Further Validation of a Need-based Quality-of-work-life (QWL) Measure: Evidence from Marketing Practitioners

This study further validates a need-based measure of quality of work life (QWL) developed by Sirgy et al. (Soc Indic Res 55:46–56, 2001). We conceptualized the QWL construct in terms of employee satisfaction with two sets of major needs: lower- and higher-order needs. Lower-order needs comprise health/safety needs and economic/family needs. Higher-order needs involve social needs, esteem needs, self-actualization needs, knowledge needs, and aesthetic needs. The results from a survey of marketing professionals largely supported the construct validity and predictive validity of the QWL measure. As expected, QWL has a positive influence on esprit de corps, job satisfaction, and organizational commitment among marketing managers. Managerial implications and directions for future research are also discussed.     

幼儿教师职业幸福感的特点及其与职业承诺的关系

为探索幼儿教师职业幸福感的特点及其与职业承诺的关系,随机选取川渝两地幼儿教师533名,用修编的幼儿教师职业幸福感量表（KTOWBS）和教师职业承诺问卷（TOCS）进行调查。结果表明：（1）除认知幸福感外,幼儿教师职业幸福感整体水平较高。其中,城市幼儿教师的心理幸福感和情绪幸福感显著高于农村,公办园幼儿教师的社会幸福感显著高于民办园;（2）月薪超过1000元的幼儿教师其社会幸福感显著高于月薪低于1000元者,月薪超过2000元者其心理幸福感、情绪幸福感和认知幸福感显著高于月薪低于2000元者,但心理幸福感随日工作时间增加而降低;（3）幼儿教师职业幸福感各因子与情感承诺、规范承诺和继续承诺存在不同关系。分层线性回归分析显示,社会幸福感、认知幸福感、情绪幸福感和心理幸福感对情感承诺的正向预测作用为17%,认知幸福感和社会幸福感对规范承诺的正向预测作用为7%,社会幸福感对继续承诺的正向预测作用为1%。     

社会公平感对不同阶层目标达成的影响及其过程

基于目标追求理论和社会阶层心理学的相关理论, 本文通过3个研究, 逐步深入地考察了社会公平感对不同阶层个体目标达成的影响作用及其过程。研究1为相关研究, 考察了高低阶层成人被试的教育领域社会公平感与为孩子进行教育投入的目标承诺及目标达成之间的关系; 研究2为准实验研究, 通过操纵公平或不公平教育情境启动公平感, 考察其对高低阶层中学生的学习目标承诺与目标达成的影响; 研究3为实验研究, 通过实验操纵社会公平感和社会阶层, 考察社会公平感对高低阶层大学生的实验任务目标承诺和目标达成的影响。研究发现, 社会公平感通过正向影响低阶层者的目标承诺, 进而正向影响其目标达成; 而对于高阶层者来说, 变量之间这些关系则不显著。这表明：相对于高阶层来说, 低阶层者的目标追求易受社会公平感的影响; 低阶层者的社会公平感水平越高, 其追求目标的动机水平就越高, 进而越有利于目标达成。     

幼儿教师职业承诺对工作绩效的影响:职业幸福感的中介作用

为探索幼儿教师职业承诺和职业幸福感对工作绩效的影响,选取川渝两地幼儿教师328名,用幼儿教师职业幸福感量表(KTOWBS)、教师职业承诺问卷(TOCQ)、教师工作绩效量表(TJPS)进行调查。结果表明:(1)控制学校性质、工作时间、每月收入、教师年龄以及教龄影响后,幼儿教师情感承诺和规范承诺分别对工作绩效有显著的积极影响,继续承诺则对工作绩效有显著的消极影响;(2)幼儿教师职业幸福感在情感承诺、规范承诺和继续承诺对工作绩效的影响中起部分中介作用。以上研究结果对保护和提高幼儿教师工作绩效具有重要理论价值和实践意义。     

What do you mean “This isn’t the question”?

This is a contribution to the symposium on Tim Scanlon’s Being Realistic about Reasons (2014). We have two aims here: First, we ask for more details about Scanlon’s meta-metaphysical view (about his notion of a domain, his criterion of existence, his ambition to remain ontologically thin, and on the role of pragmatic considerations in Scanlon’s picture), showing problems with salient clarifications. And second, we raise independent objections to the view – to its explanatory productivity, its distinctness, and the argumentative support it enjoys.     

