Personal Characteristic Variables Research Articles

Determinants of Youth Earnings: The Case of Harare

This article investigates the factors that are important in determining youth earnings in the formal sector in Harare. The theoretical approach adopted is the human capital theory. Youth earnings are regressed against a number of human capital variables, personal characteristics variables as well as socio-economic variables. The model is applied to a particular age group. The results suggest that human capital variables are important determinants of youth earnings in the formal sector. These include the number of years spent in education, the highest level of education achieved and the choice of subjects at GCE ‘O’ level.

Employment Uncertainty and the Incidence of Job Loss in Transition Economies: The Case for Central Europe

A shared concern among Central European countries is the significant social cost imposed by market‐oriented reforms. Although a growing body of literature has addressed the incidence of such reforms on unemployment distribution and duration, little is known of the actual transitions of workers from employment to unemployment and specifically the dynamics of transition‐induced job loss. This study examines such transitions in the Czech and Slovak Republics, Poland, and Slovenia within econometric models whereby voluntary and involuntary employment separations are jointly determined. In this regard, employment reductions triggered by demand‐driven reforms are accommodated at the industry and the occupation level by redundancies as well as voluntary quits in anticipation of redundancy. In addition, employed workers within the models consider the “costs” of job loss (likelihood of long‐term unemployment) while both shirking, and thus risking dismissal, and contemplating quitting. Estimates on personal characteristic variables in the involuntary and voluntary separation equations provide important new information on the incidence of job loss in Central European transition economies and specifically how such loss likely varies by gender, age, marital status, and completed education. Particular attention is devoted to gender differentials.

Employment Uncertainty and the Incidence of Job Loss in Transition Economies: The Case for Central Europe

A shared concern among Central European countries is the significant social cost imposed by market-oriented reforms. Although a growing body of literature has addressed the incidence of such reforms on unemployment distribution and duration, little is known of the actual transitions of workers from employment to unemployment and specifically the dynamics of transition-induced job loss. This study examines such transitions in the Czech and Slovak Republics, Poland, and Slovenia within econometric models whereby voluntary and involuntary employment separations are jointly determined. In this regard, employment reductions triggered by demand-driven reforms are accommodated at the industry and the occupation level by redundancies as well as voluntary quits in anticipation of redundancy. In addition, employed workers within the models consider the “costs” of job loss (likelihood of long-term unemployment) while both shirking, and thus risking dismissal, and contemplating quitting. Estimates on personal characteristic variables in the involuntary and voluntary separation equations provide important new information on the incidence of job loss in Central European transition economies and specifically how such loss likely varies by gender, age, marital status, and completed education. Particular attention is devoted to gender differentials.

The user's mental model of an information retrieval system: an experiment on a prototype online catalog

An empirical study was performed to train naive subjects in the use of a prototype Boolean logic-based information retrieval system on a database of bibliographic records. The research was based on the mental models theory which proposes that people can be trained to develop a ‘mental model’ or a qualitative simulation of a system which will aid in generating methods for interacting with the system, debugging errors, and keeping track of one's place in the system. It follows that conceptual training based on a system model will be superior to procedural training based on the mechanics of the system. We performed a laboratory experiment with two training conditions (model and procedural), and with each condition split by sex. Forty-three subjects participated in the experiment, but only 32 were able to reach the minimum competency level required to complete the experiment. The data analysis incorporated time-stamped monitoring data, personal characteristics variables, affective variables, and interview data in which subjects described how they thought the system worked (an articulation of the model). As predicted, the model-based training had no effect on the ability to perform simple, procedural tasks, but subjects trained with a model performed better on complex tasks that required extrapolation from the basic operations of the system. A stochastic process analysis of search-state transitions reinforced this conclusion. Subjects had difficulty articulating a model of the system, and we found no differences in articulation by condition. The high number of subjects (26%) who were unable to pass the benchmark test indicates that the retrieval tasks were inherently difficult. More interestingly, those who dropped out were significantly more likely to be humanities or social science majors than science or engineering majors, suggesting important individual differences and equity issues. The sex-related differences were slight, although significant, and suggest future research questions.

Influence of Personal Characteristics on Salespeople's Coping Style

Researchers are devoting efforts to developing and testing theory concerning how salespeople cope with job stress. To further understanding in that area, the present study evaluates the influence of four personal variables, locus of control, task based self-efficacy, continuance commitment, and social support relative to Problem Focused and Emotion-Focused coping styles. Findings suggest that salespeople who employ a Problem-Focused Coping (PFC) style possess a more internal locus of control and greater self-efficacy beliefs. None of the four personal characteristics variables were predictive of salespeople's use of Emotion-Focused Coping (EFC) style.

