Personal Initiative Research Articles

Factors of employment of graduates of higher educational institutions in Guinea

Employment of higher education graduates is a challenge for governments in both developed and developing countries. This article highlights factors that explain the professional integration of graduates leaving universities. This study demonstrates the variables influencing the employment of young tertiary graduates. The model used allows us to establish economic relationships between exogenous and endogenous variables. The variables are qualitative and dichotomous in nature with multiple modalities. The presented results allow us to determine which exogenous variable has a greater impact on the endogenous variable so that governments can consider it in youth employment policies. We also advise young graduates in terms of finding a job. The purpose of this study is to promote the professional integration of Guinean higher education graduates. The main objective is to identify the problems faced in the labour market by Guinean higher education graduates. Using SPSS software, we have obtained the following results: the higher the level of education, the greater the chances of finding a job; personal initiative gives a better chance of finding a job than any other method of finding a job; men have an advantage over women in terms of employment opportunities; married people are luckier than single people; those who have had a previous job are also more likely to find a job than those who have not had; graduates who have lived abroad are more likely to find a job than those who have not lived abroad.

Effect of engagement in personal growth initiative skills on depression, anxiety, and stress: Multilevel mediation analysis with intensive longitudinal data.

The current study examined the association between the possession of personal growth initiative (PGI) skills and symptoms of mental illness (i.e., depression, anxiety, and stress) and the potential mediating role of daily engagement of PGI skills during the COVID-19 pandemic. The participants consisted of 73 individuals (Mage = 41.62, SDage = 12.44) who were recruited from Amazon's Mechanical Turk (MTurk). Data for possessed PGI was collected in April 2020, and the daily survey started approximately 1 month later at the beginning of May 2020 for 29 days. Controlling for demographic variables, multilevel mediation models revealed significant association between PGI skills and PGI engagement. However, our hypothesized indirect effects were not found. When inspecting the direct effects controlling for the effect of PGI engagement and demographic variables, the paths between PGI skills and both depression and anxiety were negatively associated. When examining the effect of time, there were no significant changes during the period of 29 days in the levels of PGI skills among individuals. However, a significant fluctuation within individuals in how much participants have utilized PGI skills during the study period was found. The current study highlights the influence of PGI skills at both the between-individual as well as within-individual levels in predicting symptoms of mental illness, and it also uncovers the role of PGI skills by separating into general PGI skills and individual's daily engagement in utilizing the PGI skills in predicting symptoms of mental illness.

Linking personal initiative and family help as well as social support: a case study of learning challenges and solutions for older adults in rural China during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The sudden outbreak of the COVID-19 Pandemic has caused serious damage to the continuous learning of older adults around the world. While the existing literature focused more on older adults' learning in developed countries, few studies explored older adults' learning in developing countries with low social and cultural capital. This study took family-school cooperation in China as the platform and explored learning challenges and solutions through unstructured interviews with 12 older adults. The study found that due to policies of working and studying from home, older adults face obstacles in accessing physical learning institutions and digital learning knowledge, skills, and psychology. I further found that the older adults were not forced to accept the challenge passively, but created a lifelong learning model with Chinese characteristics by building self-learning based on personal initiative, developing sustainable intergenerational learning rooted in Chinese family culture, and participating in online learning in schools and enterprises under the government guidance. This study provided new knowledge for understanding the learning challenges and solutions of older adults in rural China. It is emphasized that policy value and practice enlightenment were highlighted and discussed in conversations with active aging, intergenerational learning, and harmonious societies.

"SHIELDing" Our Educators: Comprehensive Coping Strategies for Teacher Occupational Well-Being.

