Unidimensional Concept Research Articles

The Multidimensionality of moral identity – toward a broad characterization of the moral self

ABSTRACT The present study explored the multidimensionality of moral identity. In four studies (N = 1,159), we compiled a comprehensive list of moral traits, analyzed their factorial structure, and established relationships between the factorial dimensions and outcome variables. The resulting dimensions are Connectedness, Truthfulness, Care, and Righteousness. To examine relations to personality traits and pro- and antisocial inclinations we developed a new instrument, the Moral Identity Profile (MIP). Our results show distinctive relationships for the four dimensions, which challenge previous unidimensional conceptualizations of moral identity. We discuss implications, limitations, and how our conceptualization reaffirms the social aspect of morality.

Pay transparency: How much disclosure do employees want?

Pay Transparency remains an important issue today in compensation practices within business organizations. However, much of the discussion surrounding pay transparency treats it as a unidimensional concept and does not explore employee preferences regarding the type and level of disclosure. This study provides insight into how much and what kind of data about pay employees truly seek from employers. Using the Prolific data collection platform for academic research, a survey was administered to 600 participants from a screen of nearly 2,500 full-time U.S. employees of companies listed on a U.S. stock exchange. The survey results indicate that a majority of employees want to know more about how compensation is determined and prefer that pay grades/ranges be disclosed for all jobs in an organization. However, considerable differences in preferences exist among generations concerning the disclosure of individual pay data. Disclosure preferences were also compared to perceptions regarding the existence of gender and racial pay gaps, Employees who perceive that significant gender and racial pay disparities exist within organizations prefer higher levels of pay disclosure. The findings from this survey may assist organizations in developing policies and practices related to the disclosure of pay data.

Entrepreneurial Orientation and Firm Performance of Malaysian SMEs: A Systematic Review and the Uncharted Parts

Under NEP2030, aimed at transforming Malaysia into an entrepreneurial nation, this study identifies common themes in research on entrepreneurial orientation(EO)–firm performance (FP) linkages within Malaysian small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). It also explores how these themes interact with other variables, highlighting research gaps and suggesting future research avenues. A multi-step systematic review of the empirical literature on EO–FP linkages within Malaysian SMEs was conducted, adopting 19 papers published between 2001 and 2021 from an initial 27 identified through Scopus. The results show that research on EO–FP linkages in Malaysian SMEs is growing by leaps and bounds from 2016 onwards, and even gradually includes moderators and mediators. From here, studies have established that the unidimensional concept of EO dominates; however, whether services are more likely to form positive EO–FP linkages than manufacturing has not been explored; FP is measured primarily by financial indicators. Meanwhile, subjective measures were the only option in 19 studies. This study shows why, when, and how the EO–FP linkages work. These are context-specific (i.e., Malaysian SMEs), highlighting the integration of many pieces to generate new ideas. These ideas provide a possible agenda for future research on EO–FP linkages, particularly suitable for SMEs facing a sustainable economic framework.

Consumer vulnerability: understanding transparency and control in the online environment

PurposeIn the online environment, consumers increasingly feel vulnerable due to firms’ expanding capabilities of collecting and using their data in an unsanctioned manner. Drawing from gossip theory, this research focuses on two key suppressors of consumer vulnerability: transparency and control. Previous studies conceptualize transparency and control from rationalistic approaches that overlook individual experiences and present a unidimensional conceptualization. This research aims to understand how individuals interpret transparency and control concerning privacy vulnerability in the online environment. Additionally, it explores strategic approaches to communicating the value of transparency and control.Design/methodology/approachAn interpretivism paradigm and phenomenology were adopted in the research design. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 41 participants, including consumers and experts, and analyzed through thematic analysis.FindingsThe findings identify key conceptual dimensions of transparency and control by adapting justice theory. They also reveal that firms can communicate assurance, functional, technical and social values of transparency and control to address consumer vulnerability.Originality/valueThis research makes the following contributions to the data privacy literature. The findings exhibit multidimensional and comprehensive conceptualizations of transparency and control, including user, firm and information perspectives. Additionally, the conceptual framework combines empirical insights from both experiencers and observers to offer an understanding of how transparency and control serve as justice mechanisms to effectively tackle the issue of unsanctioned transmission of personal information and subsequently address vulnerability. Lastly, the findings provide strategic approaches to communicating the value of transparency and control.

