Positive Predictors Of Performance Research Articles

Proactive strength-oriented behaviors at work: psychological capital as precursor of strengths use

PurposeThis paper aims to review the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoint practical implications from cutting-edge research and case studies.Design/methodology/approachThis briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context.FindingsPsyCap significantly and positively predicts strengths use over time and strengths use is a significant, positive predictor of performance over time. There is a significant and indirect effect between PsyCap at T1 and performance at T3 through increased strengths use at T2.Originality/valueThe briefing saves busy executives, strategists and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy-to-digest format.

A - 1 Acculturation's Effect on Neuropsychological Test Performance: a Systematic Review.

Acculturation is not thought to reflect one's brain function; however, numerous studies have shown that less acculturated adults perform worse on neuropsychological tests. This study systematically reviews the effect of acculturation on neuropsychological tests in healthy adults. This systematic review was registered in Prospero (CRD42020196578) with the defined review procedures. It included studies with healthy adults and relational data between neuropsychological test scores and acculturation. 13,945 studies were screened studies and 8 met inclusion criteria. After accounting for demographic factors (including education), acculturation was a positive predictor of performance on tests of dementia screening, processing speed, attention, executive functioning, language, and memory. This relationship remained after accounting for both demographic factors and English Fluency, and specifically on tests of IQ, language, and visuoconstruction. These results support measuring and considering acculturation when interpreting both verbal and "non-verbal" test results. At a minimum acculturation should be factored into test selection, normative selection, and clinical judgment. Looking forward it is hoped that new norms and tests will be developed to eliminate the effect of one's culture on test performance.

Market structure and conduct: A performance check on edible oil markets in the Niger delta region of Nigeria

Edible oil is a leading agribusiness enterprise in Nigeria. Much is known about its production and nutritional value but little is known about the functionality of the markets’ systems. The paper analysed effects of structure, conduct on performance of edible oil (palm and vegetable oils) markets using primary data generated through questionnaires administered by trained enumerators. A multistage sampling technique was used to select 432 edible oil marketers from 36 markets in 3 States of the Niger Delta. To ascertain the structure-conduct-performance viewpoint, the use of ordinary least square regression technique was implored to analyse the data generated from the respondents. The results portrayed that some parameters of structure (product innovation, fair prices, product homogeneity) were positive predictors of performance, while conduct (collusion) negatively affected the performance. The values of R2 (0.724 and 0.612), Adjusted R2 (0.697 and 0.578) and F statistics (F=14.747 and 5.206: p

Predictors of Pharmacy Student Performance on Written and Clinical Examinations in a Flipped Classroom Curriculum

Objective. To examine the effects of student demographics, prior academic performance, course engagement, and time management on pharmacy students' performance on course examinations and objective structured clinical examinations (OSCEs).Methods. Study participants were one cohort of pharmacy students enrolled in a five-year combined Bachelor and Master of Pharmacy degree program at one institution. Variables included student demographics, baseline factors (language assessment and situational judgement test scores), prior academic performance (high school admission rank), course engagement, and student time management of pre-class online activities. Data were collected from course, learning management system, and institutional databases. Data were analyzed for univariate, bivariate, and multivariate associations (four linear regression models) between explanatory factors and outcome variables.Results. Three years of data on 159 pharmacy students were obtained and entered in the dataset. Significant positive predictors of OSCE communication performance included domestic (ie, Australian) student designation, higher baseline written English proficiency, and pre-class online activity completion. Positive predictors of OSCE problem-solving included workshop attendance and low empathy as measured by a baseline situational judgment test (SJT). Positive predictors of performance on year 2 end-of-course examinations included the Australian Tertiary Academic Rank, completing pre-class online activities prior to lectures, and high integrity as measured by an SJT.Conclusion. Several explanatory factors predicted pharmacy students' examination and OSCE performance in the regression models. Future research should continue to study additional contexts, explanatory factors, and outcome variables.

Quality of Self-Efficacy Evaluations in the Context of Nascent Entrepreneurship

Is self-efficacy predictor or outcome of performance? The debate about the direction of the relationship between self-efficacy and performance is ongoing. We show that both is true when taking the development of self-efficacy over time into account. We develop a model of the development of self-efficacy and test this model using longitudinal data from N = 1682 nascent entrepreneurs. In the beginning, self-efficacy is an outcome of performance. It is of low quality and therefore only has little predictive validity. Over time and through action, the quality of self-efficacy increases. The change in quality increases the predictive validity of self-efficacy. We additionally test the effect of training on the formation of high-quality self-efficacy evaluations and show that training can accelerate the formation through increasing the level of action. Our study contributes to research on self-efficacy by explaining under which conditions self-efficacy is a positive predictor of performance. Additionally, our study contributes to research on entrepreneurship by examining the role of self-efficacy in the process of business creation among nascent entrepreneurs.

