Theoretical Development Research Articles

The impact of national culture in predicting informal learning behaviors

Purpose This study aims to investigate the impact of Hofstede’s six national cultural dimensions on informal learning behaviors (ILBs) and how they moderate the prediction of these behaviors by workplace interaction (WI), autonomy (WA) and readiness to learn (RtL). Design/methodology/approach Cultural scores were extracted from The Culture Factor Group in 2023. Data on ILBs and their antecedents were selected from a Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies sample of 59,103 workers – 33 Countries. The authors applied hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) to analyze data. Findings None of those cultural dimensions had significant direct relationships with ILBs. The moderations were significant for power distance (ILBs with WA and RtL), individualism (ILBs with WI) and motivation toward achievement and success (ILBs with WA). Research limitations/implications The cultural dimensions were limited to Hofstede’s model, and scores at the country level did not consider individual perceptions of them. The results provide empirical evidence for solid theoretical development on the impact of national culture on informal learning and the development of public policies to promote it. Originality/value The authors are unaware of other studies that have quantitatively investigated relationships between ILBs and their antecedents and the cultural dimensions using HLM. Findings from different countries allow for better generalization and may provide directions for research and the expansion of the nomological network on the impact of national culture on ILBs.

From Uncertainty to Tenacity: Investigating User Strategies and Continuance Intentions in AI-Powered ChatGPT with Uncertainty Reduction Theory

The introduction of ChatGPT in academia has raised significant concerns, particularly regarding issues like plagiarism and the ethical use of generative text for academic purposes. Existing literature has predominantly focused on ChatGPT adoption, leaving a notable gap in addressing the strategies users employ to mitigate these emerging challenges. To bridge this gap, this research utilizes the Uncertainty Reduction Theory (URT) to formulate user strategies for reducing uncertainty. These strategies include both interactive and passive approaches. Concurrently, the study identifies key sources of uncertainty, which include concerns related to transparency, information accuracy, and privacy. Additionally, it introduces the concepts of seeking clarification and consulting peer feedback as mediating roles to facilitate reduced uncertainty. We tested these hypotheses with a sample of Indonesian users (N = 566) using structural equation modeling via Smart-PLS 4.0 software. The results confirm that interactive Uncertainty Reduction Strategies (URS) are more effective in reducing uncertainty when using ChatGPT compared to passive URS. Transparency concerns, information accuracy, and privacy concerns are identified as factors that increase the level of uncertainty. In contrast, consulting peer feedback is the most effective strategy for reducing uncertainty compared to seeking clarification at the individual-system level. Insights from the mediating effects confirm that consulting peer feedback significantly mediates uncertainty sources to reduce uncertainty. The study discusses various strategies for the ethical use of ChatGPT by users in the educational context and contributes significantly to theoretical development.

Adaptive grey wolf optimizer based on transfer function inertia weight of second-order high-pass filter

This paper proposes an Adaptive Grey Wolf Optimizer based on Transfer function Inertia Weight of Second-order High-pass Filter (SAGWO), aiming to overcome the limitations of Grey Wolf Optimizer (GWO) in terms of convergence speed and solution accuracy. SAGWO enhances the algorithm's dynamic adaptability and greatly speeds up convergence by incorporating the transfer function of the second-order high-pass filter into the modifications of inertia and leader wolves' weight. Furthermore, SAGWO incorporates an adaptive random search component, which significantly enhances the search range and the ability to explore globally. The performance of SAGWO is assessed and compared against three prominent Swarm Intelligence Algorithms (ALO, WOA, and EHO), along with GWO and GWO optimized by PSO. This evaluation is conducted through trials on the CEC2017 standard test set. The experimental results indicate that SAGWO outperforms in terms of both convergence speed and solution correctness. Moreover, SAGWO is utilized to address practical engineering problems such as pressure vessel design and robot gripper design, showcasing its remarkable effectiveness once more. This research enhances the theoretical development of Swarm Intelligence Algorithms and demonstrates the significant utility of SAGWO in practical applications, establishing it as a powerful instrument for scientific investigation and engineering optimization.

