Situational Characteristics Research Articles

Restaurant patronage during the COVID-19 pandemic and the protection motivation theory: influence of consumers’ socio-demographic, situational, and psychographic factors

ABSTRACT To systematically investigate factors affecting consumers’ restaurant patronage decisions during the COVID-19 pandemic, this study drew on the Protection Motivation Theory (PMT) to (1) evaluate how threat and coping appraisal (i.e., PMT factors) may vary based on socio-demographics and COVID-19 situational characteristics, and (2) determine if PMT factors influence actual restaurant patronage behaviors. Furthermore, the current study examined consumers’ perceptions of health-protective actions that restaurateurs could take to minimize consumer risk of contracting COVID-19. Data were collected from U.S. adults (N = 627) using an online crowdsourcing platform in early May 2020. Findings showed significant relationships between socio-demograhic factors and perceived severity and/or vulnerability to COVID-19, along with concerns of coping with the virus for in-restaurant dining. For take-out/delivery patronage, coping concerns were greater for those with lower education levels and those with more health concerns than their counterparts. Furthermore, consumers’ higher levels of coping appraisal predicted their higher take-out/delivery frequency. Results also suggested actions that restaurateurs could take that would influence consumers’ restaurant patronage decisions. This study provides new insights related to PMT in the context of restaurants in a pandemic situation and practical information for restaurateurs to recover and prepare for future pandemics or similar crises.

Discursive structures in political communication

This article is devoted to the study of discursive structures in political sphere, represented in the English-language source Twitter of the President of the United States. The purpose of the study is to analyze the discursive structures that arise as a result of the interaction of political discourse with other types of discourses. To achieve it, the authors set the following tasks: identifying specific markers in the political discourse that characterize the presence of other discourses, analyzing the features of the communicative situation of message transmission, identifying the features of interdiscursiveness and polydiscursivity. The material for the analysis was the statements of Donald Trump on Twitter from November 1, 2019 to November 1, 2020. The authors of the article use various methods: descriptive, contextual analysis, comparative, methods of observation, content analysis and discourse analysis. The study uses the linguistic concept of the American scientist D. Himes S-P-E-A-K-I-N-G, which includes an analysis of the components of the situation: Participants, Ends, Act Sequence etc. Using the situation model in the messages, participants, their actions and other characteristics were highlighted. President is the author of the messages, while the addressee is a collective one. The same participants, depending on the context of the message, become participants of other types of discourses. The article examines such types of discourses as economic, educational, medical, which are part of political discourse. Their choice is due to the socio-economic significance of the issues of economics, education and health care in the life of society. In addition, the media function of political communication is reflected. The texts are posted on the Internet platform, due to which the political discourse is drawn into the space of the Internet discourse. The analysis made it possible to identify the features of large-scale interdiscursiveness and to highlight the levels of discursive heterogeneity.

When Gender Matters in Organizational Negotiations

A person's gender is not a reliable predictor of their negotiation behavior or outcomes, because the degree and character of gender dynamics in negotiation vary across situations. Systematic effects of gender on negotiation are best predicted by situational characteristics that cue gendered behavior or increase reliance on gendered standards for agreement. In this review, we illuminate two levers that heighten or constrain the potential for gender effects in organizational negotiations: ( a) the salience and relevance of gender within the negotiating context and ( b) the degree of ambiguity (i.e., lack of objective standards or information) with regard to what is negotiable, how to negotiate, or who the parties are as negotiators. In our summary, we review practical implications of this research for organizational leaders and individuals who are motivated to reduce gender-based inequities in negotiation outcomes. In conclusion, we suggest future directions for research on gender in organizational negotiations.

Parent's Stress Predictors during a Child's Hospitalization.

A child’s illness and hospitalization are particularly difficult and most often an unpredictable situation in a family’s life cycle. The level of stress of a parent of a hospitalized child depends on many factors, such as the psychological characteristics of the child and the parent, the child’s health condition, and support from the family and medical staff. Our research aimed to search for interactions between the stress experienced by the parent and the temperamental variables of both the child and the parent, and the support received from the family and hospital staff. Using three pencil-paper questionnaires—PSS, EAS-D, EAS-C—and interview questionnaire, we tested 203 parent–child dyads at the time of children hospitalization. It was revealed that the most notable moderator of the relationship between temperamental traits and the characteristics of the hospital-related situation is the child’s age. When analyzing the situation of a family with a hospitalized child, particular attention should be paid to parental emotional distress, which, regardless of the child’s age, predicts a high level of parental stress.

