Digital Commons Network^™

Organizational Narcissism And Virtuous Behavior, Dennis Duchon, Brian Drake

Department of Management: Faculty Publications

Extreme narcissistic organizations are unable to behave ethically because they lack a moral identity. While such organizations are not necessarily unethical intentionally, they become self-obsessed and use a sense of entitlement, self-aggrandizement, denial, and rationalizations to justify anything they do. Extreme narcissistic organizations might develop formal ethics programs, but such programs will have little effect on behavior.

Gathering Cows Using Virtual Fencing Methodologies, Dean M. Anderson, Marek Doniec, Carrick Detweiler, Iuliu Vesilescu, Daniela Rus, Barbara Nolen, Roy Libeau

School of Computing: Conference and Workshop Papers

Free-ranging livestock are classically controlled by herders. Holding, moving, or gathering free-ranging cattle requires flexible husbandry practices for efficient and effective lowstress animal management. Behavioral theory and practical experience indicates cattle can be taught to respond to auditory cues. Preliminary research has demonstrated that cows can be gathered autonomously using recorded audio cues associated with manual gathering. However, efficient gathering requires movement in the proper direction. Therefore, we believe using audio cues administered from directional virtual fencing (DVF™) equipment can facilitate proper animal orientation and facilitate the gathering of animals with minimal human intervention. Results from applying directional audio cues …

Preconventional Morality, Maria Rosario T. De Guzman

Nebraska Center for Research on Children, Youth, Families, and Schools: Faculty Publications

preconventional morality
n. In Kohlberg's theory of moral development, this is the first and lowest level of reasoning, characterized by egocentric concerns and a focus on concrete consequences of actions. Two stages compose this level of moral reasoning. In stage 1, obedience/ punishment orientation, children base their moral judgments on avoidance of physical punishment and unquestioning obedience to authority figures, particularly because of their ability to mete out physical punishment. In stage 2, individualism and exchange, also called instrumental relativism, children begin to understand that people hold multiple perspectives but judge morality of actions in terms of the practical …

Postconventional Morality, Maria Rosario De Guzman

Nebraska Center for Research on Children, Youth, Families, and Schools: Faculty Publications

postconventional morality
n. In Kohlberg's theory of moral development, this is the third and highest level of reasoning, characterized by a reliance on autonomous moral principles. Two stages compose this level of moral reasoning. In stage 5, social contract orientation, individuals base their moral judgments on the degree to which actions promote commonly agreed upon laws and rules. Unlike in earlier stages, rules are not obeyed simply to avoid punishment (stage 1) or to obey authority for authority's sake blindly (stage 4), but because they represent social contracts agreed upon by the larger society and are based on principles …

Conventional Morality, Maria Rosario De Guzman

Nebraska Center for Research on Children, Youth, Families, and Schools: Faculty Publications

conventional morality
n. In Kohlberg's theory of moral development, this is the second level of moral reasoning, characterized by an awareness and focus on societal laws, norms, and rules. Two stages comprise this level of moral reasoning. In stage 3, good-boy-good-girl orientation, individuals judge behaviors on the basis of how closely actions conform to accepted norms of behavior, and what is considered appropriate or is approved of by others. In stage 4, authority orientation, individuals judge actions on the basis of their adherence to authority and rules, and insofar as they main- tain the social order or fulfill obligations. …

Communicative And Relational Dimensions Of Shared Family Identity And Relational Intentions In Mother-In-Law/Daughter-In-Law Relationships: Developing A Conceptual Model For Mother-In-Law/Daughter-In-Law Research, Christine Rittenour, Jordan Soliz

Department of Communication Studies: Faculty Publications

From the perspective of daughters-in-law (N = 190), this study examined communicative and relational factors associated with positive and negative mother-in-law/daughter-in-law relationships. A structural model tested perceptions of shared family identity as a mediator between communicative factors (supportive communication, nonaccommodation, self-disclosure), family-of-origin factors, and daughter-in-law intentions regarding caregiving and future contact with the mother-in-law. Further, open-ended responses were content analyzed to identify additional relational aspects associated with satisfying mother-in-law relationships. Results from both analyses were integrated into a conceptual model to guide future research on this relationship.