Teaching is a physically and mentally challenging profession that demands high emotional involvement, often leading to stress and anxiety. Understanding how teachers cope with these demands is essential for enhancing their well-being and effectiveness. This study aimed to (1) investigate personal and school-based well-being initiatives that teachers use for maintaining their occupational well-being, and (2) develop a coping strategy model that enhances teachers' occupational well-being. This study utilised a qualitative phenomenological approach to explore the coping strategies of Australian primary school teachers. The twenty-one participants interviewed employed ten diverse coping strategies classified into five personal and five school-based well-being-enabling initiatives. The personal strategies included setting boundaries, exercise and physical health, social support and interactions, mental health and mindfulness, and work-life balance. The school-based initiatives comprised supportive leadership, colleague support, flexibility and autonomy, resource availability, and proactive approaches to address challenges. A novel SHIELD model incorporating Support, Health, Interaction, Empathy, Leadership, and Development strategies was formulated as a holistic coping strategy for enhancing teachers' occupational well-being. The findings highlight the necessity of a holistic approach to teacher well-being, integrating both personal and institutional support systems. Schools can enhance teacher well-being by fostering a supportive and empathetic culture, providing necessary resources, and encouraging healthy lifestyles. The SHIELD model offers a comprehensive framework for supporting teachers and improving educational outcomes.

The psychology of entrepreneurial performance—theoretical and applied: Robert A. Baron and Michael Frese, co-recipients of the 2024 Global Award for Entrepreneurship Research

AbstractProfessors Robert A. Baron and Michael Frese are the joint recipients of the 2024 Global Award for Entrepreneurship Research. Their research contributions have helped establish the disciplinary foundation necessary to explore entrepreneurship from theoretical and applied psychological perspectives. From a theoretical psychological perspective, Professor Baron has repeatedly introduced a disciplinary scaffolding from cognitive psychology, social psychology, and judgment and decision-making psychology to develop the field’s socio-cognitive perspective. He has examined entrepreneurship’s basic “why” questions: (1) Why do some persons but not others choose to become entrepreneurs? (2) Why do some persons but not others recognize opportunities for new products or services that can be profitably exploited? (3) Why are some entrepreneurs so much more successful than others? From an applied psychological perspective, Professor Frese has examined entrepreneurship as the epitome of a proactive approach to work, advocating the benefits of personal initiative and the need for a self-regulatory approach to performance among both small business owners and employees in transition economies. Continually taking stock of what is known about the psychology of entrepreneurship through reviews and meta-analysis, he and his students have advanced an evidence-based approach to entrepreneurial training and performance in challenging contexts. Together, Professors Baron and Frese have served as ambassadors for the field of entrepreneurship, welcoming an entire generation of micro scholars to explore the entrepreneurial process and the psychology of the entrepreneurs who enact it.

Pembentukan Karakter Religius, Disiplin, dan Mandiri Siswa Taman Kanak-Kanak dalam Budaya Begibung pada Suku Sasak

"Begibung," a communal dining tradition long practiced by the Sasak community, has now become the focus of research in the context of character formation among students at kindergarten. The research adopts a qualitative descriptive approach, with the study subjects comprising 20 students, 4 educators, and the head of the kindergarten. Research instruments include observation sheets, questionnaires, and interview guidelines, utilizing the Miles and Huberman method for data analysis to attain a comprehensive understanding of the effects of the communal dining program. The questionnaire comprises 5 items assessing religious character, 5 items for discipline, and 7 items for independence. Research findings indicate that the "Begibung" program in kindergarten effectively enhances religious character, achieving a commendable 89%. This outcome reflects the program's success in reinforcing religious values among students. Discipline character, reaching 74%, demonstrates a contribution in shaping student discipline through established rules. The independence character, marked at 65%, presents an opportunity for future enhancement in developing students' self-reliance, with a particular focus on personal initiative. The "Begibung" program in kindergarten proves to be highly effective in shaping the religious, disciplinary, and independent characters of students. This research makes a positive contribution to understanding the potential of the "Begibung" program as a character formation strategy in kindergarten.

The impact of a prehospital simulation on medical students' resourcefulness, personal growth initiative, and uncertainty tolerance.

