Common Factor Analysis Research Articles

Covid - 19 Pandemic and its Impact on Labor Force: A New Model Based on Social Stress Theory and Prospect Theory

Human beings across the globe irrespective of caste and creed, culture, economic and geographic distances, are facing a very strange time, struggling and fighting against a pandemic COVID-19. On analyzing the literature, it is understood that most of the research scholars have confined their study to the clinical and therapeutic aspects of COVID-19 and there are a lesser number of studies related to the impact of COVID-19 on economic, psychological, social and behavioral perspective. This study is carried out to propose a new theory that can integrate the social and financial stress of the labor force during the pandemic situation. For this purpose, we have taken lessons from the social stress theory and prospect theory. The research extensively covers 420 samples duly collected from the labor force working across Kerala State, India. In this study, we have identified three major social stress constructs viz., Governance, Personal and Societal among the labor force through the Common Factor Analysis (CFA) method. We have also observed three major stressors using Cohen’s effect size; they are difficulty in diagnosing the disease, worry of the disease that it will get affected to the dear ones, and the fear of using public utilities. The general presumption of our theoretical model was identified stress constructs can create social stress among labor force, which was reconfirmed through the Covariance Based Structural Equation Modeling Approach (CB-SEM). The risk and benefit of the pandemic situation were further examined mathematically. It is interestingly observed that during COVID-19 pandemic the labor force across Kerala will value health and wellness as the most important gain than financial benefits.

Measuring organizational mentoring climate: Importance and availability scales.

Although organizational climate may affect faculty's mentoring behaviors, there has not been any way to measure that climate. The purpose of this study was to test the reliability and validity of two novel scales to measure organizational mentoring climate importance and availability at two public research universities. We developed 36 content-valid mentoring climate items in four dimensions: Structure, Programs/Activities, Policies/Guidelines, and Values. In total, 355 faculty completed an anonymous, structured, online survey asking about the importance (very important to very unimportant) and availability (no, don't know, yes) of each of the items. We conducted reliability analyses and construct validity testing using exploratory common factor analysis, principal axis factoring, and oblique rotation. The majority of the predominantly female, White non-Hispanic, senior, tenure-track faculty were not currently mentoring another faculty or being mentored. Analyses demonstrated a 15-item solution for both the Organizational Mentoring Climate Importance (OMCI) and the Availability (OMCA) Scales, with three factors each: Organizational Expectations, Mentor-Mentee Relationships, and Resources. Standardized Cronbach alphas ranged from 0.74 to 0.90 for the subscales, and 0.94 (OMCI) and 0.87 (OMCA) for the full scales. Faculty rated all items as somewhat to very important; however, perceived availability was very low ranging from mentor training programs (40%) to guidelines for evaluating mentoring success or managing conflict (2.5%). The scales will allow studying of how organizational climate may affect mentoring behavior and whether climate can be changed to improve faculty mentoring outcomes. We provide recommendations for furthering the science of organizational mentoring climate and culture.

Information asymmetry among dairy producers in Paraná, Brazil

Milk production has great social and economic importance in Paraná, Brazil. However, dairy farmers have abandoned the activity over the past few years because of difficulties in meeting institutional and market demands for increased milk production and quality. Information asymmetry between dairy farmers and market agents may be contributing to this scenario. It occurs when one agent in a transaction has more or better information than another. Information asymmetry can encourage opportunistic behavior and negatively affect the relationship between parties. These problems can be minimized or resolved by horizontal collaboration, such as participation in farmers’ organizations, cooperatives, or associations. The aim of this study was to assess the extent of information asymmetry among dairy farmers and investigate whether participation in farmers’ organizations strengthens buyer–seller relationships and stimulates compliance with milk quality standards. A total of 204 semi-structured questionnaires were applied to head farmers of dairy production systems in Paraná. Two sets of variables were analyzed: variables related to socio-economic and production characteristics and variables related to transactions between farmers and the dairy industry and the head farmer’s knowledge about milk quality regulations. The second set of variables was subjected to common factor analysis, which generated four factors: F1, knowledge about institutional requirements; F2, technical support from the buyer; F3, technical knowledge; and F4, level of trust in the buyer. Dairy farmers who did not participate in farmers’ organizations operated under greater information asymmetry and were disadvantaged with regard to F2, F3, and F4 (P < 0.05). Participation in horizontal collaborations can help farmers survive and thrive in the dairy activity.