Confirmatory Factor Analysis of Strength Awareness Scale in a Sample of Indonesian Female Leaders

This study aimed to test psychometric properties of strength use scale (SUS) as a unidimensional concept with 14 question items on a sample of female leaders who work in two manufacturing companies. The investigation, the subjects used consisted of 521 females in management positions at various levels. Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) was applied to analyze the factor validity of the unidimensional SUS consisting of 14 items. Additionally, Indonesian version of SUS was validated using a confirmation approach. In line with previous studies, the analysis confirmed the unidimensionality of the scale, which measures a singular strength through factors. The demands on internal consistency, composite reliability, and convergent validity were met. The results showed that Indonesian version of SUS is comparable to the original English version, representing a valid and reliable measure of strength used in Indonesian. Therefore, future studies should consider adding subjects with different sociodemographic backgrounds.

Facets of altruism in study majors and volunteering groups

Altruism may not be a unidimensional concept, but may contain different facets that can be empirically dissociated in real-life contexts. In two studies, we profile students from different undergraduate majors and selected vocational groups in terms of self-reported Help Giving (HG), Peer Punishment (PP) and Moral Courage (MC) using the Facets of Altruistic Behavioral traits scale. We find that law students characterize themselves as high in MC and low in HG, in contrast to students of educational science/teaching, pastoral care volunteers, and medicine/psychology students who report high HG traits. Environmental activists, on the other hand, show significantly elevated scores on both, the MC and HG facets. The peer punishment subscale designed to assess the willingness to monitor and punish free-riders in team collaborations failed to show any significant differences between the groups. In summary, these findings advance our understanding of altruism as a multifaceted personality trait, its assessment with self-report measures, and its relevance to real life.

Dissociation: Factor structure and the role of trauma among treatment-seeking adolescents.

Research examining the factor structure of the Adolescent Dissociative Experiences Scale (A-DES) has yielded mixed findings. This study sought to further clarify the factor structure of the A-DES among youth with histories of exposure to multiple traumas and adversities. We conducted a factor analysis of the A-DES using data from 1,157 treatment-seeking adolescents with histories of trauma exposure in order to expand understanding of dissociation's construct validity and provide the first attempt at post hoc analysis of trauma-impacted adolescents. A bifactor CFA model fit the data best and identified a strong general factor, supporting a unidimensional latent structure. Only the general dissociation factor was associated with cumulative trauma exposure, operationalized as the number of different types of exposure endorsed on the Trauma History Profile (THP), but this association was small. The study findings point toward a unidimensional conceptualization of dissociation. A developmental psychopathology framework is recommended for future research, allowing a nuanced and integrated approach to understanding dissociation and increasing generalizability across adolescents. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Bohigues, Asbel. (2021). Élites, radicalismo y democracia: Un estudio comparado sobre América Latina. Madrid: Centro de Investigaciones Sociológicas. 295 pages

There are many attempts to explain democratization in Latin America. Most of them treat democracy as a unidimensional concept and look for general explanations of why some countries become more democratic. In “Élites, radicalismo y democracia,” Bohigues demonstrates the theoretical and empirical relevance of investigating democracy’s many dimensions (i.e., electoral, liberal, participative, deliberative, and egalitarian). Utilizing elite surveys mixed with qualitative evidence, the book shows that legislators’ attitudes explain variations in these types of democracy. In fact, these effects may even be contradictory, helping to improve certain dimensions while worsening others. Scholars interested in democratic theory, Latin American politics, and elite behavior will benefit from this book.

Effects of Ethnocentrism on International Hospitality Brands: A Cross-Country Study of Starbucks

Ethnocentrism is anticipated to have a growing impact on international hospitality brands, but current understandings of its effects is limited. Using the traditional, unidimensional conceptualization of ethnocentrism, prior hospitality research concluded that ethnocentrism drives people to favor domestic over foreign brands. This study proposes a model wherein ethnocentrism’s emotional and cognitive dimensions influence perceptions of international brands through separate direct and indirect mechanisms, which vary between the brand’s domestic and foreign markets. The model was assessed using multigroup analysis of perceptions of Starbucks in two samples of 186 and 235 consumers from the United States and Italy, respectively. The findings highlight that ethnocentrism’s emotional and cognitive dimensions have positive and negative effects, respectively, on brand image in the domestic market (United States) and vice versa in a foreign market (Italy). In the foreign market, ethnocentrism influences brand image only indirectly. The study concludes with implications for brand managers.

