A link between knowledge sharing and managers’ characteristics

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine whether and to what extent knowledge-oriented leadership (KOL) is associated with knowledge sharing (KS) in an organization as well as the dimensions of this leadership style. Design/methodology/approach Opinion-based questionnaires were applied in the study. A principal axis factor analysis was conducted to find the main factors in KOL (n=236). The relationship between KS and KOL was tested with Pearson’s correlation coefficient method. Findings The findings support the importance of high-quality leader–member exchange for KS because KOL had a strong significant positive association with the extent of KS in the organization (n=96, r=0.521). The principal axis factor suggested three factors, all of which were moderately significantly related to KS: the perceived support from the superior, enough time for KS and information flow from the superior. Research limitations/implications The research design in this study was cross-sectional. Thus, the interpretations of the cause–effect relationship among the variables could not be determined. Furthermore, the findings should be confirmed using a larger sample. Practical implications The study indicates that if innovativeness and the use of human capital are important for an organization’s competitive ability, it is vital to train managers to be able to apply KOL. Originality/value Few studies have addressed the relationship between leadership and KS. Hence, this study contributes to a better understanding of the relation between KS and KOL style. Additionally, KOL is probably a multidimensional construct, but little empirical work has been done to explore it.

Musical Activity and Well-being

A relationship between participation in musical activity and well-being has frequently been observed in recent research reports. Of these, some propose various well-being-related correlates of musical participation, but the varying samples and foci leave researchers without a reasoned appraisal of these correlates or a data-driven categorization of them. To address this lacuna, the current research reviewed of existing literature, identifying 562 benefits of well-being benefits perceived to be associated with musical participation. These items were used as the basis for developing a new quantitative measure to evaluate the perceived benefits of well-being arising from music participation. Principal axis factor analysis of data using this new, 36-item measure identified five discrete dimensions: mood and coping, esteem and worth, socialization, cognition, and self-actualization. The development of this well-being measure addresses a gap in the research and provides a tool for future research concerning musical participation.

Psychometric Evaluation of the Attitudes to Disability Scale for Use With Nurse Educators

Background and Purpose: This article tests the construct validity of the Attitudes to Disability Scale (ADS) for use with nurse educators. The ADS was designed to assess the attitudes of people with disabilities and the general population. Methods: The responses of 126 nurse educators were analyzed using multivariate statistics. Results: Reliability analysis of the original ADS factors yielded Cronbach’s alpha of .655, .689, .781, and .621 (Inclusion, Discrimination, Gains, and Prospects, respectively). Principal component analysis confirmed factors Discrimination and Gains and identified two new factors. Principal axis factor confirmed Discrimination and Gains and defined one new factor (Opportunity) with a Cronbach’s alpha of .73. Conclusions: The original form ADS is not reliable for use with nurse educators although a modified version may prove suitable.

The Hopelessness Scale: A Factor Analysis

A confirmatory factor analysis of the Beck Hopelessness Scale in a sample of 340 Italian students did not support the 3-factor model reported for previous samples of psychiatric patients. A follow-up principal axis factor analysis yielded two interpretable correlated factors, suggesting that the structure of the scale may differ across clinical and nonclinical groups and as a function of nationality.

Perceptions of the dimensions of the fairness of affirmative action: A pilot study

The purpose of this study was to identify the dimensions of affirmative action (AA) fairness in order to develop a valid and reliable questionnaire to assess employees’ perceptions of the fairness of AA decisions and practices, and to explore the relationship between employees’ biographical characteristics and their perceptions of the dimensions of AA fairness. The research sample consisted of 349 participants connected to a large financial institution in South Africa. Principal axis factor analysis with a varimax rotation was performed on the data in order to uncover the different factors that employees perceived to be important for the fair and just management of affirmative action practices. Four factors define AA fairness: namely interactional, procedural (input), procedural (criteria) and distributive justice. One-way MANOVAs and associated ANOVAs revealed that the importance of the justice factors in AA fairness differed significantly across ethnicity and staff category. This study enables a better understanding of the dimensionality of AA fairness. It should ultimately contribute to more effective management of AA in the workplace.