Information asymmetry among dairy producers in Paraná, Brazil

Milk production has great social and economic importance in Paraná, Brazil. However, dairy farmers have abandoned the activity over the past few years because of difficulties in meeting institutional and market demands for increased milk production and quality. Information asymmetry between dairy farmers and market agents may be contributing to this scenario. It occurs when one agent in a transaction has more or better information than another. Information asymmetry can encourage opportunistic behavior and negatively affect the relationship between parties. These problems can be minimized or resolved by horizontal collaboration, such as participation in farmers’ organizations, cooperatives, or associations. The aim of this study was to assess the extent of information asymmetry among dairy farmers and investigate whether participation in farmers’ organizations strengthens buyer–seller relationships and stimulates compliance with milk quality standards. A total of 204 semi-structured questionnaires were applied to head farmers of dairy production systems in Paraná. Two sets of variables were analyzed: variables related to socio-economic and production characteristics and variables related to transactions between farmers and the dairy industry and the head farmer’s knowledge about milk quality regulations. The second set of variables was subjected to common factor analysis, which generated four factors: F1, knowledge about institutional requirements; F2, technical support from the buyer; F3, technical knowledge; and F4, level of trust in the buyer. Dairy farmers who did not participate in farmers’ organizations operated under greater information asymmetry and were disadvantaged with regard to F2, F3, and F4 (P < 0.05). Participation in horizontal collaborations can help farmers survive and thrive in the dairy activity.

How does the national human capital index influence the total factor productivity of the Romanian R&D firms?

BACKGROUND: Productivity is essential for economic development. However, the computation of the total factor productivity (TFP) for research and development (R&D) firms is largely ignored by the previous literature, in particular in the Eastern European countries. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this paper is to analyze to what extent the national human capital index (NHCI) influences TFP for a set of 116 Romanian firms, acting in the R&D industry. METHODS: We compute the TFP level using different approaches, by analyzing firm-level data from the period of 2007 to 2016. At the same time, we resort to a common factor analysis (CFA) to derive the NHCI for Romania. Afterwards we apply a panel data investigation to see the impact of NHCI on TFP and we use several control variables as firm-level financial performances and firm’s size. RESULTS: Our estimation reveals that NHCI, a component of the national intellectual capital index, has a significant but marginal impact on TFP, whereas the financial performances play a more important role in enhancing firms’ productivity. CONCLUSIONS: The national human capital influences the firm productivity in the long run. At the same time, larger companies are financially more stable compared with their smaller counterparts and record a higher TFP.

QSR customer sustainable behaviors and brand practice perceptions on willingness to pay a premium

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effect of consumer sustainability attitudes and quick service restaurants (QSRs) practices along with the willingness of consumers to pay a premium for sustainability efforts. Design/methodology/approach A random sample of QSR customers in Germany resulted in 428 completed surveys. First, common factor analysis was conducted to assess the summated scales related to the sustainable behavior of customers, the importance attached by them to the different dimensions of sustainability and the extent to which customers perceive that QSR implement such practices. Second, the effect of these summated scales on the willingness to pay a premium (WTPP) for sustainability practices were assessed by means of a logistic regression. Findings The findings indicated that WTPP for sustainability efforts is primarily driven by internal beliefs and behaviors of consumers themselves rather than actions by QSR firms. Furthermore, when comparing five major QSRs, QSR brands did not appear to create a strong point of differentiation in their sustainability practices in the minds of frequent QSR consumers in the context of this study. Practical implications Implications of these results suggest that a growing number of consumers place high importance on sustainability and engage in personal sustainability practices that impact behaviors such as QSR selection and a WTPP for QSR brands and products that are perceived as implementing sustainable practices. Originality/value This paper addresses a gap by assessing drivers of willingness of QSR customers to pay a premium for sustainable practices and if QSR brands sustainability practices differ in the minds of consumers.

