External locus of control and perceived stress in times of crisis: A study of sub-saharan immigrants with irregular status in Morocco during the COVID-19 pandemic

This study discusses the model of local government support to generate entrepreneurial intentions for women who have been laid off due to the Covid-19 pandemic. There are four government support as the intervention variable tested, financial support, assistance in design and production, supply chain coordination, and marketing and sales support. While the research object context is the internal locus and external locus of control, acting as exogenous variables. The survey used a questionnaire designed using a 5-point Likert scale. Questionnaires were distributed to women affected by layoffs who live in Minahasa Utara Regency, Sulawesi Utara Province, Indonesia, a total of 75 questionnaires were answered completely. Data analysis using Smart PLS. The results of data analysis show that, without government support intervention, women with an internal locus of control are more interested in becoming entrepreneurs than those with an external locus of control. Government support has a significant impact in generating entrepreneurial interest in women with internal and external locus of control. Women with an external locus of control are more motivated to become entrepreneurs, especially if they receive financial support, while women with an internal locus of control are more motivated to become entrepreneurs if they are supported in supply chain development. Government support for coordinating supply chains adds to the literature on external factors that have an impact on entrepreneurial intentions. The managerial implication of the findings of this study is the importance of the government's role, especially in financial support for women with external locus of control and supply chain support for women with internal locus of control.

The Benefits of Believing in Chance or Fate: External Locus of Control as a Protective Factor for Coping with the Death of a Spouse

Locus of Control (LOC), a construct of social learning theory, has proved to predict and explain specific health-related behaviors, such as adherence to treatment. Aim of the study was to analyze patient9s perception and beliefs about their health condition, and evaluate if LOC may influence PR outcome. We prospectively analyzed 20 consecutive severe COPD patients (13m; age 73.9±7.8 y), included in an intensive, in-hospital, (post-exacerbation) programme. Demographic characteristics, psychological status and LOC were related to PR outcome measurements. A subgroup analysis was done comparing patients reporting greater improvement in dyspnoea (TDI≥2) after PR (Group2) with others (Group1). At baseline, a moderate Functional Independence Scale (FIM) impairment was observed; only 9 patients (45%) were able to accomplish a 6MWT. Mean LOC score results showed high confidence in other people (4.3±1.3) and in doctors (5.2±0.5), with low belief in chance (2.8±1.1). After PR a significant improvement in maximal inspiratory (MIP) and expiratory (MEP) pressures, in Peak Cough Expiratory Flow (PCEF), state anxiety, depression and perceived Quality of Life was also observed. Group1 showed significantly higher FIM and lower PCEF, MIP, MEP and SGRQ at admission compared to Group2. LOC profile and trait anxiety were not different among the two subgroups. At discharge, in Group2 a significant change in MIP, MEP, dyspnoea and state anxiety were observed compared to baseline. Baseline impairment of FIM, PCEF, MIP and MEP predicted lower TDI values after PR in severe COPD patients. TDI was not related to baseline LOC and trait anxiety. In Group2, improvement of dyspnoea was coupled with a reduction in state anxiety.

Purpose – Contemporary careers research suggests that individuals are more likely to be proactive about their careers when they possess an internal, rather than an external locus of control (LOC). The purpose of this paper is to adopt the view that individuals can be both external and proactive depending on whether or not they possess an incremental implicit theory. Design/methodology/approach – Self-administered surveys were completed by 127 employed individuals in Nigeria. These surveys were used to gather information on individuals’ external LOC, protean and boundaryless career orientations and implicit theory beliefs. Findings – Results indicated partial support for positive relationships between external LOC and contemporary career orientations and that an incremental implicit theory can have a positive moderating effect on the relationship between an external LOC belief in chance and the values-driven protean career orientation. Research limitations/implications – The study was based on a cross-sect...