Xenophobia: Understanding The Roots And Consequences Of Negative Attitudes Toward Immigrants, Oksana Yakushko

Department of Educational Psychology: Faculty Publications

The current xenophobic cultural environment in the United States makes it imperative that psychologists understand the nature of xenophobia and recognize its consequences. This article explores sociological, social psychological, and multicultural research to examine the causes of negative attitudes toward immigrants. Xenophobia is presented as a concept descriptive of a socially observable phenomenon. Historical and contemporary expressions of xenophobia in the United States are examined and compared with cross-cultural scholarship on negative attitudes toward immigrants. Last, suggestions are provided for how counseling psychologists can integrate an understanding of xenophobia into their clinical practice, training, research, and public policy advocacy.

Alcohol Expectancies Among High School Students In Inner Mongolia, China, Duane F. Shell, Ian Newman, Ming Qu

Department of Educational Psychology: Faculty Publications

Objective — This study examines differences in Chinese high school students’ alcohol expectancies by drinking status (nondrinker, occasional drinker, regular drinker) and gender (male, female).
Method — The authors administered the Chinese Adolescent Alcohol Expectancy Questionnaire (CAEQ) to a convenience sample of 1244 high school students (M = 627; F = 617) from schools in Hohhot City and Tongliao City in Inner Mongolia, China.
Results — Differences were found in the 8 CAEQ factors (3 negative and 5 positive factors). Regular drinkers had lower negative consequences and higher positive perception expectancies than nondrinkers or occasional drinkers. Nondrinkers had higher harm …

Grade And Gender Differences In Gifted Students’ Self-Concepts, Kathleen Moritz Rudasill, Marla Read Capper, Regan Clark Foust, Carolyn M. Callahan, Susan B. Albaugh

Department of Educational Psychology: Faculty Publications

Gifted adolescents are poised to make important decisions that will determine the trajectory of their futures. A positive self-concept may lead to higher educational and career aspirations, whereas a poorer self-concept may negatively influence choices and outcomes. Research points to self-concept differences among gifted students of different ages (Chan, 2001) and genders (Hoge & McShreffrey, 1991; Li, 1988), with declining self-concept among females over time. The purpose of this study was to examine the extent to which self-concept differed among gifted students across grade and gender. Two hundred and sixty older adolescents (grades 8 to 11, n = 159 girls) …

Teacher–Child Relationship Quality: The Roles Of Child Temperament And Teacher–Child Interactions, Kathleen Moritz Rudasill, Sara E. Rimm-Kaufman

Department of Educational Psychology: Faculty Publications

Young children’s relationships with teachers predict social and academic success. This study examines contributions of child temperament (shyness, effortful control) and gender to teacher–child relationship quality both directly and indirectly through the frequency of teacher–child interactions in the classroom. Using an NICHD SECCYD sample of 819 first grade children, four findings emerged: (a) children’s shyness, effortful control, and gender contributed directly to teacher–child conflict and closeness; (b) children’s shyness contributed to the frequency of child-initiated teacher–child interactions, and children’s effortful control contributed to the frequency of teacher-initiated teacher–child interactions; (c) shyness related to teacher–child closeness indirectly through the frequency of …

Parent Involvement As A Predictor Of Teacher–Child Relationship Quality In Third Grade, Amanda J. Wyrick, Kathleen Moritz Rudasill

Department of Educational Psychology: Faculty Publications

Research Findings: Research on teacher–child relationships is important, as the quality of this relationship is linked to numerous child outcomes in the areas of academic and social functioning. In addition, parent involvement has been identified as a significant factor in the successful development of a child. This study attempted to join these two lines of research by assessing the extent to which teacher–child relationship quality varies as a function of parent involvement. We used a sample of 894 third-grade children, mothers, and teachers from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) Study of Early Child Care. Regression …

¿Ángeles En La Batalla?: Representaciones De La Enfermera En Champourcin Y Urraca Pastor Durante La Guerra Civil Española, Iker González-Allende

Spanish Language and Literature Papers

Durante la Guerra Civil Espanola (1936-39), tanto en el bando republicano como en el sublevado numerosas mujeres se ofrecieron como voluntarias para cuidar a los heridos, incluso careciendo de experiencia previa en cuestiones sanitarias. En palabras de Mary Nash, "en la retaguardia y en las trincheras la enfermería era uno de los ámbitos más importantes de la movilización femenina" (Rojas 215). Esto explica que desde el inicio del conflicto bélico la figura de la enfermera se mitificara, creándose romances y carteles en torno a ella (Greene 128). En opinión de Miriam Basilio, la imagen de la enfermera en h …