Emergency medicine (EM) physicians often practice in dynamic, high-stress, and uncertain settings with limited resources. Although simulation has been shown to enhance various aspects of student development, its impact on medical students' personal growth initiative, resourcefulness, and tolerance of uncertainty-crucial traits for managing future crises as emergency physicians-remain unclear. The purpose of this study, therefore, was to determine a high-fidelity prehospital simulation's impact on medical students' resourcefulness, personal growth, and tolerance of uncertainty. We surveyed 107 fourth-year medical students before and after a multiday, high-fidelity prehospital simulation. The survey included items from the Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale-12 Item Form, the Personal Growth Initiative Scale, and the Resourcefulness Skills Scale. We compared students' pre- and post-simulation responses to investigate any change in their uncertainty intolerance, personal growth initiative, and resourcefulness following simulation participation. Students' scores significantly increased following the simulation for both resourcefulness (t(106) = -6.89, p < 0.001, d = -0.67) and personal growth initiative (t(106) = -6.22, p < 0.001, d = -0.60). Effect size calculations suggest that participating in the simulation had a medium to large effect on participants' resourcefulness and personal growth initiative. However, participants' tolerance of uncertainty scores prior to and following the simulation did not significantly differ (t(106) = 1.66, p = 0.100, d = 0.16), indicating that the simulation had little effect on participants' tolerance of uncertainty. Our results indicate that simulation is a promising educational tool for developing students' resourcefulness and personal growth initiative so they can navigate high-stress, low-resource environments. Follow-on research is needed to determine how to leverage simulation to enhance students' uncertainty tolerance in high-stress, low-resource environments.

Seeding young entrepreneurs: The role of business incubators

This study focusses on young entrepreneurs and considers the extent of business incubators’ impact on the development and visibility of projects headed by young people. To do so, we analyse incubators’ role as ecosystems for entrepreneurship in Spain based on the 2023 Funcas survey. First, we categorised incubators according to entrepreneurs’ age, defining young incubators as those in which most of the businesses are run by individuals under 35, excluding those over that age. We analyse variables that include the services offered and the frequency of events or training within the incubators to determine which approaches benefit or harm young entrepreneurs. This study uses a statistical approach, with quantitative data from the questionnaire as a starting point to characterise and identify young entrepreneurial profiles in business incubators. We develop and test two hypotheses using the chi-squared test, which is a non-parametric (distribution free) technique. Finally, we include a brief analysis of young entrepreneurs’ personality traits to shed light on some defining characteristics, concluding that personal initiative is a key feature amongst entrepreneurs under the age of 35. We conclude that the incubator system in Spain harms young entrepreneurs and propose some relevant recommendations to reverse this trend.

Historical Geography in Brazil: Examining Backgrounds and New Perspectives

ABSTRACTThe sub‐discipline of historical geography in Brazil, in contrast to the Anglophone and Francophone scholarship, often tends to be overlooked by the northern disciplinary history of this sub‐discipline. In Brazil, historical geography studies emerged in the 1980s as a result of personal initiatives. Nonetheless, in the last few years, distinct generations of Brazilian historical geographers have contributed to this sub‐discipline's promotion and recognition, mainly by diversifying their methodological approaches and research interests. Undoubtedly, developing transnational academic networks and collaborations represents a crucial contribution. This review provides an overview of the main Brazilian historical geographers engaged in studying past geographies. It delves into the central themes they address and also examines the academic conferences and research groups responsible for establishing institutional spaces to foster the practice of historical geography in Brazil in recent years. In doing so, the review calls for a ‘polyphonic’ approach to historical geography, urging the inclusion of southern sites of knowledge production and embracing a diverse scholarship beyond the English‐speaking community.

Evaluating the Role of Lecturer Knowledge and Personal Initiative in Improving Learning Outcomes and Graduate Quality in Higher Education Institutions: A PLS-SEM Analysis

Evaluating the Role of Lecturer Knowledge and Personal Initiative in Improving Learning Outcomes and Graduate Quality in Higher Education Institutions: A PLS-SEM Analysis

Channeling personal initiative through team coordination: A heat map analysis of soccer players’ aggregate behavioral initiative

Channeling personal initiative through team coordination: A heat map analysis of soccer players’ aggregate behavioral initiative

Insomnia in ambulatory care: A clinical review.

