Task Orientation Research Articles

Leaders’ behavioral approach in the digital era: task vs relationship

PurposeThe importance of modeling digital leadership in quickly digitizing countries, like the United Arab Emirates (UAE), is inevitable for building leadership capabilities to lead, engage and motivate remote employees in the digital environment. Using Blake and Mouton Grid, the current study examines the behavioral approach used by the leaders from both public and private sectors while managing their workforce digitally in the period of the pandemic, when 70% of the workforce worked remotely for the first-time in the region.Design/methodology/approachAn online survey was conducted by the managerial employees working in different firms using self-administered questionnaires and adopting the snowball sampling technique. In total, 476 respondents participated in the study from both the Emirates of Abu Dhabi and Dubai.FindingsThe analysis using IBM SPSS and Smart PLS software reported that 9 out of 10 leaders positioned their digital leadership style well above the middle-of-the-road management style (5,5) oriented towards team management (9,9); with 7 out of 9 displaying high team management leadership style, while managing remote workers. However, millennials displayed higher task orientation when compared to generation-x leaders, who concentrated more on their relations with the workers.Practical implicationsThe findings have implications for practitioners in technology driven regions. Also the results highlighting the task-oriented approach of millennials digital leaders have implication for owners and board of directors of the firms that seniority is not the only credible approach for leadership positions.Originality/valueThe study reveals the behavioral styles beneficial for digital leaders to develop their leadership capabilities and increase their effectiveness while managing the workforce digitally. Black Mountain Grid and its two-dimensional leadership matrix has been found to be a useful conceptual approach for understanding digital leadership behaviors, and based on study findings, recommendations have been provided to effectively improve its utilization for leading teams. The findings have implications for practitioners in technology driven regions as well as digital leadership field scholars.

The effects of transcranial electrical stimulation of the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex on tactile spatial discrimination performance

The dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) plays a key role in tactile perceptual discrimination performance. Both transcranial random noise stimulation (tRNS) and anodal transcranial pulsed current stimulation (tPCS) have been shown to modulate neural activity in cortical regions. In this study, we aimed to determine whether tRNS and anodal tPCS over the left DLPFC would improve tactile perceptual discrimination performance of the right index finger in healthy neurological individuals. Subjects underwent a grating orientation task before, immediately after, and 30 min after applying tRNS in Experiment 1 or anodal tPCS in Experiment 2. tRNS application on the left DLPFC tended to enhance tactile perceptual discrimination performance. In contrast, the application of anodal tPCS over the left DLPFC did not affect tactile perceptual discrimination performance. These findings indicate that transcranial electrical stimulation to the left DLPFC may improve tactile perceptual discrimination performance, with effects that depend on stimulus modality.

Learning Styles and Study Habits: A Way to Academic Success

The aim of the present investigation was to examine the relationship between various learning styles and study habits and their impact on academic success.A sample of 200 students was selected randomly from the two govt. and two private Schools of Delhi. Study Habit Inventory developed by Mukhopadhyay and Dr. D.N. Sansanwal (1985) was administered. This inventory includes nine components namely -comprehension, concentration, task orientation, study sets, interaction, drilling, supports, recording and language. Learning Styles Inventory prepared by Rita Dunn, Keneth Dunn and Gary E (1989) was also applied. This is a self-reported tool consisting of 90 statements. This inventory has four major aspects-. i) Their immediate environment (sound, light, temperature, seating design). ii) Their own emotionality (motivation, persistence, responsibility). iii) Their sociological performance (learning alone or in different sized groups). iv) Their physiological characteristics (perceptual strengths represented by auditory, verbal, tactile, kinesthetic and sequenced characteristics.It was found that coefficient of correlation between learning style and study habit of adolescent was significant and positive.

Psychometric Properties of the Polish Version of the Sports Anxiety Scale-2 (SAS-2).

The main aim of the study was to assess the psychometric properties of the Polish version of the Sports Anxiety scale-2 (SAS-2). The study covered 396 athletes, ages ranging from 18 years to 35 years. The task and ego orientation in sport questionnaire (TEOSQ) and State and Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) were used for validation of the scale. Cronbach's alpha for the somatic anxiety subscale was 0.88, for the worry subscale was 0.95, and for the concentration disruption was 0.86, respectively. The three-factor model and hierarchical model fits perfectly as CFI > 0.95, TLI > 0.95, and RMSEA < 0.08. Satisfactory results in measurement invariance show the use of the tool for any gender or athlete (high-performance, recreational) group. The internal consistency (α = 0.86-0.95) and the test-retest reliability (ICC = 0.87-0.90) were satisfactory. There was a statistically significant negative correlation between task orientation and total anxiety along with its three subscales, and a weak positive correlation between ego orientation and worry subscale. Meanwhile, a weak to moderate positive correlation was exhibited between total anxiety and its subscales with the STAI-T and STAI-S. Additionally, female, recreational, and female recreational athletes' groups had weak negative associations between worry and concentration disruption trait anxiety and task orientation, and a weak positive association between somatic anxiety and ego orientation.

