Current Salary Research Articles

Is Subspecialty Fellowship Training Emerging as a Necessary Component of Contemporary Orthopaedic Surgery Education?

The current minimum training standard for orthopaedic surgeons in the United States consists of a 5-year orthopaedic surgery residency program with the option to pursue subsequent fellowship training.1 Traditionally, orthopaedic residency training was intended to expose residents to all aspects of orthopaedic surgery and prepare them for general orthopaedic practice.1,2 The demand for increasing subspecialization, more duty hour restrictions, and greater supervision requirements have rapidly changed the clinical experience of orthopaedic surgery trainees. As training requirements and expectations for orthopaedic surgical graduates continue to expand and the body of knowledge and technical applications in orthopaedic surgery continue to grow, it has become more apparent that our traditional 5-year residency pathway may be increasingly insufficient for preparing trainees for the future world of independent orthopaedic surgical practice. Subspecialty fellowship training, therefore, may be evolving as an educational necessity to help trainees meet the demands of society's evolving definition of orthopaedic competence rather than an educational option. Compared to several decades ago when a minority of orthopaedic surgery trainees pursued additional fellowship training,3 approximately 90% of the current class of orthopaedic graduates plans to complete at least 1 fellowship after completing residency.4–,6 There also seems to be a new trend toward pursuing more than 1 fellowship.6 All of these transitions have coincidentally appeared with the recent changes in residency training regulations and societal expectations. It is possible that this is a matter of simple math: shorter periods of clinical exposure (less input) cannot possibly result in equal experience upon graduation (same output). Since the baseline input (residency training) cannot be overhauled, additional input (fellowship training) is sought to reach the same end point.

Nativism or Economic Threat: Attitudes Toward Immigrants During the Great Recession

To better evaluate the weight of economic versus cultural factors in determining individual attitudes toward open borders, this article reports on a survey experiment conducted over the course of the Great Recession. Over the course of the recession, we measured changes in attitudes on both immigration and trade policies, controlling for economic circumstance. Based on the data provided by respondents on both their current salaries as well as a subjective assessment of their economic well-being, we illustrate how both objective and subjective perceptions of the economy interact with cultural factors and influence attitudes on open borders. The panel provides a unique picture of the “stickiness” of policy attitudes in hard economic times, and by extension, the level of commitment in the United States to globalization.

Including Science Advocacy in Industrial–Organizational Curriculum

poignant observation is that, ‘‘I–O psychol-ogists are usually not taught how to selltheir value added, market their knowledgeand skills, and in general, convey thevalue of what they bring to the table inbusiness terms’’ (p. 8). This resonates withthe efforts of SIOP Presidents AdrienneColella, Doug Reynolds, and TammyAllen to clarify and extend the impactand influence of our discipline. Buildingon these ideas, we—the Scientific AffairsCommittee of SIOP—assert that trainingin science advocacy will substantiallyenhance the value and ultimate impact ofan I–O degree.What Is Science Advocacy?Science advocacy is broadly defined asactivities designed to increase a given dis-cipline’s recognition and reputation amongthose external stakeholders who are mostlikely to support it, use it, and benefitfrom it. Science advocacy requires activeengagement with the public, decision mak-ers, and policymakers; explaining whatwe do, what we know, and why it hasvalue. Science advocacy includes (but isnot limited to) (a) influencing public policythrough lobbying and outreach, (b) servingas an expert witness, (c) testifying in frontof Congress, (d) influencing organizationalpracticebyadvocatingwithinorganizationsfor evidence-based solutions, (e) translatingscientific findings into trade publicationsor similar outlets, (f) interacting with themedia, (g) obtaining or reviewing grants,(h) educating lay audiences about whatI–O is and how it can be used to informpotential solutions to contemporary issues,and (i) educating students, many of whomwill work in nonacademic positions andcan influence organizations about scienceadvocacy issues.Why Does I–O Psychology NeedScience Advocacy?Those who have training in I–O psychol-ogy understand the value of the scientificmethod. However, many key decisionmakers in organizations have motivationsthat conflict with sound scientific practices.For example, despite trends toward the useof ‘‘big data,’’ many organizations fail tomanage human resources data in a waythat can be used to readily conduct rigor-ous research. Some organizations gatherextremely limited data on employees,such as current salary and EEOC-requiredinformation. Others collect an abundanceof data but cannot link data from differentsourcestospecificemployeesorworkunits,preventing anyattemptatrigorousscientificresearch. This latter phenomenon may bea catch-22: Organizations may not havereaped the value of a scientific approach todata that would motivate them to manageorganizational data more appropriately,and yet managing such data appropriatelyis exactly what allows for scientific study.Certainly, creating and managing thetypes of datasets that lend to scientificresearch can require large amounts of timeand resources. In addition, organizationaldecision makers might be concerned thatlinking employees’ survey responses toother data sources may make employ-ees uncomfortable, if not unresponsive tosurveys.Giventhesebarriers,scienceadvo-cacy is needed to convince organizationsthat the benefits of rigorous scientific meth-ods outweigh the potential costs associatedwith intensive data management.In addition to barriers that may preventorganizations from gathering and managingtheir data, there are also a number ofbarriers that may prevent organizationsfrom using the scientific literature to informtheir practices. The business world operatesat a faster pace than the academic world,and organizations may thus feel pressureto implement new practices quickly.Moreover, there can be pressure to jumpon the bandwagon by implementing trendypractices to keep up with competitors,without doing due diligence regarding theireffectiveness. Thus, advocacy is neededto educate organizational decision makersregarding the value of taking the time tounderstand the scientific literature beforeimplementing new policies and practices.