What to do when there is nothing to do? Toward a better understanding of idle time at work

Idle time at work is a phase of involuntary downtime during which employees experience that they cannot carry out their work tasks. In contrast to breaks, interruptions, procrastination, or withdrawal behavior, employees cannot work because of the absence of work-related tasks. Based on action regulation theory, we develop an integrative conceptual model on the antecedents and consequences of the subjective experience of idle time. We propose that work constraints (i.e., regulation problems) have negative effects on occupational well-being and task performance, and that these effects are mediated by subjective idle time. The strength of these effects is further assumed to be influenced by individuals’ use of proactive (i.e., prevention) and adaptive (i.e., coping) strategies. Results of a supplemental qualitative study, for which we interviewed 20 employees from different occupations, provided preliminary support for the propositions. Finally, we develop theory on how individual, situational, and organizational characteristics may influence the proposed effects on and of idle time. Overall, this conceptual development paper contributes to a better theoretical understanding of idle time at work by extending its definition and applying action regulation theory to this practically important phenomenon.

Behavioral Economics in Plea-Bargain Decision-Making: Beyond the Shadow-of-Trial Model

AbstractLegal scholars have long assumed that plea bargains are contracts negotiated between rational actors who adhere to the dictates of the normative shadow-of-trial model. The two key features that rational actors presumably haggle over in the shadow of trial are the criminal charge (and associated sentence) and the probability of trial conviction. The behavioral economics theory ofdiscounting, however, offers a theoretical foundation for testing the shadow-of-trial model. This article summarizes findings from experimental discounting studies in behavioral economics and psychological science – showing that these paradigms can be successfully applied to the plea-bargaining decision context wherein the likelihood of trial is uncertain and delayed, and the plea bargain is relatively certain and immediate. We suggest that the implications of applying discounting to plea bargaining are three-fold: (1) empirical evidence suggests that the shadow-of-trial model is too narrow; (2) the discounting of non-monetary losses may involve slightly different psychological processes than contexts involving monetary outcomes; and (3) probability of conviction and delay until trial constitute situational features that elicit guilty pleas despite a defendant’s factual innocence.

The Running Track of Government Responsibility During the Pandemic, Characteristic Analysis of Policy Documents Relevant to the COVID-19 Pandemic Released by Beijing Municipal Government in 2020.

Objective: Provide a reference point for the division of labor during the collaboration of multiple departments and the planning for the prevention and control of the Covid-19 epidemic of departments of the Beijing Municipal Government, from the perspective of policy documents.Methods: Policy documents and daily updates on COVID-19 cases published in 2020 are taken from the official website of Beijing Municipal Government and Beijing Municipal Health Commission. The characteristics of the pandemic situation and the content of relevant documents issued by different departments are described in five stages.Results: There were 988 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Beijing in 2020, and policy analysis covered 444 documents (257 policy documents and 187 explanations of policy). A total of 153 policy documents were directly issued by the Beijing Municipal Government and its 45 subordinate commissions and bureaus, while others were policy forwarding from the central government and its relevant departments, county-level governments of Beijing and other organizations. Most cases and documents emerged during the initial stage of the pandemic (Level-I of the Emergency Response, which is the most serious). It was found that as many as 109 documents published by Beijing Municipal Government during the Level I emergency response period were relevant to economic and social development, 83 documents were related to disease control and medical services, and the rest were in close relation to the production and daily life of the people. Overall, major policy measures taken were relevant to 7 fields: finance, transportation, economic activities, employment people's lives, epidemic prevention and control and medical insurance. Policy implementation objectives were centered on promoting epidemic prevention and control and maintaining the stability of social production and residents' life. However, there are different emphases in different stages of the epidemic.Conclusion: Beijing municipality realized an effective mode of collaboration among multiple departments and organizations in the prevention and control of the COVID-19 epidemic, which was an example of the practice of “Health in All Policies.”

Exploring the context and interface of corporate social responsibility and HRM

This paper examines the interface between corporate social responsibility (CSR) and human resource management (HRM) within organisational settings. It draws on 29 interviews with senior CSR and HR professionals in 16 New Zealand organisations to explore the implications of CSR for HRM. Findings indicate that the pursuit of CSR can support HR strategy and practice because of functional complementarities and a common discourse around employee engagement and well‐being. However, the relationship can also involve territorial silos and tensions that vary according to contextual factors such as the scope and stage of CSR development; its structural location within the organisation; and situational features such as size and sector which help shape the resourcing and priorities of the two functions. This study contributes to knowledge and practice by adopting a contingency approach to advance the argument that integrating CSR principles into HR strategy and practices can, under favourable circumstances, promote ‘socially responsible’ HRM.