Task and Ego Orientation in Sport Questionnaire: A Mokken Scale Analysis

Athletes’ goal orientations have been associated with a wide array of sport-related behaviors, thoughts, and perceptions. The two main goal orientations defined in the achievement goal theory framework are task and ego orientations. The task and ego orientation questionnaire (TEOSQ) was developed to assess levels of task and ego goal orientations in sport-related settings and is widely used in research in the field of sport psychology. Its use in research rests on the assumption that sum scores of the TEOSQ can be used to order individuals by their levels of the two goal orientations. In this study, the soundness of this assumption is evaluated using Mokken scale analysis (MSA). TEOSQ responses from 749 football players were used in the analysis. Both the monotone homogeneity model and the double monotonicity model were fitted. The scalability coefficients for both the task and ego orientation subscales were 0.45 indicating a moderately good scalability. Invariant item ordering did not hold for either of the two subscales. There is definite room for improvement in the TEOSQ. Several improvement suggestions are made and further research directions are discussed.

Spatial orientation: A relationship with inferential memory

Two branches of the scientific literature have dominated our understanding of hippocampal function. One focuses on the support this structure offers to declarative memory, while the other views the hippocampus as a part of a system dedicated to spatial navigation. These two different visions can be reconciled in relational theory, which suggests that the hippocampus processes all kinds of associations and sequences of events. According to this, processing would be similar to a route calculation based on associations of spatial information acquired during navigation and the associative relationship established between memories without spatial content. In this paper, we present a behavioral study of healthy individuals to explore the performance of inferential memory tasks and spatial orientation tasks in a virtual environment. Inferential memory and spatial orientation task performances were positively correlated. However, after controlling for a non-inferential memory task, only the correlation between allocentric spatial orientation and inferential memory remained significant. These results provide support for the similarity between the two cognitive functions, lending credence to the relational theory of the hippocampus. Additionally, our behavioral findings are in line with the cognitive map theory, which suggests a potential association between the hippocampus and allocentric spatial representations.

Social Comparison in Healthy Adult Peloton Bikers: How Visual Display of Exercise Data Affects Performance

UniversityIn group exercise settings, individuals compare their performance against others, a process called social comparison. Although social comparison in laboratory-based exercise settings has been investigated, little is known about how exercising with others can boost motivation to perform in a non-laboratory group exercise setting with data display. Peloton bikers (N = 26) completed the same 30-minute cycling session in three conditions: group data display, individual data display, and no data display. Participants’ exercise performance (i.e., heart rate, calories burned, and distance cycled) was assessed for each condition. Ego orientation and social comparison were investigated as predictors of performance. Results indicated that in the group data condition, participants had higher heart rates (p = .02), calories burned (p = .03), and longer distance cycled (p &lt; .001) compared to the no data condition. Positive correlations emerged between social comparison and calories burned (r = .52), social comparison and distance (r = .45), and calories burned and distance (r = .75). Additionally, there was a negative correlation between ego orientation and HR (r = -.45), and between task and ego orientations (r = -.47). Ego orientation explained 19% of the variance in HR, and social comparison accounted for 20% and 27% of the variance in distance and calories burned, respectively. These results suggest that social comparison, ego orientation, and visually displayed data can all improve exercise performance. This study is bridging the gap between research and practice by providing further evidence of the application of the motivational effect of visually displayed exercise data in a group exercise setting. Specifically, fitness professionals can utilize the visual presentation of exercise data to increase their participant’s engagement, while being cognizant of the risk of over-exertion.

Physical education motivational climate, on the achievement goals, and intrinsic motivation of students: a multilevel approach

ABSTRACT This study examined whether the perceived motivational climate was associated with students’ achievement goals and intrinsic motivation, from a multilevel (i.e., individual- and school-level) perspective within the Physical Education context. The sample was composed of 9855 students aged 10–18 (M age = 13.96 years; SD age = 1.97 years) who belong to 237 different teachers from seven European countries. We used measures for teacher’s motivational climate, achievement goals, and intrinsic motivation. After testing for cross-country invariance, results from the mediated structural equation model showed that partial mediation was the most suitable solution. Predictions from the accepted model supported theoretical predictions, suggesting a strong positive mediating role of task orientation between achievement goals and intrinsic motivation, while the role of ego orientation remained more ambiguous. Our findings also highlight the relevance of students’ individual experiences in shaping their perception of the emphasised motivational climate, as well as reveal an additive effect in the prediction from task orientation to intrinsic motivation due to cluster belongingness. We discuss these results with other variables that might affect students’ perceptions such as teacher-student relationship and motivational contagion and encourage future research to keep studying the construction of the students’ perception of the teacher’s emphasised motivational climate from a multilevel perspective.