Validity and reliability of a transportation infrastructure sustainable performance framework: a study of transport projects in South Africa

Transportation infrastructure contributes to the development of an economy. However, the performance of such infrastructure is hampered if sustainability elements are not considered at the initiation/conception and operation stages of the projects. The study aimed to validate a structure of transportation project sustainability measures to evaluate projects and ensure continual delivery of intended benefits in the long run. Empirical data were collected using a field questionnaire survey developed from the literature review and a preliminary qualitative inquiry. A total of 132 built environment professionals were included based on purposeful and snowball sampling techniques. A model-generating confirmatory factor analysis was undertaken to validate underlying structures of sustainability measures established from a preliminary common factor analysis. The findings validated that a four-factor structure, with eleven variables, could adequately measure transportation infrastructure project sustainability (PS). The CFA structure achieved construct, convergent and discriminant validity, with fewer variables than were theorised and subsequently established in the common factor analysis. The validated four-factor structure is envisaged to be useful to transportation infrastructure project stakeholders in better decision-making on project selection being cognizant of these factors, which are indicative of the worthwhileness of projects. In addition, monitoring of the projects during the operational stage, based on the identified indicators, could be done with the aim of delivering long-term benefits to generations of users.

Validity Evidence for the LittlEARS Early Speech Production Questionnaire: An English-Speaking, Canadian Sample.

Purpose This study reports validity evidence for an English translation of the LittlEARS Early Speech Production Questionnaire (LEESPQ). The LEESPQ was designed to support early spoken language outcome monitoring in young children who are deaf/hard of hearing. Methods Data from 90 children with normal hearing, ages 0-18 months, are reported. Parents completed the LEESPQ in addition to a concurrent measure of spoken language development, the Receptive-Expressive Emergent Language Test-Third Edition. Normal hearing status and development were confirmed. Results Traditional scale analyses, in addition to item parameters, are reported. The LEESPQ was highly correlated with the Receptive-Expressive Emergent Language Test-Third Edition (r = .92) and age (r = .90) and had high internal consistency (Ω = 0.92). Common factor analysis revealed 2 underlying factors conceptually mapping onto items measuring vocal and symbolic development. A latent traits model was the best fit to the data, and item difficulty broadly conformed to theoretical expectations. Conclusions The present work demonstrates that the LEESPQ accurately captures early spoken language development in a typically developing group of young children. The LEESPQ holds promise as a clinically feasible, spoken language outcome monitoring tool. Future work to identify differences in performance characteristics between typically developing children and clinical populations is warranted.

A note on Bitcoin’s price volatility

Cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin are sometimes referred to as the new gold and the buzz that surrounded bitcoins in the last few years is akin to the old day’s gold rush. Cryptocurrencies are not directly linked to any monetary policy instruments or fundamentals. Therefore, the analysis of common factors between these virtual currencies and other financial asset classes is challenging. Towards the end of 2017, Bitcoin’s price shot up to record high figures as cryptocurrency was gaining popularity not only for transactions but also for investments. This motivated us to investigate the relationship bitcoin prices have with Gold and stock index and crude oil. Historical prices were gathered from the start of 2017 to the end of the year, the Pearson’s Correlation analysis was chosen to study the relationship of Bitcoin and 3 other economic indicators namely gold, crude oil, and stock market prices. Then we did a multiple regression. Bitcoin has a correlation coefficient of 0.966 when compared to the stock market index S&P 500 which means that they both share similar properties and characteristics. The t statistic for each variable was also significant. This is paper explores the possible factors that are correlated with the surge in bitcoin prices and offers views on the relevance of bitcoin in today’s world. JEL Classification : F62, G14, G15 DOI: https://doi.org/10.26905/jkdp.v23i3.3103