Chinese passengers’ security perceptions of ride-hailing services: An integrated approach combining general and situational perspectives

Passengers’ security perceptions of ride-hailing services influence their acceptance and adoption of such online-to-offline services. The current study aims to study factors that influence Chinese passengers’ security perceptions of ride-hailing services in general and for a specific ride. Based on a literature review and information sourced from focus groups, we identified three groups of issues influencing security perceptions: the perception of the risk, the situation of a specific ride, and individual differences. Through two rounds of surveys, involving 163 and 314 respondents respectively, we identified four risk factors and four situation factors. Regression analyses showed that general security perceptions of ride-hailing services were influenced by two risk factors, perceived possibility and familiarity of the risk. Situational security perceptions were only slightly influenced by the general perceived security, but more influenced by situation characteristics including interaction with the driver and the vehicle, trip companions, and trip duration. The online platform, however, had no significant influence. The differences between sexual assaults and other types of personal assaults, between ride-hailing services and traditional taxi services, and between female and male passengers were analyzed and discussed. The results provide implications on how to improve ride-hailing services to enhance passengers’ perceived security.

Associations among workload dimensions, performance, and situational characteristics: a meta-analytic review of the Task Load Index

ABSTRACT Workload is an important explanatory variable in human–computer interaction and commonly measured with the Task Load Index (TLX). Thus, it is important to understand the qualities of TLX and its relations to other variables. By reviewing 384 papers that apply TLX, this study analyzes how differences in TLX and its six subscales are associated with one another and with differences in performance, user experience, and situational characteristics. Six findings stand out. First, the TLX subscales measure associated, but somewhat independent, dimensions of workload. Second, people compensate for demanding conditions by putting in more effort and, as a result, sometimes avoid a drop in performance. Third, differences in workload are associated with differences in error rate, task completion time, and user experience but the strength of association is merely slight to fair. Fourth, differences in opposite directions between workload and either error rate, task completion time, or user experience are few but occur for all TLX subscales. Fifth, differences in workload dimensions are more often associated with differences in tasks and contexts than users and systems. Sixth, the TLX subscales – not just the composite TLX score – are widely used for testing cross-system differences in workload.

The Challenge of Designing ‘More’ Experiential Learning in Higher Education Programs in the Field of Teacher Education: A Systematic Review Study

ABSTRACT Although a long time has passed since the theoretical foundation of experiential learning was proposed, designing experiential learning has proven to remain a challenge. We contribute to this matter by reviewing 31 empirical articles that have provided insights into what this ‘more’ experiential learning could be. Results are systematically compared using three perspectives to distinguish situated and general characteristics. The review highlights three pillars of learning environments that foster experiential learning (Authenticity, Reflection and Collaboration) and learning processes within each pillar. Moreover, the study provides recommendations for future theory building and practical implementation.

A new methodology for the analysis and optimal setting of directional polarisation methods for overcurrent elements in line protection applications

Directional protection of transmission lines is an important feature in situations where short-circuit direction must be correctly detected. The proper operation of this protection is highly dependent on phasor comparison techniques called polarisation methods. In practice, there are not clearly defined procedures to analyse and set polarisation methods. Hence, these methods are not normally studied in detail, so their effectiveness is often uncertain. For this reason, this work proposes a novel methodology for analysing the performance of polarisation methods, which includes criteria for the selection of the most appropriate methods and their settings according to each application. Particular phasor diagrams and angular statistics are used for the analysis, while a mathematical optimization problem is defined to determine the best settings of these methods. Based on the benefits that can be obtained, the methodology is intended to be considered as an effective strategy to ensure proper use of polarization methods. The methodology is applied in a portion of the Ecuadorian Transmission System which shows the possibility of studying the performance of polarisation methods. The selection and optimal setting criteria of these methods are also analysed providing opportunities to improve the initial performance of the protection system.

EFFECTIVE USE OF COMMUNICATIVE SITUATIONS IN BUSINESS DISCOURSE

The article analyzes communicative situations as units of communicative competence. Distinctive characteristics of speech situations are presented. Approaches to business discourse in the scientific literature are analyzed. The features of business discourse from the point of view of discursive analysis are determined. The description of speech situations of English-speaking business discourse is given. Linguistic means that are effective in creating cognitive images that contribute to the communicative purpose of speech situations, namely: professional terminology, professional jargon, professional slang, the use of clichés, metaphors in different types of texts are identified.