In an effort to expedite the publication of articles, AJHP is posting manuscripts online as soon as possible after acceptance. Accepted manuscripts have been peer-reviewed and copyedited, but are posted online before technical formatting and author proofing. These manuscripts are not the final version of record and will be replaced with the final article (formatted per AJHP style and proofed by the authors) at a later time. One-third to one-half of ambulatory care patients report insomnia. The objective of this clinical review is to detail the many causes and evidence-based treatment options for insomnia in outpatients and to recommend screening and summarize evidence for the place in therapy of prescription and nonprescription treatments. This work provides an overview of the literature on insomnia regarding causes, patient assessment, and nonpharmacological and pharmacological treatments. Patients who present with insomnia should be assessed for sleep apnea, restless legs syndrome, narcolepsy, and all contributing medications as well as medical, psychiatric, and substance use disorder diagnoses. The type of insomnia, namely difficulty falling asleep, difficulty maintaining sleep, and early morning awakening with resulting functional impairment, should be documented in addition to whether insomnia is short term or persistent. Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) or digital CBT-I is first-line treatment for all patients with insomnia irrespective of the cause or type. Nonprescription treatments such as antihistamines or melatonin are for select populations. Prescription hypnotics are best utilized on an as-needed basis or for nightly use for less than 6 weeks. Z-hypnotics are safe and effective for insomnia in persons with depression or an anxiety disorder but should be avoided in older individuals or if there is respiratory or cognitive impairment. Orexin receptor antagonists are effective for sleep initiation and maintenance in healthy persons or if there is mild cognitive impairment, but they require further study in individuals with psychiatric and medical diagnoses. Trazodone is the most prescribed off-label treatment due to its efficacy for sleep initiation and maintenance and its lack of abuse potential. Insomnia treatment should be guided by patient age, diagnoses, and type of insomnia. Pharmacological treatments should be used at the lowest effective dose for the shortest duration of time.

Factors influencing the adoption of mobile-based AI services in Tanzanian manufacturing SMEs

Purpose This study aims to establish a comprehensive framework for adopting mobile-based artificial intelligence (AI) services in Tanzanian manufacturing small and medium enterprises (SMEs). Design/methodology/approach The methodology involved conducting a literature review and using the combination of Mobile Services Acceptance Model and Innovation Diffusion Theory (IDT) as a theoretical foundation. This synthesis delves into the current knowledge on technology adoption, organizational behavior and innovation diffusion, creating a solid conceptual basis. Expert review was used for framework validation to ensure the framework's accuracy. Findings This study shows that the factors influencing the adoption of mobile-based AI services in Tanzanian manufacturing SMEs include perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, context, personal initiatives and characteristics, trust, infrastructure, cost, mobility, power distance, compatibility, observability and trialability. Research limitations/implications The framework provides valuable insights tailored to Tanzanian sociocultural and economic nuances. However, its generalizability is limited due to its specificity to Tanzanian manufacturing SMEs. Practical implications The framework outlined in this research provides SME leaders, policymakers and technology implementers with valuable guidance to make informed decisions during the adoption process. Originality/value This study introduces a novel lens for understanding technology adoption. This study's focus on the Tanzanian context and its nuanced examination of contributing factors add to its originality and practical significance.

I am just a sister: a field study on sister as mother role from Guangdong, China.

This study aimed to explore sister-as-mother (jieximuzhi) roles in families after the implementation of China's universal two-child (quanmianerhai) and three-child policies (saihaizhengce). By conducting in-depth interviews with 10 sisters from Guangdong Province who fit the sister-motherhood profile, this study investigated their motivations for taking on maternal duties, the characteristics of sister-motherhood roles, and the impact of these roles on the sisters. The results revealed that in families with two or more children, sisters passively assume mother-like responsibilities primarily due to biological age differences and parental neglect, as well as their personal initiative to a certain extent. Additionally, the impact of sister-motherhood roles on sisters includes aspects such as time pressure, financial strain, and increased family intimacy. This study elucidated the phenomenon of sister-motherhood roles that emerge with changes in family structure in China while recognizing the diversity of women's roles within the family, appreciating the challenges faced by sisters in sister-motherhood roles, and providing insights into family labor division and education models.

