Structural Relationship Model Research Articles

Factor Analysis of Competency of Computer Teacher at Vocational Certificate Level

The research objectives were to analysis the factor and construct the questionnaire on competency of computer teacher at vocational certificate level of educational institute under Office of Vocational Education Commission (OVEC). The descriptive research and structural relationship model were used for the study. Sample groups comprised of 1) 90 experts and 2) 200 educational institutes under OVEC. Research instruments were questionnaires on competency of computer teacher at vocational certificate level for: 1) experts and 2) educational institutes. Data analysis were conducted with: 1) Exploratory factor analysis by using SPSS for Windows for data from experts, 2) The second order confirmatory factor analysis with LISREL 8.72 program and Cronbach’s α formula for data from educational institutes. Research results revealed that competency of computer teacher at vocational certificate level composed of 12 components from 62 variables covered 3 domains of knowledge, skill, and affection. Those 12 components were general knowledge about education, knowledge about curriculum, knowledge about teaching, knowledge about e-Learning and e-Media, knowledge about IT support, knowledge about computer use, teaching skill, skill about e-Learning and e-Media, skill about IT support, skill for using computer, supportive affection to be a teacher and affection in IT. The questionnaire on competency of computer teacher had good quality with good construct validity and high reliability in 2 dimensions of intent and actual competencies.

Holistic competence approach in tourism higher education: an exploratory study in Spain

The present study aims to propose and empirically contrast a structural model of relationships between academic–professional competences in tourism higher education. Currently, much attention is being paid to the concept of competence. However, in the literature review, we did not find any proposal for a holistic approach that tends to understand the relationships between the generic and specific competences in higher education. This study is focused on a subject of the tourism degree in the University of Seville (Spain). It is based on a sample of 154 students. The results confirm that there are relationships between the generic and specific competences.

Relationship on operational inputs and the responding output performances: case study of cellphone keypads manufacturing

A liner structural relation (LISREL) model is consisted by the linear equations and belongs to the family of structural equation models (SEM). The main function is to deal with the causal relationship in variables. Since LISREL combines structural equation models and measurement models together, it handles with multiple regression and multivariate-factor analysis at the same time. In this study, a numerical simulation of the relations in production inputs and output performances is proposed. The results show that there exists a positive correlation in “management” and “output performances;” and the factors “labor” and “process” make significant influence on “management.” In general, keeping a good labor force and an efficient process as the production inputs, with the fine management practices accompanied, ensures a better output performance.

Estimating Market Power of U.S. Dairy Cooperatives in the Fluid Milk Market

A structural econometric model of vertical relationships is adopted to identify pricing behavior in the supply chain for fluid milk in the United States. The model consists of a system of equations that allows estimation of oligopoly power of dairy co‐operatives and downstream firms, exploiting federal milk marketing order regulations to identify co‐operatives’ marginal cost. A key finding is that co‐operatives use their market power to raise the farm price of milk by almost 9% above marginal cost, resulting in an income transfer of more than $600 million per year in markets regulated by federal milk marketing orders.

Childhood maltreatment histories, alcohol and other drug use symptoms, and sexual risk behavior in a treatment sample of adolescents.

We tested a structural model of relations among self-reported childhood maltreatment, alcohol and other drug abuse and dependence symptoms, and sexual risk behavior in a sample of adolescents receiving outpatient treatment of substance use problems. Structured interviews were administered to an ethnically diverse sample of 394 adolescents (114 girls, 280 boys; mean = 16.30 years; SD = 1.15 years; 44.9% Hispanic, 20.6% African American, 25.4% White non-Hispanic, and 9.1% other) in 2 outpatient treatment settings. Path analyses yielded findings consistent with a mediation model. Alcohol abuse and dependence symptoms mediated (1) relations between emotional neglect scores and sex with co-occurring alcohol use and (2) relations between sexual abuse scores and sex with co-occurring alcohol use. Drug abuse and dependence symptoms mediated relations between (1) neglect scores and (2) sexual intercourse with co-occurring alcohol or drug use, as well as unprotected sexual intercourse. Efforts to treat alcohol or drug use problems among adolescents or to prevent transmission of HIV or other sexually transmitted infections among youths with substance use problems may require tailoring treatment or prevention protocols to address client histories of maltreatment.