The cross‐level moderating effect of team task support on the nonlinear relationship between proactive personality and employee reflective learning

SummaryReflective learning is a fundamental part of human learning and development and has attracted attention from management scholars as well as practitioners. In this study, we build on trait activation theory and investigate how proactive personality and team task support jointly influence employee reflective learning. Using a questionnaire survey, we collected data at two time points from 154 participants nested in 37 teams in five organizations in the United Kingdom. The results from multilevel analyses showed that proactive personality had a positive effect on reflective learning up to a certain point. Over and above this inflection point, this positive effect ceased to further increase. In addition, the nonlinear effect of proactive personality on reflective learning was much stronger when team task support was weak than when it was strong. The finding regarding the nonlinear relationship extends our understanding of the effect of proactive personality. The cross‐level moderating effect of team task support suggests a complementary perspective to appreciate the interactions between proactive personality and its relevant situational characteristics. Practitioners can use these findings to design effective intervention plans and facilitate employee reflective learning in specific settings and in workplace learning in general.

ENLIGHTENED FEMINISM: IDEOLOGY, POLITICAL PRACTICE

This article clarifies the social essence of the ideology of enlightened feminism by analyzing its ideological, historical and political dynamics. The author focuses on the feminism of the first and second waves, which is generally devoid of many excessively bizarre and absurd forms inherent in modern radical feminism. The dialectical nature of the dynamics of feminism is noted - the achievement of specific political goals at the previous stage forced its ideologists to form new tasks, mainly on a more expansive scale and under the influence of a changing situation. At the same time, sometimes, we were talking about measures concerning the fundamental rethinking of the female essence itself, getting rid of patriarchal cultural stereotypes, which prepared the ground for legitimizing the situation characteristic of modern radical feminism, which is talking about the actual social domination of the fairer sex. The author emphasizes the importance of the subjective preferences of the developers of feminist ideas, as well as the fallacy of the key thesis of the theory of feminism about the social conditionality of gender differences. This largely serves as a prerequisite for the radicalization of modern forms of feminism, the inconsistency and paradoxical nature of its practice.

Unaccounted for no more: Explicating managers' role in accountability enactment

SummaryAccountability research has focused primarily on how subordinates perceive or react to workplace accountabilities and largely ignored how managers choose to enact it. This omission has occurred despite repeated claims that managers hold subordinates accountable to different degrees and in different ways. We conducted a systematic review of accountability research for insights into managers' role in, and differential application of, workplace accountability. Through this review, we inductively developed a model of managerial accountability enactment, which highlights how managers choose to enact accountability in reaction to relevant subordinate events. Research suggests that variations in managers' enactment of accountability depend upon a myriad of individual, organizational, and situational characteristics. We discuss implications and suggest new directions for future accountability research that consider managers' role in the accountability process.

Characteristics of the COVID-19 Epidemiological Situation in the Russian Federation in 2020

Background.The COVID-19 epidemic in the Russian Federation, which began in March 2020, caused serious damage to health of the population and led to severe economic losses. By December 28, 2020, 3 078 035 cases of COVID-19 and 55 265 lethal outcomes were registered in the country. The population of all territorial subjects of the country is involved in the epidemic process of COVID-19. The severe epidemiological situation made it necessary to conduct an analysis to identify the factors that determine the high intensity of the epidemic process, as well as the population groups with the highest risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection.
 Aims to study the patterns of SARS-CoV-2 spread and the epidemiological features of the initial stage of the COVID-19 pandemic in the Russian Federation in 2020.
 Methods.An epidemiological analysis of the COVID-19 situation in the Russian Federation was carried out to determine the dynamics of morbidity, the gender proportion and age structure of patients, the proportion of hospitalized patients, the ratio of various forms of infection, the social and professional status of patients. Standard methods of descriptive statistics Microsoft Excel and STATISTICA 12.0 (StatSoft, USA) were used for statistical processing. The mean values were estimated with a 95% confidence interval [95% CI] (the exact Klopper Pearson method).
 Results.During the observation time (2020), several periods were identified in the dynamics of the new COVID-19 cases detection: the period of importation of SARS-CoV-2 and the increase in morbidity, the period of epidemic decline, the period of autumn growth, the period of sustained high incidence of COVID-19. It was found that people over 70 years of age are the group with the highest risk of infection and a more severe course of COVID-19. The presence of target contingents among social and professional groups of the population, which should include medical workers, retired person, employees of educational institutions, law enforcement agencies, transport, who require special attention and medical and social support, was shown.
 Conclusions.The analysis showed that the large-scale spread of COVID-19 requires in-depth epidemiological studies and the development of additional disease control measures, taking into account the dynamics of the incidence of this socially significant infection.