When visionary leadership foster proactive customer service performance among community workers in China: the role of personal initiative and workload

When visionary leadership foster proactive customer service performance among community workers in China: the role of personal initiative and workload

Relationship between Perceived Parenting Styles and Personal Growth Initiative among Adolescents

Relationship between Perceived Parenting Styles and Personal Growth Initiative among Adolescents

How supervisor Machiavellianism affects graduate student creativity: a mediated moderation model

ABSTRACT Innovation and creativity are essential for graduate education, and supervisors have a substantial responsibility to foster the creative abilities of graduate students. However, empirical studies investigating how supervisor personality affects graduate student creativity are rare. To enhance the ability of higher education institutions to cultivate creativity among graduate students, we examined how supervisor Machiavellianism leads graduate students to perceived objectification, reducing graduate student creative performance based on the Job Demands-Resources model and Job-Demand-Control-Support theory. We proposed personal initiative as the moderator to explore boundary conditions of the relationship between supervisor Machiavellianism and perceived objectification. Results from 326 graduate students across three time points indicated that supervisor Machiavellianism negatively affects graduate students’ creative performance, and graduate students’ perceived objectification fully mediates the relationship. Additionally, graduate student personal initiative moderated this relationship. Graduate students with high personal initiative can mitigate the negative effects of Machiavellian supervisors. Our findings emphasize the significance of considering the individual traits of both supervisors and graduate students in graduate education with valuable theoretical and practical implications discussed.

Developmental Trajectory of Depressive Symptoms among Left-behind Children in Rural China: The Roles of Family Adversity and Personal Growth Initiative.

The adversity faced by left-behind children due to parental migration affects their depressive symptoms, but little is known about the mechanism underlying this association and protective factors from a dynamic perspective. The present study examined the association between family adversity and the developmental trajectory of depressive symptoms, and the potential mediating and moderating role of personal growth initiative in this association among left-behind children. A total of 363 left-behind children (48.8% female; Mage = 12.97 at T1, SDage = 0.55) from five rural middle schools in the Hunan Province of China participated in this three-wave study, employing one-year intervals between assessments. The results indicated the initial level of personal growth initiative mediated the association between family adversity at T1 and the development of depressive symptoms, while the growth rate of personal growth initiative both mediated and moderated this association, with consistent effects across sexes. These findings underscore the critical role of personal growth initiative in the association between family adversity and depressive symptoms among left-behind children.

Does voice endorsement by supervisors enhance or constrain voicer's personal initiative? Countervailing effects via feeling pride and feeling envied.

While the previous research has examined antecedents of supervisors' voice endorsement, it has generally overlooked its effects on voicers' affective and behavioral reactions, probably because of the underlying assumption that supervisors' voice endorsement is inherently beneficial and likely to encourage more proactive behaviors in the future. In this research, we offer a theoretical model of the double-edged effects of supervisors' voice endorsement on voicers' subsequent personal initiative. Drawing on cognitive appraisal theory and related research, we proposed that supervisors' voice endorsement prompts two different cognitive appraisal processes in voicers that evoke two distinct emotional experiences-feeling pride and feeling envied-with countervailing effects on voicers' subsequent personal initiative. Specifically, voice endorsement results in voicers not only feeling pride, which enhances their subsequent personal initiative, but also in their feeling envied, which reduces their later personal initiative. Moreover, we extend the cognitive appraisal theory of emotion from a social constructionist approach by incorporating coworker support-an important relational context-as a contingent factor shaping the effects of voice endorsement on feeling pride and feeling envied and on voicers' subsequent personal initiative. The results from two field studies-a weekly experience sampling study with 574 observations from 119 employees and an event-based daily experience sampling study with 787 observations from 180 employees-largely support our theoretical model. This research suggests the importance of considering the perspectives of all the stakeholders in the proactivity triad (i.e., the focal employee, the supervisor, and coworkers) in order to sustain employee proactivity. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Engagement with New Possibilities, Personal Growth Initiative, and Optimism among East Asian International Students

Engagement with New Possibilities, Personal Growth Initiative, and Optimism among East Asian International Students