Social media use is predictable from app sequences: Using LSTM and transformer neural networks to model habitual behavior

The present paper introduces a novel approach to studying social media habits through predictive modeling of sequential smartphone user behaviors. While much of the literature on media and technology habits has relied on self-report questionnaires and simple behavioral frequency measures, we examine an important yet understudied aspect of media and technology habits: their embeddedness in repetitive behavioral sequences. Leveraging Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) and transformer neural networks, we show that (i) social media use is predictable at the within and between-person level and that (ii) there are robust individual differences in the predictability of social media use. We examine the performance of several modeling approaches, including (i) global models trained on the pooled data from all participants, (ii) idiographic person-specific models, and (iii) global models fine-tuned on person-specific data. Neither person-specific modeling nor fine-tuning on person-specific data substantially outperformed the global models, indicating that the global models were able to represent a variety of idiosyncratic behavioral patterns. Additionally, our analyses reveal that individual differences in the predictability of social media use were not substantially related to differences in the frequency of smartphone use in general or the frequency of social media use, indicating that our approach captures an aspect of habits that is distinct from behavioral frequency. Implications for habit modeling and theoretical development are discussed.

Synergizing Theoretical Model Development and Experimentation through the Bayesian Co-navigation Workflow

Synergizing Theoretical Model Development and Experimentation through the Bayesian Co-navigation Workflow

Charge transfer plasmons in nanoparticle arrays on graphene: Theoretical development

The properties of charge transfer plasmons (CTPs) in periodic metallic nanoparticle arrays (PMNPAs) on the single-layer graphene surface are studied within a computationally efficient original hybrid quantum-classical model. The model is based on the proven assumption that the carrier charge density in doped graphene remains unchanged under plasmon oscillations. Calculated CTP frequencies for two PMNPA geometries are shown to lie within the THz range and to be factorized, i.e., presented as a product of two independent factors determined by the graphene charge density and the PMNPA geometry. Equations are derived for describing the CTP frequencies and eigenvectors, i.e., oscillating nanoparticle charge values. It is shown that the CTP plasmons having a band structure containing a wave vector and a band number, like to phonons in periodic media, can be divided into an acoustic mode and optical CTP modes. For the acoustic modes, the CTP group velocity tends to zero at k→0, but reaches a value of ∼VFermi in graphene inside the Brillouin zone, while for the optical modes, the group velocity dispersion is extremely weak, although their energy is higher than the acoustic plasmon energies. It is shown that the calculated dependence of CTP frequencies on the carrier concentration in graphene is in good agreement with experimental data. We believe that the proposed model can help in designing various graphene-based terahertz nanoplasmonic devices of complex geometry due to very high computational efficiency.

Understanding of the Sitz Des Rechtsverhältnisses: Based on a Comparative Study of Other Theories of Private International Laws

The current rapid theoretical development of private international law is inseparable from the foundation of the Sitz Des Rechtsverhältnisses laid by Savigny. Derived from the Roman law, the Sitz Des Rechtsverhältnisses and the most significant relationship rules put forward by Reece who critically inherited Savigny’s theory both reflect the consistent development of private international law. On this basis, referring to Geographical and Temporal Scope of Conflict of Laws and Legal Rules (Volume 8th of Modern Roman Laws) written by Savigny, this paper comparatively analyzes the similarities and differences between the Sitz Des Rechtsverhältnisses and the most significant relationship rules, so as to explore how the Sitz Des Rechtsverhältnisses impacts the contemporary legislation of conflict of laws in the world.

Does Funding Structure Mediate the Relationship Between Corporate Governance and Financial Performance? Evidence from Deposit Taking Sacco's in Kenya

Abstract The study focused on assessing how the funding structure mediates the relationship between corporate governance (CG) and financial performance (FP) in deposit-taking Savings and Credit Cooperative Organizations (SACCOs) in Kenya from 2018 to 2022. The research covered all 172 deposit-taking SACCOs in Kenya, using longitudinal data sourced from annual financial reports and supervision reports by the Sacco Societies Regulatory Authority (SASRA). To estimate the relationships, the fixed effect model was utilized, justified by the Hausman specification test. The findings indicated that the funding structure acts as a partial mediator in the CG-FP relationship. This implies that while CG has a direct impact on FP, the funding structure also significantly influences this relationship. These findings are critical for theoretical development, as they enhance the understanding of how CG affects FP through the funding structure. Moreover, the results have significant policy implications. For regulators like SASRA, the findings provide insights into crafting policies that strengthen CG practices to improve FP with in SACCOs. For SACCO management, the study offers guidance on developing strategies that align their funding structures with effective governance practices to achieve better financial outcomes. Keywords: Corporate Governance, Funding Structure, Financial Performance; Deposit Taking SACCO’s.