Vivir Sola No Es Lo Mismo Que Estar Sola: Carmen Alborch Y El Compromiso De La Soledad, Iker González-Allende

Spanish Language and Literature Papers

El mundo actual está organizado en torno a la pareja y la familia, y el matrimonio se erige como una institución primordial que establece las relaciones entre el individuo y la sociedad (Schwartzberg et al., 1995: 6). Por este motivo, la persona soltera o sola está marcada como diferente o fuera de la norma. Es especialmente la mujer que no está casada la que, debido a la ideología de género postulada por la sociedad patriarcal, padece en mayor medida la marginación y el descrédito. Desde el discurso tradicional se ha defendido la creencia de que la mujer necesita de un …

Profetismo Y Pensamiento Humanitario En El Teatro De Martín Elizondo Y De Belausteguigoitia, Iker González-Allende

Spanish Language and Literature Papers

El exilio de 1939 supuso para el teatro vasco y español una discontinuidad mayor que para los otros géneros literanos, ya que como apunta Manuel Aznar Soler, al tratarse el teatro de un arte social que adquiere su plena significación por medio de las representaciones escénicas, se perdió el contacto con su público originario (1999, 12). No fueron. demasiados los escritores vascos que cultivaron el teatro en el exilio, pero a pesar de ello, en opinión de José Ángel Ascunce, el género dramático poseyó un protagonismo indiscutible en las comunidades vascas desterradas, especialmente en los Centros Vascos o Euskaletxeak, donde …

"Mi Condición De Sirena": The Diasporas Of Gabriela Avigur-Rotem And Alicia Dujovne Ortiz, Amalia Ran

Spanish Language and Literature Papers

The experience of arrIving from the "other" shore is inherited in the Jewish condition, and is often related to the absence of an authentic origin, thus impeding the univocal determination of the" private" and the "collective" while narrating the personal history and evoking the past. The impossibility to belong to one place and the individual dilemma facing the surrounding society require considering the ethnic, racial, and cultural elements, as well as those factors concerning class and gender, and their inter-textual and intra-textual significances when analyzing the ambivalence of the Jewish newcomers.

In the case of Gabriela Avigur-Rotem (1945, Israeli resident …

What Is The Point: Will Screening Mammography Save My Life?, James E. Keen, John Keen

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

Background: We analyzed the claim "mammography saves lives" by calculating the life-saving absolute benefit of screening mammography in reducing breast cancer mortality in women ages 40 to 65.
Methods: To calculate the absolute benefit, we first estimated the screen-free absolute death risk from breast cancer by adjusting the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results Program 15-year cumulative breast cancer mortality to account for the separate effects of screening mammography and improved therapy. We calculated the absolute risk reduction (reduction in absolute death risk), the number needed to screen assuming repeated screening, and the survival percentages without and with screening. We varied …

Farmers And Nature Conservation: What Is Known About Attitudes, Context Factors And Actions Affecting Conservation?, Johan Ahnström, Jenny Höckert, Hanna L. Bergea, Charles A. Francis, Peter Skelton, Lars Hallgren

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Farmers’ attitudes towards viability of specific conservation practices or actions strongly impact their decisions on adoption and change. This review of ‘attitude’ information reveals a wide range of perceptions about what conservation means and what the impacts of adoption will mean in economic and environmental terms. Farmers operate in a tight financial situation, and in parts of the world they are highly dependent on government subsidies, and cannot afford to risk losing that support. Use of conservation practices is most effective when these are understood in the context of the individual farm, and decisions are rooted in land and resource …

Service-Learning Is… How Faculty Explain Their Practice, Kerryann O’Meara, Elizabeth K. Niehaus

Department of Educational Administration: Faculty Publications

Many researchers have explored faculty engagement in service-learning. However, scholarship rarely considers ways in which the discourses used by faculty to describe service-learning—the stories they tell about what it is they are doing and why—construct images of subject positions, problems, and solutions that inform our beliefs about service-learning and our practice. The purpose of this study was to understand the dominant discourses used by faculty to explain service-learning. The nomination files of 109 exemplary faculty nominated for the Thomas Ehrlich Award were analyzed. Findings indicate that faculty use four dominant discourses regarding the purposes and significance of service-learning: (a) a …