Factor analysis of the eating disorder diagnostic scale in individuals with bipolar disorder

PurposeTo examine the potential factor structure of the Eating Disorder Diagnostic Scale (EDDS) in a sample of individuals with bipolar disorder. MethodExploratory common factor analyses were conducted in a sample of 1031 people with bipolar disorder as defined by the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV-TR. ResultsApproximately 27% of participants had a comorbid eating disorder. Exploratory factor analysis yielded a 3 factor solution (i.e., shape/weight concerns; binge eating behaviors, compensatory behavior). ConclusionsThe 3-factor solution of the EDDS in a bipolar disorder sample is consistent with major eating disorder symptom domains. Future research is necessary to replicate these findings in eating disorder samples with diverse comorbid psychopathology.

Top Management Human Capital, Inventor Mobility, and Corporate Innovation

Using panel data on top management characteristics and a management quality factor constructed using common factor analysis on individual management quality measures, we analyze the relation between top firm management quality and corporate innovation input and output. We show that top management quality is an important determinant of corporate innovation, with individual aspects of management quality affecting innovation in younger and older firms differently. Further, firms with higher top management quality engage in more risky (“explorative”) innovation strategies. Finally, hiring more and higher-quality inventors is an important channel through which firms with higher management quality achieve greater innovation output.

Analysis of Common Interference Factors and Control Measures in Electronic Communication

With the rapid development of information technology, electronic communication has become a necessity in our daily life. With the increasing demand for communication, the technical level of electronic communication is getting higher, and the application technology of electronic communications is gradually being optimized. However, in the process of rapid development and wide application of electronic communications, the existence of some interference factors hinders the rapid development of electronic communications technology, and also affects the overall application quality of electronic communications. Therefore, it is of crucial significance to scientifically analyze the interference factors in electronic communications and adopt scientific and effective control measures to ensure the comprehensive scientific development of electronic communications.

Geographical milk redistribution in Paraná State, Brazil: Consequences of institutional and market changes

This study filled a gap in literature by analyzing how institutional and market changes that have occurred since the 1990s in Brazil influenced the geographical distribution of milk production in Paraná State, Brazil. In addition, this study discussed the formation of new production frontiers and their impacts on the dairy actor's production chain. Data concerning productive and economic variables of the 399 municipalities in Paraná state were used to generate an indicator of dairy activity through Common Factor Analysis. Besides that, we perform clusters analyzes to define groups of municipalities of low, medium, and high importance. The geographical redistribution of milk production was discussed considering New Institutional Economy, Transaction Cost Economics, and von Thünen's theories. The results indicated that intrinsic characteristics of milk production systems, market characteristics, and institutional demands encouraged the shifting of production from the north, toward the south of Paraná State, redefining new the frontiers of milk production. Therefore, new public policies should be defined, aimed at providing financial and technical support for the production and processing of milk at the new frontiers. It is also necessary to seek the logistic adequacy for the collection and distribution of dairy products in these regions.

College Education on Dietary Supplements May Promote Responsible Use In Young Adults

Dietary supplement (DS) use is increasing among college students. Early adulthood is a critical developmental stage when behavioral trends are established with potential health implications. Many studies have suggested a proper college education on DSs is needed, but no follow-up reports exist in the literature. The purpose of the study was to compare DS use in college students with and without a formal education on DSs. An anonymous survey was sent over electronic mailing lists of different social and professional student groups, including students in the health and wellness studies (HWS) minor (HM) at Binghamton University. A total of 308 students completed the study. A statistical framework using multivariate analyses was designed to assess pattern of use and identify variables of interest. Principal component analysis recognized five patterns collectively contributing to 66.75% of the variance. PC 1 characterized as tobacco use, PC 2 labeled as body weight, PC 3 categorized as exercise, PC 4 labeled as educated use, and PC 5 is considered Greek-life lifestyle. Participants were then partitioned into HM versus HWS nonminor (NM). Common factor analysis was performed to extract significant variables pertaining to each pattern. Results reflected driving forces common to both groups. However, new trends surfaced in HM. A regression analysis suggests that DS use in HM is based on knowledge, whereas NM use is specifically targeted toward certain lifestyles. In addition, HM are more likely to discontinue a DS with formal knowledge. Therefore, college education on DS may be promoting a healthy pattern of supplement use.

