operationalized in the 3D model of mood, distinguishing between energetic arousal, tense arousal, and hedonic tone. Regression analysis showed that specific patterns of associations between perfectionism and goal-realization explain 17-21% of variance in the dimensions of mood. Higher pleasure after the run was predicted by lower perfectionistic concerns and better conversion of anticipated performance into actual performance. In predicting energy and tension, moderating effects of perfectionistic strivings, perfectionistic concerns, and conversion rate were observed. Johnson-Neyman technique revealed that only athletes low in perfectionistic concerns were able to benefit from lower tension when they met or exceeded their goals for the run. The higher athletes’ perfectionistic strivings and conversion rate the more pronounced effects we observed for affect-energization. Results support the idea of perfectionistic reactivity, where the negative consequences of perfectionism can be observed in a lack of positive reactions to positive events. We also suggest that such a response to meeting or exceeding one’s goal may contribute to the development of athlete burnout and hinder the development athlete engagement.

Spatio-temporal variations of emerging sites infested with schistosome-transmitting Oncomelania hupensis in Hunan Province, China, 1949–2016

Background Constant emerging sites infested with Oncomelania hupensis (O. hupensis) impede the goal realization of eliminating schistosomiasis. The study assessed the spatial and temporal distributions of new Oncomelania snail habitats in Hunan Province from 1949 to 2016. Methods We used the data from annual snail surveys throughout Hunan Province for the period from 1949 to 2016. Global Moran’s I, Anselin local Moran’s I statistics (LISA) and a retrospective space-time permutation model were applied to determine the spatial and temporal distributions of emerging snail-infested sites. Results There were newly discovered snail-infested sites almost every year in 1949–2016, except for the years of 1993, 2009 and 2012. The number of emerging sites varied significantly in the five time periods (1949–1954, 1955–1976, 1977–1986, 1986–2003 and 2004–2016) (H = 25.35, p < 0.05). The emerging sites lasted 37.52 years in marshlands, 30.04 years in hills and 24.63 at inner embankments on average, with the values of Global Moran’s I being 0.52, 0.49 and 0.44, respectively. High-value spatial clusters (HH) were mainly concentrated along the Lishui River and in Xiangyin County. There were four marshland clusters, two hill clusters and three inner embankment clusters after 1976. Conclusions Lower reaches of the Lishui River and the Dongting Lake estuary were the high-risk regions for new Oncomelania snail habitats with long durations. Snail surveillance should be strengthened at stubborn snail-infested sites at the inner embankments. Grazing prohibition in snail-infested grasslands should be a focus in marshlands. The management of bovines in Xiangyin County is of great importance.

Ascetics and/or laypeople: Jain view on humam status in the world

The article examines the ethical system of Jainism on the example of the lifestyle of ascetic monks and lay householders. The disciplinary rules for lay followers (both Digambara and Śvetāmbara branches of Jainism) are fixed in the texts of the śrāvakācāra genre compiled by ascetics. This reflects the hierarchical distribution of “roles” within the Jain community. Ascetics represent the most advanced part of the community on the spiritual Path of Liberation, while lay people have only just entered this path. The author focuses on the fact that in Jainism monasticism is considered as a spiritually higher stage, and not just a different (but equally significant) way of salvation. Only monks of certain ranks have the right to preach publicly, interpret the Scriptures, and instruct the laity. Householders can only do this in the absence of monks. At the same time, ascetics are almost completely dependent on the laity for their everyday life, since householders are obliged to provide them with everything necessary for life. The introduction of an intermediate, quasi-monastic way of life in the form of the bhaṭṭārakas (Digambra) and śrīpūjya (Śvetāmbra) in the middle ages allowed the Jain community to survive and even have a direct impact on the political and economic situation in various regions of India. The author emphasizes that written in all-India paradigm of the life regulations (artha, kāma, dharma and mokṣa), Jain system of domestic rituals, coupled with the practice of vows and limitations focused on training of householders to move towards self-improvement and eventually achieve the main religious goal – realization the nature of one’s own soul.

HR technology goal realization: predictors and consequences

PurposeDrawing on the HR technology (HRT) and information systems (IS) literatures, this study seeks to identify macro-level factors that influence the performance of HRT systems. A second objective is to assess the relative contribution that HRT goal realization makes to organizational satisfaction with HR services.Design/methodology/approachThis investigation draws on a web-based survey of 169 US and Canadian firms targeting HR executives as key informants. Structural equation modeling (SEM) tested the roles that organizational support, capabilities and aspects of the environment play in technology goal attainment and collective satisfaction with HR services. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) evaluated the properties of several key scales and supported their usage. Moderated regression analysis further assessed whether HRT age influenced certain relationships.FindingsAs predicted, system goal realization was positively related to the level of support from an HRT champion and an HR innovation climate, while being negatively related to HRT mimetic isomorphism. HR service satisfaction, in turn, was positively related to HRT goal realization, the HR innovation climate and HR environmental munificence. It also was determined that HRT champions had a stronger positive impact on goal realization for younger technology portfolios. This too was expected.Research limitations/implicationsExternal validity would be strengthened by not only increasing sample sizes for the USA and Canada, but also targeting more nations for data collection. The model's explanatory power may also be enhanced by improving the measurement of several predictors (e.g. top management support, absorptive capacity), as well incorporating constructs that focus on users (e.g. group potency, collective efficacy).Practical implicationsThese findings underscore the need to proactively screen and structure the surrounding environment to facilitate portfolio success. Greater emphasis must be placed on (1) identifying and empowering HRT champions, (2) fostering an innovation climate in the HR function and (3) conditioning HRT purchases on “mindful” adoption. Doing so should not only increase the prospects of realizing goals, but also elevate satisfaction with HR services.Originality/valueThis is the first study to formally assess the effects that organizational and environmental context have on overall HRT systems performance. Prior research has focused on linking the local conditions of individual users to their perceptions and usage of HR technologies.

Driving Value Creation Through Proper Design of Goal Realization Frameworks

Organizations have become increasingly aware that customer value creation is critical to remain relevant and to stay in business. Hence, most organizations have incorporated these elements into their overall mission statement and their organization-wide strategy. Yet many of them struggle to create an organization where employees focus effectively on executing the formulated strategy and on delivering and continuously improving customer value. This article describes how clever and tailored design of goal realization in organizations can foster value creation and embed it in the daily work routines of employees. The key to success is to adopt goal realization in such a way that it creates an environment where employees feel safe, empowered and confident to go after aspirational, value-based goals while creating alignment and connecting employees to the overall goals and objectives of the organization. This is illustrated in a practical manner by presenting the framework as adopted by Google.

Goal realization

Drawing upon recent insights into the role of Goal preference as reflector of cross-linguistic differences, this paper investigates the factors affecting the realization of Goals in motion event descriptions. In particular, it examines the interplay between the lexicalization pattern of a language, on the one hand, and grammatical viewpoint aspect, on the other – factors which have commonly been treated in isolation. In so doing, three typologically distinct languages were examined: English, German and Greek. The empirical basis of this paper includes: (a) a corpus study, in which we examined the distribution of Goals in a small set of verbs, and (b) an experimental verbalization study, from which we elicited descriptions of different motion event types. While the former does not give a clear picture concerning the cross-linguistic differences in Goal prominence, the latter indicates that lexicalization pattern assumes a more prominent role than grammatical viewpoint aspect in affecting Goal realization.