Work-family conflict and strain: Revisiting theory, direction of causality, and longitudinal dynamism.

Does work-family conflict (WFC) cause psychological strain or vice versa? How long do these effects take to unfold? What is the role of persistent WFC (or strain) levels in these processes? Prior research has left some of these questions open: Our systematic review reveals that WFC-strain studies have primarily used short (e.g., hours) or long (e.g., years) measurement lags, leaving mid-long lags underexplored. Moreover, while many work-family theories imply long-term effects, prior longitudinal research has often relied on cross-lagged panel models that assume effects to be solely within-person, not considering persistent between-person differences. We tested this assumption in five three-wave survey studies (N = 26,133) with varying lags (1 day, 1 week, 1 month, 6 months, 1 year) and found it to fail in all cases. Employing the random-intercept crossed-lagged panel, a new approach in WFC research, our results indicate that the effects between WFC and strain (exhaustion, perceived stress, and affective rumination) depend primarily on longer term WFC (or strain) levels. In contrast, short-term deviations from these levels (within-person effects) play a minor role. These findings suggest that the effects between WFC and strain may be more persistent than previously assumed, opening avenues for further theoretical and empirical development. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Nascent policy subsystems in polycentric governance networks: The case of sea‐level rise governance in the San Francisco Bay Area

AbstractA policy subsystem is a system of relations between actors within the context of a specific, territorially bounded policy issue. Mature policy subsystems feature well‐established, easily distinguishable, confrontational coalitions. Recent literature has explored the behavior of nascent subsystems, which emerge in response to novel policy challenges and feature developing, rather than fully fledged, coalitions. However, as yet, we lack an empirical approach to identify and analyze the structural characteristics of nascent subsystems and assess their implications for theoretical and subsystem development. How do we recognize a nascent policy subsystem when we see one? What are the drivers of its nascent coalitional structure? We answer these questions using social network analysis in the empirical case of the governance network of adaptation to sea‐level rise in the San Francisco Bay Area, using original data collected in 2018. We find that the network portrays a nascent subsystem developing out of pre‐existing coalitions focused on two facets of environmental advocacy: environmental protection and environmental justice. We conclude with recommendations for future research on policy subsystem development.

Transformative Learning as a Theoretical Field

The phenomenon of change, of transformation, is just as relevant today as it was in the seventies when the concept of transformative learning was first developed. One might even argue that transformation has gained even more significance globally. This journal issue is a timely inquiry into the current state of its theoretical development, and we are grateful for the opportunity to respond to the questions posed by the editors.

Explicating the microfoundations of operational excellence in services: A capabilities perspective

AbstractThe operations management community has recognized operational excellence as a contemporary arena comprising a full spectrum of research paradigms. However, there is a dearth of theoretical development aimed at understanding and unpacking operational excellence and its strategic implications for competitiveness. Much of the existing research focuses on siloed operational improvement practices rather than on inherent capabilities. In this paper, we conceptualize operational excellence from a capabilities perspective. We derive our findings from within‐ and cross‐case analyses based on data gathered from four global banks with varying competitive positions. We posit the microfoundations of operational excellence in services by demonstrating how the cumulative aggregation of constituent capabilities leads to higher competitiveness in firms. We enhance the external validity of the emergent theory by showing its applicability in another service setting (healthcare). Our study demonstrates the importance of shifting managerial thinking from individual operational improvement practices to long‐term capability building through the microfoundations of operational excellence.

The Life Attachment Scale (LAS-R).

The proposed concept of secure/insecure lifeattachment reflects the experience of the world and life as a good (or insecure/threatening) place to be. The present article describes the theoretical foundation, development, and validation of a revised measure that captures the phenomenon of secure/insecure life attachment. The revised scale consists of seven dimensions: (1) Coexistence, (2) Reliability, (3) Safetiness, (4) Integration, (5) Inclusion, (6) Participation, and (7) Deliberation. In three studies (N = 1,059), we examined the factor structure and the convergent and predictive validity of the Life Attachment Scale-Revised (LAS-R). Our results support a seven-factor structure of the scale, reflecting the aforementioned dimensions. Furthermore, convergent and predictive validity were established through correlations with related concepts of life satisfaction, flourishing, openness to the future, and perceived stress. We have devised and substantiated a scale adept at gauging dimensions of secure and insecure/disordered life attachment. Empirical evidence from statistical analyses supports the assumption that the LAS-R is psychometrically sound, establishing its reliability and validity as a dependable instrument. Thus, the scale has promising implications for developing the empirical base for research in many areas of psychology, sociology, and the social sciences.