The Causal Relationships Between Previous School Performance, Homework Assignments and Present School Performance, with Mediation of Self-efficacy for Learning and Responsibility, in Male and Female High School Students in Ahwaz

Abstract The main objective of the present study was to test the fitness of the suggested model, of the structural equations for the direct and indirect the causal relationships between previous school performance, homework assignments and present school performance, with mediation of self-efficacy for learning and responsibility, in high school students in Ahwaz. This project was conducted in two stages, namely the primary study and the main study. In the main study-stage, 400 high school students of Ahwaz were randomly chosen to testify the hypotheses and fitness of the proposed model. According to the results, the proposed final structural equation model of the causal relationships between the above-mentioned variables had an acceptable fitness regarding the fitness indices.

The Entrepreneurship Characteristics in Relation to Improve the Performance of the Small-Scale Seaweed Entrepreneurs

The purpose of this study was to obtain empirical evidence and find clarity about the impact of entrepreneurial characteristic related to achievement motivation and self efficacy as a latent variable exogenous to the entrepreneurial commitment as an intervening variable and its impact on the performance of seaweed entrepreneurs as an endogenous variable. The method used is survey research data collection techniques using questionnaires to determine the respondents assessment of the variables examined. The sample size of this study based on the technique of proportional cluster random sampling from the target population of small-scale seaweed entrepreneurs spread over ten districts of South Sulawesi province. Testing hypotheses using structural equation modeling analysis (SEM) based on the framework of the measurement model and the structural model of causal relationships between variables. Implication of this research is that the entrepreneurial commitment has contributed more dominant than the influence of achievement motivation and self-efficacy on seaweed entrepreneur's performance, either directly or indirectly through entrepreneurial commitment.

From Social to Marketing Interactions: The Role of Social Networks

The purpose of this article is to analyze the impact of social interactions on marketing interactions within social networks (SN). We propose and test a structural model of relationships embracing the following constructs: Social Relationships, Trust, Information Disclosure, Word of Mouth (WOM) and Attitude toward Advertising. Data were gathered through the application of a structured questionnaire to a sample of 150 university students. The results validate the proposed model and support five out of seven hypotheses. The findings evidence that Social Relationships are significant predictors of Information Disclosure, WOM and Attitude toward Advertising. Similarly, Trust acts as a predictor of Information Disclosure and WOM. Overall, social interactions have a positive and significant impact on marketing interactions.

Develop a commercial aircraft pilot job stress model through an experience ability perspective: considering the work experience

Since commercial aircraft pilots bear the duty of flight safety, their job stress is higher than other occupations. Once the sources of job stress could not be drained off, the stress will be accumulated continually. The unbearable stress will injure the commercial pilots in aspects of physiology and psychology and have a critical impact on their flying ability. Therefore, researching on job stress to improve flight safety is a critical path to increase the competitiveness of airlines. This research introduces the concept of work experience background characteristics (WEBC) and constructs a commercial pilots’ job stress theoretical model. Linear structure relation model (LISREL) is used to validate the causality relationships of this theoretical model. The result of this research could be a theory base to improve the job stress and increase job performance of the commercial pilots by adjusting WEBC.

Intellectual property licensing and value creation of culture industry

Research on culture industry has increased noticeably in recent years. However, while some works are available on qualitative analysis, little information is available on quantitative analysis. Meanwhile, while the study on intellectual property has been mounting steadily, little work is available on the value creation of culture industry. Thus, this work used the reports of World Bank, applying the linear structural relation model to consider the relation between the intellectual property and the value creation of culture industry. Overall, the results indicated that the intellectual property plays an important role in the development of licensing industry and culture industry. Thus, this work suggests that should improve the regime of intellectual property protection and enhance the development of licensing industry. In detail, the modeling and globalization of the management process of licensing industry may help integrate the value chains of various industries, further improve the effect of industry clusters, and finally enhance the value creation of culture industry.

Entrepreneurial Orientation, Human Resources Information Management, and Firm Performance in SMEs

AbstractThere is abundant literature demonstrating that entrepreneurial orientation has an impact on performance indicators including economic results and relative market share. Moreover, entrepreneurial orientation interacts with market orientation to improve performance. Human resources information management (HRIM) is a critical component of market orientation. We tested a structural model of relationships among entrepreneurial orientation (EO), HRIM, and firm performance using a sample of small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) from the manufacturing sector of Portugal. EO had a positive direct effect on both performance (β = .313) and HRIM (β = .291). HRIM also had a positive effect on firm performance (β = .236), and EO indirectly impacted firm performance (.069) through HRIM. Copyright © 2011 ASAC. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Maximum Likelihood Solution for the Linear Structural Relationship With Three Parameters Known

A maximum likelihood solution is obtained for the simple linear structural relation model where the underlying incidental distribution and one error variance are assumed known. Expressions for the asymptotic standard errors of the maximum likelihood estimates are obtained and these are verified using a simulation study.