Sustainability and typology of dairy production systems

The objective of this study is to analyze the typology of dairy production systems (DPS) in Paraná, Brazil, based on sustainable practices adopted by agricultural producers. A total of 153 semi-structured questionnaires containing variables for general characterization of DPS, socioeconomic characteristics of farmers, as well as environmental, social, and economic sustainability actions implemented by rural workers were applied. Common factor analysis (CFA) was used to evaluate sustainability variables. Three factors were created: economic (F1), social (F2), and environmental (F3). Hierarchical clusters were formed using the factor scores obtained in CFA. Three clusters were defined and were compared with F1, F2, and F3. There were significant differences in F1 and F2 between clusters 1, 2, and 3. Cluster 1 contained DPS highly compliant with economic, social, and environmental sustainability practices. Cluster 2 was defined by DPS with negative mean values for all three factors. Cluster 3 contained DPS that were highly compliant with F1 and F2 activities compared to cluster 2 and poorly compliant with F1 and F2 actions compared to cluster 1. Therefore, the DPS in Paraná vary according to the sustainable activities implemented by farm managers. In addition, most analyzed DPS have low survival capacity in the medium- and long-term. The most critical sustainability factor was F3, followed by F2 and F1.

Item response theory evaluation of the biomedical scale of the Pain Attitudes and Beliefs Scale.

ObjectivesThe assessment of health care professionals’ attitudes and beliefs towards musculoskeletal pain is essential because they are key determinants of their clinical practice behaviour. The Pain Attitudes and Beliefs Scale (PABS) biomedical scale evaluates the degree of health professionals’ biomedical orientation towards musculoskeletal pain and was never assessed using item response theory (IRT). This study aimed at assessing the psychometric performance of the 10-item biomedical scale of the PABS scale using IRT.MethodsTwo cross-sectional samples (BeBack, n = 1016; DABS; n = 958) of health care professionals working in the UK were analysed. Mokken scale analysis (nonparametric IRT) and common factor analysis were used to assess dimensionality of the instrument. Parametric IRT was used to assess model fit, item parameters, and local reliability (measurement precision).ResultsResults were largely similar in the two samples and the scale was found to be unidimensional. The graded response model showed adequate fit, covering a broad range of the measured construct in terms of item difficulty. Item 3 showed some misfit but only in the DABS sample. Some items (i.e. 7, 8 and 9) displayed remarkably higher discrimination parameters than others (4, 5 and 10). The scale showed satisfactory measurement precision (reliability > 0.70) between theta values -2 and +3.DiscussionThe 10-item biomedical scale of the PABS displayed adequate psychometric performance in two large samples of health care professionals, and it is suggested to assess group-level professionals degree of biomedical orientation towards musculoskeletal pain.

ASOSIASI ANTARA PERUBAHAN HARGA SAHAM DAN INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITY SET PERUSAHAAN MANUFAKTUR YANG LISTING DI BURSA EFEK INDONESIA

This research is aimed at examining the relationship between the actual Stock return toward the investment opportunity set (IOS) as the growth proxy of manufacturing companies which listing at Indonesian Stock Market. The IOS proxies used are market to book value of equity (MBVE), market to book value of assets (MBVA), price earning ratio (PER), Firm Value to book value of property, plant and equipment (VPPE), ratio capital expenditures to book value of asset (CEBVA), and ratio capital expenditures to market value of asset (CEMVA).The value of each indicators analysed by using common factor analysis. The normality data is tested by using one sample kolmogorov smirnov test continued with correlation test non parametric correlation model Kendall’s tau b. The purposive sampling is used in this research for ten years observation (1998 – 2007) with pool data method. The number of sample used is 240 manufacturing companies that listing at Indonesian Stock Market. The result of the research show that the direct and indirect correlation only occurs partially toward market to book value of assets (MBVA) proxy. It indicates that there is direct and indirect positive relation through firm realized growth and financing policy intervening variable but it does not occur to the composite IOS proxies.