A protocol for tactile function assessment using JVP domes: Feasibility study and preliminary results.

Touch is a crucial sense for perceiving the spatial characteristics of objects. The JVP dome was developed to evaluate tactile spatial acuity using a grating orientation task. There were few studies depicting sequences and details for the entire task, including practice, training, and testing sessions. Therefore, we proposed and elaborated a protocol for the grating orientation task using the staircase method, which required fewer testing trials compared with the method of constant stimuli. Twenty-three healthy participants were enrolled in this experiment. The JVP domes with 11 different groove widths were used. Tactile discrimination thresholds were estimated using a two-down-one-up staircase method. The experiment comprised practice, training, and testing sessions, conducted by trained examiners who performed grating stimulation on participants' index fingerpads. All participants passed the required accuracy in the practice and training sessions. Eight transition points were obtained in the testing session for each participant. The tactile discrimination thresholds were determined from the last six transition points. We obtained the mean tactile discrimination threshold as 1.8±0.75mm (n=23). The results demonstrated that the proposed protocol was successfully applied to assess tactile discrimination thresholds. The present study investigated the protocol of grating orientation tasks requiring a small number of testing trials with the assurance of the task quality. The feasibility study and preliminary results indicated the potentiality of this protocol for future clinical application.

On the relationship between rhythm-based temporal expectations and endogenous spatial attention in simple reaction-time tasks

IntroductionRecent evidence suggests that the temporal expectations afforded by a regular rhythmic structure operate independently from endogenous spatial attention in simple reaction-time tasks. The most common manipulation followed in previous studies consisted of presenting a target stimulus either “in-time” or “out-of-time” (earlier or later) with a preceding rhythm. However, contrary to the proposal of entrainment models predicting a behavioral advantage for in-time compared to both early and late targets, responses were still faster for late targets, according to the so-called “foreperiod effect”. This finding makes it difficult to fully disentangle the impact of rhythm and the benefits afforded by the passage of time on the relationship between rhythm-based temporal and endogenous spatial attention.MethodsTo shed more light on this issue, we combined a spatial orienting task with a rhythmic manipulation, in which two placeholders flanking the fixation cross flickered at either a regular or irregular pace. Spatial orienting to the target location was deployed by symbolic color cues that were displayed independently of the rhythm (independent cues) or were integrated with the temporal rhythmic cues (integrated cues). Crucially, for both independent and integrated cues, and for regular and irregular rhythms, the interval between the rhythm and the target (i.e., the foreperiod) was kept fixed in Experiments 1–3 to control for the foreperiod effect, while the effect of foreperiod was explored in Experiment 4.ResultsResults showed a more beneficial effect of rhythms with independent cues as compared to integrated cues. Additionally, the benefit of rhythms was slightly but significantly larger at valid, compared to invalid, spatial locations, regardless of the foreperiod.DiscussionOur results extend previous studies by showing that interactive effects of rhythms and endogenous spatial attention may emerge in low-demanding detection tasks.

Health‐related lifestyle behaviors predict changes in cognitive status in older adults: A latent transition analysis of data from the Mexican Healthy Aging Study 2012‐2018