Condition-Dependent Alternative Mating Tactics In A Sexually Cannibalistic Wolf Spider, Dustin J. Wilgers, Amy C. Nicholas, David H. Reed, Gail E. Stratton, Eileen Hebets

Eileen Hebets Publications

Condition-dependent male mating tactics often involve high-quality males capitalizing on the outcome of intersexual selection, whereas low-quality males use behaviors that circumvent female choice to achieve copulation. In the wolf spider Rabidosa punctulata, males display 2 distinct mating tactics: 1) “courtship”—consisting of visual and seismic components or 2) “direct mount”—consisting of males grappling/holding females until they assume a copulatory posture. We tested for condition-dependent tactic expression using both field-collected individuals (representing natural variation in body mass and condition) and individuals whose diet we manipulated in the laboratory (representing extreme divergences in body size and condition). Across both natural and …

Usability Investigation Of E-Business Web-Based Forms, Gerald V. Post, Albert Kagan, Betsy Page Sigman

Journal of International Technology and Information Management

Usability on Web sites is critical because almost no training is provided for users on commercial sites. Instead, Web design relies on standards and consistency across sites. Traditional usability results indicated that computer forms should follow paper-based forms. Yet, Web paradigms have evolved that are quite different from paper-based forms. Specifically, this study reveals that users commit fewer errors and prefer simple forms limited to a single concept per screen. This conclusion significantly alters the recommendations for designing business forms.

Supporting The Virtual Community: Social Bookmarking As A User- Based Classification Scheme In A Knowledge Library, Nicole Lytle, Tony Coulsom

Journal of International Technology and Information Management

Knowledge libraries hold the promise of widespread access to information available anywhere, anytime, freeing patrons from the geographical and temporal boundaries that currently exist. The classification of materials and subsequent searching of knowledge library content is an overall problem with many complex parts. Relevant classification is important for optimal information retrieval. This is especially important for the virtual communities that exist with extended organizations. Rooted in the virtual community and digital library literature, this paper develops a theory for improving the information classification and retrieval process of knowledge libraries that support virtual communities by applying social bookmarking techniques.

Rapid Development Of Multimedia Instructional Modules For Information Technology Education, Nanda Ganesan

Journal of International Technology and Information Management

A multifaceted learning model was developed for implementing e-learning in a largely commuter campus. The primary objective of the model was to build a flexible learning environment that combined the learning effectiveness of in-class learning with the flexibility and accessibility of online learning. One of the components of the model was the multimedia instructional modules produced to teach various Information Technology courses. Several different types of modules were produced representing chalk-and-talk type of lectures, PowerPoint presentations and software tutorials. The chalk-and-talk type of lecture modules and the software tutorials that emulated the in-class learning experience contributed positively towards enhancing the …

Can Information Systems Foster Emotional Intelligence? A Design Theory-Based Approach, Richard J. Burkhard, Thomas A. Horan, Brian N. Hilton, Michael Leih

Journal of International Technology and Information Management

Researchers in Information Systems (IS) have conducted extensive research into various kinds of collaboration systems over the last twenty-five years. A parallel stream of inquiry in psychology and management has developed research in organizational Emotional Intelligence, which contributes to the effectiveness of group interactions by increasing cooperation and reducing conflict. Collaboration systems present a special opportunity to introduce soft management functions such as Emotional Intelligence because they are designed as an intelligent channel of interaction between group members. This research used an Information Systems Design Theory approach to guide the integration of Emotional Intelligence functions into collaboration systems. Two artifact …

Performance Impacts Of Extent Of Information Technology Usage, Adam S. Maiga, Fred A. Jacobs

Journal of International Technology and Information Management

The link between IT investment and firm performance is indirect due to the effect of moderating variables. Employing a sample of 589 manufacturing firms based in the U.S., building on resource- and knowledge-based theories and the marketing literature, we use structural equation modeling to investigate the relationship between firm extent of IT usage, knowledge acquisition from customers and suppliers, competitive advantage and firm financial performance. Our results indicate that firm extent of IT usage positively impacts both knowledge from both customers and suppliers, which positively affect firm competitive advantage that, in turn, positively impacts firm financial performance. Further, our results …