The structural model of relations between country of origin and the perceived brand name value

The article investigates the importance of values of the perceived brand name from the external point of view perceived by the sample of consumers. Based on the stratified survey and the quantitative research the relationship between country of origin (COO), marketing mix elements and the perceived brand name value was noted. The emphasis is placed on establishing an impact of COO on the perceived brand name value and its impact on the latter compared to the selected marketing mix elements. The article presents the structural model of a conceptual relationship between the COO and the perceived brand name value. A measuring instrument and procedures used to check reliability and validity of the structural model of the product's perceived brand name value were developed. The conceptual model and the relationships within the model were evaluated by a modelling that used linear structural equations on the selected sample of respondents, which enabled verification of the conceptual model by empirical data.

Social capital and national competitiveness

Research on socioeconomic phenomenon by social capital has increased noticeably in recent years. However, while some literature is available on organizational sociology, political sociology, and economic sociology, little information is available on macroeconomic and management. Thus, this work used the reports of World Value Survey, World Economic Forum, and International Management Development, applying the linear structural relation model to assess how social capital affects the national competitiveness. Overall, the results found that the accumulation of social capital can improve not only other capitals but also the national competitiveness in a particular country. Thus, this work suggests that every country should enhance the development of social capital, thereby effectively improve national competitiveness.

Sustainability of TQM Implementation Model In The Indonesia’s Oil and Gas Industry: An Assessment of Structural Relations Model Fit

This study purposively is to conduct an empirical analysis of the structural relations among critical factors of quality management practices (QMPs), world-class company practice (WCC), operational excellence practice (OE), and company performance (company non-financial performance or CNFP and company financial performance or CFP) in the oil and gas companies operating in Indonesia. The current study additionally examines the relationships between QMPs and CFP through WCC, OE, and CNFP (as partial mediators) simultaneously. The study uses data from a survey of 140 strategic business units (SBUs) within 49 oil and gas contractor companies in Indonesia. The findings suggest that all six QMPs have positive and significant indirect relationships on CFP through WCC and CNFP. Only four of six QMPs have positive and significant indirect relationships on CFP through OE and CNFP. Hence, WCC, OE, and CNFP play as partial mediators between QMPs and CFP. CNFP has a significant influence on CFP. A major implication of this study is that oil and gas managers need to recognize the structural relations model fit by developing all of the research constructs simultaneously associated with a comprehensive TQM practice. Furthermore, the findings will assist oil and gas companies by improving CNFP, which is very critical to TQM, thereby contributing to a better achievement of CFP. The current study uses the Deming’s principles, Hayes and Wheelwright dimensions of world-class company practice, Chevron Texaco’s operational excellence practice, and the dimensions of company financial and non-financial performances. The paper also provides an insight into the sustainability of TQM implementation model and their effect on company financial performance in oil and gas companies in Indonesia.

Comparing motivating work characteristics, job satisfaction, and turnover intention of knowledge workers and blue-collar workers, and testing a structural model of the variables' relationships in China and Japan

This research examines motivating work characteristics, job satisfaction, and turnover intention of knowledge workers and blue-collar workers in China and Japan. The differences in these three variables were, respectively, compared between knowledge workers and blue-collar workers in China and Japan. A structural model of the relationships among the three variables was particularly proposed and investigated. Based on data from an international survey, the characteristics of knowledge workers were first compared with those of blue-collar workers in the same country, and then compared with those of knowledge workers in the other country. Finally, the structural model of the three variables' relationships was examined using a multi-sample analysis of the LISREL method across the countries. There were many significant differences found between knowledge workers and blue-collar workers and between China and Japan. As fundamentally predicted, knowledge workers were found to have higher motivating work characteristics than blue-collar workers in each country. More importantly, a similar structural model of the relationships among the variables was found across the countries.