Among Young Adults, College Students and Graduates Practiced more Healthful Habits and made more Healthful Food Choices than did Nonstudents

Objectives Health-related characteristics and habits and food choices of young adults were compared for three groups: college students, college graduates, and nonstudents. Design Subjects completed a mailed survey that included questions about demographics, attitudes, and behaviors and a food frequency questionnaire. Main outcome measures were health-related characteristics and habits and food choices. Subjects Female (n=758) and male (n=580) 18- to 24-year-olds in nine states who were selected randomly by zip code in each state. The response rate averaged 43% for all states. Statistical analyses performed Analysis of variance or χ 2 tests were applied to health-related personal characteristic variables and the Kruskal-Wallis analysis of variance was applied to food consumption variables for women and men separately. Results According to self-reported heights and weights, female nonstudents were more often overweight than female students or graduates. Nonstudents of both genders reported smoking more often than students or graduates. College students and graduates ate more grain foods high in dietary fiber, more fruits and dark-green vegetables, and more lower-fat milk and meats than non students. Conclusions/applications Non students were at greater health risk for some chronic illnesses, because of poorer health habits and food choices, than were college students and graduates. The behavior of nonstudents implies weaker response to messages promoting weight control, smoking cessation, and observance of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans than behavior exhibited by students or college graduates. Health promotion efforts could be enhanced by identifying demographic, educational, situational, and formative influences on positive health and dietary behaviors of young adults.

Using attitudinal, situational, and personal characteristics variables to predict future entrepreneurs from national laboratory inventors

Several acts of Congress and the resulting agency implementing orders have been designed to encourage entrepreneurial start-ups based on public-sector technology derived from federal laboratory research. In response, many of the federal laboratories have instituted programs to stimulate the entrepreneurial act. Few, if any, of these programs, which commit substantial resources, are implemented using formal methods to predict the likelihood of associated individuals' becoming successful entrepreneurs. A previous paper revealed significant differences in attitudes and perceptions of situational variables between inventors at federal laboratories and successful laboratory spin-off entrepreneurs. The purpose of this study is to develop an experimental technique that, if validated by future longitudinal surveys, could facilitate the prediction of the successful entrepreneurial act. If such a technique can be established, resources could be devoted to those predicted entrepreneurs. Using inventors employed at the national laboratories and laboratory spin-off entrepreneurs as samples, this paper investigates the possibility of building a model based on individual inventors' attitudinal, situational, and personal characteristics that, if valid, could be used to ascertain the likelihood that such inventors may become entrepreneurs. The predictions resulting from the application of this technique suggest that few inventors are likely to become entrepreneurs unless attitudes and supportive mechanisms are dramatically changed.

Place, Personal Characteristics and Councillor Roles: a multivariate analysis of survey data

The government proposals on the structure and internal management of local government put forward in 1991 raise important questions for the representative and decision-making roles of councillors. A re-analysis of data collected for the Widdicombe committee in 1985 was conducted, using multiple regression. The findings suggest that the time councillors spend on different council activities is significantly affected by a number of locality variables, including party control, authority type and representative ratio, and by personal characteristic variables, including income and party affiliation. Representative ratio also appears to have an influence upon the characteristics of the councillors themselves. The implications for the reorganisation of local government are explored.

The user's mental model of an information retrieval system: an experiment on a prototype online catalog

An empirical study was performed to train naive subjects in the use of a prototype Boolean logic-based information retrieval system on a database of bibliographic records. The research was based on the mental models theory which proposes that people can be trained to develop a “mental model” or a qualitative simulation of a system which will aid in generating methods for interacting with the system, debugging errors, and keeping track of one's place in the system. It follows that conceptual training based on a system model will be superior to procedural training based on the mechanics of the system. We performed a laboratory experiment with two training conditions (model and procedural), and with each condition split by sex. Forty-three subjects participated in the experiment, but only 32 were able to reach the minimum competency level required to complete the experiment. The data analysis incorporated time-stamped monitoring data, personal characteristics variables, affective variables, and interview data in which subjects described how they thought the system worked (an articulation of the model). As predicted, the model-based training had no effect on the ability to perform simple, procedural tasks, but subjects trained with a model performed better on complex tasks that required extrapolation from the basic operations of the system. A stochastic process analysis of search-state transitions reinforced this conclusion. Subjects had difficulty articulating a model of the system, and we found no differences in articulation by condition. The high number of subjects (26% ) who were unable to pass the benchmark test indicates that the retrieval tasks were inherently difficult. More interestingly, those who dropped out were significantly more likely to be humanities or social science majors than science or engineering majors, suggesting important individual differences and equity issues. The sex-related differences were slight, although significant, and suggest future research questions.

Postsecondary Educational Attainment Among Whites and Blacks

Previous research has indicated that social background variables are more important determinants of educational attainment among whites than among blacks. The present study, based on more recent data and methods that control for estimated measurement error structures, finds that social background plays a similar role for whites and blacks. Increments in background social status variables lead to similar increases in educational attainment for whites and blacks. Moreover, the effects of personal characteristic variables (ability, curriculum, grades) of whites and blacks as they influence educational attainment are also similar for both groups.

Postsecondary Educational Attainment among Whites and Blacks

Previous research has indicated that social background variables are more important determinants of educational attainment among whites than among blacks. The present study, based on more recent data and methods that control for estimated measurement error structures, finds that social background plays a similar role for whites and blacks. Increments in background social status variables lead to similar increases in educational attainment for whites and blacks. Moreover, the effects of personal characteristic variables (ability, curriculum, grades) of whites and blacks as they influence educational attainment are also similar for both groups.