AbstractBackgroundHealth behaviors, such as exercise, smoking, and alcohol consumption, are potentially modifiable risk factors for cognitive impairment and dementia. The effect of these behaviors on cognitive function is important to examine in Mexico, which faces a rapidly aging population.MethodData came from the 2012, 2015, and 2018 waves of the Mexican Health and Aging Study. The final sample included 8,112 participants aged 60 and older. We used latent transition analysis (LTA) to identify latent statuses of cognitive functioning using standardized scores for five cognitive tasks (orientation, visual scanning, verbal learning, delayed verbal recall, and verbal fluency). We evaluated associations between baseline lifestyle behaviors and transition probabilities for latent statuses of cognitive functioning across observation waves.ResultWe identified a three‐status model across the three waves with support for measurement and stationary invariance. Latent statuses were characterized by low (24% at baseline), average (55%), and high cognitive abilities (21%). With probabilities of .66, .78, and .90, respectively, individuals’ statuses tended to stay the same between time periods. The probabilities of an individual with these statuses transitioning to death were .15, .07, and .02, respectively. For individuals with a low cognition status, reporting exercising or doing hard physical work three or more times a week on average during the two years preceding baseline was associated with lower odds of transitioning to either death (OR = 0.551, p&lt;.001) or a high cognition status (OR = 0.006, p&lt;.001), in relation to staying in the same status. Similarly, alcohol use for this group was associated with decreased odds of transitioning to either death (OR = 0.74, p = .040) or a high cognition status (OR = 0.005, p&lt;.001). Finally, for individuals with a low cognition status, reporting reading regularly was associated with increased odds of transitioning to average cognition status (OR = 1.44, p&lt;.046), in relation to staying in the same status.ConclusionFindings suggest that individuals tended to stay in the same cognitive status over time and that reading regularly predicted favorable changes in cognition. LTA may be useful for identifying discreet statuses and subsequent transitions in older adults’ cognitive functioning as determined by performance on cognitive tasks.

그릿이 고등학교 농구선수의 성취목표지향과 경기력에 미치는 영향

This study purpose to learn about the impact of the grit on high school basketball player’s achievement goal orientation and performance. To this end, 303 high school basketball teams registered with the Korea Basketball Association were selected from the population of high school basketball players in the Seoul metropolitan area, Chungcheong-do, and Jeolla-do. A total of 303 data were used in the final analysis. First, Grit (persistence of interest, steady effort) has been shown to have a partial positive(+) effect on task goal orientation and self goal orientation, which are sub-factors of achievement goal orientation. Second, Grit (persistence of interest, steady effort) has been shown to have a partial positive(+) effect on performance. Third, achievement goal orientation (task goal orientation, self goal orientation) has been shown to have a partial positive(+) effect on concentration and confidence, which are sub-factors of performance.

A Design of Junior High School English Homework under the ‘Double Reduction’ Policy in China

Through literature review, questionnaires and interviews, this paper summarizes the present situation of English homework teachers leave in public junior high schools and how the students and parents evaluate in a Chinese inland city after the “double reduction” policy was issued in China, studies the design of English homework at junior high school level, analyzes the feedback of students, finds out that present after-class English assignment is featured by test orientation and lack of diverse, graded and interesting tasks and suggests some principles and effective designs for specific cases to make up for the deficiencies.

Curiosity in classrooms: An examination of curiosity promotion and suppression in preschool math and science classrooms

Curiosity is an important driver of student's learning and school is a promising venue for promoting curiosity through social interactions between teachers and students. However, some research suggests that curiosity in school may decline with grade, perhaps due to educational practices (Engel, 2011). The current study assessed the frequency of curiosity promoting and suppressing instructional practices in 269 preschool math and science lessons across 72 classrooms/teachers (97% female, 80% White), exploring differences between subject and associations with student outcomes (N = 456 students; 54.1 months, 49% female, 64% White). Consistent with prior research, few instances of curiosity-promoting instruction were observed. Although the levels of promotion were similar between math and science, some differences in curiosity promotion were observed, with more variation in curiosity promotion between lessons than between teachers. Curiosity promotion was not associated with child math or science outcomes, but curiosity suppression was negatively associated with child task orientation. The current study demonstrates that it is possible to rigorously measure curiosity promotion in classrooms, and future work should examine strategies for encouraging curiosity promotion.

Evaluating the Effects of Virtual Reality Environment Learning on Subsequent Robot Teleoperation in an Unfamiliar Building.

Using a map in an unfamiliar environment requires identifying correspondences between elements of the map's allocentric representation and elements in egocentric views. Aligning the map with the environment can be challenging. Virtual reality (VR) allows learning about unfamiliar environments in a sequence of egocentric views that correspond closely to the perspectives and views that are experienced in the actual environment. We compared three methods to prepare for localization and navigation tasks performed by teleoperating a robot in an office building: studying a floor plan of the building and two forms of VR exploration. One group of participants studied a building plan, a second group explored a faithful VR reconstruction of the building from a normal-sized avatar's perspective, and a third group explored the VR from a giant-sized avatar's perspective. All methods contained marked checkpoints. The subsequent tasks were identical for all groups. The self-localization task required indication of the approximate location of the robot in the environment. The navigation task required navigation between checkpoints. Participants took less time to learn with the giant VR perspective and with the floorplan than with the normal VR perspective. Both VR learning methods significantly outperformed the floorplan in the orientation task. Navigation was performed quicker after learning in the giant perspective compared to the normal perspective and the building plan. We conclude that the normal perspective and especially the giant perspective in VR are viable options for preparing for teleoperation in unfamiliar environments when a virtual model of the environment is available.