A focus on commitment: the roles of transformational and transactional leadership and self-regulatory focus in fostering organizational and safety commitment

The concept of employees’ commitment is one of the most challenging concepts in the management, organizational behaviour and human resource management literatures and research. The current study focuses on the construct of commitment as an emotional attitude, and expands the concept of general organizational commitment to a new more specific form of commitment, commitment to safety. Furthermore, commitment theorists commonly identify leadership as an important contributing factor to the development of organizational commitment. We aim to explain an underlying motivational mechanism, self-regulatory foci, through which leadership styles foster followers’ commitment. Results of three studies that used different methods (field and experimental), within different samples, demonstrated that transformational leadership was positively associated with followers’ promotion focus, which in turn was positively associated with both followers’ general and affective commitment to safety. Prevention focus mediated the positive relationship between a transactional active leadership style and both followers’ general and continuance commitment to safety. The implications of the findings for theory and practice are further discussed.     

Group acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) for bipolar disorder and co-existing anxiety – an open pilot study

Previous studies have supported acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) for reducing impairment related to various chronic conditions. ACT may possibly be beneficial for bipolar disorder (BD) with co-existing anxiety, which is associated with a poorer treatment outcome. Efforts are needed to identify suitable psychological interventions for BD and co-existing anxiety. In this open clinical trial, we included 26 patients with BD type 1 or 2 at an outpatient psychiatric unit specializing in affective disorders. The intervention consisted of a 12-session manualized group treatment that included psychoeducation, mindfulness, engaging in values-based behaviour, cognitive defusion, acceptance and relapse prevention modules. Participants completed four self-report questionnaires covering anxiety symptoms (Beck Anxiety Inventory - BAI), depressive symptoms (Beck Depression Inventory - BDI-II), quality of life (Quality of Life Inventory - QOLI) and psychological flexibility (Acceptance and Action Questionnaire - AAQ-2) before, during and after the treatment. At post-treatment, the participants reported significant improvements in all outcome measures, with large effects (Cohen’s d between 0.73 and 1.98). The mean reduction in anxiety symptoms was 45%. At post-treatment, 96% of the patients were classified as responders on at least one of the outcome measures. A limitation is that the trial is uncontrolled. The results suggest that ACT has the potential to be an effective treatment for BD patients with co-existing anxiety. Further randomized studies are warranted.     

The Roots of Love and Commitment in Childhood

Drawing from her clinical work with children and own childhood reflections, Dr. Lawrence underscores that the earliest sense of a true self is for the infant an experience of a self as worthy of love. This self-image becomes internalized as the infant looks into the mirror of the not too conflicted caregiver. She stresses that love which only can exist in relationship, is a social experience, does organize social experience, outstanding among these being commitments—commitments that bind a person to a course of action and connection. Dr. Lawrence interfaces psychoanalytic wisdom with spiritual references as she describes her work with children and families.     

School-Based Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Adolescents With Anxiety: A Pilot Trial

Anxiety disorders are one of the most prevalent diagnoses in youth, often resulting in impaired social and school functioning. Research on treatments for youth anxiety is primarily based in traditional clinical settings. However, integrating youth psychotherapies into the school environment improves access to evidence-based care. The present study is a pilot, randomized waitlist-controlled trial of a school-based, group Acceptance and Commitment Therapy–based (ACT) intervention for adolescents with anxiety. Students at two separate schools (N = 26) with elevated anxiety were randomized to a 12-week waitlist or to immediate treatment. Participants in the immediate treatment condition reported statistically significant decreases in anxiety and class absences at posttreatment and follow-up compared to the waitlist group. No statistically significant differences were found between groups for depression, psychological flexibility, positive mental health, and student well-being. However, medium within-condition effect sizes were seen in the treatment group for all outcomes. Participants reported the treatment as favorable with good acceptance ratings. Overall, this study supports ACT as a viable intervention for schools and other clinical settings providing services to adolescents with anxiety.