Dimensions of class identification? On the roots and effects of class identity.

Throughout the 20th century, objective class position was a strong predictor of both class identity, political preferences and party choice, but since the 1980s, the relationship between objective and subjective dimensions of class has supposedly vanished-according to some as the result of a fundamental blurring of class relations. However, others suggest that this result may be partly due to the use of outdated class schemes. Although still basically focused on inequality of life chances, class relations today are complex and include more than labor market position, such as different forms of cultural resources (e.g., education). As a result, class identity may also have become more complex, and possibly dependent upon the salience of different resources and types of group relations-both in itself and in its relationship with political preferences. Very few contributions, though, test such claims. Using two independent Danish surveys, this paper investigates to what extent class identification is multidimensional and how any such dimensionality is related to, on the one hand, different dimensions of objective class relations and, on the other hand, different dimensions of political conflict. The analyses show that despite changes at the overall, societal level, class identity remains a primarily unidimensional concept both in its structural origins and its relationship with politics.

How Fear Can Affect the Pursuit of Novel Technologies in Incumbent Firms

Despite often being the source of novel technological breakthroughs, incumbent firms frequently fail to capitalize on these opportunities. We examine the potential role that emotion – specifically, fear – can play in this process, through a 24-month ethnographic study of a communications incumbent attempting to commercialize a novel security technology called Quantum Key Distribution . Our findings suggest, counterintuitively, that fear might actually facilitate the pursuit of novel technologies in incumbents, under the right circumstances. We therefore nuance the literature on fear in the pursuit of novelty by suggesting how – and under what conditions – fear can behave as a motivator and inhibitor respectively. Moreover, in identifying how actors involved in the pursuit of novelty may experience fear of failure and fear of missing out, we advance existing unidimensional conceptualizations of fear. Finally, we propose that how novel technologies are emotionally framed to other organizational actors may depend on the position of the communicator in the organizational hierarchy.

Region-wise comparative analysis of multi-dimensional poverty in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

While there is no specific definition of poverty, it is now increasingly being considered as a multi-dimensional phenomenon instead of a unidimensional concept such as lack of income. This study delves into a region-wise comparative analysis of poverty in the northwestern province of Pakistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which borders Afghanistan and has been witnessing drastic implications of the war against terrorism in Afghanistan. PSLM/HIES 2018-19 data from the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics has been used in the study which has a sample size of 4464 households from the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The study incorporates ten key dimensions of poverty into the construction of multi-dimensional poverty index as per the Alkire-Foster methodology. The findings of the study reveal that the average poverty rate in the province is about 50 percent. The divisions of Bannu, Malakand, and D. I. Khan are the poorest regions in the province, whereas, as expected, the divisions of Peshawar and Mardan are the least poor. Our results also indicate that rural areas of the province have more severe poverty as compared to urban areas of the province.

RESPLENDENT LEADERSHIP OF ALEXANDER THE GREAT: REMINISCENCES AND REFLECTIONS

Leadership is an assiduously cultivated art, and enduring leadership styles are seen as an invaluable asset that is designed to pass from one generation to the next. Since ancient times, the theory of leadership has historically evolved from a narrow, unidimensional concept into the multidimensional status it enjoys today as a prime developmental strategy. Change is the one constant and as situations and people change with the passage of time, workplace skills too need to evolve to keep pace with the prevailing trends. Prime among these are leadership skills that of a necessity need to evolve in order to stay abreast of the competition. Transformational leadership is the need of the hour in every workplace, collective evolution is of paramount importance as work environments and the workforce undergo rapid changes. Leadership skills must be capable of tackling such exponential organisational changes with a constant re-think of possibilities in the path to success. In the recent past, leadership skills and styles have become a topic of intense research with many pivotal studies conducted by the research community which continues to expend efforts to gain a better understanding of this management phenomenon. History abounds with inspiring tales of great leaders, foremost among them being the powerful Greek Emperor,Alexander the Great. History can be an excellent teacher and the success of historical figures such as Alexander from the ancient world can easily be replicated in the modern age. Many crucial leadership lessons can be learnt from the past and they continue to hold good in the technology driven world of today. A valiant emperor and mighty conqueror, King Alexander was an unparalleled military leader who maximised the potential of his soldiers by sharing his vision with his army who led him from one victory to another. A perfect example of a strong, rock solid leadership that was not averse to taking calculated risks in the ancient past to rise to stupendous power, it continues to be relevant in challenging contemporary times for exploring successful modern leadership styles.. This research paper sheds light on the vision and leadership skills of Alexander the Great, a fearless, revolutionary leader and a master tactician, through a meticulous study of his illustrious life and triumphant victories. This qualitative research is based on established historical sources which makes the narrative of one of the most notable emperors in history not only a source of instruction but also an engaging and informative read.