Rural Clinician Scarcity and Job Preferences of Doctors and Nurses in India: A Discrete Choice Experiment

The scarcity of rural doctors has undermined the ability of health systems in low and middle-income countries like India to provide quality services to rural populations. This study examines job preferences of doctors and nurses to inform what works in terms of rural recruitment strategies. Job acceptance of different strategies was compared to identify policy options for increasing the availability of clinical providers in rural areas. In 2010 a Discrete Choice Experiment was conducted in India. The study sample included final year medical and nursing students, and in-service doctors and nurses serving at Primary Health Centers. Eight job attributes were identified and a D-efficient fractional factorial design was used to construct pairs of job choices. Respondent acceptance of job choices was analyzed using multi-level logistic regression. Location mattered; jobs in areas offering urban amenities had a high likelihood of being accepted. Higher salary had small effect on doctor, but large effect on nurse, acceptance of rural jobs. At five times current salary levels, 13% (31%) of medical students (doctors) were willing to accept rural jobs. At half this level, 61% (52%) of nursing students (nurses) accepted a rural job. The strategy of reserving seats for specialist training in exchange for rural service had a large effect on job acceptance among doctors, nurses and nursing students. For doctors and nurses, properly staffed and equipped health facilities, and housing had small effects on job acceptance. Rural upbringing was not associated with rural job acceptance. Incentivizing doctors for rural service is expensive. A broader strategy of substantial salary increases with improved living, working environment, and education incentives is necessary. For both doctors and nurses, the usual strategies of moderate salary increases, good facility infrastructure, and housing will not be effective. Non-physician clinicians like nurse-practitioners offer an affordable alternative for delivering rural health care.

Results of the 2012 EMWA salary survey

EMWA members were surveyed in late 2012 and early 2013 about their current salary levels. A total of 320 individuals responded. Most were women, between 31 and 50 years of age, and native speakers of English or German. About half had 2–10 years of experience. Mean annual income was €61 505 (median €54 000), more than 10% higher than reported in 2006. Men earned more than women and income rose with work experience and responsibility. Highest academic degree and native language did not appear to influence income, but members with an EMWA Professional Development Programme certificate earned more than those who did not. The results suggest that salary depends more on professional skills and knowledge than on formal requirements and might be increased by gaining experience and expanding professional skills; however, formal conclusions about influencing factors cannot be made because statistical comparisons were not performed due to potential sample bias.

BMA is urged to reopen negotiations with government on changes to NHS pension scheme

Doctors have urged the BMA to hold further “urgent” negotiations with the government over changes to the NHS pension scheme. Representatives at the association’s annual meeting in Edinburgh agreed this week that changes to the NHS pension scheme passed by parliament in April would have significant detrimental effects on doctors’ morale, recruitment, and retention. Last year the government proposed changing the NHS pension scheme by replacing the current final salary pension arrangements with a career average scheme and by increasing the normal pension age in line with the state pension age.1 …

What do graduates think? An analysis of intention to repeat the same studies and university

