Inference to the Best Explanation

The common role of research programs in science and religion is now widely accepted. The next step in the methodology debate is to specify more concretely the shared standards for adequate explanations. The article presents a detailed account of the method of inference to the best explanation and gives examples of how the method can structure the philosophical and theological interaction with science. The resulting approach dispenses with deductive and inductive proofs of religious propositions and limits itself to initially plausible hypotheses that are to be assessed according to their explanatory power. Only when a domain of data and a particular explanatory task have been specified can any serious claim be made that religious theories are equal or superior to their naturalistic alternatives.     

Employees’ perception of diversity management practices: scale development and validation

Scholars and practitioners are paying increasing attention to diversity management (DM). Despite this increase and an expanding literature, there exists a lack of psychometrically sound scales to measure DM practices and none that capture employees’ perception of DM practices (EPDMP). This dearth in literature has thus hindered DM research. To fill the gap, in the present paper, using a qualitative study and 3 quantitative studies in a sample of 590 employees across various sectors in the UK, a 9-item uni-dimensional EPDMP scale is developed and validated. Results from content adequacy, reliability, convergent, discriminant, nomological and incremental predictive validity assessments provide support for the measures use in diagnostic and theory testing efforts. This paper concludes with a discussion of the implications for theory, management practice and future research.     

Validation of the trust relationship audit (TRA): An item parcelling approach

This study sought to apply an item parcelling approach to confirm the factor structure of trust in the direct supervisor as measured by the trust relationship audit (TRA). The researchers analysed an existing data set on the TRA from 9 060 South African employees. For the analysis, the researchers utilised structural equation modelling, using item parcelling to confirm the factor structure. The results confirm that, in essence, the large sample structural model replicates the original small sample model, consisting of separate personality and managerial practices factors as antecedents of trust in supervisors. Two items measuring personality traits loaded differently in the small and the combined sample. The results suggest item parcelling to be a value-add in measure validation when data mining.     

The enactive computational basis of cognition and the explanatory cognitive basis for computing

The computational theory of cognition, or computationalism, holds that cognition is a form of computation. Two issues related to this view are comprised by the goal of this paper: A) Computing systems are traditionally seen as representational systems, but functional and enactive approaches support non-representational theories; B) Recently, a sociocultural theory against computationalism was proposed with the aim of ontologically reducing computing to cognition. We defend, however, that cognition and computation are in action, thus cognition is just a form of computing and that cognition is the explanatory basis for computation. We state that: 1. Representational theories of computing recurring to intentional content run into metaphysical problems. 2. Functional non-representational theories do not incur this metaphysical problem when describing computing in terms of the abstract machine. 3. Functional theories are consistent with enactive in describing computing machines not in a strictly functional way, but especially in terms of their organization. 4. Enactive cognition is consistent with the computationalism in describing Turing machines as functionally and organizationally closed systems. 5. The cognitive explanatory basis for computing improves the computational theory of cognition. When developed in the human linguistic domain, computer science is seen as a product of human socionatural normative practices, however, cognition is just an explanatory, not ontological, basis for computing. The paper concludes by supporting that computation is in action, that cognition is just one form of computing in the world and the explanatory basis for computation.     

Mothering under political violence: Post-traumatic symptoms,observed maternal parenting practices and child externalising behaviour

Using the family stress model as our conceptual framework, we explored whether observed maternal parenting practices (positive and coercive) account for the associations between mothers' post-traumatic stress symptoms and children's externalising behaviours. Mothers' self-reported post-traumatic stress symptoms, observed maternal practices, and reports of children's externalising behaviour were collected from 123 Israeli mothers and their children, who were exposed to ongoing rocket attacks in southern Israel. A structural equation model revealed that mothers' post-traumatic stress symptoms were linked with greater maternal coercive parenting practices, which in turn were associated with more externalising behaviours in children. The study highlights the crucial role of maternal distress and mothers' parenting skills in the development of externalising behaviours in children exposed to chronic political violence. These results suggest that prevention interventions designed to promote parenting skills for mothers exposed to political violence may be beneficial for children's healthy development.     

如何激发员工绿色行为?绿色变革型领导与绿色人力资源管理实践的作用

鉴于当今环境问题的严峻性, 如何激发绿色行为逐渐成为社会各界关注的一个话题。本研究从绿色变革型领导和绿色人力资源管理实践两大绿色管理利器入手, 探究两者能否共同激发员工绿色行为。基于以往文献, 本研究提出两组竞争性假设：基于线索一致理论, 认为绿色变革型领导与绿色人力资源管理实践正向交互影响员工绿色行为; 此外, 基于领导替代理论, 认为绿色变革型领导与绿色人力资源管理实践负向交互影响员工绿色行为。研究1a (N = 91)和研究1b (N = 220)采用实验法, 发现绿色变革型领导与绿色人力资源管理实践发挥协同作用, 正向交互预测员工绿色行为。研究2采用问卷法, 搜集了三时点上下级配对数据(N = 173), 不仅再次支持了研究1的发现, 还进一步揭示环保目标清晰度的中介作用。以上结果支持了线索一致性理论在绿色管理领域的适用性, 并启示企业在绿色管理过程中可以软硬兼施, 联合运用绿色变革型领导和绿色人力资源管理实践两大策略。