PurposeThis paper aims to analyze the requirements for stakeholder integration in sustainability project partnerships in times of sustainability crisis. Referring to the COVID-19 pandemic as a sustainability crisis that has sensitized consumers and other stakeholders to corporate responsibility for social and sustainability issues, a conceptual framework for stakeholder integration is developed from which implications for designing the potential, process and result quality are derived.Design/methodology/approachIn this conceptual paper, design options for stakeholder integration are derived from open innovation and service management research. Specific crisis-related determinants of stakeholder integration are derived from current corporate social responsibility (CSR) and crisis research taking into account the opportunities and challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. Design options and crisis-related determinants are then combined to a conceptual framework for stakeholder integration in sustainability project partnerships in times of crisis. Based on this framework, research propositions are derived that provide insights into the design of the potential, process and result quality of stakeholder integration.FindingsThis paper shows that the COVID-19 pandemic can be viewed as a sustainability crisis, which places special entrepreneurial demands on stakeholder integration in sustainability project partnerships. The pandemic offers potential for integrating a large number of stakeholders and has emphasized the need for integrating a broad range of stakeholders. Higher skepticism of stakeholders toward companies' CSR engagement in the pandemic has raised stakeholder demands for early integration. Higher skepticism and CSR involvement have rendered active forms of integration even more relevant, which, however, should still be adapted to the respective stakeholder prerequisites. The pandemic has increased the need for constant and comprehensive exchange of data on project results between stakeholders and the project leading organization. Measurement of target achievement can be promoted by establishing stakeholder commitment with regard to the target measures on the collective and relationship levels of the partnership. Finally, the pandemic has reinforced the need for more dialogical forms of communicating sustainability project results.Originality/valueSolving problems and exploiting opportunities in times of crisis require a high degree of entrepreneurship and creative leadership in order to gain new ideas and overcome resource deficits. Sustainability project partnerships in which various stakeholders contribute resources and knowledge to collaborate on idea development and finding solutions to sustainability issues are suitable for this. However, previous approaches to stakeholder integration in open innovation and service management research largely neglect the crisis context and only a few are related to sustainability. In CSR and crisis research, stakeholder-related approaches to coping with crises tend to be underrepresented, and the comprehensive concept of stakeholder integration has so far hardly been considered as an approach to crisis management. By taking into account the COVID-19 pandemic as a sustainability crisis, this paper provides new impulses for the integration of stakeholders in sustainability project partnerships in times of crisis. Recommendations for the design of the potential, process and result quality are derived, which provide insights for project leaders and stakeholders alike. In addition, implications for public policymakers are derived, who are assigned an increasingly active role in the pandemic and who can contribute to the success of sustainability project partnerships by setting suitable framework conditions. The developed concept can be expanded to include further company-related determinants and offers a starting point for empirical analysis in the still underexplored research fields of sustainability-oriented relationship marketing and sustainability crises.

This study examined the association of parents' locus of control (LOC) to child adherence and outcomes in a behaviorally based family treatment for pediatric overweight. A condition-specific multidimensional health LOC measure was administered to parents of 63 overweight children enrolled in a 10-week obesity treatment program. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses indicated that parents who reported a strong belief in the influence of powerful others had children who were more successful throughout treatment (p < .01). In contrast, those parents who reported that their child's outcome was due to chance had children with worse treatment outcomes (p < .05). Regarding adherence, parents with strong beliefs in chance and those who felt they were more responsible for the child's weight problem (i.e., higher parent-internal LOC) attended fewer sessions. The findings of this study lend preliminary support to the role of parental LOC in relation to the treatment of pediatric overweight. Research and clinical implications are discussed in light of the findings of this study.

Background/Objectives: In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Australian state and federal governments enacted boarder closures, social distancing measures, and lockdowns. By the end of October 2020, the 112-day lockdown in the Australian state of Victoria was the longest continuous lockdown period internationally. Previous studies have examined how the COVID-19 pandemic and government restrictions have affected Australians' mental health and well-being; however, less is known about the relationship between psychological variables and well-being. Methods: We administered a national survey of Australians aged 16 years and over (N = 1380) in November 2020 to examine the psychological factors that promoted and hindered Australians' well-being and resilience during the first year of the pandemic. Results: Our study found that Australians reported normal to moderate levels of anxiety, moderate stress, mild depression, and moderate to high loneliness. Interpersonal trust was consistently a protective factor for well-being and resilience and was associated with less depression, anxiety, stress, and loneliness, and greater resilience. Participants with greater inhibitory anxiety (intolerance of uncertainty) and an external locus of control were more likely to be depressed, anxious, stressed, and lonely, and less resilient, compared with those with less inhibitory anxiety and those who believed that these outcomes were determined by their own actions. COVID-19 beliefs were associated with more depression, anxiety, stress, and resilience. Conclusions: This study seeks to inform the development of mental-health, well-being, and resilience strategies by government agencies, non-government organisations, and healthcare providers in times of crisis and in "ordinary" times.

Background: Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has caused one of the worst global pandemics in recent decades. It has disrupted education systems worldwide, leading to a forced shift from traditional face-to-face to blended or fully distanced learning, requiring a higher level of student readiness for self-directed learning (SDL) and a more internal locus of control (LOC). Objective: This study explored the relationship between locus of control and level of readiness for SDL among Saudi nursing students and whether the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted this relationship. Methods: A cross-sectional correlational descriptive study was conducted to survey 277 Saudi nursing students enrolled in the bachelor program at one of the reputable universities in Saudi Arabia. An E-questionnaire containing two scales, the Self-Directed Learning Readiness Scale for Nursing Education, and the Locus of Control Scale, was used to collect data in addition to the selected participants’ characteristics. Results: Nursing students had a moderate-to-low level of readiness for SDL (mean = 144.0), and the majority had an external LOC. There was a significant association between locus of control and level of readiness for self-directed learning (r = 0.19 *, p = 0.001), and the internal locus of control was more significantly associated with self-directed learning (r = 0.22 *, p = 0.0001) than with external locus of control. Conclusion: The study findings indicate a propensity of respondents indicating an external locus of control, whereas most of the respondents’ reported levels of readiness ranged between low and moderate across all dimensions of self-directed learning. This study was not registered.