Dimensions of Athletic Identity and their Associations with Drinking Behaviors among a National Sample of University Athletes in the United States.

Although prior studies have indicated athletic identity plays a role in alcohol use among college athletes, this research has largely drawn on a unidimensional conceptualization. Addressing this gap, the current study utilized a sample of 8,550 university athletes (Mage = 19.70 years, SD = 1.33, 50.8% men) from 203 U.S. post-secondary institutions to examine the associations between athletic identity dimensions (i.e., social identification, negative affectivity, and exclusivity) and alcohol use for athletes across gender, sport type, and division. The results indicated that negative affectivity and social identification were associated with higher levels of alcohol use, whereas exclusivity was associated with lower levels of alcohol use. Further, the association between dimensions of athletic identity and alcohol use varied across competitive level (i.e., Division I, II, and III). The findings implicate the need for (a) future research to approach athletic identity as a multidimensional concept when examining its association with alcohol use outcomes, and (b) post-secondary alcohol prevention professionals to integrate dimensions of athletic identity in alcohol prevention approaches.

U.S. children’s understanding of the English alphabet: Its acquisition, conceptualization, and measurement.

Construct confusion and measurement challenges have plagued emergent literacy research for decades. Using a 2 × 2 × 2 factorial design, this study evaluated the dimensionality of alphabet knowledge and identified the sequence of development of 8 alphabet knowledge skills. Eleven models were evaluated in a sample of 3,692 preschool- and elementary school-age children. Findings supported a unidimensional conceptualization of alphabet knowledge that includes letter name knowledge and letter sound knowledge but not the ability to discriminate letters from nonalphabetic characters. Test information curves and significance tests of model constraints revealed reliable main and interaction effects of test format, capitalization, and component skills on items’ discriminations and difficulties. Implications for improving the measurement of alphabet knowledge are discussed in recognition that doing so will support advancement of theory, research, educational practice, and ultimately student achievement. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved)

Falls-efficacy as a multiple dimension construct: the role of post-traumatic symptoms

Objective The purpose of this study was to provide the basis for a new theoretical understanding of the psychological response to falls. We tested a hypothesised model of multiple dimensions of falls-efficacy (FE) in older adults. The model involved two main components of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) – fear and dysphoria – that were hypothesised to be directly associated with FE. The model proposed three pathways related to FE: ‘at the moment FE’ related to fear, ‘constant FE’ related to dysphoria and ‘elaborated FE’ related to fear of falls (FoF). Methods In this cross-sectional study a convenience sample of 119 older adults hospitalised in Poland due to fall-related injuries completed a survey involving fear of falls, FE and PTSD assessment. Results All three hypothesised pathways related to FE were supported, which accounted for 61% of the variance in falls efficacy. Very strong relationships were found between FE and dysphoria (.447, 95% CI [.303, .632], p = .006), FE and fear (.261, 95% CI [.109, .416], p = .009), and FE and FoF (-.286, 95% CI [-.396, −.183], p = .006). Conclusion FE is not a unidimensional concept but acts differently depending on what influences it. Dysphoria appears to be central to the fall-related constructs of FE and FoF and responsible for their maladaptivity. FoF, which is often misinterpreted as FE, was found to be less prominent in the analyses. Thus, fear of falls may not always be negative, as it is commonly believed, but adaptive and protective.