The present work analyzes the key factors in the university experience that influence graduates' intention to repeat the same studies and the same institution, given the hypothetical option – based on hindsight – of selecting afresh a course and place of study. The work is inspired by the theory of planned behavior [Ajzen, I. (1985). From intentions to actions: A theory of planned behavior, in action control: From cognition to behavior. New York: J. Kuhl and J. Beckmann; Ajzen, I. (1991). The theory of planned behavior. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 50, 179–211]. This analysis is based on the opinion of graduates in relation to a set of variables that together form the intention to repeat, namely quality of education; services and facilities; preparation by the university for employment; fitness-for-purpose of studies for the job market; capacities and skills acquired; the time taken to find work following graduation; current salary; and satisfaction with current employment. Using multiple regression models, the principal components of service quality in a university context are determined. The findings indicate that the quality of the educational process is the most influential aspect both in the intention to repeat the same studies and also in the intention to repeat the same university. Services and facilities have a marked influence on the latter, while the time taken to find employment and current salary are the two aspects with the least impact.

Magnitude and associated factors of health professionals’ attrition from public health sectors in Bahir Dar City, Ethiopia

Background: Attrition of health professionals from public health sectors is found to be a barrier to effectiveness of health systems and to provide essential health service to population. In Ethiopia, the public health system is the major provider of health care service to the people. In particular, the poor segment of community uses public hospital, health centers and clinic, since the private health facilities are inaccessible and unaffordable to them. The aim of this study was to determine the magnitude and factors associated with health professionals’ attrition from public health sectors in Bahir Dar city. Methods: A Facility based cross-sectional study was conducted in September-October 2012. All inclusive sampling techniques of five years document reviews were used to select 727 health professional documents. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected using structured questionnaires and indepth-interview guides respectively, by trained data collectors. Descriptive statistics (frequencies, proportion and chi square test) were used to describe the study population in relation to relevant variables. To identify independent predictors of attrition, only variables that were statistically significant during bivariate analysis were entered into multiple logistic regression models to control the effects of confounders. Pvalues sex, marital status, educational status, workplace, current salary, professional category and work experience were the main factors associated with health professionals’ attrition from public health sectors. Conclusion: The findings showed that the level of health professionals’ attrition is high in the study area. Policy makers and health mangers should design appropriate retention strategies for health professionals at public health sectors in terms of most associated factors with attritions of health professionals to reduce the prevalence of health professionals’ attrition from public health sectors in collaboration with development partners and concerned body.

Factors that influence Quality of Life of Police Officers: Using Maslow 5-Need Construct

Objective: The purpose of the current study is to examine the quality of life of members of the Jamaica Constabulary Force, and to establish a model can be used to evaluate wellbeing of this group of people. Method: Between April to May 2008 a descriptive cross-sectional survey was conducted on some 400 police officer across the 19-division in Jamaica. It is a stratified random sample, with an instrument of –questions. Data were collected and stored using the Statistical Packages for the Social Sciences (SPSS 20.0). Logistic regression technique was used to model the factors that may determine the dependent variable. Findings: There were 400 respondents (with a sex of 159 males for every 100 females). The mean age of the sampled respondents was 35 years ± 10 years. The Model (Model (1.2) explains 18% of the variability in quality of life of Jamaican Police officers. Quality of life of sampled officers was moderately high (34.2±7.9; maximum = 50). Of the 12 variables tested in Model (1.1), 6 of them explain the 18%. These factors are length of service; morale; satisfaction with current salary; trusting members of police force; interpersonal trust, and subjective social class. Conclusion: The findings suggest that social class (i.e. middle class with referent to lower class) and morale are more important predictors of quality of life while interpersonal trust is the only negative predictor of quality of life compared to other factors. These findings offer an insight in the QoL of police officers and provide a background for policy makers planning for this cohort of people.