A qualitative study

A qualitative study

Reversal Training Discloses Gender Differences in a Spatial Memory Task in Humans.

Over the past few years, spatial memory has been studied using virtual-reality-based tasks. Reversal learning has been widely used in spatial orientation tasks for testing, among other things, new learning and flexibility. By means of a reversal-learning protocol, we assessed spatial memory in men and women. A total of sixty participants (half of them women) performed a task that included two phases: during the acquisition phase, participants were asked to find one or three rewarded positions in the virtual room across ten trials. During the reversal phase, the rewarded boxes were moved to a new position and maintained for four trials. The results showed that men and women differed in the reversal phase, with men outperforming women in high demanding conditions. Dissimilarities in several cognitive abilities between both genders are the base of these differences and are discussed.

Kindergarten Teachers’ Experiences in a Spatial Orientation Skills Professional Development Program

Although earlier studies have documented the importance of spatial orientation skills in early childhood development, teachers often need more experience and guidance in teaching these skills. This research investigates how two kindergarten teachers, guided by two teacher education researchers, utilized Learning Trajectories (LT) in a Professional Development (PD) program to enhance their instructional practices in teaching spatial orientation skills. Employing a qualitative research approach, researchers collected data through semi-structured interviews, field notes, and documents prepared by the teachers and analyzed it using content analysis. Findings reveal that the program provided teachers with a framework for making instructional decisions and facilitated children’s engagement in spatial orientation tasks. However, there is a need for further in-service programs on child assessment using LT and instructional activities to improve target skills. This study highlights the potential of LT-based PD programs in fostering effective teaching of spatial orientation skills while identifying areas for further improvement in teacher education.

Diversity, equity and inclusion in hospitality: Value centered leadership as a conduit for change

ABSTRACT Increased globalization of the hospitality industry brings with it a multitude of challenges. Chief among them is the expanding diversity of both the hospitality labor pool and the traveling public. Diversity not only affects internal workplace culture, but it also has a direct correlation to customer experience and satisfaction. As our society grapples with more diverse cultures and changing values around equity and inclusion, appropriate leadership principles are needed to facilitate change. This study specifically examines value-centered leadership principles as a means to spark innovative programming around diversity, equity and inclusion practices within the hospitality sector. Applications of value-centered leadership principles are presented through the lens of mission, service, people, and task orientations. Managerial implications are discussed through a lens on promoting a culture of respect and inclusivity by fostering and encouraging employees to learn about, measure, and understand different cultural perspectives while also addressing and preventing discrimination and harassment.酒店业日益全球化带来了诸多挑战. 其中最主要的是酒店业劳动力库和旅游公众的多样性不断扩大. 多样性不仅影响内部工作场所文化, 而且与客户体验和满意度直接相关. 随着我们的社会努力应对更多样化的文化和围绕公平和包容不断变化的价值观, 需要适当的领导原则来促进变革. 这项研究专门研究了以价值为中心的领导原则, 将其作为在酒店业围绕多样性、公平性和包容性实践激发创新计划的一种手段. 以价值为中心的领导原则的应用是通过任务、服务、人员和任务导向的视角来呈现的. 通过培养和鼓励员工学习、衡量和理解不同的文化观点, 同时解决和防止歧视和骚扰, 从促进尊重和包容文化的角度讨论管理影响.

In-person Communication Styles and Consumer Advocacy - Centered on the Chinese Luxury Market -

China is one of the largest markets for high-end items. Consumers in China prefer to make purchases in stores after interacting with salespeople. However, the impact of communication style on customer behavior has received little research attention in terms of how salespeople build rapport and promote consumer advocacy. Two research questions were proposed accordingly. Which aspects of luxury salespeople’s communication style (e.g., task orientation, interaction orientation, and self-orientation) affect the relationship between consumers and brands in China? Does rapport-building generate Chinese consumer advocacy? A questionnaire survey with 319 consumers who had visited luxury stores was conducted. Data was analyzed using a structural equation model. The findings show that when salespeople adopt an interactive communication style with consumers, it means they succeed in building rapport and influencing consumers’ advocacy. Self-oriented salespeople can also positively influence customer advocacy by relational rapport-building with consumers. It was suggested that luxury managers should further improve their salespeople’s communication perceptions and skills, use targeted communication strategies for various consumer types, and encourage customers to act as “brand ambassadors”. The study findings contributed to the body of the literature in that it investigated how behavior of salespeople in luxury stores affected ordinary consumers and filled knowledge gaps in the research on Chinese luxury retail service.