Научно-методический подход к разработке проектов опытно-промышленных испытаний открытой разработки месторождений

Methodology of designing pilot tests in open-pit mining is a complex and insufficiently developed issue in the theory and practice of designing mining systems, which, as a rule, fails to take into account the mining and geological features of the deposits. The complex development of mineral deposits requires new methods of open-pit designing. Thus, the theoretical justification and development of the methods to determine the optimal parameters and indicators of open-pits during the design of pilot tests with the establishment of scales, deadlines, tasks and test conditions is an urgent research problem. The authors of the study have systematized the research trends in developing the basis for designing pilot tests in open-pit geotechnology. The level of geological inaccuracies in case of insufficiently reliable prospecting results leads to a decrease in the expected technical and economic indicators of the mining project ranging from 5-20% to several folds. When information on the deposit is insufficient, pilot test projects are prepared. This is done in order to obtain additional input data for preparation of the feasibility study of permanent conditions or at the stage of the field development to verify the created technologies and means of their mechanisation in order to avoid revision of the mining system parameters in the course of the field operations due to discrepancies between the geomechanical and hydrogeological representations given in the detailed exploration materials and the real conditions.

Empathy in the Workplace: Disentangling Affective from Cognitive Empathy

AbstractEmpathy plays a crucial role in the workplace, associated with positive outcomes, including helping behavior and task performance. While most studies have treated empathy as a unidimensional and trait-like characteristic, empathy is best understood as a two-dimensional construct, encompassing stable and fluctuating aspects. Considering this conceptualization, our research explores the relationship between the two dimensions – affective and cognitive empathy – with well-being and prosocial behavior, both at the trait and state levels. We hypothesized that affective empathy is positively associated with fatigue, whereas cognitive empathy is positively related to provided support. Furthermore, we predicted that these relationships would be especially pronounced on days when employees witness conflicts in the workplace. Our results, drawn from two diary studies (Ns = 119 and 179), indicated that affective empathy was related to fatigue, and cognitive empathy was related to provided support on the trait level, supporting our hypotheses. However, the distinctions between the two empathy dimensions were less prominent at the state level, and these effects did not depend on observed conflicts. These findings suggest that affective and cognitive empathy have differential effects, emphasizing the need for balanced and beneficial utilization of empathy in both theoretical development and practical workplace contexts.

Towards a digital zemiology

Surveillance capitalism (Zuboff, 2019) represents an unprecedented shift in modes and asymmetries of power. Operating within and through the digital sphere, this new era of capitalism has drastic implications for our understandings of modern surveillance, corporate power, and social control. The digital, in its diffuse simultaneously online and offline form, represents the spatialisation of control within which the user and the data they produce are commodified and their identities consolidated and dissected into knowable, marketable demographics which, once reassembled, no longer represent the human being once behind them (Hammond, 2016; Brusseau, 2020). The digital represents a new frontier of harm production, as user-generated data is exploited to serve corporate interests and the normalisation of digital surveillance has given way to user apathy and technological reliance, undermining user autonomy and opportunities for resistance, while commodifying not only our identities but the entirety of the human experience. Within this context an opportunity emerges to develop a zemiology informed by the digital context that can confront the deepening harms of technologisation and consider the future of resistance. By interrogating the intersection between developments in digital technology and harm production, this article aims to acknowledge the proliferation of normalised corporate surveillance through a development in capitalism (Zuboff, 2015; 2019), and to outline opportunities for theoretical development presented by the digital context, drawing upon works within zemiology (Pemberton, 2016), surveillance studies (Murakami Wood, 2007; Murakami Wood and Ball, 2013), postphenomenology (Ihde, 1990; Verbeek, 2011; Wood, 2021; 2022), and disconnection studies (Kuntsman and Miyake, 2022), to present an invitation to both a unique theoretical orientation and an emerging field of study: digital zemiology.