Spearman's Law of Diminishing Returns

Spearman's Law of Diminishing Returns (SLODR) with regard to age was tested in two different databases from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth. The first database consisted of 6,980 boys and girls aged 12–16 from the 1997 cohort ( NLSY 1997 ). The subjects were tested with a computer-administered adaptive format (CAT) of the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) consisting of 12 subtests. The second database consisted of 11,448 male and female subjects aged 15–24 from the 1979 cohort ( NLSY 1979 ). These subjects were tested with the older 10-subtest version of the ASVAB. The hypothesis was tested by dividing the sample into Young and Old age groups while keeping IQ fairly constant by a method similar to the one developed and employed by Deary et al. (1996) . The different age groups were subsequently factor-analyzed separately. The eigenvalue of the first principal component (PC1) and the first principal axis factor (PAF1), and the average intercorrelation of the subtests were used as estimates of the g saturation and compared across groups. There were no significant differences in the g saturation across age groups for any of the two samples, thereby pointing to no support for this aspect of Spearman's “Law of Diminishing Returns.”

An Examination of Dimensions of Psychological Empowerment Scale for Service Employees

In the present study the dimensions and factorial structure of the Psychological Empowerment Scale for a sample of 173 restaurant service employees from 20 restaurants in the USA were analyzed, using principal axis factor analysis. The analysis indicated a two-factor solution for the scale with Cronbach α of .91 and .89. These factors were labeled Attitude and Influence and accounted for approximately 63% of the common variance. This differed from the original four-factor structure of Spreitzer and in two studies by Fulford and Enz in 1995 and by Hancer and George in 2003, a three-factor structure. Implications for research and recommendations are presented.

Self-Transcendence: Conceptualization and Measurement

Self-transcendence has been hypothesized to be a critical component of wisdom (Curnow, 1999) and adaptation in later life (Tornstam, 1994). It reflects a decreasing reliance on externals for definition of the self, increasing interiority and spirituality, and a greater sense of connectedness with past and future generations. The Adult Self-Transcendence Inventory was administered to 351 individuals along with the NEO-FFI Personality Scale (McCrae & Costa, 1989). A principal axis factor analysis identified two factors: self-transcendence and alienation. The relationships between self-transcendence and neuroticism, openness to experience, extraversion, and agreeableness were significant, although modest, suggesting that self-transcendence cannot be accounted for in terms of positive personality traits alone. As expected, a multiple regression analysis indicated that self-transcendence was negatively related to neuroticism and positively related to meditation practice. The present study appears to lend support to the construct of self-transcendence.

Suicide Resilience Inventory–25: Development and Preliminary Psychometric Properties

This manuscript describes the development of the Suicide Resilience Inventory–25, used to assess factors that help defend against suicidal thoughts and behaviors. We used multiple sources to generate and evaluate initial items (Study 1), then conducted an iterated principal-axis factor analysis with data from a combined sample of 540 adolescents and young adults. This identified three correlated factors, named Internal Protective, Emotional Stability, and External Protective. Estimated alpha for the total inventory and scales was high (.90 to .95). In Study 1, scores on the inventory significantly differentiated between the responses of adolescents and young adults. In Study 2, the inventory scores significantly differentiated between participants who reported (a) no prior suicide thoughts or attempts (145 men and 153 women), (b) brief suicidal thoughts (55 men and 110 women), and (c) prior suicide plans or attempts (22 men and 55 women). Results of the two studies suggest the inventory is useful for assessing the construct of suicide resilience in terms of these three operationally defined dimensions.

Happiness and Self-Actualization under Conditions of Strain: A Sample of Homeless Men

Maslow's contention that happiness includes striving and is more than a hedonistic construct was tested in a sample of 146 homeless men. Since all participants were homeless, environmental experiences can be considered as largely held constant, allowing an examination of personality and happiness under conditions of strain. Principal axis factor analysis with promax and oblique rotations placed scores from the measures Unhappy–Happy and the Brief Index of Self-actualization on the same factor which supported Maslow's idea. Humanistic-existential psychology has interest in the happiness construct particularly regarding the development of human potential.