The role of working memory in the development of emotion comprehension

This study investigated the relationship between emotion comprehension, grammar comprehension, and working memory capacity in children between 5 and 11 years (n= 130), testing the hypothesis that working memory has a role in the development of emotion comprehension. We replicated the correlation between emotion comprehension and grammar comprehension, and found that working memory capacity correlates with both of these variables (also with age statistically controlled). The significant effect of age on emotion comprehension was eliminated when working memory capacity was co-varied. In a regression analysis of emotion comprehension scores, when working memory capacity was entered as a predictor, no additional variance was significantly accounted for by grammar comprehension, gender, or age. A structural relations model, in which the paths from working memory capacity to emotion comprehension and from working memory capacity to grammar comprehension account fully for the correlation between grammar and emotion comprehension, fit the data well. However, working memory capacity was not equally related to all components of the Test of Emotion Comprehension (TEC) (Pons & Harris, 2000), the relationship being significant only for some of them. In particular, working memory capacity has a decisive role in the transition from understanding external to mental aspects of emotions. It is concluded that the development of working memory has a considerable impact on the development of emotion comprehension.

Short-form knowledge-based economy scorecards

Research on knowledge-based economy has increased noticeably in recent years. Notably, how to evaluate the knowledge-based economy competitiveness has already attracted a lot of attention worldwide. However, some complex scorecards provide abundant information, but restricted to improper construct factors and weight allocation and cost and fit considerations, and few scorecards can meet the requirement of conciseness, accuracy, and efficiency. Thus, this work used the Knowledge-based Economy Scorecards (KES) of WorldBank, applying the linear structural relation model to develop the short-form Knowledge1 based Economy Scorecards (S-KES) and identify the cross-validation of the S-KES model. Overall, this finding reveals that the reliability and validation of the KES model are not satisfactory. In contrast, those of the S-KES model are improved though the observed variables in number of the S-KES model decrease. Moreover, the cross-validation of the S2 KES model was accepted not only the loose replication strategy but the tight replication strategy. Overall, the S-KES model seems a concise, efficient, and substitutive scorecard for KES model.

Determinants of green electricity adoption among residential customers in Germany

AbstractThe label ‘green electricity’ is commonly used to refer to power generated from various renewable natural sources (e.g. wind). The present article develops hypotheses on the effects of eight attitudinal and perceptual characteristics of residential electricity consumers on their propensity to adopt a green electricity supplier. The hypotheses are tested empirically with data generated by means of a standardized telephone survey of 267 household electricity customers of a German regional power supplier. Questionnaire answers are augmented with information derived from the supplier's billing system on a participant's actual annual electricity consumption. Measurement and structural relationship models are obtained via Partial Least Squares analysis. Regardless of a person's level of actual power consumption in the recent past, propensity to adopt green electricity is most strongly influenced by general consumer attitudes towards environmental protection issues and social endorsement of green power use by close social contacts. In the subsample of participants with low actual electricity consumption, the propensity to purchase green energy is significantly positively affected by the weight an individual attaches to electricity prices in supplier selection decisions and the person's belief that his current electricity supplier takes over social responsibility. In contrast, in the subsample of respondents with high actual electricity consumption consumer's willingness to adopt green electricity is significantly enhanced by the degree of perceived dissimilarity among power company offerings. The identification of factors influencing the adoption of green electricity offers both practical implications for marketers of utilities and contributes to the academic knowledge base of a service domain characterized by increasing societal importance.

Impact of Marketing Actions on Relationship Quality in the Health and Fitness Sector in Jordan and Its Implications for Social Marketing: A Field/Analytical Study

This field/analytical study examined the marketing actions (antecedents) and performance (consequences) of relationship quality in a health and fitness setting. To analyze data collected from a random sample of 542 members drawn from fitness centers in Amman, Jordan, the linear structural relationship model was used to identify structural characteristics of relationship management among fitness centers' employees, including physical fitness and health experts, administrative staff, and members. The empirical results of this study were fourfold. First, greater employees' relational and member orientation resulted in higher relationship quality. Second, better health and fitness providers' (employees') attributes resulted in higher relationship quality. Third, higher relationship quality resulted in better relationship continuity. Fourth, committed member relationships resulted in member satisfaction, loyalty, positive word of mouth, and promotion. These in turn contributed to the enhancement of fitness center image. Within the past 20 years, social marketing application to health and fitness problems has grown rapidly. A number of social marketing implications and recommendations are highlighted.