Travel Abroad for Face Gaining or Face Saving? A Comparison Between Chinese Gen Y Male and Female Tourists in a Context of Chinese Culture

“Face” is considered one of the most important cultural values in China, but there is insufficient research discussing the effect of “face” on outbound travel behaviors among Chinese Gen Y tourists. Most of the previous studies have oversimplified “face” as a uni-dimensional concept in tourism. However, the relevant literature suggests that an individual may behave differently when s/he is concerned about gaining “face” or losing “face.” Furthermore, gender plays an important role in influencing travel behaviors in China. Therefore, this research establishes a conceptual framework based on “face” and TPB to explore whether Chinese Gen Y travel abroad for face gaining or face saving, and compares the influence of “face” across gender. By analyzing data from 155 males and 195 females, it is found that there are significant differences in relation to the effect of “face” on outbound travel intention across gender. Chinese Gen Y females travel abroad mainly to gain “face,” and their male counterparts travel abroad mainly to avoid losing “face.” The gender-based differences reaffirms that Chinese society has different evaluation criteria for men and women, and their travel behaviors consequently are shaped by gender norms. This study facilitates our understanding of Chinese Gen Y tourists and China’s outbound tourism market from both Chinese and Western epistemologies. Then, practical implications and limitations are discussed accordingly.

Rejecting homosexuality but tolerating homosexuals: The complex relations between religiosity and opposition to homosexuality in 9 Arab countries

Public debates portray Arab Muslims as universally opposed to homosexuality due to Islam. Those Orientalist claims are mirrored by large-scale studies that argue Muslims oppose homosexuality more than non-Muslims. We argue that assuming religion and opposition to homosexuality are unidimensional concepts obscures how they relate to each other and why; we study both “religiosity” and “opposition to homosexuality” multidimensionally.WVS data on 9000 Arab Muslims show, first, that although most respondents reject both homosexuality and homosexuals, one in five reject homosexuality but do not object to having homosexual neighbors. A substantial minority of Arab Muslims thus “hate the sin but love the sinner”. Multilevel analyses show that stronger religious attachment increases opposition to homosexuality and homosexual people. However, all other dimensions of religiosity we study (textualism, mosque attendance, and altruism) also reduce some oppositions. Consequently, the argument that Arab Muslims’ religiosity only leads to opposition to homosexuality is too simplistic.

Absorptive capacity and disaster immunity: the mediating role of information quality and change management capability

PurposeService organization supply chains provide a context that amplifies the complexity of interorganizational interdependencies and the need to build unique capabilities and innovative solutions, especially when confronted with man-made or natural disasters. Using the lens of complex adaptive systems (CAS), this study aims to investigate the role of absorptive capacity (AC), change management capability and information quality in improving a firm’s ability to cope with disasters – disaster immunity (DI). The study uniquely parses absorptive capacity into a three-variable, second-order construct (absorptive human resource management, absorptive complementary knowledge and absorptive infrastructure).Design/methodology/approachUsing data collected from 264 US service firms in a supply chain context, this paper evaluates the research model using the structural equation modeling approach.FindingsThe second-order, three-dimensional framework for AC has far superior psychometric properties as compared to the previous unidimensional conceptualizations. Results show that AC influences a firm’s DI through change management capability and information quality – two DI enhancing resources.Originality/valueThe paper builds on previous conceptual discussions of absorptive capacity as a multidimensional construct by operationalizing AC as a latent variable with three dimensions (above). Moreover, this paper shows that AC, change management capability, information quality and DI are interrelated parts of a CAS.

What kind of donor are you? Uncovering complexity in donor identity

AbstractIdentity is a useful lens to understand donation behavior. However, studies have typically conceptualized and examined donor identity as a generic, unidimensional concept. Through in‐depth interviews with 52 blood donors, this study sets out to discover if there is more complexity to donor identity, and what implications this might have for marketing communications, in the context of donation of the self (e.g., blood, organs, time, and effort). We use sentiment polarity and amplification analysis of inductive themes to uncover distinct patterns reflective of four different donor identities. We label these the Savior, Communitarian, Pragmatist, and Elitist, which are underpinned by theories of gift‐giving, sharing, pragmatism, and signaling, respectively. The typology offers a theory‐building mechanism to anticipate the effects of marketing stimuli on donation behavior. We conclude by presenting four theoretical propositions, for which we provide preliminary empirical evidence. The survey data is suggestive of action readiness for donation behavior when a marketing communication message is aligned with its intended donor identity.