BackgroundProblematic Facebook use is a broader umbrella for term addictive-like symptoms, and scarce self-regulation related to Facebook use reflecting social and personal problems, and many studies have suggested that it is associated with many psychosocial problems. Locus of control (LOC) is described as a personality trait developed through social learning theory. Recently, LOC has got attention from both the patient’s and clinician’s perspectives. In addition, higher external LOC is associated with problematic Internet use. The aim was to investigate whether problematic Facebook use is associated with LOC. Four hundred twenty-one university students were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. Problematic Facebook use was determined by the Bergen Facebook Addiction Scale, and the participants were divided into two groups as neutral users and problematic users. Locus of control was assessed using the Locus of Control Scale, including subscales of personal control, belief in chance, the meaninglessness of the effortfulness, belief in fate, and belief in an unjust world.ResultsIn total, 333 students were eligible for the study. There were 66 students with neutral Facebook use (19.8%), and the remaining (n=267) had problematic Facebook use (80.2%). No significant difference was observed in the demographic characteristic of neutral and problematic Facebook users (p>0.05). Problematic Facebook users had significantly higher scores on the meaninglessness of the effortfulness (p<0.001), belief in fate (p=0.019), and belief in an unjust world (p=0.004) compared to the neutral Facebook users.ConclusionsThe results showed that the physiotherapy students having a problematic Facebook had significantly higher scores on the meaninglessness of the effortfulness, belief in fate, and belief in an unjust world compared to neutral Facebook users. All these negative thoughts might be a problem both for students themselves and their future patients.

This study examines the assumption that aspects of fear of crime (fear of rape and sense of insecurity) predict fear of terrorism. The online survey included 754 Israeli respondents, who answered questions about their demographic characteristics, fear of terrorism, fear of crime indicators (fear of rape and sense of insecurity), locus of control (LOC; internal and external), and coping strategies. The findings indicate that for women, higher belief in chance and fate, and powerful others (external LOC), higher sense of insecurity, and higher fear of rape were related to a higher fear of terrorism. For men, higher belief in chance and fate (external LOC), higher sense of insecurity, and higher fear of rape were related to a higher fear of terrorism. Furthermore, the effect of fear of rape on fear of terrorism was mediated by sense of insecurity. Our findings support the assumption that fear of crime shadows and affects fear of terrorism for men as well as women. Therefore, fear of rape should be addressed as a significant issue for both genders.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had severe consequences for the large-scale movement of populations within and across borders. Moreover, the crisis has had serious impacts on origin, transit and destination countries, as well as on migrant workers and their families. This paper aims to enhance the understanding of migration contexts in times of crises, as well as migrant-specific vulnerabilities, including the characteristics of stranded migrants in Serbia. Two phenomena have interacted to influence the shape and intensity of mobility in the country during the pandemic: that of citizens returning from abroad in the wake of the economic downturn and changing labour markets, and that of irregular migrants and asylum seekers stranded in transit along the Western Balkan Migration Route. An emphasis is placed on the challenges faced by migrants, as well as those faced by the country itself in terms of migration governance and management in times of crisis, questioning the existence of barriers to access to support. Despite the fact that these different groups of migrants will experience crises differently, it is important to explore the capacity of the country to assist them, both while in their country of origin and while in transit.

The degree to which two measures of locus of control (LOC) and two measures of need for achievement (NACH) correlate with the motivations of persons for competitive or cooperative strategy was measured in 191 graduate students who are employed full‐time as salaried employees. Results indicated significant correlations between motivation for competitive strategies and LOC, NACH, and the factors of LOC entitled self‐confidence, internality, and belief in chance. The motivation to avoid the use of competitive strategies was correlated with belief in control by powerful others and chance. The motivation to use cooperative strategies failed to correlate significantly with either NACH or LOC.

Hopelessness and its impact on rehabilitation outcome in schizophrenia –an exploratory study

Background: Anxiety is a prevalent mental health condition. Comparisons of one’s own well-being to different aversive standards may contribute to the development and maintenance of anxiety symptoms. Objectives: Our primary goal was to investigate whether aversive well-being comparisons predict anxiety symptoms and vice versa. Additionally, we aimed at examining exploratorily whether well-being comparisons are reciprocally related to metacognitive beliefs about worrying and external control beliefs. Methods: In this two-wave longitudinal survey design, 922 participants completed measures of anxiety, metacognitions about the uncontrollability of worries, external locus of control, and the Comparison Standards Scale for Well-being (CSS-W) at two timepoints, three-months apart. The CSS-W assesses the frequency, perceived discrepancy, and affective impact of social, temporal, counterfactual, and criteria-based comparisons. Results: When autoregressive effects were adjusted for, aversive comparison frequency, comparison affective impact, and uncontrollability of worries at the first timepoint predicted subsequent anxiety symptoms. Furthermore, well-being comparison frequency and discrepancy at the second timepoint were predicted by baseline anxiety symptoms. External locus of control predicted comparison frequency and discrepancy. Conclusions: Well-being comparisons contribute distinct variance to anxiety symptoms and vice versa, pointing to a vicious cirlcle of symptom escalation. These findings have significant implications for future research.

Correlates of different forms of cyberloafing: The role of norms and external locus of control