Do Online Gambling Products Require Traditional Therapy for Gambling Disorder to Change? Evidence from Focus Group Interviews with Mental Health Professionals Treating Online Gamblers

Online gambling has significantly altered the situational and structural characteristics of gambling products, to the extent that online gamblers might be substantially different from traditional offline gamblers. A growing body of literature has identified the evolving features of online gambling and the individuals who engage in it. However, beyond understanding the individual characteristics of this subgroup, relatively less effort has been made to examine whether existing cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) approaches are still entirely relevant for online problem gamblers, or whether changes are needed to adapt according to gambling mode of access. To understand what kind of challenges online gambling poses to mental health professionals dealing with disordered gamblers, four focus groups comprising 28 Spanish participants were carried out. All the treatment providers had ongoing experience with online gamblers undergoing treatment, and included clinical psychologists, mental health social workers, and a medical doctor. The data were examined using thematic analysis. The analysis identified five main themes that characterised online gamblers: (1) being of younger age, (2) lack of conflicts at home and at work/educational centre, rarely presenting violent or aggressive behaviour, (3) gambling disorder only being identified by overdue debt, (4) co-occurring conditions with technology-related abuse rather than other substance-related addictions, and (5) skill-based gambling. The study highlights mental health workers’ perceived insecurities about how to best treat online gamblers, and discusses the specific characteristics that CBT for gambling disorder might need to incorporate to adjust for this particular group of gamblers.

Behavioral and hormonal effects of two weaning situations in trotter foals

Weaning is recognized as being a stressful event for foals. The outcome of this weaning stress can depend upon the procedure that was used. The aim of the present study was to investigate the behavioral and hormonal effects of two different weaning situations in Standardbred trotter foals born in Italy. In situation 1 (10 foals), weaning was performed at around 5 months of age, two foals/week, and foals were handled regularly after weaning in stud 1 (S1). In situation 2 (12 foals) weaning was performed at around 7 months of age, all foals on the same day, and there was little handling after weaning in Stud 2 (S2). Behavioral observations and saliva and hair sampling for RIA cortisol levels assessment were done on day -7, day 0 (weaning day), day 7 and day 30. Behavioral data were analyzed using Generalized Linear Mixed Models, Friedman ANOVAs, U-Mann Whitney tests. Cortisol data were analyzed using repeated measure ANOVAs. Spearman correlations were used to assess correlations. Foals in both studs vocalized (all Bonferroni adjusted P < 0.05) significantly more on the day they had been weaned than on any other day. They also showed a decrease in time spent eating on D0 supporting that weaning was a stressful event for them. The decrease in eating behavior was present also on D7 for S1, but not for S2 foals (S1: Bonferroni adjusted P < 0.05 for contrasts between D0 and D-7/D30; S2: Bonferroni adjusted P < 0.05 for all contrasts between days). Saliva cortisol concentrations differed significantly only depending on “age at the beginning of the experiment” (AB) and sex of the foal, whereas hair cortisol varied depending the day and the interaction day*AB and day*stud (all P < 0.01), with S1 foals having higher hair concentrations than S2 foals on the seventh day after weaning. Results suggest that the weaning situation in stud 1 (which included being weaned two at a time at 5 months of age) could be more stressful for foals than that experienced in stud 2 (which included being weaned all together at 7 months of age). As the weaning situations evaluated in the present experiment were compound stimuli, it would be interesting to confirm them in an experiment in which all features of the compound situation are teased apart (including possible confounding variables, such as stud) and foals are randomly allocated into experimental groups.

Les classificateurs verbaux en chinois

In standard Mandarin, verbal classifiers in association with cardinals are used to count iteration or duration of an action. This article discusses the different types of verbal classifiers by questioning the traditional classification which is problematic according to our studies: the traditional specific verbal classifiers are not exclusively verbal, they can also be used for nouns and are therefore polyfunctional and polysemic; the classifiers used temporarily in verbal quantification can be of verbal or nominal origin, they are also polyfunctional. Verbal classifiers are complements of frequency or duration when they are postverbal and circumstantial frequency complements when they are preverbal. With these two positions, we can observe different semantic or pragmatic values: v + card + clv only expresses objective quantity or duration while card + clv + v highlights situational features, and expresses subjective quantity or short duration of an action with certain communicative aims.