Quantum mechanics, radiation, and the equivalence proof

This paper re-evaluates the formative year of quantum mechanics—from Heisenberg’s first paper on matrix mechanics to Schrödinger’s equivalence proof—by focusing on the role of radiation in the emerging theory. We argue that the radiation problem played a key role in early quantum mechanics, a role that has not been taken into account in the standard histories. Radiation was perceived by the main protagonists of matrix and wave mechanics as a central lacuna in these emerging theories and continued to contribute to the theoretical development and conceptual clarification of quantum mechanics. Studying the interplay between quantum mechanics and radiation, the paper provides an account of (a) how quantum mechanics was able to connect to its empirical basis in spectroscopy and (b) how Schrödinger’s equivalence proof emerged from his explorative calculations on the emission of radiation.

Leisure studies and occupational therapy in Latin America: a scoping review

ABSTRACT This study explores the role of leisure in occupational therapy within Latin America, recognising its importance for health, well-being, and participation. Despite its significance, investment in this area is limited in the region. Using various databases and sources like Web of Science, PubMed, and others, alongside theses, dissertations, and books, a scoping review was conducted without time constraints. Employing Joanna Briggs Institute methodology and PRISMA-ScR checklist, 30 eligible references were identified out of 2,276 retrieved. Primarily qualitative and mostly from Brazil, these studies revealed four conceptions of leisure: sociocultural, self-motivated occupation during free time, attitude, and subjectivity with “life production.” The findings indicate a promising but emerging body of research. Emphasis is placed on fostering research agendas through establishing networks and scholarly events dedicated to this theme. It is suggested that occupational therapy researchers create consistent dialogues with leisure studies; commit to the theoretical development of leisure based on the findings of theoretical and empirical research; diversify the analytical scale, including collective and structural processes related to leisure; and invest in creating networks of researchers and scientific events around the theme.

A comprehensive survey for generative data augmentation

Generative data augmentation (GDA) has emerged as a promising technique to alleviate data scarcity in machine learning applications. This thesis presents a comprehensive survey and unified framework of the GDA landscape. We first provide an overview of GDA, discussing its motivation, taxonomy, and key distinctions from synthetic data generation. We then systematically analyze the critical aspects of GDA—selection of generative models, techniques to utilize them, data selection methodologies, validation approaches, and diverse applications. Our proposed unified framework categorizes the extensive GDA literature, revealing gaps such as the lack of universal benchmarks. The thesis summarizes promising research directions, including , effective data selection, theoretical development for large-scale models’ application in GDA and establishing a benchmark for GDA. By laying a structured foundation, this thesis aims to nurture more cohesive development and accelerate progress in the vital arena of generative data augmentation.

The immiscible to miscible transition and its consequences for 3-phase displacements in porous media of arbitrary wettability: Basic theory

In this paper, a “process-based” 3-phase model is applied to explore how multiphase fluid flow behaviour in two non-uniform wettability systems, named weakly oil-wet (WOW) and mixed-wet large (MWL), change when gas and oil move towards miscibility (σgo → 0). In the course of the theoretical development, we indicate how parts of the theory have been validated and confirmed satisfactorily by summarising experimental data from the literature. To demonstrate how the complexities of the three-phase physics interact with the system wettability, we use a capillary bundle (CB) model for the porous medium. This is sufficient to show the main processes which occur in the transition from immiscible to miscible behaviour. Even although the CB model is the simplest possible case for a porous medium, the results demonstrate a high level of unpredictable complexity which cover key parameters of the physics of 3-phase flow within porous media. In addition, for each case, the results point to the specific physical parameter that controls the phase separation lines. In some cases, gas injection or oil injection in a WOW system, the phase displacement changes quite radically as the system goes towards miscibility since there is a transition in wetting order from O/W/G to O/G/W. The differences and similarities between saturation paths in WOW and MWL are described in detail. For a given pore size distribution (PSD), the 3-phase displacements are controlled by the parameters of the rock wettability structure (see text) and the 3 interfacial tensions. Moving towards miscibility, 3-phase fluid displacement for gas injection and oil invasion are controlled by IFTs, while for water flooding, wettability structure plays the key role at all miscibility conditions. Although the simple CB model cannot describe all phenomena, such as phase trapping, the phase displacement paths, still the pore occupancies are qualitatively correct. Results of various phase injection in WOW are broadly consistent with pore occupancy sequences observations from pore scale X-Ray image analysis in literature despite simplicity of the theory which is validated in terms of its underling physics.