An Analysis of the Sustainability of Microfinance Institutions in Kumasi, Ghana

Not withstanding the crucial roles played by microfinance institutions (MFIs) in the socio-economic development of developing countries, sustainability has been identified as one of the contemporary issues facing these institutions. The main objective of this study is to examine the factors that influence the sustainability of MFIs in Ghana. Primary and secondary data as well as other literature sources were employed for this study. Data gathering instruments used include structured questionnaires, interviews and personal observations during visits to the premises of the various MFIs. A list of all registered MFIs in Kumasi, Ghana's second largest city, was obtained from the regional offices of Bank of Ghana in Kumasi, and simple random sampling was used to select 40 MFIs for this study. The study revealed that the products and services offered by the MFIs include personal loans, savings and current account services, business loans, agro loans, salary loans and micro-insurance services. The study also revealed that the MFIs employed three broad categories of delivery models which include individual, group and business entity. It was also realized that the concern for institutional sustainability influences the adoption of a particular delivery model. Out of a total of 40 MFIs sampled 27 of them, representing 73%, indicated that the concern of their institutional sustainability influences the adoption of a particular microfinance delivery model. The study further revealed that operational challenges faced by the MFIs include poor loan recovery rate, competition, inadequate IT infrastructure, high staff turnover and inadequate professional staff. Based on the findings of the study, it was recommended that the MFIs should charge reasonable interest rates in order to improve loan recovery rates. They should also pay attention to credit risk assessment to ensure that loans given out are recovered and also employ some well qualified staff to enhance their efficiency.

Government offers concession on pension contribution rates

The government has signalled that it is prepared to consider flatter pension contribution rates for doctors rather than the proposed “tiered” system in 2015, when the current final salary NHS pension scheme is replaced by a career average scheme. In a letter sent to the BMA’s chairman of council, Mark Porter, the health secretary, Jeremy Hunt, said that no decision had yet been made about how exactly pension contributions would be tiered after 2015 and seemed to adopt a more conciliatory tone than his predecessor. The BMA, which has fiercely opposed the government’s public sector pensions legislation currently working its way …

The Relation between CEO Compensation and Past Performance

ABSTRACT:This study focuses on the relation between current compensation and past performance measures as signals of a chief executive officer's (CEO's) ability. We develop a simple two-period principal-agent model with moral hazard and adverse selection and test theoretical predictions using CEO compensation data from 1993–2006. Consistent with the predictions, we find that salary (bonus) is positively (negatively) associated with past performance for both continuing and newly hired CEOs. We also find that while current salary is positively associated with future performance, current bonus is not. As the model suggests, salary is adjusted to meet the reservation utility and information rent, and is positively correlated over time to reflect ability. Bonus serves to address moral hazard and adverse selection by separating high-ability agents into riskier contracts. Our results indicate that it is important to disaggregate cash compensation into salary and bonus components to understand the dynamic interaction between incentives and performance.Data Availability: Data are available from public sources indicated in the text.

Gender Differences in the Salaries of Physician Researchers

It is unclear whether male and female physician researchers who perform similar work are currently paid equally. To determine whether salaries differ by gender in a relatively homogeneous cohort of physician researchers and, if so, to determine if these differences are explained by differences in specialization, productivity, or other factors. A US nationwide postal survey was sent in 2009-2010 to assess the salary and other characteristics of a relatively homogeneous population of physicians. From all 1853 recipients of National Institutes of Health (NIH) K08 and K23 awards in 2000-2003, we contacted the 1729 who were alive and for whom we could identify a mailing address. The survey achieved a 71% response rate. Eligibility for the present analysis was limited to the 800 physicians who continued to practice at US academic institutions and reported their current annual salary. A linear regression model of self-reported current annual salary was constructed considering the following characteristics: gender, age, race, marital status, parental status, additional graduate degree, academic rank, leadership position, specialty, institution type, region, institution NIH funding rank, change of institution since K award, K award type, K award funding institute, years since K award, grant funding, publications, work hours, and time spent in research. The mean salary within our cohort was $167,669 (95% CI, $158,417-$176,922) for women and $200,433 (95% CI, $194,249-$206,617) for men. Male gender was associated with higher salary (+$13,399; P = .001) even after adjustment in the final model for specialty, academic rank, leadership positions, publications, and research time. Peters-Belson analysis (use of coefficients derived from regression model for men applied to women) indicated that the expected mean salary for women, if they retained their other measured characteristics but their gender was male, would be $12,194 higher than observed. Gender differences in salary exist in this select, homogeneous cohort of mid-career academic physicians, even after adjustment for differences in specialty, institutional characteristics, academic productivity, academic rank, work hours, and other factors.

