Health continuity over mid-later years in enduring marriages: Economic pressure as couple- and individual-level mediator

Health problems in midlife have been shown to continue into later adulthood. This continuity may be attributed to social selection and social causation, with longitudinal sequential associations between health problems and economic pressure (EP) over the life course creating mediational effects (health → EP → health). Moreover, in enduring marriages, this potential mediation may operate as a dyadic process over time. Yet this mediational process involving health problems and economic pressure has not been adequately investigated in couple contexts. Using a sample of 257 husbands and wives in enduring marriages, we investigated multilevel mediation processes between health problems and EP from midlife to later adulthood. The results indicate unique couple- and individual-level (only for husbands) mediation processes of health problems in the couple context, emphasizing the value of considering both couple- and individual-level health processes when developing health interventions.

The Usage and Social Capital of Mobile Phones and their Effect on the Performance of Microenterprise: An Empirical Study

The purpose of this study is to uncover the impacts of mobile phone use on the performance of micro-enterprises (MEs) in Bangladesh, a developing country where the total number of mobile subscriptions reached around 131.38 million by the end of June in 2016 with penetration rate of 81 percent. Data were collected from owners of MEs through face to face interview. A multivariate analysis and SPSS macro developed by Preacher and Hayes were used as statistical techniques to assess the effects of mobile phone use. Results of the study indicate that micro-enterprises which owners were using mobile phone were having significantly greater benefits and financial performance compared to counterparts. A significant direct relationship between mobile phone use, and social capital and ME‟s financial and non-financial performances was found. A further investigation revealed that financial performance is also indirectly related to social capital and quality and enterprise processes, which are significantly influenced by mobile phone usage. Therefore social capital and non-financial business performances are involved in the mediational process between the financial performance of MEs and use of mobile phone. The novelty of this research lies in the establishment of, for the first time, high level statistical relationship between the use of mobile phone, its mediating factors and financial performance of MEs. The findings will assist micro-entrepreneurs and policy makers in taking right courses of action that make the implementation of this device more effective.

Young children’s behavioral inhibition mediates the association between maternal negative affectivity and internalizing problems

Employing a multi-method approach, we investigated observed and parent-rated child behavioral inhibition (BI) and maternal reports of their own negative affectivity (NA) as predictors of young children’s internalizing problems. Participants were 201 children who were siblings between 2.5 and 5.5 years of age (mean = 3.86, standard deviation = 1.04) and their mothers. Due to the nested research design, multilevel model-fitting analyses were used to examine associations between predictors and internalizing problems, and to test a mediational process between maternal NA and internalizing problems. High levels of both observed and parent-rated child BI and greater maternal NA significantly predicted internalizing problems. Child age also moderated the association between parent-rated child BI and internalizing problems, with the association stronger for younger and mean age children, but not for older children. Additionally, parent-rated child BI was found to mediate the association between maternal NA and internalizing problems, and the mediational effect was stronger for younger children.

What Makes Creative Teams Tick? Cohesion, Engagement, and Performance Across Creativity Tasks: A Three-Wave Study

The present study examines the mediational role of collective engagement in the relationship between team cohesion and team creative performance. A reciprocal process was expected to unfold across creativity task episodes: (a) team cohesion leads to collective task engagement, which in turn has a positive effect on team creative performance (perceived team performance and independently rated creativity), and (b) perceived team creative performance predicts the development of future team cohesion. The study relied on a longitudinal three-wave research design through an organizational simulation exercise, in which 118 project teams (605 individuals) were charged with three creativity tasks. This study advances collective task engagement as an important mediational process explaining team performance in creative activities.

QUALITY CERTIFICATION AND COMPANY PERFORMANCE – THE NEWLY DEVELOPED COUNTRY EXPERIENCE

This study investigates the impacts of ISO 9001:2008 certification on companies in Malaysia. Data were collected from CEOs and managers through a questionnaire survey. A multivariate analysis and SPSS macro were used as statistical techniques to assess the effects of ISO 9001 certification. Results of the study indicate that ISO 9001 certified companies were having significantly greater benefits and financial performance compared to non-certified companies. However, no significant direct relationship between ISO 9001 certification and company's financial performance was found. A further investigation revealed that financial performance is actually directly related to quality and local and international business performance, which are significantly influenced by ISO 9001 certification. Therefore quality and business performances are involved in the mediational process between the financial performance of companies and ISO 9001 certification. The novelty of this research lies in the establishment of, for the first time, high level statistical relationship between ISO 9001 certification, its mediating factors and financial performance of companies.