Investigating The Factors Influencing Customers’ Adoption Of Online Banking In The United Arab Emirates, Samar Mouakket

Journal of International Technology and Information Management

The goal of this paper is to increase the awareness of the exogenous factors that influence customers’ attitude in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) towards online banking in the light of the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). The study investigates the effect of three exogenous factors namely computer self-efficacy, security issues, and website features on the TAM. The proposed modified TAM model has been tested with a survey sample of 461 which has been distributed among different customers in the UAE. The data has been analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) to evaluate the strength of the hypothesized relationships. The results …

Machine Translation In A Multilingual Electronic Meeting, Milam Aiken, Mina Park

Journal of International Technology and Information Management

Electronic meetings can be more efficient and effective than traditional, oral discussions, but until only recently, groups with no common language could not benefit from machine translation. Although it is possible for linguists or other staff members using machines to translate comments during a multilingual discussion, the research presented here shows that this is not feasible for large groups speaking many languages. As a solution, we propose a fully automated multilingual meeting system, and an example of its use in a meeting with Chinese, Korean, and English comments shows its potential to reduce multinational communication barriers.

Using Computer Resources For Personal Activities At Work: Employee Perceptions Of Acceptable Behavior, Troy J. Strader, Lou Ann Simpson, Suzanne R. Clayton

Journal of International Technology and Information Management

Employees use computer resources at work for personal activities and the implementation of countermeasures has not reduced this behavior. In this study we investigate the extent to which an employee’s ethical orientation and supervisory role have an impact on their perceptions regarding these behaviors. We find that employees assess acceptability using a utilitarian orientation. The more money and time involved in an activity, the more employees perceive them to be unacceptable. We also find that supervisors view these activities as less acceptable than do non-supervisor employees. Demographics have little to do with explaining perceptions. Research and managerial implications are discussed.

Future Advances In The Early Detection Of Reading Risk: Subgroups, Dynamic Relations, And Advanced Methodologies: Epilogue To Journal Of Learning Disabilities Special Edition “Advances In The Early Detection Of Reading Risk”, Tiffany Hogan, Jennifer M. Thomson

Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders: Faculty Publications

Six studies and 1 synthesis focused on early identification of reading impairment in this special edition. A familiar theme emerged: reading involves multiple subsystems that dynamically interact across development making early identification a ‘moving target’ (cf Speece, 2005). Based on the cumulative findings presented in this edition, we pose 5 key considerations for future advances in the early detection of reading risk: (a) attention to the definition of ‘reading’ and the heterogeneity of poor readers (b) longitudinal dynamic relations, (c) application of advanced, theory-driven methodology and statistical models, (d) early identification that leads to prescriptive early intervention, (e) early identification …

Europe And The 'Resolution Revolution': 'European' Legal Approaches To Privacy And Their Relevance For Space Remote Sensing Activities, Frans G. Von Der Dunk

Space, Cyber, and Telecommunications Law Program: Faculty Publications

English abstract: With the increasing general availability of very high resolution (VHR) satellite remote sensing data, issues of potential invasion of personal spheres of privacy will become ever more important. As of yet, there is no international law providing for a clear-cut regime balancing the freedom of information, including information gathering, with the rights of individual persons to remain free from interference with their privacy. The latter issues therefore essentially can be tackled only at a national level, with the obvious disadvantage that any regulation remains principally limited in scope to the national jurisdiction concerned.

Also at the European level …

Tests Of The Dynamic Field Theory And The Spatial Precision Hypothesis: Capturing A Qualitative Developmental Transition In Spatial Working Memory, Anne R. Schutte, John P. Spencer

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

This study tested a dynamic field theory (DFT) of spatial working memory and an associated spatial precision hypothesis (SPH). Between three and six years of age there is a qualitative shift in how children use reference axes to remember locations: 3-year-olds’ spatial recall responses are biased toward reference axes after short memory delays, whereas 6-year-olds’ responses are biased away from reference axes. According to the DFT and the SPH, quantitative improvements over development in the precision of excitatory and inhibitory working memory processes lead to this qualitative shift. Simulations of the DFT in Experiment 1 predict that improvements in precision …