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Government confirms final proposals for reform of NHS pension scheme

The government has published the details of its final offer on changes to the NHS pension scheme for England and Wales, after the close of negotiations with healthcare unions. The proposed final agreement contains the same offers as the heads of agreement published in December last year and represents the government’s final position on the changes to the NHS pension scheme from 2015. The proposals include replacing the current final salary pension scheme with a careers average …

Teacher pay and teacher aptitude

Can changes in teacher pay encourage more able individuals to enter the teaching profession? So far, studies of the impact of pay on the aptitude distribution of teachers have provided mixed evidence on the extent to which altering teacher salaries represents a feasible solution to the teacher quality problem. One possible reason is that these studies have been unable to separate labor supply effects from labor demand effects. To address this, I model the relationship between current salaries and the academic aptitude of future teachers (those entering teacher education courses). Using a unique dataset of test scores for every individual admitted into an Australian university between 1989 and 2003, I explore how interstate variation in average pay or pay dispersion affects the decision to enter teacher education courses. A 1 percent rise in the salary of a starting teacher boosts the average aptitude of students entering teacher education courses by 0.6 percentile ranks, with the effect being strongest for those at the median. This result is robust to instrumenting for teacher pay using uniform salary schedules for public schools. I also find some evidence that more pay dispersion in the non-teaching sector lowers the aptitude of potential teachers.

PhD experience and subsequent outcomes: a look at self-perceptions of acquired graduate attributes and supervisor support

The literature examining graduate attributes remains unclear regarding their value to work within and outside of the university context. The current article sought clarity through a quantitative analysis of the relationship between self-perceptions of PhD-related graduate attribute acquisition and both objective (e.g. productivity) and subjective outcomes (i.e. evaluations of PhD experience). The perceived acquisition of graduate attributes was related to post-PhD productivity and subjective evaluations, but not duration of PhD study, productivity during PhD study, time seeking employment post-PhD or current gross salary. Perceptions of supervisor support, as well as a variety of demographic variables, were also related to several of the current outcome measures. Overall, the results speak to the role that university graduate education has in providing for the development of attributes that can be successfully brought to fruition in post-graduation employment through enhanced productivity.

The Value of Culinary Education: Evaluating Educational Costs, Job Placement Outcomes, and Satisfaction With Value of Associate Degree Culinary and Baking Arts Program Graduates

The cost of an associate degree in culinary or baking and pastry arts varies significantly depending on whether the program is housed in a public, private for-profit, or nonprofit institution. Rising tuition and student debt and new federal regulations concerning “gainful employment” have focused debate on the costs and value of education. This exploratory study surveyed chefs with associate degrees regarding the cost of and methods of paying for the program, first place of employment, job title, and salary, current salary, and satisfaction with the value of their education. The results showed that graduates of private for-profit schools were significantly less satisfied than those of public and private nonprofit programs.

Public finance in Serbia: What can companies expect?

Companies expect low taxes, adequate budgetary support and contribution to the stability of fiscal and financial system from the public sector. The current public finance performs none of the three tasks in an adequate manner. First, public consumption in Serbia is high and inappropriate. The quality of service, which the public sector provides the economy with, is not satisfactory. Second, the structure of public expenditures is unfavorable. Current expenditures, and salaries and pensions within these, have an advantage, while, on the other hand, a sharp reduction in capital expenditures is implemented and further projected, as well as reduction in subsidies and government loans, and in the purchases of goods and services from the budget. Third, public finance does not improve financial stability. The state is a strong competitor to companies in the financial market, and both the legal and the economic limits of the public debt are reached. As part of the required public sector reform, it will be necessary first for the state to seriously demonstrate to the economy that, through the reforms of health, education, public administration, public companies and pension system, as well as through regulation of business environment and grey economy, the conditions and costs of business operations will be more favorable in future. Then, the tax reform would also be easily accepted by the economy and by the citizens.

Research Article: Racial and Gender Differences in Job Mobility and Wages of Employees in Environmental Organizations

Despite the plethora of studies about environmental organizations, few studies have examined the work experiences of employees. Consequently, this study analyzes the job mobility and earnings of 265 environmental professionals. The survey sample consisted of 153 White and 112 minority respondents, including 150 men and 115 women. The study examines three dependent variables: job tenure, starting salaries, and current salaries. It analyzes how the independent variables race, gender, educational attainment, disciplinary background, type of college attended, length of time working in current organization, length of time working in the environmental field, and type of environmental organization worked in are related to the outcome variables. The study found that the perception of wage inequity was stronger among minorities than Whites. However, binary logistic regression analysis found that neither race nor gender were significant in predicting job tenure, starting, or current salary in multivariate models.