Turn up, tune in, don\u2019t drop out: the relationship between lecture attendance, use of lecture recordings, and achievement at different levels of study

Lecture capture tends to polarise the views of academic staff. Some view it as encouraging non-attendance at lectures. Others view it as a valuable adjunct, allowing students to revisit the lecture experience and providing opportunities for clarification and repetition of key points. However, data supporting either of these stances remains scarce. Irrespective of these views, a more pertinent question pertains to the impact of lecture attendance and the use of recordings on student achievement. Findings remain unclear due to methodological issues, inconsistent findings, and a lack of differentiation of students by year of study. This paper investigated the impact of attendance, lecture recording, and student attainment across four years of an undergraduate programme. For first year students, attendance and recording use were positive predictors of performance. For weaker students, supplementary recording use was beneficial but only better students use of the recordings helped overcome the impact of low attendance. For second year students, attendance and recording use were positively correlated with, but no longer predictive of, achievement. There was no relationship for honours year students. We found no compelling evidence for a negative effect of recording use, or that attendance and recording use were related. We suggest focusing on improving lecture attendance through monitoring whilst also providing recordings for supplementary use, particularly in first year. Finally, our findings highlight the need to consider third variables such as year of study and first language when conducting and comparing lecture capture research.

Strategic capabilities, niche strategy orientation and performance: a four-nation assessment

This paper examines how strategic capabilities influence the niche strategy-performance link in Turkey, Mexico, China and the USA. Results suggest substantial differences across nations, industries and performance measures. The pursuit of a niche strategy orientation was a positive predictor of performance in all instances in which it was significant. In general, both management and technology capabilities were important drivers of performance, but results varied markedly across industries and nations and along return on assets (ROA) and sales growth as performance measures. Both technology and management capabilities were significant predictors of ROA in manufacturing and service industries in the USA, but no more than one category was significant in any of the final regression models for other nations.

Prepulse inhibition predicts spatial working memory performance in the inbred Roman high- and low-avoidance rats and in genetically heterogeneous NIH-HS rats: relevance for studying pre-attentive and cognitive anomalies in schizophrenia.

Animal models of schizophrenia-relevant symptoms are increasingly important for progress in our understanding of the neurobiological basis of the disorder and for discovering novel and more specific treatments. Prepulse inhibition (PPI) and working memory, which are impaired in schizophrenic patients, are among the symptoms/processes modeled in those animal analogs. We have evaluated whether a genetically-selected rat model, the Roman high-avoidance inbred strain (RHA-I), displays PPI deficits as compared with its Roman low-avoidance (RLA-I) counterpart and the genetically heterogeneous NIH-HS rat stock. We have investigated whether PPI deficits predict spatial working memory impairments (in the Morris water maze; MWM) in these three rat types (Experiment 1), as well as in a separate sample of NIH-HS rats stratified according to their extreme (High, Medium, Low) PPI scores (Experiment 2). The results from Experiment 1 show that RHA-I rats display PPI and spatial working memory deficits compared to both RLA-I and NIH-HS rats. Likewise, in Experiment 2, “Low-PPI” NIH-HS rats present significantly impaired working memory with respect to “Medium-PPI” and “High-PPI” NIH-HS subgroups. Further support to these results comes from correlational, factorial, and multiple regression analyses, which reveal that PPI is positively associated with spatial working memory performance. Conversely, cued learning in the MWM was not associated with PPI. Thus, using genetically-selected and genetically heterogeneous rats, the present study shows, for the first time, that PPI is a positive predictor of performance in a spatial working memory task. These results may have translational value for schizophrenia symptom research in humans, as they suggest that either by psychogenetic selection or by focusing on extreme PPI scores from a genetically heterogeneous rat stock, it is possible to detect a useful (perhaps “at risk”) phenotype to study cognitive anomalies linked to schizophrenia.

Gold Humanism Honor Society Membership Indicator to Be Added to ERAS Applications Beginning With 2016 Application Cycle