Creation of Didactic Tests for Teaching of the Thematic Unit – Basics of Electrical Power Engineering

Non-standardized didactic test is a very important and powerful tool for a teacher of vocational electrical engineering subjects. It reflects the teaching quality and also the level the students are on. Its advantages can be found in the ability of readjusting the test to the students known by their teacher so he can communicate with the class (among the others) by regular testing of so far reached knowledges and also over the subsequent reviews and evaluation. Therefore, it is important that the capabilities of the test creator and his approach to the creation are at appropriate level. This thesis contains an analysis of common factors, characteristics and parametres of the test creation and it shows what attributes are essential to make and to apply the test.

The Impact of Restrictive Measures on the Price Discovery Function of Stock Index Futures – Evidence From CSI 500 Stock Index Futures

Restrictive measures implemented by governments have a great impact on the price discovery function of stock index futures. This study compares the price discovery function of CSI 500 stock index futures and CSI 500 stock index before and after the implementation of restrictive measures based on the reaction speed to new information, the price ratio of new information and the price contribution of both future market and spot market. It also analyzes the difference between the price discovery function of the future market and that of the spot market and thus proposes policy implications accordingly.Utilizing data of CSI 500 stock index futures in the period of the stock market crash, this study compares the price discovery function before and after the implementation of restrictive measures. By means of the VECM model and common factor analysis, it further investigates the difference in the price contribution of the two markets. Contributing to existing literature on the relationship between the future market and the spot market, this study explores the change in the price contribution of the two markets and therein studies the impact of restrictive measures on the price discovery function. Empirical evidence finds that before the implementation of restrictive measures, the price discovery function worked more efficiently, while, however, after the implementation of restrictive measures, the price discovery function did not work. Hence, stock index futures do assist in the price discovery of the spot market. In some special time periods, however, due to the impact of restrictive policies, the price contribution of the spot market exceeded that of the future market, implying that the price discovery function of the CSI 500 stock index future market is unstable.

On Common Factor and Principal Component Representations of Data: Implications for Theory and for Confirmatory Replications

Common factor analysis (FA) and principal component analysis (PCA) are commonly used to obtain lower-dimensional representations of matrices of correlations among manifest variables. Whereas some experts argue that differences in results from use of FA and PCA are small and relatively unimportant in empirical studies, the fundamental rationales for the two methods are very different. Here, FA and PCA are contrasted on four key issues: the range of possible dimensional loadings, the range of potential correlations among dimensions, the structure of residual covariances and correlations, and the relation between population parameters and the correlational structures with which they are associated. For decades, experts have emphasized indeterminacies of the FA model, particularly indeterminacy of common factor scores. Determinate in most respects, a heretofore unacknowledged, pernicious indeterminacy of PCA is demonstrated: the indeterminacy between PCA structural representations and the correlational structures from which they are derived. Researchers are often advised to use either FA or PCA in exploratory rounds of data analysis to understand and refine the dimensional structure of a domain before moving to Structural Equation Modeling in later theory-testing, confirmatory, replication studies. Results from the current study suggest that PCA is an unreliable method to use for such purposes and may lead to serious misrepresentation of the structure of a domain. Hence, PCA should never be used if the goal is to understand and represent the latent structure of a domain; only FA techniques should be used for this purpose, as only FA provides reliable structural representations as the basis for confirmatory tests in future studies.