The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS) Advisory Committee recently announced that membership in the Gold Humanism Honor Society (GHHS) will now be included on the MyERAS application and the Program Director's Workstation as a filterable field, beginning with the 2016 ERAS application cycle. GHHS is a signature program of The Arnold P. Gold Foundation. The Gold Foundation is nationally recognized for promoting compassionate, patient-centered care. In 2002, the Foundation launched GHHS to identify students, residents, and faculty who embody the qualities of integrity, excellence, altruism, respect, and empathy, and would serve as role models, leaders, and advocates for humanism in medicine. Since its inception, GHHS has grown steadily, and as of November 2014, has 117 medical student chapters, 15 resident chapters, and more than 20 000 members. Membership selection within individual GHHS chapters occurs through a rigorous vetting process. Students, residents, and fellows are nominated through a peer survey that selects for the personal attributes of clinical competence, caring, and service.1 Once selected, new members are inducted in a formal ceremony, recognized as exemplars by their community, and tasked with serving as role models, mentors, and advocates for compassionate, patient-based care. Program directors have stated that membership in GHHS is an important determining factor in the resident selection process. Comparison of data from the 2012 and 2014 Program Director Survey published by the National Resident Matching Program2,3 shows the increasing influence of GHHS membership on decisions to interview and rank applicants. The GHHS indicator in ERAS will allow easy identification of GHHS member applicants and will assist program directors in a number of ways. GHHS membership is an important component of a holistic review process that goes beyond evaluation of an applicant based primarily on grades and examination scores. Researchers have shown an association between personality traits and GHHS status that is predictive of positive clinical evaluations during medical school. In addition, studies have shown that personality characteristics are positive predictors of performance in residency training.4 GHHS member students have also reported interest in entering a primary care specialty in greater numbers compared to their non-GHHS peers.5 This information may positively inform program directors in medical specialties in which recruitment of applicants interested in primary care is critical. We are grateful to the AAMC ERAS Advisory Committee for recognizing the value of GHHS membership, and making it a sortable indicator on the ERAS application beginning in spring 2015.

Trust in Typical and High-Reliability Contexts: Building and Reacting to Trust among Firefighters

We develop theory that distinguishes trust among employees in typical task contexts (marked by low levels of situational unpredictability and danger) from trust in “high-reliability” task contexts (those marked by high levels of situational unpredictability and danger). A study of firefighters showed that trust in high-reliability task contexts was based on coworkers' integrity, whereas trust in typical task contexts was also based on benevolence and identification. Trust in high-reliability contexts predicted physical symptoms, whereas trust in typical contexts predicted withdrawal. Job demands moderated linkages with performance: trust in high-reliability task contexts was a more positive predictor of performance when unpredictable and dangerous calls were more frequent.

Admission selection criteria as predictors of outcomes in an undergraduate medical course: A prospective study

Background: In 1998, a new selection process which utilised an aptitude test and an interview in addition to previous academic achievement was introduced into an Australian undergraduate medical course.Aims: To test the outcomes of the selection criteria over an 11-year period.Methods: 1174 students who entered the course from secondary school and who enrolled in the MBBS from 1999 through 2009 were studied in relation to specific course outcomes. Regression analyses using entry scores, sex and age as independent variables were tested for their relative value in predicting subsequent academic performance in the 6-year course. The main outcome measures were assessed by weighted average mark for each academic year level; together with results in specific units, defined as either ‘knowledge’-based or ‘clinically’ based.Results: Previous academic performance and female sex were the major independent positive predictors of performance in the course. The interview score showed positive predictive power during the latter years of the course and in a range of ‘clinically’ based units. This relationship was mediated predominantly by the score for communication skills.Conclusions: Results support combining prior academic achievement with the assessment of communication skills in a structured interview as selection criteria into this undergraduate medical course.

Evidence of Structure-Specific Teamwork Requirements and Implications for Team Design

This article reports an experiment using the C3Fire microworld—a functional simulation of command and control in a complex and dynamic environment—in which 24 three-person teams were organized according to either a functional or multifunctional allocation of roles. We proposed a quantitative approach for estimating teamwork requirements and comparing them across team structures. Two multiple linear regression models were derived from the experimental data, one for each team structure. Both models provided excellent fits to the data. The regression coefficients revealed key similarities and some major differences across team structures. The two most important predictors were monitoring effectiveness and coordination effectiveness regardless of team structure. Communication frequency was a positive predictor of performance in the functional structure but a negative predictor in the multifunctional structure. In regard to communication content, the proportion of goal-oriented communications was found to be a positive predictor of team performance in functional teams and a weak negative predictor of team performance in multifunctional teams. Mental load was a useful predictor in functional teams but not in multifunctional teams. Results show that this method is useful for estimating teamwork requirements and support the claim that teamwork requirements can vary as a function of team structure.

Histocompatibility antigens, aspirin use and cognitive performance in non-demented elderly subjects

HLA genotype and anti-inflammatory drug use have independently been associated with a lower risk of Alzheimer's disease (AD). We recently reported a negative association between aspirin use and AD. To investigate this further, we performed a cross-sectional study to investigate cognitive performance in 151 non-demented individuals in relation to HLA-DRB1 genotype and aspirin use. Aspirin and HLA-DRB1*01 were positive predictors of performance on logical memory (aspirin, p=0.04) and verbal fluency tests (HLA-DRB1*01, p=0.018), respectively. HLA-DRB1*05 had a negative impact on the Boston naming test ( p=0.002). Our results suggest that aspirin use and inflammatory genotype may influence cognition in non-demented subjects.